Firsts

Monday was my first day back to work, and Rachel's first official day at day care. It's hard to believe my 11 weeks of maternity leave are over. I'm not sure how they went so fast or how that happened. At the beginning it seemed like so much time. And then all of a sudden, it ended.

So it was back to work.

We got Rachel dressed in a new outfit we bought specifically for her first day...a little purple corduroy jumper with a flowered onesie underneath. So cute! David has the morning drop-off so he left with Rachel and I went to my office.

My office needed to be cleaned since no one had been in it for three months - it was quite dusty. So I started the day with some fall cleaning. I had a morning meeting with my coworker Chris to get up to speed on what had been happening with the recruiting team. He and I manage the department together. I have 5 recruiters, he has 8. We talked about some items that were outstanding when I left - and you know what's funny...not much had changed on some things! But some things had moved along, so I need to get caught up on them.

Then I had lunch with my recruiting team. We enjoyed a nice Italian lunch, plus dessert of course! It was fun to be with them again - the group dynamic seems to be good and they seem to get along great as usual. The newest recruiter Sally, who started on July 7th - yes, the day I came home from the hospital after having Rachel- seems to fit right in. I felt bad for her initially - she got thrown into her role with no training or help from me. Since I had Rachel early, I was not there when she started. She called me a few times early in my maternity leave since she was just getting ramped up and no one else was able to answer specific questions she had about the positions she was working on. I expected to have 3-5 weeks with her before I went on maternity leave. She has been doing fine, but is so glad to have me back!

Then I met with each team member individually in the afternoon - just to catch up on what they have been working on and what their expectations were of me coming back as their manager. They haven't had direct management in three months, so I wanted to understand how can I best help them now that I am back. My role is different too since we hired Sally - she is taking a lot of the recruiting responsibilities I had before so that I can concentrate on being a manager and more strategic duties within the department.

I only called to check on Rachel once - at 2PM. I found out later that night from David that he had called too - around 1230PM. When I called she was in the swing, laughing and smiling. When David had called she was eating. They say she is very happy there and that she is a very good girl. I hope that continues to be the case. It was hard to leave her yesterday morning, and I was teary when I got to my office and was talking with my coworker Kevin - who also has a child in day care.

It was so good to pick her up at the end of the day - to snuggle her and see her laugh and smile myself.

And we did it all over again today....

Follow up

Today I took Rachel to the pediatrician to have a weight check. Per my earlier posting, the doctor felt she was underweight for her age and wanted to check her again a week after her 2-month check-up. During the week we added rice cereal to her formula and increased the amount of formula we were giving her - we weren't sure she would drink it all, but it made calculating the amount of cereal we needed in each bottle a whole lot easier.

Well, she did drink all of it every time, and probably would have eaten more if we gave it to her. Since she has been at day care this week we have only been adding the cereal to the bottles we give her at home. The day care needs a note from the doctor to have anything added to the formula, which today she said she would write if we wanted her to.

But with her weight now at 8 pounds, 12 ounces, we decided to stay on the course we have been following. We feed her 4 ounces of formula and anywhere from 1-2 tablespoons of rice cereal added in every time we feed her, day care feeds her 4 ounces of formula only each time they feed her, and we make sure she eats right before bed time.

The doctor was so excited today that Rachel weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces. She was much more comfortable with this weight than the 7 pounds, 12 ounces, she weighed last Friday - yes, she gained a pound in one week!

She asked when our next appointment for Rachel was - not until November 14th for her 4-month check-up and shots. She seemed hesitant about waiting that long to weigh her again. So we agreed I would come back in 2-3 weeks to have her weight checked again. That's a little less than halfway to the November appointment - just in case. Her goal for Rachel at that appointment - to weigh 10 pounds.

It's crazy though - she might be about 21 inches long and weigh almost 9 pounds, but most of the clothes we have still don't fit her. David and I went through her clothes tonight to see what realistically fits and what doesn't. Since she is going to day care every day she needs to wear some real outfits. Sure she'll be on a playmat or in her crib or in a bouncy seat, but she will still need to wear onesies and pants, or dresses and bloomers, or one piece outfits. What we realized is that this weekend we need to pick up a few things to supplement the ongoing wardobe dilema. See, this crisis for girls can start at any age!

Sizes are so different dependant on the brand. We find Carter's to run big, Old Navy to run big, Gap is pretty much on target. Plus since she was born early and smaller, the clothes are off a few months - so 0-3 months we thought she could wear through October if she were born in August barely fit - but by the time they fit, it will be too cold to wear them. There might be a number of items she never gets to wear that will be put away with tags still on them.

So, we'll see how the clothing situation goes. But the main point and good news is that Rachel is growing and thriving and doing very well. She is smiling, laughing, holding her head up, just about sitting up on her own, "talking." It really is a joy to watch her change every day. Stay tuned for the update on October 6th when she has her next "weigh-in."

