1 week old

1 Week Old

Gracelyn Elida Wuerfel

February 2, 2013

4:27 PM

7 lbs. 5 oz. 20.5 inches

Normally I would update you on the pregnancy but now I will be doing updates on my sweet, simple, and small girl. ;) and other baby related posts! If you are one of the ones who have followed my blog from the start then I thank you! It really means a lot and makes me happy that I am able to share my life with you and completely indulge in my perfect blessing. Here’s our 1 week update!  

Eating:  Breastfeeding has been going great for Gracelyn and I but it wasn’t easy! With the help of my AWESOME lactation consultant, we have really gotten the hang of it- I’m absolutely loving it. Having said that, I really give all the honor and glory to God. When I was pregnant I wanted to breastfeed more than anything and I was always worried “it just wouldn’t work.” I prayed every day that I’d be able to breastfeed with no major problems. While in the hospital, she wasn’t eating every 2 hours and they thought she was getting dehydrated so they kept pushing me to give her a premade bottle of formula. My gut said no. They were getting frustrated with me because “she needs to eat” so I would grab her, latch her on and pray to God that she would eat. I wanted her to get the best food (breastmilk) and not confuse her by putting another nipple in her mouth until she got used to mine. Tons of middle-of-the-night praying and crying and she would latch on and eat or I even had to pump and feed her with a syringe to keep the bottle away. Eventually she got it and would eat more and more. Now, a week later, she is a great eater and I love it. She typically eats every 2 hours but sometimes it’s every hour! Each session ranging from 15 to 30 minutes! My big girl. :) It’s still a bit hard and we continue to work on it but she is doing an excellent job!

Sleeping:  Gracelyn sleeps pretty good but wakes up about every 2 hours to feed or get a diaper changed. She loves being swaddled in a tight “burrito wrap” and will snooze on your chest for hours if she could!

Diapering:  In the hospital, they gave us Pampers Swaddlers and I adore them. These are the diapers I will continue to buy for the remainder of her diaper days.

Health:  When she was 3 days old, we went for a check-up and the doctor said she had developed jaundice. She needed to be put under the lights for at least 24 hours so we stayed in a room on the children’s floor of the hospital and let her lay under the “tanning lights” for a bit :) I really hated this and it totally made breastfeeding harder but we were still able to manage. Now she’s great and the pediatrician said she looked awesome! I don’t think I’ve stopped praying for her since the moment I laid eyes on her. I claim the blessing of health for my little girl today and always.

Likes:  This little one loves being swaddled! I usually just use a regular receiving blanket but now we have the Aiden and Anais blankets and I LOVE THEM! I wrap her with her arms tucked in tightly and she quiets down almost instantly! I usually wrap her before feeding her and it makes it so much easier. When she is unwrapped, she is squirmy and fussy but loves being hugged or held close. She likes napping on mine or David’s chest and to have her back rubbed. If she begins to fuss while I’m holding her, I just rub or gently scratch her back and she calms down. I downloaded a white noise app on my phone and the crashing waves seem to calm her. She’s precious. Thank you Jesus.

Outings:  In just the first week, Gracelyn has paid a visit to her great- grandma Dominguez! She got her middle name from my grandma and it was special seeing her hold the baby. My grandma has been itching to meet her since the day she found out I was pregnant! While visiting, one of my tias got to meet her as well and used special oil to bless the baby and pray over her. The next day, David and I ran a few errands and then got hungry so we stopped at Chik-Fil-A for lunch. One of our friends works there so it was cool that she got to meet Gracelyn and say hello.

Visitors:  Yes, lots of visitors! We had a number of visitors at the hospital that by the time we got discharged we had so many goodies, balloons and stuffed animals to bring home with us! We felt awesome and blessed so it was special receiving all that love! We even had visitors the night we got home! My 2 year old nephew Elijah used to kiss my belly but now he freezes in terror if we bring the baby anywhere near him. It’s pretty funny but eventually we got him to smile in a picture with her but he had his arms locked and refused to hold or touch her. Haha!

Best Moment:  For me, it’s breastfeeding because I can just stare at her and enjoy her as she eats and holds my finger. It’s completely unreal- my love for her. Every minute is better because she is a part of it. Every second counts and sometimes I just watch her sleep and try to understand the miracle of this little life. I’m dying for her to know that God loves her and want her to have a relationship with him more than anything else in the world. There is nothing like holding your baby and praying in her ear or singing to her or just kissing those lips again and again.