Ever since I first got pregnant I heard this song and knew it was the perfect "Birth Song." "I'm a new soul. I came to this strange world hoping I could learn a thing about how to give and take." Ahh, the words are so perfect for the day a brand new soul enters into this world. I was planning ever since I heard it to put it on my very first post when Almaya was born but the internet at the hospital wouldn't let me enter the music website so it's a little late.
We got home yesterday afternoon and have just loved the past few hours together as a family in our very own home.
Because so many people came to visit and hold Maya the first day after she was born I didn't get a chance to feed her for almost five hours. I kept trying to steal her away from people nicely but could never accomplish it and kept letting it go because I wanted people to be able to hold her and be with her. The nurse stopped by after a while to run some tests on her and came back saying that her blood sugar was dangerously low and she was shaking from not eating for so long--in fact she was so weak that the nurse said they couldn't even get her to wake up long enough to eat anything. She gave me a bottle and told me to do whatever it takes to wake her up and either breastfeed her or bottle feed her right away. I felt so bad. I still feel bad. I was only a new mother for a few hours and I had already almost starved my child to death. So I did everything to try to get her to breastfeed but I couldn't get her to stay awake long enough to really get anything down. So I was worried that she hadn't gotten any nutrients so decided to bottle feed her a bit as well. I later learned that this was a huge mistake because since she was only getting colostrum from my breast her stomach was still the size of a marble and she felt full and satisfied with just the colostrum--however as soon as I gave her a little formula milk her stomach stretched out many times the size it was (which is normal but means that she will no longer feel full with just colostrum).
Every feeding after that she seemed so hungry. I was feeding her every two hours for more than an hour and a half every time but she was still acting like she was starving to death and completely miserable. I had no idea what was going on or what I was doing wrong. She was so fussy and that is not like her at all. Then, Tuesday night, Jose left for a few hours to do splits with the missionaries and that was the last straw for Almaya. She totally lost it a broke down without him there. She screamed without stopping for an hour (this coming from a baby that had never even screamed in her [short] lifetime). I was totally at a loss and had no idea what was wrong. After trying everything I called the nurse and told her I knew something was wrong. After doing some tests and talking to me for a while we figured out what had happened and determined that she would have to be supplemented with a bottle until my milk came in so she would feel full.
After I started supplementing her she was back to her old self and has not screamed like that ever since. Also, my milk finally came in last night so she is a very happy camper. Yay!
That experience made me realize that it's important to try to make people happy but it is even more important to keep my baby healthy. I still can't forgive myself for not sticking up for her and stealing her away to feed her. I could never forgive myself if something else happened to her in the future because I felt too bad to say anything. So I am making a general shout-out to everyone who plans on coming to visit Maya----
***We want everyone to come and visit her and hold her (we are so proud of our beautiful little girl) so please come visit, however because of RSV season her doctor advised us to ask that everyone washes their hands before they hold her and if they are sick to maybe wait a while to come see her.*** Not too bad right? We want everyone to come see her, just make sure you're healthy, also for some reason Maya's personality is such that she gets very overwhelmed with lots of people around and her blood pressure goes up so please don't ever be offended if there is a lot going on and I need to take her to a quiet place to calm her down a bit for a while.
Jaundice---the doctor is a little worried that Maya might have Jaundice so we are keeping our eye on that and should knew more by Friday. I will definitely update on that the second I know.
Cowboy Caviar
5 years ago
11 comments:
If it is sunny lay her in a sunny patch by a window or hold her so the sun can reach her skin that will help with the jaundice. Also forgive yourself babies don't come with instructions and being a first time mom is hard enough with out the guilt. Oh THANKS for sharing your babe with us.
Misty,
I did not even take my babies to church until they were blessed. Then I did not let anyone hold them but family. And not even family until
I knew none of their kids were sick. I was over-protective and paranoid. Kristen was the only baby that got sick when she was little. She was born a little early and was much smaller than the others.
Do not feel selfish or mean by not letting others hold your baby. My good friend just had a new baby. Her third had got RSV when he was 3 weeks old . He was at Primary for a long time. He is five now and still has multiple problems (speech, walking, not potty trained and a multitude of other things) Laura has blessed her two babies since him at home. She did not offer her baby to me when I went to her home to see him nor did I ask to hold him.
