2 and 3

Yesterday Sam and I got out for a 2-mile walk on yet another nice day. It was a bit cooler than Monday, but I still shed my long-sleeve shirt partway through the walk. The B.O.B. is a nifty contraption, and I appreciate that it allows me to get out when I can't leave Sam behind. And I am sure once I'm back running, it will be a good resistance workout as well!

Today, I asked Ryan if he would mind watching Sam while I got in a 3 mile walk. I headed out on the powerlines to do what Ryan has deemed "The Suck Loop." I must admit I did not think of it as sucky today, probably because I haven't run the loop since August, and because I was just enjoying being out on my own on a longer walk. It was a bit chilly with the wind, but the downed leaves crunched beneath my feet, the chickadees chirped in the trees and the sun was out, so all in all, a pretty nice November afternoon. The loop took me 43:00 to walk, and I was walking at as fast a clip as I could. Man, it takes so much longer to walk things than to run them! However, I felt strong as I strode along (and even took a few running steps at one point, but only to cross the street quickly, I swear!) and am really looking forward to running more than a few steps by the end of next week!

One Month

Samantha is one month old today. Amazing! It seems both like we've had her forever and that time has flown by and this month has passed so quickly. Somehow I think this trend will continue, and we'll be saying this again and again as time passes and new milestones are reached. She had her one month appointment this morning, and she is up to 7 pounds 15 ounces and 21" inches. This puts her in the 50th percentile for height and the 25th for weight. She is also losing some of her dark hair (or as Ryan puts it so nicely, she is getting power alleys in the front!) and also has a case of baby acne. Poor little one. Ah well, we still think she is a beautiful child, even if she is going through 'an ugly phase' :-)

She is definitely changing - following objects with her eyes, focusing more on our faces, giving us what seem like little smiles here and there. She seems to be getting pretty strong too, holding her head up for good stretches when we hold her upright by our shoulders and lifting her head off the mat during 'tummy time.' She also graced us with great night last night. I fed her at 9pm, and she didn't wake up again until 3:00am! Hurray! This meant we actually got to sleep for over 5 hours. I feel almost human again :-) Of course, prior to Sam's birth, 5 hours of sleep would not be cause for celebration, but hey, I'll take what I can get at this point!

In other news, it was yet another gorgeous day today. I have never been all that fond of November, as it tends to be a bit dreary as the leaves fall off the trees and the days get cold and dark with the time change. However, I must admit that this year, the month has been pretty nice, and I've been fully enjoying this warmer weather! Now, I do want us to have winter eventually, but I'll take an extension of this warmer early fall weather into late November with no hesitation! After Sam's doctor's appointment, she and I headed across the street for a walk. It was so warm, I almost immediately shed my long sleeve top and was comfortable in tights and short sleeves. I'll take it! I have been feeling good and strong, and am counting down the days until my 6-week appointment next Friday. You had better believe I'll be out for a run that next morning!

This was supposed to be a test

This weekend was supposed to be a test. Ryan had to be up at work all weekend, staying overnight last night. This was bound to happen eventually, and I knew it would be a big test for me... an overnight alone! I was a little nervous, but figured it would work out OK, even if it would mean it was a pretty long weekend of just 'me and Sam' time. However, the test was diverted to another date, as my mom decided this was the perfect excuse to fly up for a long weekend and help me out. Isn't that nice?! Thanks Mom!

She flew in on Thursday, which gave her the chance to hang out with Kristen and Morgan too, and then the three of them came up yesterday morning to visit. Morgan had a cold, so we headed outside and took a walk around the neighborhood in an attempt to keep little Sam healthy out in the fresh air. Despite her cold, Morgan was on the run the whole time and did not want to stop to be photographed. I got a bunch of shots of her back and shadow, but did at least manage to catch this one shot of her on the fly!


On the move

After a mellow afternoon hanging out and a good night, this morning, Mom, Sam and I got out for another walk. We headed to the bike path to enjoy the sunshine and warm temps. The blue sky above and bare trees were reflected in the flat, calm waters of the river, and the path was busy with people out biking, walking and running. What a perfect day!


Mom pushing the B.O.B.

We did 3 miles at a quick pace, and it felt great. It was a really nice walk, except that about 3/4 of a mile from the end, Sam let us know she was hot and way overdressed. She screamed the rest of the way back to the car. She was not a happy camper and was sure to let us know it! Poor girl! She calmed down once we took off her sweater and took her out of the carrier for a few minutes to cool down before heading home. Amazing how the day warmed up while we were out there!

