Noelle has been such a joy to have home the past week.  We are adjusting well to a family of four despite the normal challenges of sleep deprivation, sibling adjustments, lots of diaper changes and more laundry than I can keep up with!

Noelle is pretty easy going so far.  She really only cries when she is hungry, needs a new diaper, or has a belly ache.  She is a much better sleeper than Ethan was and has a calm disposition.  During the day, she enjoys sleeping in her pack n play.  We joked the first day we were home that she had already slept in it longer than Ethan ever did!  She struggles a bit more at night.  As it gets later in the evening, she wants to be cuddled and nurse frequently.  We have a harder time getting her to sleep longer stretches on her own at night (even though we have a cosleeper right next to the bed) and she stirs frequently.  The nights are pretty inconsistent but she has gone 2-5 hours between feeds.  She always goes right back to sleep but will get mad when I put her back in her bed!

Noelle is nursing great and growing well!  Since she was in the NICU she got some extra follow up appointments at the pediatrician’s office.  Monday she weighed 7lbs 3oz and Friday she was up to 7lbs 8oz.  Her birth weight was 7lbs 2oz so she is gaining plenty of weight.  I was a little worried because she is a very fast nurser and cannot be convinced to eat anymore once she decides she is done.  Thankfully we know she is getting plenty of milk and is just an efficient nurser.  Her stats were 41% for weight, 43% for length and 54% for head circumference.  We also found out that one of her eyes has a blocked tear duct, so we are working to clear it out.

Ethan has been such a great big brother.  He doesn’t have any obvious jealousy issues, but it is apparent that he misses is one on one time with mommy.  He is very sweet with Noelle.  He wants to hold her and hug and kiss her.  He is very interested in whatever she is doing.  He has had a few episodes where he is acting out in unusual ways, which we think is his own way of adjusting.  He has also woke up in the middle of the night or won’t go to sleep at night because he wants mommy.  I am trying to spend special time with him during the day so he doesn’t feel abandoned.  Thankfully, Jason still has another week off work and he has been a huge help keeping him entertained.  We are trying to balance normal discipline with giving him extra love and attention during this time.  Overall, we are very proud of how well he is done.

I know we will have days ahead that will make me crazy but I am enjoying her tinyness and sweet personality.  We feel overwhelmingly blessed to have two sweet, healthy children and we are trying to enjoy every second!