Welcome Sarah Helen Moore

I keep thinking I'm going to have time to write this post--and here it is a week after Sarah was born and it is still sitting in the draft folder. Sorry for the delay--but you know--new baby=no sleep and choices like, should I eat or shower today? Today I chose eating instead of showering. It was a good decision.

So! Sarah! She's beautiful. She was born at 8:55 am on Friday September 25th via C-section. I had to have a C-section because of multiple previous surgeries--the doctors feared I'd have a lot of scar tissue that would cause problems. When they got in there they discovered that it was fine, in fact there was very minimal scaring. They did joke about installing a zipper, though.

I'd like to avoid any more surgeries if I can--this one was eventful because the spinal didn't take properly and when they started to cut me open, I could feel it--it was very strange. It wasn't like the last time, where I could feel my body moving, but really couldn't feel any sensations below my chest. This time, while it wasn't painful, I could feel instruments moving against my skin, my skin relaxing as it fell open, and things being moved around inside. It was very, very uncomfortable. They decided that they had to put me under completely. I was very sad because it meant that I couldn't see Sarah right away--but there was nothing to be done about it. I was tensing my abdominal muscles and it was making it hard for the surgeon to do her work. They said it went very smoothly once they put me under.

Sarah weighed 8 lbs, 6 oz at birth, measured 20 1/2 inches long and has a 14-inch head. She has a head of dark hair (that her sister Hannah can't stop touching), and blue eyes that will most likely change to hazel like Hannah's when she's a bit older. She has a powerful cry--at times I worry about our ear drums. Fortunately, she doesn't cry much.


We have had an issue with weight loss this week--sadly hers, not mine. She's lost 16% of her birth weight (she got as low as 7 lbs, and is now back up to 7lbs, 3 oz) and that is cause for concern. She looks healthy--so one theory is that she gained superficial weight right before the surgery because they loaded me up with fluids (3 bags full). But we still need to work on getting her body weight up. My milk is slow coming in--so I'm working closely with a lactation nurse at the hospital (she's absolutely wonderful) who is helping me increase my milk supply and also we're supplementing with formula until I'm producing enough milk to feed Sarah adequately. It is hard work--this mommy business!



I've decided not to attend SOAR this year because of the risk of traveling with a very small baby during such a bad flu season. I'm very sorry and will very much miss seeing everyone. I'll look forward to hearing the stories and seeing photos.

I'll post more photos and stories soon.