However, lest you think this post will go by without a photo of Samantha, here is one of her smiling up at me yesterday morning. I suppose it might be gas, but it sure looks like a real smile to me! :-)


Smile!

Good Day for a Day Off

We awoke to a dusting of wet snow on the ground, and although that has melted, it has stayed cold, overcast and damp. It is a good day for a day off, as Ryan is up at work and I'm home alone with Sam. Not exactly the best weather to taking an almost-4 week old baby out for a walk.

Yesterday however, I took Ryan up on his offer to watch Sam and headed across the street on my own for a walk on the powerlines. As I walked along, I was thinking that next week I'm planning to slightly lengthen my walks to 3 miles. Walking 3 miles takes a lot longer than running 3 miles but at this point I have the time, and if I am planning to start running again in 2 weeks, I want to at least be able to have walked 3 miles a few times before I head out running 3 miles again! It was a bright afternoon but a bit blustery. I enjoyed the change of scenery from the road route that has become my "normal" loop, and as I crested the rise before my turn-around, I stopped and watched a Red-tailed Hawk circling on the air currents and listened to the chickadees chirping in the bushes. Ahhhh. Another nice day to be out.

When I returned, we went out for ice cream. I've been craving a "Pumpkin Pie in the Sky" from Cold Stone ever since Sam was born, and finally got it today! Yum. There should be pumpkin beer, pie, ice cream and coffee (yes, I like Pumpkin Spice coffee, what can I say?!) all the time! But I guess that would make it less special. Needless to say, pumpkin ice cream with caramel, graham crackers, mysterious whipped topping and cinnamon mixed in is a heavenly treat!


This ice cream is bigger than my head!

Myths

Yes, Samantha is only a little more than 3 weeks old, and no doubt things will change in the upcoming weeks, months and years, but in the meantime, there are a few baby myths I'd like to clear up.

1. "Sleeps like a baby." I'd rather sleep like an adult. 8 hours without waking up. If I were to sleep like a baby, I'd be up every 2 to 4 hours, crying and hungry. This is not how I want to be.

2. "All babies need is love." Having a baby has meant our home is quickly filling up with ridiculous "stuff." Plastic stuff. Swings. Pack n' Plays. Play mats. Diapers. Wipes. Toys. A special bathtub. And on, and on, and on. It's impossible to resist. Yes, what babies need most is our attention and for us to listen to their cry and respond, to change their diaper and feed them accordingly, but really, it's all about the stuff!

3. "We're loving every minute!" We love Sam. We did before we even met her. But it is work. And it is tough. It is not all rainbows and candy. All the advice we've gotten from people in these past few weeks is that you just have to get through the first three months, and then it gets better. That is not an endorsement for "loving every minute." Still, when she smiles (or is it gas?), and is cute and quiet, we love it. When she's crying at 3 am, and won't go to sleep, I won't lie and say I'm loving it. But I know this too will pass, and that better days are on the way. I think having a baby is like most other things. There are good times and bad, and it's all in how you handle it. Hopefully we'll continue to handle it OK! :-)

4. The whole breastfeeding thing. Yes, it might be best, and it might be "the most natural thing in the world" but man, it is a lot of work. They don't tell you this beforehand. All the portrayals of breastfeeding are of quiet, contented babies, and moms gazing down at their babies with stars in their eyes. While this may be true for some, I am not finding it to be so. Sam is a squirmer. She burps and poops and moves around. It's a workout keeping her eating. I am feeding her many hours a day. It is tiring. Again, as she gets older, all this will likely change and get better, and I'm not giving up yet, but all I have to say is, if you're thinking of breastfeeding in the future, be warned!

5. "Breastfed baby poop doesn't smell." This is just not true. It is poop. It smells. Perhaps it smells less than formula-fed baby poop. And likely less than once we start to feed her solid foods. But seriously, people, don't lie.

I'm sure there will be other myths to contend with as we continue on this journey, but in the meantime, here is a photo of little Sam in her FuzziBunz cloth diapers. So, far it is going well and we are loving not buying and throwing out a zillion disposable diapers!


Fresh as a Daisy!

