5 weeks...Time flies when you're having fun!

I can't believe it has been 5 weeks. Time really has flown and Katherine is really growing up! We have had a little going on medically, but everything, thankfully, has turned out okay. Beginning when she was about 3 weeks she developed a little reflux. It got progressively worse and so Robert and I took her to the Dr. They put her on half of a 15mg pill of Prevacid. We have to dissolve the pill in 2mg of water and force feed it to her. Once she gets the first taste, she really likes it and smacks her lips for more. It is not supposed to help with the amount of spit up, but should help her with the discomfort of the reflux. On Tuesday of this week I just didn't feel like the pill was doing what it should and back in to the Dr. we went. One thing they worry about with reflux babies is weight loss. Katherine however is not having any issues in that department. Last week she weighed 10 lbs, 13 oz. This week she was up to 12 lbs! So once they saw she was gaining weight they scheduled her for a barium swallow on Wednesday. Wednesday morning I had to set my alarm for 4:45 am to nurse her and then she couldn't eat again until after the barium at around 10! She was such a little trooper and did not cry or fuss even though I am sure she was starved. She took the barium like it was milk and laid very still so the radiologist could get some good shots of her insides. All of that to tell us what we already know...it is really bad reflux and to just keep doing what we are doing. I am so thankful it was nothing more serious but a little frustrated that nothing more can be done. Last night after much thought Robert and I added 5 teaspoons of rice cereal to 5 oz of breast milk. After talking to several people and bringing it up with the pediatrician we decided to give the cereal a try. It definitely helped with the reflux and she slept from 11 until 4:45 am! (she actually ate at 9:30, but wouldn't go to sleep until 11) I think we may stick with the cereal in her last bottle, it really seems to help.

So all in all, even with the exhaustion, it has been a great 5 weeks. Especially since she has started to smile at us! It makes everything worth it!

Introducing Katherine Alexandra Paine!

Katherine arrived June 12, 2009 at 12:10 pm via c-section. She weighed 8 lbs 11 oz and was 21 inches long. Big baby! It was an amazing day and Robert and I feel so blessed to have a healthy, beautiful baby girl.

The past three weeks have been a mixture of immense love and happiness combined with exhaustion. No one can prepare you for how tired you will be! My mom and dad came for the first week, Roberts mom came for a night for the second week and my sister spent the last week with us. It was so amazing to have all of our loved ones around. Katherine is doing great, we think she may have a little eye infection and that she may be battling acid reflux. Our plan is to head in to the Doctor tomorrow to see what is going on. She is fine and happy during the day but when we put her on her back she is so unhappy and you can just hear the liquid trying to make its way back up. Poor baby! We already have over 200 pictures...completely obsessed! Below are just a few of our favorites.