8 Weeks

My baby girl is 8 weeks old today! I actually woke up a little past 2 am, and started thinking about where I was exactly 8 weeks ago...
I was dead tired from 3+ hours of pushing and over an hour of her crowning. I was also discovering how much more I could love another person (sorry, John).

This week was a little rough for me and Audrey, but for different reasons. She still had blood in her stool, so the doctor had me put her solely on formula. She's drinking Alimentum, which is supposed to be good for allergies (even though we don't know what she's allergic to). It also helps with colic, which is a bonus. So far, she's taken okay to the bottle and has been sleeping more (7 hours at a time the first two nights, but no such luck last night). She actually took naps this week, which is astonishing. On the downside, formula has constipated her, and though there has been little blood (streaks, like before), she did have a little from pushing so hard. Poor baby.

It was rough for me, because a strictly formula diet for Audrey means no breastfeeding, which is one of my favorite things about being a mother. While being sleep deprived isn't fun, I love our bonding time. I'm really, really sad to give that up. The doctor said I might be able to put her back on breastmilk, so I'm still pumping and freezing, which is inconvenient, but worth it. Being on the bottle means John can now having that bonding time. I don't want her on formula, but I'll do whatever it takes to make her better. So it's a good thing. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

As of Thursday, Audrey is 10 pounds, 4 ounces and 21 inches.
Her dermatitis is clearing up, but her scalp is showing the beginning flakes of cradle cap (any tips on getting rid of it?).
She has discovered her hand and learned to put it in her mouth.
She follows us with her eyes when we move, and likes the colors on How I Met Your Mother.
When we stick out our tongue, she copies us and gets a big smile.
She got her shots, and was a brave girl (and so was Mommy).

Maybe one of the most bizarre happenings (and honestly kind of scary for us) is her "friend" in her room. When she's on her changing table, she always looks into the corner (where there are no pictures, toys, etc.) and she smiles and will sometimes talk. There is something there... Lola Lola? Grandma Patsy? Guardian Angel? Who knows. It makes her happy and we don't see it, so it's okay. Watch her happily stare into the corner.