This afternoon, Sam and I didn't get out for a walk until right before 4pm. The soft late afternoon light was hitting the treetops, and I walked along, the sun beginning to set, highlighting the clouds as they began to turn light purple. I was tired and hadn't known whether it was better to take a nap or take a walk, but as always, once I got out there, I knew it was the right choice.

Halloween

After lunch today, with Sam happily fed and contentedly hanging out on the couch with Ryan, I headed across the street for a walk. As I was alone, I decided I would do my 2 mile walk on the powerlines. I haven't been walking along the powerlines in more than a month, and the first thing I noticed was that it looked like November out there. The vegetation has changed to its late fall palette of shades of brown, punctuated only by the magenta leaves of the raspberry and blackberry brambles and the bright red winter berries.

Today though, the brown didn't seem all that dreary, as the sun shone bright in the blue bird sky and the breeze was warm. It was a gorgeous afternoon to be out, and I felt better for it. However, I did have to restrain myself from running. It was just so nice, and I was feeling good. I wanted to let loose and run! Also, I have been feeling a bit jealous of Ryan these past few days, out running in this nice weather, while I'm home with Sam, and while my exercise routine consists only of walking. This is not to say, not in the least, that I feel trapped at home with Sam, or that Ryan is not helping out - nothing could be further from the truth, but I cannot wait to run again!

As for Halloween, neither Ryan or I are huge fans of it as a holiday. However, Ryan's parents came up for a visit in the afternoon, and for their benefit, we dressed Sam up in a cute outfit that Sean and Marisa sent us. And of course, we did our duty and bought a big bag of candy to give out to all the trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood. Luckily there were only a few mini Twix left, so as not to tempt us too much! We had a fun visit with Irene and Dana, and Sam was really good all day long. She even slept through our lunch at Sea Dog! Good girl :-) (Meghan and Chris, we missed you! Hope you feel better!)



So cute it's scary


Even cuter when sleeping ;-)

Update - Walks and Weight

Ryan finally agreed that it was OK for me to be out walking along with Sam now that I'm feeling more like my old self (I know, so protective, isn't it sweet?), so yesterday and Monday, I walked the 2-mile road loop across the street, pushing Sam in the B.O.B. Monday was beautiful, and while yesterday was a bit cooler and cloudy, it was nice to be out and about. I can now walk the loop, even with the stroller, faster than I was walking it in those final weeks of pregnancy, and am feeling good, so I take all this as a good sign. I'm still pretty tired though but I know that is to be expected with all the nighttime feeding, and am just happy to be able to be out and mobile!

Both Sam and I had doctor's appointments today. Sam is up to a whopping 7.0 lbs! Ryan has taken to calling her "the Tank," which is not really true as she is still pretty darn tiny, but it is an impressive weight gain of over a 1/2 pound since last Thursday's visit. She also peed all over the doctor's office scale after the weigh-in... Yup, that's our girl! :-)

My appointment went well too. The incision is healing up fine, and I am down to 10 pounds above my weight on that first visit to the doctor at 10 weeks. I have no idea what my real "pre-pregnancy" weight is, as we don't own a scale, but losing 17 pounds since Sam's birth seems pretty good to me. (Yes, I gained 27 pounds during the pregnancy. Wow and yikes, all at once!) I'm pretty happy with that, although I know my body is definitely a different shape at this point and I've absolutely lost muscle along the way. Oh well, hopefully that will come back relatively easily once I can be running again.

OK, enough about weight... I'll conclude the update with two 'Ronnie & Gigi' photos (oh yes, Sam is in one of them too) that are too cute not to include :-)


Ronnie the watchcat


Gigi being mischevious

A Night Out

Last night, we tempted fate, packed Sam up in the car and went to Mindy and Pete's for the evening. It was great to see everyone and enjoy some adult conversations! And little Sam was a doll and slept most of the time in her carseat, unfazed by the party going on around her. We couldn't have asked for the night to go better! Of course, by the time we left at 9pm, I was exhausted, but it was well worth it :-) Thanks guys!

