Baby Update — 6 Weeks!!
Lucy had a check up Monday, and turned 6 weeks old, so I thought it would be a good week for an update.
Things here are going a bit more smoothly since I last posted. I was at my wits end, so I should’ve known…isn’t that always the way?
Lucy slept really well for about a week and a half — she’d sleep about 5 hours before waking up for a feeding, then back down for a few hours. The past few days have been rough again, though. Lucy isn’t wanting to feed all night like she was (thank goodness), but she’s only sleeping for short periods before waking up and staying up for awhile. Last night she slept from midnight until 4:30 am…and at 6:30 I finally realized that we weren’t going to be sleeping anytime soon and we got up. Might as well get a head start on laundry, right?
We are starting to get the hang of things around here and I’m slowly figuring her out.
Lucy won’t take a pacifier and unfortunately this means that she sometimes has trouble napping…I see her always trying to suck at the air when I lay her down. After several days of not napping for more than 20 minutes at a time, I made sure she was full, dry, and warm, and let her cry it out for about 5 minutes…she ended up napping for HOURS. I think she was just exhausted and is having trouble falling asleep.
We thought Lucy hated baths, but it turns out that they are one of her favorite things!! You just need to add bubbles and make the water a little warmer than what you’d think a baby would like. She loves it!! She kicks her feet and doesn’t cry a bit, and it’s nice to see her have fun. Babies don’t get to enjoy much at this age, so I let her stay in the bath until the water starts cooling off.
Her weight this week was 7 lbs 9 oz. The doctor was happy with that, so I don’t have to go back for a month instead of two weeks. I feel like I’ve had to take her to be weighed constantly, so that is a huge relief for me.
I’ve been supplementing Lucy with a bit of formula, just a small bottle twice a day to top her off and get her good and full. I’ve had trouble getting her to TAKE a bottle, not because she doesn’t like it but because she has trouble latching on. After a zillion fancy bottles, I tried the Playtex Nurser bottle from Walmart…and it works the best for us BY FAR. Sometimes she takes it right away and other times it takes her a minute to get comfortable, but it always works, which is a huge relief. I was starting to think I’d never be able to leave the house.
Other than the occasional lack of sleep, I feel good. Sick of wearing pajama pants, and hungry constantly, but good. I’ll be glad when the weather warms up and I can take Lucy for walks…we are getting a little stir crazy around here!!
Jon David is still crazy about his sister. He went back to school this week and I have to say that I was relieved. I love my kids, but goodness, a baby and a bored eight year old when it’s too cold to play outside can be…a handful. Have you ever noticed that if you have more than one kid, they will always need stuff at the SAME TIME??
How do you people with 3 or more do it? Is there a secret trick or are you just magic?
Anyways, that’s about it. I’ve discovered that nursing is a great opportunity to read, so I’ve been flying through books lately. Any recommendations?
I look forward to seeing how Lucy grows this month and sharing it with you. I hope you had a happy holiday with your family!!
Have a great weekend!!
Thanks for visiting my blog! I realize you could be doing more important things with your time. Like watching the news or washing socks. I hope you stay awhile. Much more fun than socks, I promise. 
She is seriously ADORABLE! Glad things are a little easier for you these days :)
Thank you, Megan!!
She’s such a sweetie! Hoping you guys all start getting more rest soon – I think that is the true magic. :) xoxo
Yes, sleep is magical. I feel shame for never appreciating it fully!!
Love reading this since I’m in the same boat. I can’t figure out how anyone does it with more than 3…they are super woman that’s for sure!
Oh and I feel you on the PJ pants…I’ve been living in them. I attempted my pre-pregnancy pants today and that was just depressing!
love, Love, LOVE the pictures! Especially the one with Jon David & Lucy (in the red stripes).
THANK YOU for sharing your beautiful children with us.
I can’t wait for the next update!
