This Week in Mommyhood

I thought having mastitis was the worst I could ever feel. That is, until I got the stomach flu from Alex. Now THAT is the worst I could ever feel. Boob pain and a fever is one thing but fever and stomach pains is a completely different thing. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, and I felt extremely fatigued. It says a lot when Alex's 89 year old Abuela was better able to take care of Cati than I was. I felt horrible , both physically and emotionally. Physically I felt like a blob and emotionally I felt horrible that I couldn't be there more for Cati (the fact that she smiled every time she saw me didn't help). But I needed to rest, otherwise I would never get better. Nearly 72 hours later and I am feeling better but the thought of food still irks me. The biggest downside of this stomach flu is that it has wreaked havoc on my milk supply. I'm talking about nearly a 20 oz loss. Luckily, Cati gets two frozen milk bottles a day so she's getting enough milk, but if it weren't for my freezer stash I wouldn't be able to keep up with her. I hope that once I am back to being fully hydrated and once my caloric intake is back up that my supply will bounce back.

Being sick made me realize (yet again) how much I would give up just to make sure that Cati is safe and healthy. I prayed and prayed that I would bear all the illness for her because the thought of her sick with the stomach flu broke my heart. I knew that if she caught this bug it would necessitate a hospital visit and that thought broke my heart even more. Alex and I have been on pins and needles the past few days analyzing and scrutinizing everything about Cati's behavior. Thankfully, she seems unaffected by the bug and I like to thank my milk for providing her with whatever antibodies she might have needed to fight off this bug.

The great news is that I got this bug at a great time (there never really is a great time) because Cati has been sleeping beautifully. Something must have went off in her head because now we can count on at least a 6 hour stretch of sleep at night. On two occasions she actually slept 8 hours straight (7pm-3:30am and 10:40pm-6:40am) and it was heavenly. I felt so refreshed and it made me so grateful for being able to survive the days of sleep in 2 hour stretches. I hope this sleeping pattern continues because I can get really used to it.

Cati has become sooo interested in food. She stares at us when we are eating and follows the food as it moves from out plates to our mouths. She often gives us a look that says, "Hey, what about me?!" I fed her some breast milk slush with a spoon this week and she actually swallowed it all; she didn't spit any of it out! Then there was some liquid left over in the bowl and she drank it like a big person would drink liquid out of a bowl. I was so proud! She is going to be so ready to start solids in a few weeks!

Another development is the "I WANT THAT NOW!" reach. If Cati sees something she wants she reaches out for it and, if she can't reach it, she gets very pissy. She'll throw her whole body at the object and then start whining until the object is moved within reach. Talk about demanding!

Cati said her official good-byes to her bassinet. She thanked it for being there for her and for giving her many nights of good sleep.

Cati loves to be in a sitting position and she can hold it for a while now. She even sat in her first high chair this week!

I try to put her on her tummy but she gets frustrated with her inability to move forward. She's able to turn in circles and move backwards but she hasn't figured out how to synchronize the movement of her legs and arms to get her to move forward. On occasion, she'll actually get up on her hands and knees but she hasn't discovered that that position will help her crawl.

Alex gave me the most beautiful necklace this week. It was his way of saying "thank you for being such a great mother." I was not expecting anything from him and was so thrown off when he gave me the necklace. Being a mom is a hard job and getting a "thank you" every now and then really helps boost morale. This gift not only made me a happy mother but also a happy wife.

The little girl is growing up. All these new developments are so exciting to witness. I never thought I could be in so much awe of a person as I am with her. I'm so lucky to be her mother and so lucky to get to share her with Alex.