Do not worry about offending people, just worry about Almaya's safety. You will never be sorry. Do not care what others think. When we come down, we will not even ask to hold her and we both are in great health. You have worked too darn hard to get that precious little girl here. Our prayers have all been answered.
Tyler had jaundice. She will be fine. The lights and the extra liquid she is getting will cure that. One of the lines in your sweet song says, "I will take your hand and lead you away". Do that, and hide away with her and enjoy her.
Much love,
G Atkinson
I don’t really know how to start this other then saying WOW! I can not believe you just put our PERSONAL family business out there for your friends, and your side of the family to read, because I know our family is not reading, at least not yet anyway. Next I am wondering if Topo knows what you are really writing about his family on here. I mean I know he knows you have the blog but is he really able to read and comprehend what you are writing?
I am trying to keep an open mind and not let my raw emotion get in the way of trying to express what I want to say in a cordial manner but trust me it is hard. First off I know you are young and have been sheltered from the real world all of your life because of where you live and your religion. I also understand that even though you have traveled the world with your family, you still have not stopped to take your blinders off and see the world for what it really is. People do not act, talk, or even think the same as you. That is the beauty of the world, people are different.
Moving on to your blog…….again wow!!! Disappointment comes to mind. Why would you put that out there for everyone to read? Do you need them to feel sorry for you? Oh poor you, you have to deal with your in-laws!! Trust me; you are not the first or the last person who will have in-law issues.
Is it because between you and Topo you taught them to live way above their means and you can no longer support or handle the girls that you spoiled? From the day they arrived you, Topo, and Juan have been trying to call the shots. I mean 3 people who DON’T have kids, know NOTHING about being PARENTS making decisions without consulting with ANYONE else, until your plans FAILED and you want everyone else to help pay for decisions you made without us, No it DOES NOT work that way. This time you two failed miserably (because Juan finally has finally figured out that he was messing up and it was time for a second opinion) at it and when you realize you have lost control your solution is lock a person away? Turn your back on them? Yeah because that is going to solve all of the problems.
You sit and brag one minute about raising 3 teenage girls and cry about it the next. You love your mother-in-law one minute bragging about how she cleans and washes your clothes, because you hadn’t done anything since you got pregnant again, and the next she isn’t willing to help raise her daughters.
You state you have lost your source of income, you realize that you played A HUGE part in that right? He was always busy attending to your needs that he was not at work making sure his workers were doing a good job, so stop complaining. It was not because someone else did a bad job and it was blamed on them, so don’t try to play that card. Construction companies know the difference between a hanging error and a taping error.
You complain about having to support 24 people (and I just know my family WAS NOT included on that OVER EXAGGERATED list of yours, and I must admit I am curious to know who exactly out of the 37 members of our family made that list? Also do they know they are on that list? Because if we all got together in a room, what you would tell the other 30 people (excluding my family and the 3 of you), because you could only eliminate 9 of them and the rest you are “economically” supporting? WOW!!! To be a fly on the wall when you try to explain that one, or is it maybe “emotional” support you are providing to the majority of them? Still, it is not much if you have to get on a blog and COMPLAIN about it.
As far as “resenting your in-laws” comment, now would be a GREAT time for you to take those blinders off Misty. We come from two different faiths and it creates problems. So I am going to say this as fast as possible because whether you chose to believe my words or not it is the truth. NO ONE AND I MEAN NO ONE is trying to consciously forget Heli. I am sure you don’t recall because you were in so much pain at his funeral, but my daughter was heartbroken, you can ask your mother about it because she even tried to comfort her. She cried herself to sleep for TWO WEEKS MISTY, for her primo. There was no consoling her. And I thank God, our faith, and her Catholic school for finally helping her. Because we prayed a lot everyday, her class prayed for her and her cousin, your son, everyday for two weeks.
Topo’s family is upset, because they all saw Heli and saw how much he looked like their brother and IT HURTS. Our faith teaches us to let someone rest in peace and that is what we are trying to do, but that does not mean we ever forgot him or that we ever will. And if you ever want to know why my daughter stopped crying after two weeks that is something you and Topo need to ask her together because you would be very interested in knowing what she has to say.
You need to know that your “temple marriage” is no better than anyone else’s marriage, unless you are going to play the holier than thou card. We all have our problems, but you don’t go and post them for everyone who had NO BUSINESS knowing about them to read. Grow up, if you need attention that bad seek counseling, keep blogging, but stop blogging about our family. Maybe you should start trashing your own family and leave ours alone. Or if you resent our family so much Misty you know where the door is, don’t let it hit you on the way out.