The photo of Lucy and Jon David where she is looking at him is just too precious for words! What a beautiful little family you have :)
Such a cutie! And you’ve got her in such cute outfits. I have 3 kids, and we’ve had many discussions about timing and what is the appropriate way to get my attention. Of course, only 1 of yours will understand that at this point.
Gotta recommend books by Jennifer Weiner and Emily Giffin. Light and funny reads that you can even pick up ay 3 am and enjoy!
Precious moments, thanks for sharing. My baby girl suddenly will be 25 tomorrow! And our son was 16 Dec. 1, got his driver’s license and a vehicle. Where did the time go? I’m a proud mama! Relax and enjoy every second.
A car?! Where they can drive places like grown up people??
Oh no. I don’t know if I can ever let that happen.
Such sweet pictures, thank you for sharing! I have a 17 month old, and even though the early days are tough, your post makes me miss them! Hang in there, hope some much needed sleep comes your way soon!
I recommend “Gone Girl” – awesome book with crazy twists and turns!
You go on auto-pilot some days. She’s adorable. How fun it would be to see Jon David continue to measure her!
Ok girl ..You totally NEED to get the Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit. Everyone I know has used it!!!!! It is a Godsend! Put it on Lucy and she will SLEEP.
My sisters baby..never slept…like ever. He slept 3 hours MAX at a time. The first night he wore it..he slept through the night(and he was a breast feeding baby)
You will ove me for it!!!!!!!!
http://www.magicsleepsuit.com
Okay I just went and looked at the website…it sounds awesome!! I’m excited to try it out. If it works, you can have my first born. You need an 8 year old who is good at magic tricks, right?
Okay, just mostly kidding.
Ohhhhhh. Did u order it??? It’s a miracle I tell u.. I’ll take another kid anyday…..Aidan needs a boy in the house he can play with!!
She looks like such a little doll!!! I remember when my dude was 6 weeks old, even though it feels like forever ago!
She is quite the adorable baby. And her big brother looks very proud of his position. My children were 8 years apart in age also but, lucky for me, I had the daughter first and she was such a big help with her little brother. She loved to hold him and rock him when nothing else worked. Both are almost grown now … 23 and 15 … but they have such a strong bond. I see the same thing happening for your kids. It is a blessing.
The book I would recommend is “The Christmas Jar” wonderful book … wonderful idea!
She’s so tiny and adorable
I can’t believe you brought up crying it out AND formula in one blog post. The crazies are going to get you for that. ;)
Really, though, I’m glad things are beginning to calm down a bit and that the little one is gaining some weight.
That picture of her and Jon David is so cute. Their profiles are completely the same! Love it!
What a princess!! Seems like youre getting Lucy all figured out. You are a great momma. My Libby is 3 weeks now and I am also so not getting any sleep, trying to get her on a schedule too. I also have no clue how parents give more than 2 kids their attention, they totally need things at exactly the same time always. Heres to all the super mommas! Good luck with Lucy and enjoy her, shes delicious!!!
Awwww. Feeling warm and fuzzy inside looking a your pictures. (I get warm and fuzzy looking at puppy dog pictures, too. !!!) There’s something about looking at helpless baby all dressed to the nines that gets me. Kristan, back in the dark ages (1968) my doctor told me that babies NEED to cry sometimes in order to “settle down”. It’s like they are over stimulated, overtired, something. At that age they are learning to settle themselves in order to get to sleep. Does that make any sense? Sometimes my son would cry before falling asleep — five? ten? minutes? But they need to LEARN to go to sleep. (I never let him cry endlessly). I’ve seen this on a TV show, Super Nanny (think that’s the name). I was so lucky as he would usually fall asleep at my breast so I’d just detach him then gently move him to his bassinet. Also, he wouldn’t take a pacifier until he was a few months old. Sorry, I can’t remember — three months? six months? Maybe that will happen with Lucy, maybe not.
I must say. You look beautiful! Eye makeup! Lipstick? I’m impressed. I was lucky if I washed my face the first two months! Love your updates — please keep them coming!
