Watch Me Grow - Four Weeks

Four weeks old?! 

Wha-tha-WHAT?!

How on earth does that happen? Someone please tell me.

I feel like this past week has been particularly awesome. Kaitlin has been a rock star - she really doesn't cry too much anymore (of course she still cries quite a bit - she is a newborn after all) and we have really started to get into a groove. I am starting to see patterns in her eating and sleeping, which helps to create some sort of routine for both of us.

I'm pretty sure she went through a growth spurt at the end of the week - apparently three weeks is a big time for growth in babies - because she was eating like a champion. My new name for her is hungry hungry hippo, she's definitely packin' on the ounces which is what we like to see! I'm going to get her weighed this week at the doctors, it will be interesting to see how much she has gained since her last visit!

I can't believe that she is going to be ONE MONTH OLD on Tuesday - what an AMAZING month it has been!

My sister has been in town for a few days this week and it's been GREAT! She has done an awesome job at babysitting and has been a huge help around the house. It has been so nice to have an extra set of hands around here to help out during the day...and it's even better since it's my sister! My in-laws will be here next week which will also be great - more help around the house and we are SO excited for them to meet their granddaughter!

Kaitlin has developed and grown a lot this week. She is throwing out smiles left and right (I'm sure they are still just because of gas but I'll take it!) and she has started making little noises other than crying. She's discovering her tongue more and more each day and is starting to get the hang of putting her fist in her mouth - on purpose and not just on accident like before. We have had lots of tummy time this week and her neck is getting a lot stronger. I can't wait to see how she continues to grow and develop over the next few weeks and months - it's going to be awesome!

Watch Me Grow - Three Weeks

As I write this I am watching Kaitlin sit so quiet and peacefully in her swing, watching mommy type on the computer.

In these last three weeks I have learned to appreciate these times of quiet and make the most out of every minute.

She is three weeks old today - amazing!

Sometimes I feel like she must be three or four months by now, and other times I still can't believe that she is already here and is ours to keep forever (and ever and ever...)

This was a big week for Kaitlin and I - we were on our own for the first time. My mom and dad left last weekend and Brian is back to work. It was just me and the baby. And you know what? We did just fine on our own! Thats not to say that I wasn't thrilled when Brian arrived home each night so he could take over for a little bit, but it wasn't nearly the disaster I thought it was going to be. This week gave me a lot of confidence in being a new mom - we even ventured out to the Doctors office and the grocery store all on our own, and made it back in one piece (sort of)!

Kaitlin had her two week check-up this week and I would have to say this was the hardest part of the week. Not only is the doctors office freezing cold (and she has to sit there in her diaper while she gets checked out) but we were there forever waiting to get her foot pricked for blood samples. This did not make for a happy baby and she screamed and cried the entire time we were there (and then some). But the results were good - she has gained back all the weight she lost in the hospital and then some, she is now a whopping 7lb 4oz! Which means that for all the trouble we have had nursing she is getting enough to eat- a huge confidence boost for me - we are doing it! And she has grown over an inch since she was born and now measures 21 1/4". Slowly but surely she is getting bigger!

At the recommendation of the pediatrician I started "training" her on recognizing days from nights in an effort to get her to sleep better at night (after a few melt downs we had while my parents were here in the wee hours of the morning). I try to keep her awake for a short time after feedings during the day, and at night I keep the nursery dark and put her back to bed right away, while she is still in her food coma. Now this system hasn't been perfect but it is definitely starting to work. Except for last night. Apparently Kaitlin likes to party and stay up late on Friday nights. But hey - at least it was a Friday night.

Another new development we tried this week was giving her a pacifier to help calm her down when she goes in to melt-down mode. I really did not want to give her a pacifier ever this early (nursing is a big enough challenge, I didn't want to add nipple confusion into the mix as well) but it was a good call. We are getting better at catching her before she goes into melt-down mode, but when she does the pacifier definitely helps. She has a major sucking reflex and is constantly trying to suck on her hands, fingers, swaddle - anything she can get ahold of. Until she has better control of her hands (so she can suck on that instead) the pacifier helps sooth her. My other big concern about a pacifier was getting her "hooked" on them, and having to face the nightmare later on of weening her off it.  What I have realized is that the "danger" of getting the baby hooked on their pacifier is more the parents problem then the babies. Our Pediatrician said as long as we start to take it away by three months she shouldn't get hooked on using the pacifier, she will learn other ways to self sooth. The key is not to give her a pacifier every time she starts to cry - which is a tough lesson to learn. It becomes so easy to just pop it in her mouth every time she starts to cry, when I need to remember to check for other things that might be making her upset. Is she hungry/tired/have a wet diaper? Is she too hot/cold/bored/need attention? If all of these things are in check - or if I can tell that she is over tired and fighting sleep - then I try the pacifier. This will be a bigger lesson for mom and dad to learn rather than the baby, but we will get there. For now I am just glad to have a way to quiet her down and make her calm enough to go to sleep.

