If you follow me on Instagram (and I hope you do, since I’m much more consistent with my posting there these days!) you’ve probably seen all my posts about the surgery Ainsley had on Tuesday. I’ve been pretty consumed this last week and a half with getting over this big hurdle and moving forward, and any momma who has had to send their little one into surgery can probably attest to the emotional toll it takes on everyone.
When Ainsley was born one of the first things I noticed was that she had little skin tags on her ears. I think one of the first things I said was, “Are her ears funny?!” They were, indeed, funny. Actually most people who saw her little ear tags said they were pretty cute. We called them her “martian ears” and joked that they gave her super powers. We also noticed that she had a small gap in the corner of her mouth between her top and bottom lip on the right side of her face.
Ainsley earned herself a trip to the NICU at 4 days old because she was running a low temp; thankfully everything checked out just fine, she was just tiny and having a hard time regulating her body temperature. But one of the big benefits of our time there was that we had Ainsley looked at by the amazing ENT/Facial Plastic Surgery team at Children’s in Minneapolis. They suggested surgery to repair/reconnect the muscle in her mouth and remove the ear tags all at the same time and we opted to pursue the surgery earlier rather than later. Unfortunately, the surgery required them to put her fully under for a couple hours, meaning I was one nervous momma!
We have been so thankful for the amazing ENT team at Children’s in Minneapolis and couldn’t have had more confidence in trusting our little baby to them. The first few days after surgery were pretty hard on all of us, especially when her sleep was disrupted because of the surgery. She slept almost the entire day after surgery and then was awake for somewhere around 27 hours that second day, only sleeping about 6 of those 27 hours. Needless to say it was rough on everyone! I have never been more thankful for my mom and my mother-in-law who came to help get us through the worst of it.
Sorry that I continue to be so spotty with posting! Maybe someday I’ll quit saying that. As you can see, we’ve just had so many other things on our mind lately. I’m really, really hoping that life will settle a bit and I can resume more regular posting in the weeks to come! A few other things I’m loving lately:
1. Shakeology! Okay, I’m totally jumping on this bandwagon, and I’ll admit that I didn’t really want to love the product, but I’m totally hooked. I’ve been having a chocolate or vanilla shake for breakfast or lunch almost every day (my favorite combo is almond milk, chocolate Shakeology, peanut butter and a frozen banana with ice) and it’s been so filling, easy and satisfying. It totally works with my busy momma schedule and lifestyle right now.
2. Babywearing. I have a few different carriers, but my favorite by far is the Ergo 360. It’s the most comfortable carrier I own and the carrier that Miss Ainsley loves and enjoys the most, from what I can tell. I also have a Solly Baby Wrap that we use occasionally (and used a lot when she was itty bitty) but the Ergo is just so dang comfortable and Ainsley is so secure in it. I’ve taken a babywearing-friendly barre class while wearing her and we go on at least one walk a day in the Ergo, usually in the afternoon during her fussy periods. It’s a lifesaver!
3. Our Keekaroo Peanut Changer. If there is one must-have baby item, this is it! Seriously. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wiped this thing down when Ainsley has gotten a mess on it. SO Much better than having to wash a changing table cover, especially in the middle of the night. It’s worth the extra money!
4. Stitch Fix. Still loving my monthly fixes! It’s been especially helpful post-baby when I just haven’t had the time to get out and shop. I love my stylist and have had some great fixes over the past couple of months. They’ve been great about providing me with plenty of new mom-friendly items.
Happy Friday!
Madison