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. LOVED it. Best book so far this year! (OK the year is 4 days old. Duh.) Short, took me three hours to read. Part mystery, love song to books . . . check Amazon’s description. Didn’t you have this on one of your reading lists over at That’s What We Said? I think so? Have you already read it? If so, what was your reaction? I’m amazed you are able to keep your eyes open enough to read! You are a very talented woman!!!
Yes…your eyeliner…what is it?? How do you guys (meaning everyone in the world except for me) keep eyeliner on your bottom lashes to stay put? And Lucy is adorable :) I just pinned that Merlin Magic sleepsuit and I am not married nor do i have kids yet.
You are all so adorable together! Okay, it sounds a little bit weirdish to say that to a grown woman, but you know what I’m saying. Lol She is just giving you more ammo for guilting her as she grows up, so you’ll be able to remind her of the times when you got no sleep, and felt like a crazy, and all sorts of other stuff like that. :P It’s good to see that she is doing well. :)
She is beautiful! I’ve relived those first few weeks with my little girl (now almost 3) through your posts. Such a precious – foggy, blurry, hazy – time. Just when you think, “okay, this is the new normal,” it changes again.
We went through the nursing/weight issue, too. It works itself out, but hat was a stressful time for me as a new mom.
You’re doing great!
You have beautiful babies! And you are looking gorgeous yourself m’dear! Little ones are exhausting, my little girl just turned 14 months and still wakes up every 4 hours…I’m starting to feel like a perma-zombie. But the little smiles and hugs are worth it :)
Thanks for sharing such sweet pics. Love the one of you with her – you look amazing! And with very little sleep – impressive! My 2nd child is due in April and I know we’ll be going through all the same things. I hope I look as good as you do 6 weeks after! Hang in there and glad it’s getting a bit easier. You’re on the downhill slope now!
Beautiful pics of your children together! So sweet!
Try Victoria Hislop’s books. Start with The Island.
If you haven’t read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, get it readi it!
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
We Band of Angels by Elizabeth Morgan – a true story of the nurses and injured GIs left in the Phillipines by General MacArthur when the Japanese invaded.
Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis by Ben Macintyre
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Anna Kareinan by Leo Tolstoy
Anything by P.G. Wodehouse (you will laugh I promise)
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (more laughs and most of Bryson’s books are funny and informative)
Unbroken by Laura Hildenbrand (she wrote Seabiscuit as well)
If you want more suggestions, just email me.
Ditto on A Walk in the Woods! Funniest book I’ve ever read. I’d have to stop reading to hold my sides.
P. G. Wodehouse. Never get tired of him. His books are ageless with that sly English wit and set in a long past era of servants and country houses and butlers who get you out of trouble, every time.
Thanks for the update…she is seriously beautiful!!
I die over that red little coat!!! :) Oh my goodness. She is so beautiful! Hope she starts sleeping a little better. Sorry you’re sleep deprived, but if it helps…you’re still as funny as ever and you look great!! Cutest sibling pictures ever! You can just tell he adores her!
Aww, great pictures! Thanks for sharing. Your kids are cuties!
So glad to hear things are going a little better. She is perfect looking and I love seeing all of your cute photos of her:-)
I’m seriously about to spread her on a cracker.
I really don’t like children and have no desire to have any of my own. However, your post almost makes me change my mind. I actually want a baby. Your little girl is so sweet, and so are the little moments that you’re telling us about, and I’m honestly tearing up a little. Thank you for this honest & intimate & lovely post.
I had spaced out my first two a little and it wasn’t too bad but when my baby was 9 months old I found out I was preggers with number three despite nursing and the mini pill. I went into hysterics and wondered how I’d ever survive but somehow I managed and love having my three fellas. Lucy is absolutely adorable and that firstpicture of her and Jon David is priceless.
love that last picture of your two beautiful children! and is lucy winking at you?!?
Love the pictures! Thanks for the update and I think you look wonderful : )
She looks like her big brother and is just the cutest baby I have seen lately.