Since it has been just the two of us this week I have had a lot of bonding time with Kaitlin. While I loved her from the moment she was born, I feel like I have grown so close to her this week. I am starting to notice all the little noises she makes and facial expressions she has. We are better in tune with each other and are starting to have a rhythm to our day. We are having more fun together (well, at least I am, I can't speak for her) - going on walks and reading stories. And even when I am overtired and cranky and annoyed that I have to get up again in the middle of the night to feed her, all I have to do is take a look at her sweet little face and all of that frustration melts away.

And even if the day is a total disaster and we are all in pieces crying - at least we can find some hilarity in her explosive bowel movements, gas and insistence on dirtying the changing table as often as possible. Sometimes it's the little (stinky) things that get you through the day :)

Watch Me Grow - Two Weeks

Wow - two weeks old already?? I can hardly believe it. This past week was an exciting one - Gramma and Grampa Miller were here all week helping out, and boy did we need them! They did a great job making dinner and helping around the house, and especially taking care of Kaitlin during the late hours of the night when mom needed to get some sleep. It will be interesting not having them around this week!

Kaitlin is growing bigger and bigger every day. We have her two week check up this week with the Doctor, hopefully she is back up to her birth weight (considering she only lost 2.8% while she was in the hospital and she eats like a hungry hungry hippo it shouldn't be hard for her to get back up to weight!). Hopefully the Doctor will have a good report!

Watch Me Grow - One Week

I can't believe it has been one whole week since we welcomed Kaitlin into the world. It has been simultaneously the fastest and slowest week of my life.

Mostly it went by fast...only at the early hours of the morning after hours of crying did it seem slow.

Luckily that only happened a couple of times.

For the most part she has been a rockstar - she's been amazing. For hours she will just look around and take in the sights. Not that she can see very well, but she can see shapes and contrasting colors. Turns out the wall decal in her room was such a good call - she LOVES staring at it while we are in the glider. Of course I am also learning that this can be a bad thing. Too much observing and she gets over-stimulated and over-tired...something I have learned over the last couple of days.

I can't wait to see how Kaitlin grows and changes over the next year - I'm really looking forward to this series!

Ok moms and dads - any advice for us newbies? What is the most important/valuable thing that you learned during your babies first few weeks of life?

She's here!! Welcome to the world...

She's here - she is finally here!!

Ok, so I'm a little late in posting the news considering tomorrow she will be one week old - hopefully you'll cut me some slack seeing how I'm a new parent and all ;)

I'm not going to lie, labor was not fun. But the staff at Texas Childrens Hospital and our Doctor were all wonderful and made the process a little bit easier to deal with. I was meant to be induced on May 18th in the evening. All day I had been telling the baby that it was time to come out now - and she listened! By the time we checked in to the hospital I was already in early labor on my own, so we didn't have to induce. I was so pleased at that news.

And then Friday night turned into Saturday morning. And then morning turned in afternoon. And then afternoon turned to evening. And then evening turned to night. 

And still no baby.

Man, I was so hungry (I wasn't allowed to eat anything eight hours before the induction time, and only allowed ice chips once I was checked in).

Besides having the baby the only thought on my mind was GIVE ME SOME FOOD!!

Typical, right??

Our first picture of Kaitlin sent out to friends and family - taken minutes after birth!

We were getting to the end of of our rope (and on our third round of nurses) when finally it was time!

(I'll spare you the details)

And at the very end I got to see this amazingly perfect little face and it was all worth it.

So, how have we been doing since then? Pretty good I would say!

