Three month weigh in

Avery is officially three months old.  She is also officially over her birth weight, finally.  We knew she was, and we were weighing her here at home, but I am still surprised to report she is over 10 lbs by 4 ounces (as of Monday)!  She got a few more shots, but didn't see the doctor, so they weren't even going to weigh her had I not requested it.

From there I took her to a le Leche League meeting and she wiped out before we left.  She was out pretty early at home and hard too - she even slept until 3am when I woke her to eat without her swaddle sack.

She remains a bit snotty, but her usual happy self.  Nothing else really to say other than I'm eager to go get her and get my share of daily cuddles.

Meeting family

With Thanksgiving comes visiting, so Avery was able to meet even more of her Daddy's family this weekend.  She was passed around nearly non-stop and she loved it.  There was just one minor grump period which necessitated a 15 minute nap and then she was back to making her rounds.  As I've said before I know I'm biased, but everyone agrees she is the sweetest, cutest, little bugger around.

You are now a number

I made my run to the SSA office today and confirmed that they did submit Avery's information and she was issued a SSN.  They weren't able to GIVE me that number for privacy reasons. *pause - sigh* But they requested a card be issued.  I guess we need to wait until she's old enough to open the envelope when it comes in the mail?  At least that's checked off of my to do list.

Last night she and I both crashed out pretty early.  I was needing it after staying up to watch the Walking Dead on Sunday night.  Since her Dad won't be here this evening I'm also glad I rested when I could.

Please hold... your call is important to us.

While I continue to work I have been sitting on hold a bit this morning.  First a call to Vital Records to make sure they received and processed the correction from the Acknowledgement of Paternity paperwork.  Then messing around to order a new birth certificate.  $30... because THEY screwed up and sent our original AOP back instead of processing it.  That pleased me.  Best part - it could take up to 14 weeks to get it.

Now I'm hold once again waiting for the Social Security Office.  I hope they pick up before I need to be on another call for work or my hour long wait will be for naught.  If they still can't help me now that I have _a_ copy of her birth certificate w/ a record number on it I'll be very displeased, especially since I'll be at a total of 2 hours on hold for this matter.  Why why why didn't they do their job and process her SSN?

Update:  They answered just in time... but of course, cannot help me, because - get this - I don't have her social security number.  I have to go into the office with her birth certificate AND a shot record (uhhh).

Cry me a river

Today's first - tears, streaming from her eyes.  Poor baby!

On the mend

Avery is still a little plugged/snotty and coughing periodically, but seems to feel a bit better.  She's been getting some extra sleep to help ensure it, including lounging in bed with me all morning today.  i'm grateful for the cuddles.  Today's other occurrences included taking her to her first auction - a food one, I've missed those, lots of great deals to be had; big poos that are getting thicker like pudding (same color too); and a post bath weight of 8lbs 6.4 oz.

Our first cold

It was bound to happen sooner or later.  Avery is sick with her first cold. She's stuffy and coughing a little. No fever, thank God.  She's not thrilled but is still remarkably pleasant.  Being stuffy I'm surprised by how well she is still eating... which is good, I'm hoping I'm making antibodies for whatever she has that are getting passed along.

Amusingly this morning I got a full 2 ounces off of one breast while I was pumping after the 7am feed. I wasn't paying attention as I was filling out Christmas card envelopes and looked down to find that pleasant surprise.  I'm trying to find the time to pump but it's hard with her here, especially when she's sick.

Some decisions are made for you

No matter how hard you may resist, some decisions are made for you.  For me, this is when to stop breastfeeding.  The major drop in what I was able to pump when Avery started going to daycare was immediate.  It's only been a week but it's becoming very clear that the end is near.  Today I noticed that the tips of my nipples have hickeys on them from the pump and I'm lucky to get a full ounce in twenty minutes and two cycles on the pump.

Amusingly they don't hurt - and that's a bad sign.  The lack of them being delicate is probably because things are drying up.  The nail in the hormonal coffin was seeing how much hair came out when I washed my hair tonight.  I'm going to keep trying to put her on, but I am starting the hunt for the best deals on formula and we'll see if liquid or powder seems more the way to go.

Just be happy I made it nearly 11 weeks, right?  I just can't help but be very disappointed.  There is also the fact that I'm not good with change and this forces me to relearn new patterns.  Feeding isn't just a walk down the hall in the middle of the night it's now going to be going downstairs to ready the bottle, come back up and take care of her, then clean up the bottle.  Then there is the huge added expense!  Oh don't get me started on that... and the higher likelihood it will stain clothes and the fact that she'll poop more (she had a blowout today at daycare and another huge dump after she came home.

The Road to Jingletown

Today Avery made her first trip to Johnstown to meet some friends.  She now has even more adoring fans.  We were able to catch up with the Laws, the Rohannas, Jon and Heather, and Beth.  I didn't get to feed her directly or pump as much today as I would have liked, but it is what it is.  I don't quite have the four bottles full to send to daycare with her tomorrow, so I guess I'll deplete some of the frozen "supply" (not that there is much there) tomorrow.

Who's your daddy?

Well, her birth certificate arrived yesterday, with no father listed.  *sigh*  We did the paperwork in the hospital, which they returned to us because he dated it the day before she was born.  It took a while to have someone here to sign as a witness, but we got the papers back in a couple of weeks ago (again).  That office says to wait 4 weeks for acknowledgement of paternity paperwork to process at which time we can call to get the birth certificate corrected.  Whee.

Now the social security administration needs the birth certificate in order to help me out with the fact that we have not yet gotten her social security number in the mail.  This too was completed in the hospital.  Why is this such a mess?

It's still creepy here trying to work while Avery is off at daycare.  I feel like I'm half naked most of the day trying to pump.  I also had a drop in what I'm getting, so now I'm really worried about how long I can sustain sending pumped milk for her.  She was 10 weeks yesterday and with our limited scale measurements here, we're still not to 8lbs.  So maybe it's for the best if I just make the shift?

To end on a good note, I finally added Avery to a planned cruise in the spring, so she is scheduled for her first sailing!  I'm sure that will be an interesting adventure.  I'm not sure if it will be more of a pain in the butt if I'm still breastfeeding or if we need to lug a bunch of formula.  I guess I never planned on breastfeeding _that_ long anyhow, but the thoughts go through my head.