Oh my goodness…I love the picture in the little striped sleeper with Jon David next to her. I have 3 kiddos, ages, 5, 3 and 1, and I have no secrets and I am not magic. Truth is, most days I feel like I’m going crazy, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Your post and pictures make me want another sweet baby :) I loooooved the moby wrap for my 3rd babe. She lived in there for the first 2 months of her life, esp cause I was busy with the other 2. I really enjoy reading your updates!!
Absolutely beautiful! I’ll babysit any time you need a nap!
There are always fantastic tricks you can do with kids. No offense, but I chuckle a little because I’m not even sure I remember the days when I only had two. I have 6 children (4 girls, 2 boys). They are all grown now (youngest just turned 18). But I remember those days of stair-stepper children. I think my biggest fear one time was when I was pregnant with my 5th child and I was fretting having to carry two babies at once, until her older sister decided earlier rather than later was a good time to learn to walk! Yeah….they were 13 months apart – Yowza! Anyway, email me anytime you need hints or helpful ideas!
Glad she’s sleeping a little better. And glad you get to enjoy the nursing-reading time, that was my favorite. My daughter is 2.5 now, and the quiet reading time is fewer and farther between.
But I still managed to read 150 book last year! I’d say my first recommendation would either be The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (if you like YA fantasy) or The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton (if you like mysteries). I also ADORE the Duncan Kincaid – Gemma James series by Deborah Crombie.
If you happen to want to see more about the 150 books I read, here’s my 2012 summary. http://www.quirkybookworm.com/2013/01/what-i-read-in-2012-with-pie-charts-and.html
Two precious angels sent from above, enjoy them each and every day !! They grow up so fast. Remember to take time for some me time, ( even if its a bubble bath or a nap or a lunch with friends. ) just to recharge yourself. You deserve it.
Seriously! So freakin’ ADORABLE!
I hate giving advice, but the single BEST bit of advice I ever received after my second was born was this: When they both need something at the same time, it’s a good idea to tend to the needs of the older one first, when reasonable. (Like not when there’s a SERIOUS need, and as long as you can tolerate the fussing of the baby.) The reasoning is this- the older one will notice that you always put the little one first, and he’s always put in second place. The baby will never know that you made her wait a couple extra minutes. Of course, it is good to let the older one see you put the baby first sometimes, too. There are PLENTY of times that the baby will DEMAND to be first by necessity.
I love the pictures of the two of your sweet babies together.
Just remember…it DOES get easier!
You are doing fantastic! I know it doesn’t always feel that way when you are tired and there is so much to do, but the happy looks on your kids faces tells the story. The picture of Jon David and Lucy is so precious! I have 4, and I can tell you there is no secret. You just muddle through, just as you are doing now. I remember with my first, being so tired I was crying. Finally, one day I realized that I was doing her no favors by giving her a stressed out, exhausted mom. If her needs were met and she was safe in her crib, crying for a few minutes was okay. Once I got a bit of rest, I was a better mom to her.
Oh, your little Lucy is SO everything- precious, adorable, perfect! I love her smiles :)
So. . . I have 6 kids and I’ll just tell you that they take care of each other. Meaning, they play with and entertain each other so it really lightens my load.
Lucy is precious and I love seeing all her pictures on Instagram.
I see you have some of the same troubles I have with Slade. He’s gaining weight as fast as Honey boo boo but he won’t take a pacifier and a bottle…well lets just say we own every single bottle they have out on the market. Playtex nurser seems to be the best. We had the latching on problem until we went old school and bought latex nipples. You may want to give those a try. Every baby is different but it’s the ones we could finally get the baby to use.
Oh and books are great for nursing time….If you like mysteries the Karen Vail series by Alan Jacobson are fantastic. First book is called The 7th Victim. I’m reading book four now. I love crime books.
