Katie’s Six Week Update

I can’t believe that Katie is already six weeks old! She is growing so quickly and her personality is starting to shine a bit more each day. The other day she gave us her first smile, which completely melted our hearts!

It’s incredible how much she has changed in just six weeks as you can tell from these progressive pictures which were taken during each of the six weeks. She now weighs 9 lbs 12 oz and measures 24 inches in length. I washed all her newborn clothes last week and put them away as she has progressed to her 3 month clothing due to her length.

We’ve had visitors off and on throughout her first six weeks with both sets of grandparents visiting twice already and lots of friends and family coming to meet sweet Katie.

As we moved into the second month, we were able to find a loose routine that works for the three of us and allows Bo to spend plenty of quality time with her before and after work while also giving this momma some time to shower and do some things around the house.  When Katie wakes up, sometime between 6 and 7 AM, Bo and I spend the next hour cuddling with her and enjoying the morning feeding together as a family of three. After I finish nursing Katie, Bo gives her the bottle of supplemental formula before burping and changing her. In the evening, around 8:30,  Bo does the same for her bedtime feed after I nurse her while I jump in the shower.

We are still following the Moms on Call method which is working out very well for us. Katie has thrived and gained weight while also beginning to nap well and sleep longer each night. While the Moms on Call method isn’t perfect for everyone and there are many different opinions on schedules, we have been pleased with it thus far and would have changed if it wasn’t working or if she wasn’t gaining weight. In fact, last night she slept from 10pm to 6am and woke up this morning filled with smiles.  During the day, she tends to love her morning naps while she is more active, alert and awake in the afternoon which is when we enjoy reading together, tummy time, long walks in the stroller and playing on her activity mat. She is starting to notice different things, especially white and dark or high contrasts. She is mesmerized by our ceiling fan and loves staring at the movement while I’m changing her. 

Speaking of tummy time, we are amazed at how quickly she is gaining strength! She began turning herself onto her side last week and is also holding her head up unassisted these days. I have a feeling she’s going to be active and full of energy as a toddler! She loves gripping anyones hand or even little stuffed animals on her activity mat. When she’s awake she prefers to be upright or at an incline versus flat on her back, with her favorite spot being people’s chests. It’s adorable to watch her “climb” up people’s chest and then fall asleep. I call her our little tree frog when she’s in this position.

As we expected, based on what we read and what friends shared with us, Katie tends to be happiest in the mornings and a bit fussier in the evenings. Her “witching hour” tends to be right when we try to cook dinner, around 7-8 each night. At first, this drove us crazy as we were unsure how to soothe and calm her while also trying to eat dinner. Luckily, we’ve found that she loves being near us even during this fussy period so we bring her into the kitchen, either in her Baby Bjorn Bouncer or Fisher Price Rock ‘n’ Play. She also loves dancing to music so sometimes one of us will cook while the other will hold her and dance in the kitchen.

As a mom, I am getting more comfortable with leaving the house and am actually forcing myself to make dates a few times a week. Whether it’s a stroller date, quick coffee or catching up in one of our homes it has helped me a great deal. 

On a personal note, a few people have asked for updates on my breast milk production. While I do not expect to ever produce enough milk for her to be exclusively breast milk fed, my milk is increasing each day. She feeds on me six to seven times per day before taking 3-4 ounces of formula. After feeding I pump 4 to 5 times per day. I put the milk I pump in the fridge and then give it to her during the next feeding. Since I know this is a bit confusing, here’s an example:

• 9 AM feed: 5-10 minutes on each breast + 1.25 oz of pumped breast milk + 3 oz of formula

Our lactation consultant recommended 5-10 minutes of nursing as Katie will likely get a lot during this short period while also allowing us time to supplement and burp within the recommended 45 minute feed period. Ensuring that Katie feeds within the 30-45 minute period will help ensure that her body has time to digest the food before her next feed.

I’m sure I forgot to mention a few things so if you have any questions, as always please feel free to email or leave a comment. In addition, if you want more frequent updates, I’m sharing lots on InstaStories and Instagram. Also, in case you missed it, here are our favorite newborn items!