The Grandma Switch

Last Wednesday marked the end of Grandma Lisa's stay. While she had been in Knoxville for quite a while before Ella's arrival(for which I am very thankful for the company!) she actually ended up only getting to spend about ten days with Ella. Both Ella and Grandma Lisa (and Mom!!) were sad to see her go. I know she was looking forward to getting back to some of the things in her life, but at the same time she and Ella had really bonded. Personally having her here meant so much to me, and to Adam- I don't know how I would have made it through those first few days without her! I think it was a bonding experience for me as much as for Ella and Grandma.
Yet as sad as we were to see Grandma Lisa go, we were very excited for Grams Stoermer to get to meet Ella. Unfortunately for Grams she got to meet a little bit fussier Ella. At the advice of the UT lactation consultants we were trying to change our feeding plan to help improve my milk supply. Unfortunately it didn't really show the positive results we were hoping for and left Ella a little bit hungry. :( Still, Ella shown through and really didn't even fuss terribly- she just wanted to let us know that she thought she deserved something more! Since then we've changed our feeding plan, much to the relief of both Ella and Mom. Ella is now getting plenty of food- even if some of it is formula, but Mom is also getting peace of mind. Mom was starting to feel that it had to either be formula or breastmilk and really didn't want to give up breastfeeding. Luckily, we've come to a compromise of formula supplemented with as much breastmilk as Mom can supply. Hopefully the release of this pressure and tension will allow both Ella and Mom to enjoy life a bit more! :)
Thanks and thanks again to both Grandmas for the support, advice, and love they shared during these trying times!! Baby kisses and love to you both!!

Daddy's first Father's Day!

Ella and her daddy were so excited to spend their first Father's Day together. Ella's one week birthday started out with a bang- literally. The new family awoke to a huge thunderstorm passing right over the house around six a.m. The storm knocked many trees in the area down and as a result much of the neighborhood, including our house, lost power. Mom was unsure how to handle this situation with a new baby- even though Ella didn't really seem to care. :) Mom was worried about how to handle supplementing Ella's breakfast without opening the fridge so that things wouldn't spoil. In the end she sent Adam out to get a bag of ice for the cooler- what a great way to start off Father's Day! :) As the day progressed, Grandma Lisa began to note that it had become quite warm and muggy in the house without the air conditioning. This resulted in Adam being treated to breakfast out for his first Father's Day and Ella getting to take her first field trip (aside from trips to the doctor) at a week old!! Ella enjoyed her field trip and Dad's celebration while quietly sleeping the time away in her carrier. Mom on the other hand was quite nervous the entire time- was it too loud, was someone going to bump the high chair, was it too cold???? Eeek!! After breakfast we went and checked out the new Earth Fare- pretty awesome for Knoxville. The store is quite a bit larger than the Turkey Creek location and the deli rocks! Still, Mom was never in such a rush to get home and let Ella be safely taken care of by Rufus! :)

Ella's First Week at Home

Well, as with all little ones, Ella's first week was filled with eating, sleeping, and diapering! She did a great job of keeping Mom and Dad on their toes- especially when it comes to the diapers. Ella has a goal of seeing how many times she can catch Mom, Dad, and even Grandma Lisa off guard in the middle of a diaper change- especially fun for Dad at four am!! Ella had many, many visitors this week starting with some her very first day at the hospital. Ella loved getting held and cuddled by everyone, and especially loved the gifts, flowers, and treats that many brought her. Upon arriving home, Ella immediately took up residence in wonderful handmade bassinet loaned to Mom by a school friend. As of now, Ella does a great job of sleeping soundly in the bassinet on Dad's side of the bed- although it is going better now that he isn't kicking it each time he gets in and out of bed!

The feeding has been a tough adjustment for both Mom and Ella. Mom and Dad had their hearts set on Ella breastfeeding, but it hasn't been an easy journey. Ella spent the first few days home getting quite hungry while waiting for Mom's milk to come in. Finally Mom and Dad went to visit the lactation consultants and decided that supplementing with some formula would be best for all involved- Ella gets to eat and gain weight and a nice bonus for Mom and Dad is that Ella sleeps a bit longer between feedings at night. At this point, Mom is taking some medicine and still waiting on her milk, but Ella is doing a great job eating and is just about back to her birth weight- right where she needs to be!

In between feedings, Ella spends her time sleeping, hanging out in her bouncer seat or swing, or cuddling up with Grandma Lisa. Grandma Lisa has been a true blessing- especially for Mom during this time of adjustment. Ella loves snuggling up with Grandma and really does a great job of being calm with her. Dad has enjoyed being able to work from home this week so that he was able to spend a lot of time during the day with Ella. He's not sure about going back to work next week, but at least he'll get to spend his days outside on the water- Rowing Camp! It won't be long until he's got Ella out their with him in her little carrier strapped to Daddy!!

Ella's had many visitors come to see her at home and so many of Mom and Dad's great friends have gone out of their way to take care of them while they're taking care of Ella. Thanks so much to all for the support, offers of help, and the meals that have been provided! You all are making this fun and tiring transition much smoother for us all- we greatly appreciate you!!

Ella's First Day!

Adrenaline kept us up most of the Ella's first morning, but we finally settled in our room in the Mother and Baby ward about 6:00am. Everybody at UT Medical Center was awesome our whole stay, but a few folks really stood out. Melissa, our night nurse, was one of these people. She made sure Jamie and Ella had everything they needed and was so kind and generous each night we were there.

I also want to make a quick kudos to Coleen, our doula. I'm sure we'll make another post about her, but I don't think Ella Ruth's birth would have been so seamless and enjoyable, especially for me without her. Prospective parents should definitely consider a doula, regardless of your birth plan, and if you're in Knoxville definitely give Coleen a call. I know Jamie appreciated Coleen's help, and the statistical data in favor of bringing having a doula present during labor is pretty extensive. Coleen's presence helped me focus on sharing the experience with Jamie, rather than worry about all the other things going on.
After a few hours sleep, Ella Ruth said bye to Aunt Corrie who had to travel back to Oklahoma. Ella had several other friends and well wisher's celebrate her first day with her, but it was really great for her grandma and aunt to be around for the special occasion.


The most amazing thing this first day was how fast I fell in love with her. Obviously there's an over used cliche of 'love at first sight'. Early in our pregnancy I knew I would love Ella as soon as I saw her, but when I heard her make her first sound...I think some sort of switch inside me was flipped. Its hard to explain, I suspect that other parents can understand, but regardless its very cool feeling part of yourself change that way.

Welcome to the world Ella Ruth!

Sunday June 14th 1:37am Ellanor Ruth Stoermer made her grand entrance! Jamie's labor was quick; her water broke at 11:38 and Ella showed up just two hours later. After a quick exit from the womb, Ella scored 8 and 9 on her APGAR tests and started nursing with mom right away. Grandma Lisa and Aunt Corrie waited patiently for Ella Ruth to get checked out before they got a chance to meet her.