On the walking front, Ryan and Sam in the B.O.B. joined me for a nice walk across the street both on Friday and today. Although yesterday was a dreary, cold and rainy day, both Friday and today were gorgeous, and it was so nice to be outside! I am feeling much, much better (no drugs needed for the past few days - hurray!), and today Ryan commented that my idea of a "walk" was not quite what he had in mind, and it was making him sweat. Sorry man, this is my workout! Gotta keep the pace up :-)

Now that Nanie and Pip are gone, and we aren't having visitors every day, we haven't been taking quite as many photos, but just in case you need your fix of Sam photos, here are a few shots from the past few days:


Our little monster :-) - outfit courtesy of Sean and Marisa


Can I play too?

Maiden Voyage of the B.O.B.

Happy lady.

Yesterday afternoon, Ryan suggested we take advantage of the Indian Summer day and go over to the bikepath to take the B.O.B. for a spin. It was gorgeous out - 61 degrees with bright blue skies - so I was more than game. Besides, getting outside is always good for the soul, especially a tired one :-)

We walked 2+ miles along the river, enjoying the views. I pushed the stroller for about 0.75 miles, while Ryan pushed it the rest of the way. It was easy to manuever and definitely seemed like it would work well when I'm finally back up and running. It will be a workout on hills, though! As for whether Sam enjoyed her first ride in the B.O.B., I would like to think yes, but truth be told, she was asleep the whole time. Perhaps that means it was a success? :-)

Beautiful Day, Rough Night

Yesterday morning, we headed over to Brunswick to the farmer's market on the town green. The farmer's market is one of the reasons we love this area. It is a vibrant community that supports things like the farmer's market, and being able to talk with the farmers and producers and get local, fresh produce that was just picked it such a great thing! Yum. Of course, I dressed Sam in her "Let's Go to the Farm" hat from Krisser :-) Couldn't resist!


Sam at the farmer's market

We then headed up Maine Street towards Bowdoin, stopping to pick up cups of coffee along the way. It was a nice morning, and so good to be out. Campus was, as usual, looking gorgeous with the foliage and fallen leaves. We walked around the quad, and got a few pictures. Couldn't miss out on getting Sam in front of Mass Hall!


Can you see the baby? :-)



Happy with coffee in hand

Of course, after such an idyllic morning, last night did not go so well. There was lots of inconsolable crying. And little sleeping. I finally sent Ryan to bed around midnight, and let him sleep into the morning hours. He reciprocated this morning by watching Sam while I took a nice nap after breakfast. Hopefully tonight will go a bit better!

Family Visits

I realize this blog was intended to be about running, hiking and skiing, but as my exercise at this point in time consists of small walks and carrying around a 6 pound baby, for the time being, you'll just have to put up with posts about our new life with Sam :-) I promise there will be talk about running, hiking and skiing soon enough! I am already looking forward to my first run next month, especially now that I can move around better and without much pain ;-)

This past week, my parents have stayed in Brunswick and came over every day to help us out around the house, watch and hold Sam, cook dinner for us and generally support us. A huge thank you to them for all their help! It was awesome, and we really appreciate it!


Mom and Sam

They also went over to my aunt's house and picked my grandmother, Mim, up for a visit this week. Sam loved hanging out with her great-grandmother and Mim was in fine spirits for the whole time.


Visiting with Mim

We also had a wonderful visit yesterday with Ryan's parents and grandparents. Sam didn't get put down for a second, and truly enjoyed Great-Grammie's singing and hanging out in Great-Bampie's lap! Thanks to Irene and Dana for making the trip happen :-) We loved seeing you all!


Hanging out with Great-Grammie and Great-Bampie

But as of tomorrow, we will be on our own, and the week should be fairly quiet. We have really enjoyed having everyone visit and help out, and hope we'll do OK without the extra help, but are also looking forward to settling into a routine with just the three of us. With Ryan working at home for the next few weeks, things will be much easier for me next week as I continue to heal. Even after only a week, he is already a great dad and has been really involved in helping out with feedings, diaper changings, calming Samantha, cleaning, etc. He even purchased an adorable (albeit huge) onesie for her during a quick trip to Target the other day. She has him wrapped around her finger already :-)


Ryan's first impulse buy for Sam

And today, he gave Sam the majority of her second bath this morning, and now she is all sparkly clean.



Bath time!

As I write, Ryan is holding Sam on his lap on the couch, watching football. He says her first words are going to be "nickle defense" or "shotgun formation" if he can help it. Oh my!

What Time is it?

