highlights from Faith's first week in the world

I'm a bad news first kind of person, so unfortunately I have to start this post off with a lowlight. Monday, June 28 was not a good day for the Lindquist family. Faith didn't have any wet diapers from 1 a.m. to almost 6 p.m. On top of that, I became engorged. In short, it was miserable for both of us and scary for her Daddy and me. We called the pediatrician who told us to come in for an emergency appointment. She thought Faith might have jaundice. When we got there, I was on the verge of tears to begin with. A woman in the waiting room asked how old Faith was...that was all it took to send me over the edge and I burst out..."4 days" through tears. Most people would've stopped there, but this woman had the heart to continue talking to me. She asked why we were there and I told her, while still blubbering, that nursing wasn't going well. She was so sincere when she responded, "no one tells you how hard it's going to be." I continued to cry. She told me about a support group in Omaha and then said she wished she could give me a hug. Now I had her on the verge of tears. Right then, her nurse came back to take her and her kids to their room, but not before consoling me, offering me some tissues and reassuring me that Faith would be next. It made me feel so good that Faith was in such good hands. Because our pediatrician was not working that day, we saw another doctor/angel who came into our lives that day, Dr. Kratochvil. She informed us that Faith had lost about 9 ounces since she left the hospital on Saturday and that it was possible, depending on her electrolyte levels, that she would need to be admitted to the hospital and administered an IV to restore her fluids. She immediately gave us some formula to give Faith by syringe. We decided to go home and await our test results, but on the way stopped and bought a top of the line breastpump, which is probably the best decision I've ever made...right up there with Mr. Epidural. We didn't have to wait long for the nurse to call us with the good news - Faith didn't need to go to the hospital, but we needed to feed her every two hours to restore her fluids. We returned to the doctor the next day and Faith had regained 7 of the 9 ounces she lost. At our follow up appointment on Friday, she was up to 6 pounds, 13 ounces. We go back to the doctor on Thursday and hope she is back up to her birth weight, 7 pounds, 1 ounce. So despite the fact this was a lowlight, it's turning into a highlight since she is doing so well. Go Faith :) I save the best part of this story for last. While we were waiting for the doctor, one of the nurses stepped in our room and gave us a note from the woman in the waiting room, Amy. It had the information for the breastfeeding support group and the second page read:

"Being a parent is really hard. Trust me, it gets easier. Good luck and God Bless." By now you probably guessed it made me cry, but even Rob had to hold back tears.

Faith appeared on Birthdays on the 7s on Wednesday, June 30. Though it was only 6 days after her birthday, Thursday was full, so she was the star of the show on Wednesday. Nichole Berlie even mentioned that I work at Munroe-Meyer so it was a media hit for UNMC. :) Rob described her as the perfect blessing and that's what they said about her on the air. We'll keep that in mind when she's a teenager.

On Friday, Faith had her first outing to my favorite place, Target. She slept the entire time. I'm glad, since she probably would've wanted something from the Dollar Spot if she was awake. Mommy and Daddy already have enough problems with impulse buys at that store, we don't need Faith adding to that problem!

Later that night, my sister came over with her fancy schmancy camera to take pictures of Faith. I mentioned I was still contemplating having those expensive newborn pictures taken but was hesitant because the prints cost so much. My sister had just fed Faith a bottle and she seemed to be out like a light. Rachel suggested we try doing the newborn shots ourselves, so we covered the couch with a beige blanket and began positioning her arms and legs. She didn't flinch. We looked up some poses on websites, grabbed some props and turned my daughter into a contortionist. Rob kept saying she was probably going to poop all over the blanket. Faith proved him wrong near the end of our photo session when she peed all over. :) Overall, it was a success. Here are some of the shots...great job aunt Rachel! Fun times!

On Saturday, we (yes, the whole family) marked a major milestone as Faith spent her first night in the crib. She did great and I was so tired, I didn't wake up to every coo, despite the monitor jacked up to the max. She slept 3 full hours, and probably would've slept more, but we're still waking her up every 2 hours during the day and 3 at night until she regains the weight she lost. These large chunks of sleep make for a happy mommy and daddy. So far, we've had three good nights. Here's to four!

This past week also marked several playdates for Faith. She got to see her cousin Cameryn, who is 10 days her senior.

She also met her second cousin (I think) Brayden, though they got off to a rough start. Brayden walked in the door and immediately began bawling. We think Howie startled him, but after about an hour he finally took a mild interest in the baby in the room and gave her a hug by cocking his head to the side and smiling about a foot away from her. Whatever works!

Next cousin Kylee and mom Ashlie stopped by to visit. Kylee also was not that interested in Faith, but I'm sure they will become fast friends very soon!

Last but not least, Faith had her first date. Some dad's want their daughters to wait until the age of 16 to ...Rob is a pushover and lasted less than two weeks. Liam and Faith sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! Haha, not quite, but they did share a boppy for a couple minutes. Who says arranged marriages can't work out?!

My little Daddy's girl is loving her room...especially these letters her honorable aunt Summer made...just wanted to show them off again...til next time.