Seems that Janel is healthy after all - the thyroid and liver function tests came back clear (at least, that's what we're assuming as we haven't heard from the hospital)! Thank God! She's still a bit yellow, but that will take a few months now to clear and apparently serves no health risk to her at all.
Yesterday was a good day for me - I met up with a woman I had met in the post-natal ward. Her baby had also been born premature, though not as much as Janel, and he is also her first baby. It was so good to talk to someone else going through the same sorts of problems and going through the same learning curves that we've had.
It seems that Janel doesn't like sleeping in the dark, when it's quiet or when she isn't being held. As with most babies, she's developed a slightly blocked nose and slightly weepy eyes. She's got the usual baby acne thing, coupled with a few dry skin patches. She's also developed two small spots of nappy rash, which I'm treating. So all in all, she's become a pretty normal little baby!
Her feeds are generally still all over the place - sometimes 4 hourly, sometimes hourly - and she has also developed colic. We've got her on Infacol, which is helping to some extent. It really cuts me up though when she starts crying because of wind - her little face is an expression of pure suffering, of a whole body type too. Thank goodness this only lasts a few months! I'm also looking forward to when she finally settles into a routine and I can get a bit more sleep!
Speaking of which: her Oupa arrives on Friday for 5 days, which I'm really excited about! Then her Ouma arrives on Tuesday for 3 weeks, which I'm equally excited about! It's going to be so amazing to be able to share our joy over her with family. It will also be really nice to be able to share the care of her with someone else during the day, so that I can get some more sleep & catch up on chores around the flat!
Mommy and baby are getting out and about a bit more, and getting used to being stopped by passersby to ask how old she is. We went grocery shopping on our own for the first time yesterday (only a small shop, not the big monthly shop) and managed that successfully. I've joined a day-time Bible study group, which also gets me out of the house at least one morning a week. One interesting trip we had this week was to register her at the nearest registry office. She is now officially a person!! Next step is to apply for her passport so we can fly home in March.
I've taken to walking whenever I can, rather than using the car or public transport, to try and get some more exercise and work off the last of the pregnancy fat (or pre-pregnancy fat, if I'm honest!!) It also means that J gets some fresh air and indirect sunlight, which should help to improve her colour and general health.
Over the weekend we decided to have her baptised at our church on 5 Feb. We're quite keen for it to be a full immersion baptism, but we'll have to check the temperature of the water first! Otherwise a sprinkling will just have to be good enough. It will be something of a novelty, as she is the only baby in our congregation (although not at our church!). Now if only we could decide on god-parents....
Nicole
Having the grandparents here has been fantastic! I've been able to go clothes shopping for trousers that actually fit me (I'm still too big for my pre-preggy clothes and yet too small for my preggy clothes); go for coffee with other new mums I know through my ante-natal classes, post-natal classes, church and from the hospital ward. It's been great!
Janel had her 8 week check-up this week, and was given the all-clear. Her jabs are next week, so I'm sure I will have a grumpy baby on my hands then. But if I do, it will be the first time really as she is an amazingly good little girl.
