The first bit of drama (and heredity) - the tongue tie...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  18 days

Family,

And a good afternoon to you all from the Queen City, where Kaitlyn has just met her last set of grandparents!  I'm very happy to report that dad and Alice (my stepmom) made the drive "over the mountain" yesterday to visit their grand-daughter for the first time, and I'm very, VERY happy to report that they came bearing LOADS of gifts. :-)  Seriously - presents rained down upon us from friends and family, and it's safe to say that little Kaitlyn won't have to worry about clothes for at least the next 6 months (and maybe the first 9 years considering that she STILL doesn't fit into any of the newborn clothes we have for her).

The Cain Mill Crew holding Kaitlyn for the first time

The visit was fantastic - just too short (as always).  Alice whipped up some white chili for dinner, some pancakes and sausage for brekkie (and those were Nuremburger sausages from TJ's - so guuuuuuuuuud...peppy cheekies :-)), and even some lemon lush for dessert last night!  We ate like kings, and it should be noted that we did make the traditional Trader Joe's run to stock them up on wine and Mission St. Blonde Ale!

And I would be horribly remiss if I didn't thank Alice SO MUCH for the absolutely ADORABLE hats she knitted for us.  She knitted several different wool beanies for Kaitlyn, and the photo shoot that ensued was nothing short of hilarious (I mean, it was no "Images by Faith" shoot, which was still one of the most amazing things I've ever watched, but still).  I mean check out the below photo - tell me that she's not the cutest thing EVER.

Alice's handiwork - a handmade beanie for Easter!  So cute...even if we had to practically bolt it to her head.

In other news, this week was a big one for Team Taylor as parents, as we had to deal with the first "painful" doctor's appointment.  Like her father, our first visit to the lactation consultant revealed that our little miracle was born with a type 1 (classic) tongue tie.  Whilst this was not affecting her breast feeding, the chance existed that it could affect her speech down the road.  Consequently, we visited an ENT to clip her tongue (after assurances that it was very low risk, would not affect - except to improve - breast feeding, and that there would be generally no pain for her).  Well, one out of three ain't bad...

Our doctor was absolutely fantastic (even if a Gator - KJ, I couldn't help but think of what your response would have been had your brought your firstborn to a man with a Gator tie and Gator pin on his lapel), and the good news is that the surgery (which truly was minor) was an absolute success.  However, the child SCREAMED BLOODY MURDER LIKE A RABID BANSHEE during the 2 minute procedure.  We weren't actually in the room, and the doctor assured us that a) she was very brave, and b) most of the screaming was from being restrained.  If that's the case, I WILL NEVER TRY AND RESTRAIN THIS CHILD EVER, as the sound effects were something from the Exorcism of Emily Rose...

The other hiccup was that, with her tongue now free and flopping, breast feeding actually did prove to be a challenge when we returned her to the breast 3 hours later.  I think it was scarier for us than her actually, as the look of concern and frustration on her face as she fought to get on the breast was really nothing shy of heartbreaking.  However, thanks in large part to Jenny's constant efforts to keep her latched (trying new positions, soothing her, massaging her, staying with it and ensuring everything was pointing in the right direction :-)), she did get back on the breast, and now everything seems to be back to normal (although sometimes it is a bit of a crap shoot as to whether or not she'll latch the first, second, or third time).

The key essentials for "kanga care":  water, an empty bladder, a reclining chair, and a ripping yarn of a book (check on all counts).  Laying with her like this is pretty much the best part of my day, and I already know I'll miss this when she's too big.

Couldn't resist - even if her face says it all...

I do also feel that I helped (says the proud papa), as we started another big Team Taylor parental milestone this week - the sleep shift.  I am on the first half of the evening, meaning I give Kaitlyn a bottle about 1 AM.  I do think the bottle helped her "re-learn" how to suck, as I was able to wedge (I know, I know...very delicate and loving) the nipple into her mouth, and eventually I believe that helped to push her tongue where it needed to be.  3 nights into the shift work, everything seems to be working, and as a father I am loving a) the bonding time I get with my daughter, and b) the fact that Jenny's now able to get 5-6 hours of consecutive sleep (I'm getting 4-5 hours as well, which does make a HUGE difference).  We're still waking her to feed, but we've adjusted the schedule slightly (more like every 3.5 hours vs. every 3 on the nose), and I think we're seeing better results (she's better rested, feeding longer, etc).  Also, based on a lot of what we've read, we're taking more time to burp her (and doing it more frequently).  I think this is paying off as well, but at present she's much, much fussier late at night, and it sounds like she's still trying to work up a lot of "gunk" from birth.  Regardless, I can say with certainty that the third week has been easier than the first, if for no other reason than we're not worried EVERY SINGLE SECOND about whether or not she's breathing or gaining weight.

This week's assignment for Team Taylor - getting Kaitlyn to lay on both sides of her head (to avoid flatness) and getting her to focus her eyes on the person holding her (and getting her to track the person's head moving without using voice cues or anything else).  Like every other challenge - BRING IT ON!

Dad and Alice - thank you SO MUCH for making the drive over.  It was SO GREAT to see you, and we had an absolute blast.  Kaitlyn has a wonderful family supporting her and looking out for her - she's a lucky girl.

Love,

Sam and Jenny