In the future if you chose to not acknowledge me, trust me, there will be no love lost there. I have lost the last bit of respect I had for you. I feel for Topo and his situation because I see that day after day he literally as to choose between his family and the woman he loves, but who does not love her “gospel-less” in-laws. I do thank God because I know that when the day finally comes he has been stripped of contact with his “sinful family” he will at least have Chichin you know, “the only other member of the church in Jose's family.”
By the way someone who is in good standing with the LDS church told me I should find out where your ward is and have your Elders glance at your blog, because it really is not what they are trying to teach you. She said your blog was unkind and it is because of PEOPLE LIKE YOU, OTHERS HATE THE LDS CHURCH , the people who go there and what it stands for.
VERONICA
Misty, you are an amazing, wonderful and loving person. Don't let anyone ever tell you different. Some people will use any excuse they can to keep themselves from recognizing the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Please know that it is not your fault. It is never your fault. We have been given the wonderful gift of agency for one important and simple reason, to choose. Choose right from wrong, good from evil. It is up to us to choose what path we will follow. No one can do that for us. No one can force us. Not our Heavenly Father, not the adversary. We can be influenced, yes, but not forced. We know that everything you have ever done for others has been of your pure heart and love for everyone. We are here to face trials and through those trials, we learn. What a great blessing it is to have this true gospel in our life and to know what is necessary to enter our Father's kingdom. Focus on that. Focus on your eternal family. Don't ever let anyone or anything detour you from that ultimate goal. Missionary work is extremely difficult and 99% of the time it is unsuccessful but the important thing, is that you tried. It is up to those whom you share the gospel with, to use their agency and choose. No one could ever deny this if they choose to really find out for themselves if it is true or not. I mean, by reading the Book of Mormon and sincerely praying to our Heavenly Father, asking Him if it is true, rather than base their decision on imperfections of its members. I took that challenge, as millions of others have and I could never deny what I now know is true in my heart. If I ever denied the gospel because of something a fellow member had done, I never had a testimony to begin with. Call me self-righteous, say that I'm sitting on my high-horse, that's fine. This gospel is true! You know it, and I know it! No one could ever take that away from us. Jesus Christ lives! He is our Savior and Redeemer. Misty, I am so grateful to have you and Jose in our family as shining example of how we should exercise our Savior's example of love for others. We love you and your wonderful family.
Please remember that the BIBLE came first and there are other religions besides LDS.
Misty,
You are an amazing person. I am so glad you and Jose are in my life and in my family. You are always thinking of others and that is so wonderful. Don't let other people smash your sweet spirit. We are all learning each and every day from our mistakes and our triumphs. I am sorry that others aren't always kind but know that we are always here for you and love you unconditionally. I am so glad that Jesus taught us to forgive one another. If we weren't taught that I would be in serious trouble since I have made mistakes. Keep smiling and know you are amazing.
I love you tons.
Veronica -
I agree that it is hard to refrain from posting all of your thoughts in a public domain such as this, so I WILL choose the "mature" path and resist.
Please delete your post.
The "MATURE" path Misty? Oh you must be refering to sending JOSE to confront me at his nieces 7th birthday party in front of over 25 children and their parents, and try to get in my face the way I can only guess your gospel and "temple marriage" teaches you to.
By the way please know that our family have all been informed of what your wrote and it was translated by a third nondiscriminating party. As far as deleting my comments, why would I do that, you get exactly what you want from my comments, more attention. But in the future YES please Misty follow your own advice, be mature and refrain from comments about the Sanchez family that you resent so much.
To clarify, Veronica, that was not Misty who wrote post number 7 that you just referred to. It was me. And I haven't even had any contact with her since Christmas.
We love Jose deeply, and in my presence, Misty has never once said anything but loving, wonderful things about Jose's entire family. I have read the posts Misty made throughout the months and not once did I walk away with disrespect for Jose's family. Everyone I have met has been wonderful.
But I can see why you would take the comments more personally than I interpreted them, because you are familiar with the facts behind the comments, but I didn't at any time take them as actual bitterness toward Jose's family.
I find Misty exceptionally mature for her age, so as you have stood up to defend your family - which I can't blame you for - I feel a need to defend Misty.
We're only here to celebrate the birth of Almaya, and help Misty and Jose move forward after losing little Heli.
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