We were able to stay in the hospital for three nights after she was delivered which was a god sent. The nurses and lactation team were angels and it was so helpful to have them on hand for whatever our needs or concerns were. It was also helpful to have the nursery close by so that Dad and I could get some sleep and try to get some energy back.

We finally checked out on Tuesday night and spent out first night at home as a new family of three.

Boy, was that interesting.

To say there have been ups and downs, good moments and bad, laughter and tears would be the understatement of the century. But slowly, we are getting there. We are learning about Kaitlin and she is learning about us. The biggest thing that I (we) have to remember is that it's going to take time.

It will take time to learn her hunger cues.

It will take time to learn how much she should and shouldn't be sleeping.

It will take time (for both of us) to get the hang of this breast feeding thing.

It will take time for all of us to operate as a threesome. 

Luckily, time is something we have plenty of.

I'm going to be starting another Weekly Update page - Watch Me Grow!

Starting with tomorrow I will feature a weekly photo of Kaitlin growing bigger and cuter every day.

I figured you have seen enough of my belly (and it's not nearly as cute now).

So stick around - we have a lot more to share with you!

PS - I have decided that babys fingernails are the cutest things I have EVER seen. I mean seriously, how are they so small and perfect??

Forty Weeks

Well friends...here we are. My last weekly photo. The last time you are going to have this pregnant belly all up in your face.

I had my 40 week appointment today and my doctor confirmed that baby girl hasn't budged at all in the last week. She sure is stubborn - hmmm I wonder where she gets that from?? If she doesn't come on her own this week (which doesn't seem likely at this point, especially since this is my first pregnancy) we will be induced over the weekend. 

We are kind of disappointed that we will probably have to be induced - it seems a little anti-climactic after all this time we've spent waiting for her arrival. BUT as long as she is healthy and the delivery goes well then I am a happy mama (to-be). And let's face it - since I am a little type-A I am glad to have a plan and a date when we know she will be here!

My biggest fear is that I will have to have a c-section. I have always been nervous about that possibility but statistics show that when you are induced your chances of having a c-section are increased (by something like 40%). I am trying not to read too much into it and I know a lot of ladies who were induced and had perfectly normal vaginal deliveries. So, staying positive and staying relaxed is my goal of the week.

And who knows...maybe that will encourage her to come out on her own :)

So - stayed tuned this weekend and next week for our first photos of our little one!!

"The Magic Hanky"

We received a lot of amazing gifts at each one of the baby showers that my friends and family threw for us. And while each gift was wonderful and super generous, I have to admit that I have one favorite gift.

*cringe*

Is that wrong??

Some of the most special gifts end up being those that are passed down from one family member to another or those that are hand made. These gifts come with a story and a history, and were made with love.

(That is NOT to say that the other gifts we received were any less filled with love and less special - am I just digging myself into a hole here??)

My moms cousin - who I don't get to see very often - was able to make it to my baby shower that my mom and sister threw for me. She brought me the sweetest present and I just had to share it here on the blog. I had never heard of this gift before (seeing how I have only ever been to about three baby showers my whole life) but apparently they are quite popular. Maybe you have heard of it?

The Magic Hanky.

When I opened the gift I saw that it came with a poem, which I read aloud to all of the guests. There wasn't a dry eye in the house by the time I reached the end, I thought we were going to have a group hug for a minute there!

"The Magic Hanky"


I'm just a little hanky
As square as can be
But with a stitch or two
They made a bonnet out of me.


I'll be worn from the hospital
Or on the Christening Day,
Then I'll be carefully pressed
And neatly packed away.


For her wedding day
So I've been told,
Every bride must have 
That something old.


So what could be more fitting
Than to have little me?
A few stitches snipped
And a wedding hanky I'll be.


And if, perchance, it is a boy
Someday he'll surely wed
So to his lovely bride her can present
The hanky once worn upon his head.


It's ok, I'll wait for you to dry your eyes - go get a tissue.

All set?

Isn't that the sweetest?! I just adore it. I love that it can be used for a special occasion when the baby is very little and then again when the child is all grown up on her (or his!) wedding day. I used one of my grandmothers hanker chiefs during my wedding so this tradition is right up my alley. We haven't decided when we are going to use the bonnet yet, but I am looking forward to storing it away for when our little girl gets married and then telling her the story behind it.

And with the thought of my unborn daughter getting married I am off to cry my eyes out (they grow up so fast!!)