Starting day care

Today was Rachel's first day at day care. She actually doesn't start until Monday the 22nd, but the center allows one free week before the official start date.

We started looking at day care back in early 2008, not long after we found out we were pregnant. I understood it could be a challenge to find a place with no waiting list, or to get your name on a waiting list for availability when you need it. I researched a lot of options near our house and found about 8 day care centers.

One Friday in April David and I took the day off and went to visit all these day cares. We were able to narrow the list down to two. Some were not conveniently located, some were too expensive, some were not a fit to what we imagined her day care should be, and one was an utter nightmare - everything you can think of that could be wrong with day care all rolled into one center. That was a definite NO!

We sent in our registration deposits to the two centers we liked the best to make sure to hold our spots. No waiting lists - they were ready for Rachel as of mid-October. Well, that was when I was due August 1st. Since Rachel came one month early we needed day care one month earlier as well. After I came home from the hospital with her I called the two centers and indicated we needed day care as of mid-September. No problem - our spots were still held and available whenever we needed them.

After Rachel was born, David and I went back to visit the two we had narrowed down to and decided on one. The other still has our place on hold just in case. But we officially enrolled her in the one we liked the best and today was her first day.

Yesterday David and I spent a lot of time getting her things together. We need to provide diapers, wipes, 2 extra sets of clothing, bibs and bottles. We went to Babies 'R Us and Target to get the supplies we needed. We included some socks and two blankets as well. I had completed all the registration paperwork this week and had the doctor fill out her form to verify she has been vaccinated - we were ready to go.

It was a hard day. I started getting upset before we even left the house today. And then when we got there and I had to leave her - oh boy! Good thing I brought tissues with me since I figured I wouldn't be able to handle it.

We left the paperwork at the front desk, signed her in, were given the code to get to the infant room and brought Rachel down there. The staff is so nice there. They remembered meeting us before and were happy to see Rachel. Everyone heard there was a new baby today and came to see and meet her. It was very nice.

We gave the staff all her belongings and reviewed the details of feeding, sleeping, what she likes, doesn't like, and mentioned the all important froggie pacifier that can solve most problems. She gets her own crib, cubby and drawer. We can bring family pictures to put around the crib. They wash and change all the linens every night and wash the mattresses. They also wash and disinfect all the toys every night.

And then it was time for David and I to leave. Of course I cried again. I did take one last look at her. One of the staff members was holding her and talking to her, trying to get her settled in. I had a full day of errands planned so I got on my way and David headed to work.

I picked her up around 330PM. She had been there 6 hours. I figured that was enough for her first day. When she goes next week it will be closer to 10 hours by the time David drops her off and I pick her up. It seemed like she had a good day and we'll look forward to going back on Wednesday. We have other plans tomorrow and will not be going to day care. And Wednesday is picture day at the center so maybe we'll have some professional pictures to share.

I am sure there will be more stories from day care so stay tuned.

Vaccination day

Today was Rachel's two-month check-up at the pediatrician. The visit includes weighing, measuring and yes, shots!

I had called the office this week to see if I should give her some Children's Tylenol before the appointment, but was told she was too little, so we went in with nothing to ease her pain.

She weighs 7 pounds, 12 ounces, and is 20 7/8" long. I expected her to weigh over 8 pounds now (she should gain .5 ounce per day), and per the unofficial measurement David and I did few weekends ago, we were also surprised at her length. The number we got was around 22 1/2". Her head circumference is 13 ¾” which is up from her August 1st one-month check-up when it was 13”.

The doctor was concerned about her weight - she expected her to be around 8 1/2 pounds. Rachel has had some issues with spitting-up, but not enough to cause her to lose that much formula that she would not be gaining weight. And she eats 5-7 times per day at 3 ounces each time. From a recent chart I saw on feeding, she should probably be closer to 4-5 ounces of formula per feeding, but she’s right in line with the number of feedings per day.

So we are trying two things - we are going to put Rachel on Prevacid for her reflux and also add rice cereal to her formula…1 tablespoon for every two ounces of formula. The doctor wants to weigh her again next Friday - if she gains the .5 ounce she should be gaining every day, she would weigh just about 8 pounds next week. So we'll see.

Rachel also has been "sleeping through the night" - if she falls asleep at midnight or 1AM or whenever, she does not wake up again until 6, 7, 8AM. So she is basically missing a feeding in the middle of the night. The doctor wants me to get back to waking her up in the middle of the night for a feeding - around 4 hours after her last evening feeding.

Then it was time for the shots. Since she is at the two-month mark she gets 5 vaccinations. They can be done in either 5 shots or three shots - three of the vaccinations can be bundled to make only one shot. I had done a lot of research on vaccinations before this visit and saw no reason to be worried about any vaccination, so we went with the least number of shots. She also had one vaccination by mouth in liquid form.

