Life with Macey - 2 months

This month we have started to find our rhythm as a family of four and I feel like I am emerging out of the newborn haze!

We have had another big month this month in that we had some great news about Macey. To make a very long and stressful story short, the scans we had before Macey was born indicated that she may have been missing a very important structure in her brain, the corpus callosum and we wouldn't know if it was there or not until she had an MRI once she was born. Just after 4 weeks old she had the MRI and we finally had the appointment with the specialist a couple of weeks ago. The corpus callosum is there - slightly thinner than usual but that alone is nothing to be concerned about and everything else in her brain is great. It was a HUGE relief as we had spent the last 12 or so weeks not knowing what could possibly be going on with her, so now we get to relax (a little - she still makes me nervous with all her funny noises and spilling!) and just enjoy our sweet baby!

What is Macey doing?

Our gorgeous girl is smiling!! She started thinking about it at 6 weeks, by 7 weeks it was a bit more in response to us and now she is full of smiles - the really good ones that make her whole face light up! She is also starting to make little babbling noises which is super cute.

Macey is still a dream feeder - still very spewy but she doesn't usually get upset about it. She often has a period in the late afternoon or evening that is a bit more unsettled than the rest of the day but a bit of rocking or extra feeding sorts that out! She is then sleeping for a really great stretch overnight - I'm really enjoying this but not holding my breath that it will last - Sadie was exactly the same at this age and then it all went pear shaped at 4 months!

The other huge milestone for us is that she can now lie on the floor for longer than 5 minutes without getting the hiccups and then power chucking...yay for hands free time!! This has made my life so much easier. I still have to wait for a good 30 minutes after she feeds, and she still only lasts about 15 minutes on the floor but that's long enough to do a lot! I've also tried her with a bit of tummy time - again, has to be timed just right so that she doesn't lose a whole feed! She doesn't seem to mind being on her tummy, she just puts her head down and relaxes!

How is Sadie doing?

Sadie has been awesome! She is still really helpful with getting nappies, clothes and the burp cloths for me when I need them. She always comes in to see if Macey is awake in the morning and loves talking to her. We bought her a doll when Macey was born and she is so great at taking care of her - she changes her nappy, feeds and burps her and puts her in the bouncer and takes her for walks in the pram and in her adorable toddler baby carrier! She likes cuddling Macey for about 10 seconds then is done, so I have to be ready to take Macey away as Sadie just bails out haha!

How am I feeling?

I am really enjoying this stage with Macey. Before we had the results of her scan I was still on edge and so nervous about what could be. It never mattered to us if something was wrong but it was a nerve wracking feeling just not knowing what it could mean for Macey and us going forward. When she was born she looked perfect and was doing everything right which was a hugely positive sign but because we still didn't know anything it was hard to relax - the suspected prognosis was that there could be developmental problems and with newborn babies, you have nothing to go on - they just make weird noises and movements, don't focus or do much other than sleep! But the minute that sweet child smiled at me, I think I let out the breath that I had been holding in since I fell pregnant with her. She was here, she was ok and she was smiling! Happy days!

Things we are loving:

Freezer meals! Oh boy, the time I spent preparing enough freezer meals to feed a small country when I was pregnant was WELL spent! Josh has 2 nights a week when he is home late - after Sadie is in bed - so I have been using freezer meals on these nights. It means I can get Sadie into bed and sort Macey out without needing to worry about dinner too!

Taking Cara Babies newborn sleep course. I was skeptical about taking a course about sleeping but after not really knowing what to do with Sadie and her not being a great sleeper from about 4 months I thought it would be a good thing to do. This course was recommended to me by a friend who took it after having her third baby and it was brilliant. Nothing revolutionary, just super practical advice, tips for recognising sleepy cues and just a bit of a guide to start getting into good habits early on. I'll keep you updated on Macey's sleep but I can definitely say that at this point she is napping really well in her bed during the day, is able to put herself to sleep and is doing well overnight so I feel like we are on the right track!

Boba wrap - this was on the list last month and I fully expect it to be on the list next month too! I just love the wrap for the newborn stage - it's so snuggly and she fits into it so much better than a structured carrier at this age. It's the best thing to relax her if she is unsettled and means we can get out and about and get some fresh air.

A video baby monitor. Because Macey is such a spewy baby and had that choking episode I am super paranoid about going too far from her. If we are planning a morning or afternoon outside I will put her in the wrap to sleep but when she's sleeping in the bassinet I love being able to set up the monitor and take it outside with us so that I can see what she is doing without having to run inside every few minutes. Better for me and better for Sadie!