Hi Kristin, I have been around here for quite a long time but always a silent spectator. Today , I thought it a great time to leave a message. Lucy is so adorable and loved the pic with the bro and sis,what a charming pair. And I totally agree with you. As a mother of a 11 month old and a 4 year old, I always find both needing me at the same time!!! I am waiting for them to grow up and enjoy some ‘me time’ :) [for which I can hardly find time now]. I too found the feeding time best to read books and read quite a few of them! Love your baby updates and looking forward to the next one. Hugs and kisses to the lil ones…
Such sweet photos. It’s great to hear that things are improving. Hopefully rest is in your very near future!
What a gorgeous baby! She looks so angelic! Sounds like she is going to be smart as a whip. Probably doesn’t want to fall asleep as she is (due to her intelligence) interested in what is going on around her. She is tired but doesn’t want to miss anything. Books–I read nine books last week! First chance I had to read a book for a while. Downloaded the Modern Witch series by Debora Geary. Nice bit of fun. Harry Potter for adults. Loved them! Couldn’t put it down. So happy for you and lucious Lucy!
I’m nursing right now too so can relate to flying through books. Love the series by Adriana trigiani, Anne of green gables series, hungry games series, eragon series.
You sure have a beautiful family. Thank you so much for sharing the pictures. I hope you get some much needed sleep soon!
wow! lucy is so adorable! just enjoy every step of the way :-) i’m not a mom yet but reading about your experiences makes me look forward to having a baby of my own :-) challenges will always be there but just look at it as opportunities to get to know your baby better :-)
Lovely family – congratulations!
Lucy is SO precious….I miss the baby days…most of them anyway :)
I’m sure you have 58 pieces of wonderful advice above me, so I’ll try to just stick to what worked for my 4 kids, just for information sake…you can throw it out with the nice warm bath water if you’d like :) None of my kids took pacificers, BUT, my first born started sucking his thumb at 4 months and stopped on his own around 4 years old…and has perfectly straight teeth :) Hopefully, if she needs that, she’ll find her own thumb…that is SO much easier than putting a pacifier back in all the time :)
Also, with 4 kids in 5 years, there was definitely crying at naps and bedtime…not all the time, not for exorbant amount of time, but it did happen…and they are all happy, well adjusted, loving kids :) What I found was when they were that fussy, they usually NEEDED to sleep and, even though they cried a bit, it was only cause they were SO TIRED! Only my last child ever really slept in my arms (I didn’t have a sling like all the fancy Mom’s now…)…my kids all were put down for naps BEFORE they were at the point of frustration…when they started showing tired signs (usually an hour after eating), I would just put them down…if they cried more than the amount of time I was comfortable with, I would go in and soothe them, but more often then not, they would fall asleep and sleep a long time (except for baby #2…she has always been her own personality :))…
Last, I slept ‘em on their tummy…I know, against the cardinal rules, but I did tummy AND a light, open weave blanket…for me, it was the best :)
You’re doing a great job…she’s beautiful, you’re figuring her out and it will only get easier from here!!! Thanks for sharing her with us :)
She is gorgeous. Love the pic of her with big brother. My reading recommendation:
http://www.target.com/p/healthy-sleep-habits-happy-child-your-fussy-baby-paperback/-/A-11954320?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=Google_PLA_df&LNM|11954320&CPNG=NoCPNG&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=11954320&kpid=11954320&LID=PA&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=11954320
Best thing anyone recommended to me in my whole life. My son is 4 now, and I’m still going back to it.
She is just too darn cute! I love the pictures of her and Jon David, he looks so proud of his baby sister! Glad to hear things are going better for you, and she is gaining weight. I know what a relief that is.
Love the pictures of Jon and Lucy. Adorable. You are such a lucky lady. They are both gems.
Have you ever tried the Fablehaven books by Brandon Mull? Easy reads that my husband and I LOVED and recommend every chance we get. From what I’ve learned about you, Kristan, seriously, you gotta try em!
Oh, and your kids are just the sweetest!!
She’s adorable! When I had my second my first son was only 20 months old. OMGosh, 2 in diapers is horrible. And at around 6 weeks(all 3 of my kids have done this) my second decided he didn’t want to nap and wanted to be incredibly difficult about going to sleep at night. It was rough. But once you get over the hurdle of raising 2 its easy. Having 3+ kids is actually easier than 2 because if one needs your undivided attention the other 2(or more) can keep each other company.
