I can’t believe it’s already been 8 weeks. that means I’m back to work which is ok. There is a part of me that enjoys going to work. I’m not happy about leaving the little ones but I’m adjusting.
So just like we did at 4 weeks, let’s see where we are. Let’s start with little miss.
Allie at 8 Weeks:
Eating: 
A is eating pretty well. She’s being exclusively breastfed and my goal is to do it for at least 6
months. She is taking approximately 3 ounces at a feeding. She is bothered by caffeine and dairy which you will often here me complain about but I do it knowing that it is completely worth it.
Sleeping:
Oye! Where do I begin? During the day, she actually sleeps really well and is staying very close to her Moms on call schedule. She doesn’t need much assistance going down during the day but at about 8:30 each night, when she should be going to sleep, she’s awake. Bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to hang out with mom.
I try to rock her and put her in her crib swaddled, full belly and drowsy only to have her wake right back up. I leave here for a few minutes and when she starts crying I go in to try to comfort her and help but ultimately after about 30 min (after E’s in bed) I end up picking her up and attempt to study while holding her.
I’m open to suggestions.
Interacting:
She is definitely starting to interact more. She is way more alert and follows me with her eyes when I walk around with her. She is starting to understand how her arms work. She is trying to figure out how to control them which is really cute. It’s funny how more attentive I am to this stuff with her. 
She coos and makes happy noises which just warm my heart. I’ve been trying to record them but everytime I start recording she stops. Sounds about right huh?
All in all she’s a great kid. She loves to cuddle which I love. She seems pretty interested in what E’s doing and he seems pretty ok with her too. It will be much more interesting as she gets older and can interact with him more.
Mommy
Sleep
I wish it was better. I average about 5.5 to 6 hours a night and it’s all based on Allie who doesn’t seem to sleep well at night. We’re working on it but I can tell you that I definitely feel sleep deprived. Couple that with the fact that Allie doesn’t do well with caffeine and you can see why I’m dragging a little.
Breastfeeding
We are still going strong. She eats about 3 ounces a feeding. I’m back at work and pumping during the day and that has allowed me to pump a little more than 3 ounces and store it. I would say I’m getting about 5 ounces each time which I’m pretty happy about.
The great thing about work is that we have rooms dedicated to new moms and you can schedule a half hour whenever you need it but there are so many new moms that the rooms are booked solid so I’m having to get creative. My recommendation to new moms…make sure you get a pump that can run on battery power.
Fitness and Running
I’ve been running now since the five weeks. I’ve committed to running the Rock ‘n’ Roll in July so I’ve been really motivated to get back to it. I’ve run about 13-15 miles for the past couple weeks and that is steadily climbing. So far I feel pretty good and am SOOO happy to running again. Even if it is slow.
One of the questions I’ve gotten lately is about nursing bras. My sister got me this bra when I was nursing E and I love it. It’s a sports bra that give me enough support but allows me to be ready for either a workout or a nursing session at a moments notice. I have this bra in white and black and love it. You can find it at Motherhood Maternity
Weight Loss
I’m down to my last 9 lbs but I’ve been there for a couple weeks. I’ve seemed to have stalled but I still feel like I’m getting my shape back.
My stomach still has the extra pouch which I am devoted to getting rid of. The Linea Nigra is still present but fading.
Overall, we’re getting along well. E is settling in nicely to his role as big brother. Next week we’re taking our family photos which should be entertaining.
So there you have it. I’m looking forward to your sleep suggestions.
On a side note, this week I visited the local fox channel and took them through a Post-Baby Tabata workout. It was a lot of fun. You can see the video below and the tabata is here too.
oh big big big understanding HUGS with the sleep
mine is 7 and still a horrible sleeper
xo
you’re awesome! what an inspirational (second time) new momma you are!
You look amazing 8 weeks out! Way to go mama! And don’t stress about those last few pounds. They will come off. I found that I didn’t lose the last bit until I weaned my girls. Guess my body needed a little bit extra to sustain milk production. I recently weaned my youngest after a year of nursing, and the last few pounds disappeared quickly – along with my boobs! Although I have to admit, I’m so glad to have my small gals back – much easier for running! Hopefully A will start to sleep better soon. We had a tough time with our 2nd because she had a horrible case of reflux, so I had to hold her upright for about 30 minutes after her last feeding. Otherwise, I’d lay her down, and a few minutes later, she’d wake up and puke.
Your kids are beautiful and so are you!! You look amazing!
You look incredible, first off! Great job. And I’m feeling you on the sleep deprivation…I found it so hard when I went through it with my kids. I hope you get some relief soon and can get up to some longer stretches.
She’s adorable!
You look fantastic! Such an inspiration. 🙂 Your little ones are darling. I’m sorry about the sleep. Wish I had answer for ya… or at least some coffee you could have! haha
Allie is adorable!
I’m no expert in the baby sleep department, but I noticed that if I let Hunter cry for 15-20 minutes after I put him down, he falls asleep on his own. Of course those are the longest 15-20 minutes ever for me, but I know he’s safe and just fine. Sometimes he’ll only cry for a few minutes and then is out. I also swaddle tight and use white noise, and try to burp him once more before I put him down to make sure all the gas is out. How are you liking the Moms on Call? Did you use it with E too? I have a friend that’s using it and loves it.
You look incredible!! Especially with getting limited sleep and going back to work! I hope the night sleeping gets better. For us, letting them cry a little had worked (we did full on cry it out with my youngest at 3 months – I really needed sleep at that point). If she’s napping well then I’m sure night time will follow shortly, but I know how rough it can be in the meantime!
Looking good mama! Keep up the good work! And sleep will come…eventually. 😉
Your 8 WEEK progress is similar to my 8 MONTH progress, haha. You look awesome! We had the same problem with Maddux being awake at night. I wish I had suggestions! Unfortunately, we weren’t very good at fixing it. At least they outgrow it eventually, right?
I can’t believe she’s already 8 weeks (which is what I’ll be saying in 4 weeks – lol)!! She is SOOOO sweet and E looks like such a proud big brother. Love it!
I’ll definitely be trying out your workout once I buy a new sportsbra. Lol. I cannot imagine doing mountain climbers in the ones I currently have.
Ugh on the pouch – it WILL go away! I actually lost mine with my daughter from running. It didn’t happen overnight – but once I was running 20-30 miles a week (which I’m hoping to get back to at some point!) my abs got amazingly toned.
No advice on the sleep – but if you find something that works, LET ME KNOW. I am willing to deal with this whole 2-3 hours of sleep at a time thing now, but I go back to work in a month and it’s not going to work for me either.
First off she is adorable! You look fantastic! I just had mine 6 weeks ago and I’m still pretty fluffy. Congrats 🙂
You are doing great Katie and you look great! That picture of A and E is super cute! I wish I could help with the sleep thing. That always seemed to baffle me with the kids. But the sleep will come and things will settle down 🙂