Being a new parent has brought with it a wide array of emotions. Joy at Sam's birth, relief that she was OK, pain from the c-section, frustration about restriction of my movements and as I first tried to figure out the whole breastfeeding thing, hope for the days ahead, contentment as I look down on a sleeping Sam, doubt at how to do it all, exhaustion, happiness, amazement and a whole host of others that I am no doubt forgetting in my slight fog of sleep deprivation. It has also brought with it a whole altered sense of time. The day flashes by, and it is suddenly time for bed. My world has contracted (at least for the moment) and is almost totally focused on little Sam. Feeding, changing, staring at her beautiful face (yes, we are now those totally annoying, biased parents, who think their child is the most beautiful thing in the whole world!), etc takes up a lot of time! This is not a bad thing and she is totally worth it, however it is just an adjustment, and something I am still getting used to.

Yesterday was a busy day, with my sister Kristen and niece Morgan visiting for a few hours before lunch.


Mom and Morgan look in on a sleeping Sam


Hanging with Auntie Kristen

Nate and Finley also stopped by for a brief hello (sorry it was cut short by a cranky baby, Nate!). Then after lunch, we took our first excursion outside with Sam aside from Tuesday's doctor's appointment. We loaded her into the frame stroller and headed out for a 1/2 mile tour of the neighborhood.


Enjoying the foliage

It was a crisp and clear fall day, with a bit of wind, and we bundled her up.



Sleeping Sam, all bundled up

I'm not sure what she thought of her first stroller ride, as she slept through it all! But I thoroughly enjoyed being out! After 5 days of being cooped up inside, it felt great to stretch my legs and breathe in the cool air and to just move. Yes, it was only a 1/2 mile but hey, I'll get there!

The day ended with my mom helping us give Sam her first bath, supervised, of course, by Ronnie :-)


Bath time!

Home Sweet Home

Little Sam

Boy, is it nice to be home! Amazing how much easier it is to sleep when you're in your own bed and don't have nurses bothering you every hour or so for vital signs, etc! (No offense, Emma :-) ) I feel almost human again!

We came home yesterday afternoon, and everyone is doing great. Yes, having a c-section was not much fun (the whole spinal experience with the numb legs was a weird trip I'd rather not do again!), and I am definitely sore and a bit swollen up from all the fluids they pumped into me, but I seem to be handling the pain pretty well and moving around with relative ease considering I had surgery on Friday. And little Sam, after losing a bit more weight than they would have liked and developing a little case of jaundice, is doing great. We went to the doctor's this morning and she had already gained 2 ounces back, bringing her weight to 5 lb 12 oz, and her jaundice was on the low end of the scale after the blood work was done. Hurray!


Wide awake!

We had hoped to get Sam out for a walk today but with the rain and temps in the 40s, I think that isn't going to happen. Maybe tomorrow though!

More photos of Sam's last few days.

Samantha Raymond Triffitt

Welcome to the world little Sam! :-) We're so happy to have you here with us!!

Samantha Raymond Triffitt arrived at 9:16 am on October 9, 2009, weighing in at 6 lb 2.9 oz and 20" long. Despite being nervous for the scheduled c-section due to her breech position, she arrived happy and healthy, albeit a little blue from being smooshed in my belly in that frank breech position for such a long time :-) She has been eating, pooping and sleeping well, and keeping us amused with her funny little expressions. I am recovering well, and Ryan is settling into his role as diaper changer, swaddler and dad as if he was a natural!!

Although the "traditional"10th anniversary gift is something tin or aluminum, why not just skip the boring stuff and go right to having a baby for your 10th?! So, on that note, happy 10th anniversary to Ryan, my best friend. I'm looking forward to many more years of love, laughter, adventure, chaos and craziness together!

More photos of little Sam here.

Pumpkin Pie in the Sky

Since I can't eat or drink anything (Not even water!! How do they expect me to do that? I love my water!) after midnight, we went out for a "last supper" tonight, and even though I was full to the brim, Snowman took me to Cold Stone for dessert. I was super excited as they had pumpkin as a seasonal flavor! Mix in some graham crackers, caramel, cinnamon and that mysterious whipped topping, and you have "Pumpkin Pie in the Sky." Heaven! So now I am well loaded up in preparation for a long morning with no food or drink :-)

Speaking of which, and most importantly, in approximately 14 hours (we're scheduled for 9:45 am, but aren't the first c-section on the schedule, so it could be a bit earlier or a bit later), we will be meeting the little lady! WOW!!!