2 weeks
Height: 21 inches (85th %tile)
Weight: 8 lbs 3 oz (50th %tile)
Head Circumference: 14 inches (65th %tile)
3 weeks
Height: 21 inches (70th %tile)
Weight: 9 lbs 6 oz (75th %tile)
**Alyssa gained over a pound in one week! (avg is 1/2 lb/wk)
1 month
Height: 21.5 inches (75th %tile)
Weight: 10 lbs 6 oz (85th %tile)
Head Circumference: 14.5 inches (65th %tile)
**Alyssa gained another pound between 2 to 3 weeks and over 3 pounds in her first month of life!!
Typically babies have a 2 week check-up and then don't go back to the doctor until they're 2 months old. After her 2 week check-up, Alyssa started to get pretty congested and was also getting increased gassiness. No one in our house was sick, but I was concerned for her because it would get worse at night and the poor girl was snorting and having a difficult time breathing.
I thought that it may be something I was eating and tried to go off of dairy for a few days but read that it can take several weeks for dairy to leave your system. This was especially hard to do because we were still getting meals delivered and there was lots of yummy cheese, cheese and cheese. Hard not to eat dinner when you're nursing and trying to build of milk supply (well, hard not to eat dinner anytime, but especially hard during this time! ;) Anyhow, this is why I took her in at 3 weeks, to make sure she didn't have a virus and see if the pediatrician had any insight into why she would get intermittent congestion.
The pediatrician was very helpful and encouraged me to continue eating as I normally would (thank goodness! :)...she said that it is very common for babies to get congested, and also gassy, after nursing because their systems are still figuring out their whole digestive system. She also said it's common for it to get worse at night because she's lying flat as opposed to me holding her upright during the day. Sure enough, over the next few weeks, her congestion did seem to subside.
Exactly one week after taking her in for the congestion/gas, I had a very scary experience and needed to bring her back to see the pediatrician again. My aunt and cousin had just arrived for a visit to see Alyssa for the first time. Tycen and Shaylie were already at preschool. I let my aunt and cousin inside and told them I'd go get Alyssa, who was napping in her bassinet on our bed upstairs.
As I went to pick her up, I put one leg up on my bed so I could reach her bassinet in the middle of our bed and kept one leg on the ground, as I always did. I had Alyssa in my arms when I went to bring my leg down off my bed but before it could reach the ground, I somehow rolled my ankle on my supporting leg. It all happened so fast and before I knew it, I was falling backward.
I was holding Alyssa close to my chest by the time I lost my footing and literally fell directly backward. I think I hit my side table on my back/shoulder and then hit my rocking chair on my upper back/neck before hitting the ground on my bottom. And I hit hard. Very hard. Alyssa never directly got hit by anything, but it was still very jostling and scary. She cried after it happened for about 10-15 seconds and I'm sure it scared her. I know it scared me so much, I was in shock, shaking and shaken up for the next several hours by it all. I called the pediatrician and wanted to have her checked out neurologically to make sure she didn't get any brain injury by indirectly falling with me (after working with many patients with brain injuries, I couldn't help but think of this). THANK GOD she was fine. I can't imagine how horrible I would feel if this clumsy fall had caused any harm to my sweet baby. THANK GOD. THANK YOU, GOD!!!
I share this story because, 1) it taught me to slow down and be more thoughtful in my movements, especially when I'm holding a child (!!) and 2) I truly believe with all my heart that an angel had their arms around Alyssa and protected her from any harm during the fall. The bible talks about angels and I definitely believe we have guardian angels in our life. I am not sure if these angels are people who've died or if they have always been angels. For some reason I have wondered if my Grandma Sally was Alyssa's guardian angel that day. I've been thinking of her a lot and wish I could see her hold our new baby, but somehow I think she's seen Alyssa...and possibly even held her. Whoever Alyssa's angel was that day, I'm beyond grateful. Thank you, Jesus, for watching over us and sending my baby protection when she needed it!!
"For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways." Psalm 91:11
