Cluster -

So we survived our first real day or  two of "cluster feeding".  For those who are not familiar with this wonderful phenomenon it is basically 24 to 48 hours when your darling baby is not satisfied unless he/she is permanently attached to your boob.  It's usually associated with growth spurt periods and we are coming up on the 3 week growth spurt so it appears that we are right on schedule.  Clusterfeeding not only helps nourish the baby through a growth spurt but also serves to stimulate increased milk production by mommy so that she can keep up with growing baby's increased needs.  It's crazy to me how well thought this whole process is - anyone who has been through childbirth and delivery and tries to deny that God orchestrated everything is in serious denial.  

Clusterfeed 2012 started Sunday morning I noticed that instead of wanting to feed every 3 hours, she was starting to feed every hour to maybe every 2 hours.  Little Miss had finally gotten to the point where she was able to stay awake throughout most of her feeding so I was feeling like a rockstar and like we were finally getting into the swing of breastfeeding.  I was so happy to not have to poke and prod her for 45 minutes to an hour just to ensure that she was eating.  Little did I know what I was in for.  We finished our late afternoon feeding (or so I thought) and Sleeping Beauty had dozed off so I rocked her for a bit and then went to lay her in her bassinet (as we usually do).  Well, as soon as her head hit the bed her eyes popped wide open, her hands went directly into her mouth and she started screaming bloody murder.  What the heck?  Where did my sleepy little princess go?  Now since hands in the mouth is a feeding cue I figured that she fell asleep before she was able to get "full" so back to the glider we went for another session.  45 minutes later she seemed to have dozed off again so I rocked her for about 15 minutes to make sure and then back to the bassinet we went...repeat - eyes open, hands in mouth, hysterical screaming.  Back to the glider for another 30 minute or so feeding and repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat...I think you get the picture (and NO, I am NOT exaggerating - it would take 5-10 minutes to calm her down enough to nurse, then she'd nurse for anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour then we rock for 15 minutes or so then head to the bassinet and BAM time to repeat).  

The Italian was working from home yesterday so felt totally helpless as he heard the screaming off and on throughout the day.  He felt left out because he loves cuddle time with Nicolette and there was no daddy-daughter cuddle time in her majesty's schedule at any point yesterday - she only wanted mommy and not even mommy, just 2 very special parts of mommy...all...day...long!

This continued until our 10pm bedtime feeding Monday night so at this point mommy and baby were operating on probably 1 to 2 hours of sleep total for the 2 days.   After our 10pm feeding I rocked the princess for a bit and then carefully went to place her in the bassinet fully expecting her eyes to pop right open.  Down she went and lo and behold her eyes stayed shut.  I stood there in disbelief watching and waiting for 10 minutes absolutely certain that the hysteria was bound to begin any minute but it DIDN'T!!!!  We were able to sleep until 1am and when she woke up at 1 there was no screaming just the sweet little sound of her wiggles and her little hands in her mouth.  Feeding time throughout the night went beautifully and my perfect little baby has returned to me!  So far we seem to be more on a "schedule" today with some naps in between feedings.

   

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A SPECIAL MEMORY - FOOTPRINTS

Also, this is totally off topic but I realized that I haven't written it down any where and I just don't want to forget.  The day after we got home from the hospital I was going through all of Nicolette's things and putting paper work away when I realized that we didn't have the little paper with her foot prints on it that the hospital put together for us!  I triple checked all of our bags and folders to find nothing....I tried to remain calm so called the hospital to see if they had perhaps found anything in lost and found...no luck.  Cue hysteria.  I cried and cried and cried and cried.  The Italian didn't know what to do...I'm really not the kind of girl to burst into tears so he has never really seen this type of reaction from me.  So you know what he did?  Sweet guy went to Michael's (those who know the Italian know that he is NOT the type to frequent craft stores) and bought ink pads and paper so that we could re-do her footprints.  When he got back he showed me how he had even picked out pink paper with Disney Princesses on it - not only were they Disney Princesses, but they were BALLERINA Disney Princesses - special since mommy was a dancer :)  So the three of us got together and stamped the little ones foot prints on her pretty paper picked out especially by daddy and I must say that our footprints turned out much better than the hospital prints...on the hospital print one of her feet had seven toes and ours show 5 perfect toes on each foot.  

I must say that I'm loving the thoughtful side of my hubby as we establish our little family and our own memories :)