Love the pictures! My little guy wouldn’t take a soother or a bottle either & the only thing that calmed him to sleep was the Woombie. He would sleep 8-10 hrs right from birth! I highly recommend giving it a try :)
These pictures are so cute!
Hang in there! It will only get easier.
Photos are great! She is adorable and could quite frankly, know that!
Books – I’m currently reading Island Apart by the “chef” Steven Raichlen. Good so far. Story takes place on Martha’s Vineyard which is good for this Massachusettes-ite.
Enjoy Lucy… she’ll be 8 soon enough!
She’s so adorable!
I remember when my kids wouldn’t sleep we tried everything and each kid was different. My oldest had to sleep with a pillowcase. He liked to suck on them like a blanky and he preferred ones I had slept on the night before. One of my kids would sleep with my t-shirt because it smelled like me, another had to be burped and his legs pumped for like 30 min. before bedtime or he couldn’t sleep. Another could only sleep in the baby swing for her first 3 months. Keep on trying different things and you can maybe get a week’s worth of good sleep before she changes it on you.
Cute kid pics. You have got to read the book Divergent. Its part of a trilogy, but only the first 2 books are out. And they are like 6 bucks on kindle. I can’t remember the name of the second book (i swear I really liked it though lol) but Divergent is the first one. Its sci-fiey in the way Hunger Games was but not like over the top weird. Awesome plot, sailed through the first 2 books over Christmas break!
Adorable pics! Even though my babies are now teenagers, I just wanted to tell you that your baby posts reminded me of the exhaustion and the joy–and reminded me how I got through it all. And how that optimistic message still applies today. Your stories were a huge boost for me this past week. I even blogged about it today. Thank you Kristan!
The pictures are so cute! Mine turned 1 yesterday and it seems to go by so fast. I still read when I am nursing, though that time will be almost over. I just finished Emma Donoghue’s ROOM. Picked in up in the airport. It was good, a little crazy but good.
Love, love, love the pictures! Thank you for sharing the update with us!
Thanks for sharing the cute pictures. I am glad the both of you are doing good. Hang in there with the sleep, it will all come together. It was really hard for me to when I had my kids. They both had acid reflux and then my son was lactose intolerent of top of it. So I can understand the sleep thing all to well. I wish you and your family a great new year.
She is so cute! What a character.
And that snap of her sleeping w her hand on her chest…..reminded me of Daisy when she was that little.
Warmed my heart.
SO happy for you!!
I read the entire Twilight series while nursing my last one! Some other fairly recent books I’ve read:
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
11/22/63 by Stephen King
The Language of the Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
On the multiple kids thing – I think having multiple children teaches the kids patience. It also teaches us Moms how to prioritize and dole out responsibility. I have 4 and you just move from one to the other as you can, tending to what needs it the most and at least acknowledging the ones who have to wait.
Also, to anyone who may not know, SIDS rates have dropped more than 50% since the public campaign to place babies to sleep on their backs. The rest of that reader’s advice about napping was a gem but ignore the tummy sleeping bit. Yes, those of us in the 80′s and before slept on our tummies and we’re fine, but 50% more babies died of SIDS then than now. That number is nothing to sneeze at.
For books I would recommend
-Daughter of Smoke and Bone
-The Room
-Gurnsey Literary and Potato Pie Peel society
-Mrs. Kennedy and Me
-The Night Circus
These are all different genres since I don’t know what kind of books you like. I hope this helps.
Oh my gosh, I love these photos! The first one of the two of them together is my favorite.
As for how do those of us with more kids manage? No magic involved…. just a gradual loss of sanity so that we don’t even notice the chaos anymore :-D Believe me… I know. I have six kids ranging from 26 down to 4
Wow what a perfect little girl! I mean honestly, she is Perfect! & your lil’ boy is quite the charmer as well! Congratulations!