Before the shots started the nurse gave me a syringe with some Children's Tylenol for her. Then Rachel got the liquid vaccination and then the shots. Rachel did great! I had been prepped by a number of friends with children that this is a tough appointment, the child will scream, David and I might cry, etc. But I felt it was a success - maybe better that I was prepared for the worst. Rachel certainly did scream - not much on the first shot, but the second two burn according to the nurse, so the screams were worse for those. She had her Wubbanub (pacifier) and she squeezed my fingers with her death grip. And when it was all over I held her and she was very calm but alert.

I was given all the information on the shots which includes reaction symptoms to be on the lookout for and instructions on giving her Tylenol for the next 24 hours.
So far this afternoon she has been very sleepy and only when it was close to the time to eat was she fussy – actually quite fussier than usual. But I was able to give her a dose of Tylenol at that time and she has been quiet and calm since then. We’ll see how the next 18 hours go.

And wish us luck in her feedings and weight gain.

"Talking"

I had to write a little post about Rachel's attempts at "talking." David and I have been laughing for the past hour at Rachel and her sounds. She is "aaahing" and "ooohing" and has small outbursts that soon enough will be actual sounds of talking. She is really trying to talk, and seems to have a lot to say, although I know that is sometime off in the future. But it really is great to see and hear her changes and growth. She is becoming such a big girl, even though she is still so little!

HANNA!

Today is Sunday, a beautiful day in the Washington, DC, area. The sun is out, it's currently 76 degrees. A far cry from yesterday's weather - from the wrath of Hanna. By the time Hanna was screaming up the East Coast, she was categorized as a Tropical Storm. But it didn't stop the damage.

Our rain started Friday night around 6PM. It wasn't supposed to start until around midnight, so that was a surprise. At that point it was lighter rain, kind of like a regular rain storm.

By the time Saturday morning came around, the rain was much heavier and the wind was fierce. As you can see from the pictures below, our backyard became a lake and the wind whipped our lawn chairs around. The rain was sideways at times.

David also discovered a leak in our downstairs patio door. He happened to go down to the rec room mid- to late-morning to check the outside. He found water dripping heavily from the top of the patio door into the track and splashing onto the carpet. It looked like the screws at the top of the door inside the upper track were loose and that the water was coming in from there. So David tightened them - that only helped a little bit. He found some caulking and tried to caulk the areas where water was coming in. However, since it was wet, the caulk didn't hold well. But it worked overall.

Since the carpet was wet by the door, David needed to wet vac any extra water up and then pulled the carpet back a bit to air it out. He also put this lovely blue bucket in the door track to capture any remnant water that decided to drip out as the rain continued (see picture below).

The rain stopped around 6PM or so and by 7PM the sky was clear and the sun was out. And Hanna was on her way to the Northeast.

Some of the problems caused by Hanna locally include: 25,000 people without power, roads closed, power lines down, trees down and about 7 inches of rain. It certainly could have been worse. Good luck to those still in the path of Hanna. And good riddance from everyone here in the Washington, DC, area.

A special day

Today is Grandparent's Day. David and I want to wish a Happy First Grandparent's Day to Grandpa Tony, Grandma McDonald and Grandpa McDonald. We have special thoughts today for Daniella's mom, Charlotte, who is Rachel's biological maternal grandmother. She passed away on February 8, 2001. Rachel's middle name was given in honor of her. David and I are also thinking about our grandparents today - both living and deceased. We love and miss you.

Milestone

At this exact moment, 4:58PM, our daughter Rachel is 2 months old. Happy Birthday, Rachel! We love you very much.

Labor Day weekend

My dad and Margie came to visit this past weekend. They arrived Saturday afternoon and left Sunday after lunch. They had come down when Rachel was born and then again late in July, but didn't want to wait until mid-October when she is baptized.

We hung out at our house Saturday afternoon for a few hours and let them hold and play with Rachel. Then we went to dinner at Sweetwater Tavern. YUMMY! We were celebrating our 6-year wedding anniversary, which was Sunday, August 31st, as well as my dad's birthday, which is September 9th.

On Sunday we went to church (we were just about on time this weekend!) and then out to breakfast at IHOP. Then they left for home after a stop at Cracker Barrel to purchase an audio book for the ride home.

It was a short visit, but we'll see them again in 6 weeks.

The rest of the weekend was relatively uneventful. David and I went to Old Navy so he could buy some work pants. I bought a coat - a gray knee-length trench-type coat...and it was on sale! I recently realized that I need to replace any and all coats I own - from spring to rain to winter. I also need to replace some clothes before I go back to work, but that requires trying on clothes which I was not in the mood for. (Have I mentioned I hate shopping?) David and I ate dinner at Cracker Barrel on Sunday evening - since it was our anniversary and we didn't feel like cooking.

Monday David gave Rachel a bath and then we ran some of the usual errands - Target and the grocery store. It was nice to have the extra day to spend with David...and then he was back to work today.

The next long weekend - Thanksgiving! URGH!