As promised, here are a few pictures from the last few weeks. Enjoy!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Teething and More Shots
This week has been rough. Hannah's started teething, which is not exactly fun. She's clearly in pain, but when she's taken some Tylenol, she's happy. She's been drooling like crazy, trying to gum her fist and pacifier (or whatever else she can get in her mouth), had a runny nose (still), and isn't sleeping well. I also think she's going through a growth spurt at the same time because she's constantly eating, is cranky, and is acting very similarly to her growth spurt at 6 weeks. Needless to say, it's been a trying week. It's been tough because she's been off her sleeping routine since we went home for Thanksgiving. And I believe that pattern is going to continue since we'll be heading home for Christmas next weekend. Yay.
To make it even better, I have to take her back to the doctor to get her other 2 shots that she didn't get last month. I've already cried once tonight thinking about it........ I am really not looking forward to it. She was so upset last time (so was I). Hopefully it'll get easier as the process goes along. My friend Darlene is going to come with me to the doctor's office tomorrow because I don't want to go by myself again.
Sorry this post is rather depressing. I'm sad about tomorrow. Next time should be a bit more cheery...
To make it even better, I have to take her back to the doctor to get her other 2 shots that she didn't get last month. I've already cried once tonight thinking about it........ I am really not looking forward to it. She was so upset last time (so was I). Hopefully it'll get easier as the process goes along. My friend Darlene is going to come with me to the doctor's office tomorrow because I don't want to go by myself again.
Sorry this post is rather depressing. I'm sad about tomorrow. Next time should be a bit more cheery...
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Thanksgiving, Runny Noses, and Blow Outs
First of all, before you read any further, I am not including any pictures in this post because I am too lazy to get up and get them off our camera. :) Sorry. Maybe next time!
So. Thanksgiving. Well, let me begin by saying that I had a blast hanging out with Keagan and Laura for a few days. I think that was the highlight of the whole week for me. I'm not sure when the next time we'll see them will be, but hopefully it won't be too far from now. Time with family was good. It was a pretty exhausting week. It's already difficult when your baby gets a little off schedule. What made it even more difficult was what I like to call "baby passing." There were only one or two occasions where this took place, but the nights after that happened were especially rough with Ms. Hannah. I mean, it's tough..... because when you go to see family and half of them haven't seen the baby, they all want to hold her and pass her around. So, what ends up happening is that Hannah gets 2 minutes with each person, each one holding her in a different position (most positions are ones that she has come to hate, mind you). So she gets over-stimulated, and as a result, sleeping is pretty difficult when it comes time for her to go to bed/stay asleep. She had gotten the point where she was sleeping 7 or 8 hours at night, which was awesome! But while we were home, she wasn't sleeping well at all. Oh well.... I guess that's what Grandma is for. :)
Also, while we were home, Daniel, Keagan, my dad, and myself went to the batting cage! It was lots o' fun! I got a chance to get back in the cage and hit a little bit. It had probably been 6 years since I've really tried, but I did well! And I also got to pitch a little bit to my dad, which was neat (but left me very sore). I didn't do as well pitching--my wrist muscles are especially out of shape, which made it hard to pitch with the right technique. I still have all the mechanics down, it's just a matter of having toned muscles. Oh well. Aaaaand my mom got my brother and I Wii Fit, so I'm watching Daniel kick some Wii Fit butt right now. If you've never tried that game, you really should. It's very, very cool!
I had a great time hanging out with Daniel's parents and his sister's family while we were home. Ava is growing so fast! Soon she and Hannah will be able to play together--that'll be lots of fun. Ava wasn't very happy about Abigail holding Hannah, though. Guess she doesn't want her mommy having anything to do with other babies. :)
Unfortunately, Hannah woke up with nasal congestion the morning after we got back from our trip to Va Beach, and she's been somewhat congested all week. It was kinda sad, because babies are obligate nose breathers for a while (Hannah still is), so she woke up and was having trouble breathing, which was obviously upsetting for her. I couldn't do much for her, though, cuz it was dry. But, once she sneezed two or three times, and popped out some huge green boogers, she could breathe. So we've been fighting that all week long. It seems like things are clearing up, finally. I'm glad it wasn't any worse than just a little congestion.
And on the subject of blow outs... We have found that the Pampers Baby Dry diapers are the only ones that keep her from blowing poop out of her diapers. I used to really like the Pampers Swaddlers diapers, but they just aren't keeping that poop in anymore. Kinda strange. Hannah is also starting to hate wet/dirty diapers. She used to just sit in them and not care, but now, she can't stand it. Of course, that's not a bad thing--keeps diaper rash away because it helps us be more aware of when she needs her diaper changed aside from normal feeding changes.
Well, I guess that's all for now. I promise I'll have pictures for you soon. :)
So. Thanksgiving. Well, let me begin by saying that I had a blast hanging out with Keagan and Laura for a few days. I think that was the highlight of the whole week for me. I'm not sure when the next time we'll see them will be, but hopefully it won't be too far from now. Time with family was good. It was a pretty exhausting week. It's already difficult when your baby gets a little off schedule. What made it even more difficult was what I like to call "baby passing." There were only one or two occasions where this took place, but the nights after that happened were especially rough with Ms. Hannah. I mean, it's tough..... because when you go to see family and half of them haven't seen the baby, they all want to hold her and pass her around. So, what ends up happening is that Hannah gets 2 minutes with each person, each one holding her in a different position (most positions are ones that she has come to hate, mind you). So she gets over-stimulated, and as a result, sleeping is pretty difficult when it comes time for her to go to bed/stay asleep. She had gotten the point where she was sleeping 7 or 8 hours at night, which was awesome! But while we were home, she wasn't sleeping well at all. Oh well.... I guess that's what Grandma is for. :)
Also, while we were home, Daniel, Keagan, my dad, and myself went to the batting cage! It was lots o' fun! I got a chance to get back in the cage and hit a little bit. It had probably been 6 years since I've really tried, but I did well! And I also got to pitch a little bit to my dad, which was neat (but left me very sore). I didn't do as well pitching--my wrist muscles are especially out of shape, which made it hard to pitch with the right technique. I still have all the mechanics down, it's just a matter of having toned muscles. Oh well. Aaaaand my mom got my brother and I Wii Fit, so I'm watching Daniel kick some Wii Fit butt right now. If you've never tried that game, you really should. It's very, very cool!
I had a great time hanging out with Daniel's parents and his sister's family while we were home. Ava is growing so fast! Soon she and Hannah will be able to play together--that'll be lots of fun. Ava wasn't very happy about Abigail holding Hannah, though. Guess she doesn't want her mommy having anything to do with other babies. :)
Unfortunately, Hannah woke up with nasal congestion the morning after we got back from our trip to Va Beach, and she's been somewhat congested all week. It was kinda sad, because babies are obligate nose breathers for a while (Hannah still is), so she woke up and was having trouble breathing, which was obviously upsetting for her. I couldn't do much for her, though, cuz it was dry. But, once she sneezed two or three times, and popped out some huge green boogers, she could breathe. So we've been fighting that all week long. It seems like things are clearing up, finally. I'm glad it wasn't any worse than just a little congestion.
And on the subject of blow outs... We have found that the Pampers Baby Dry diapers are the only ones that keep her from blowing poop out of her diapers. I used to really like the Pampers Swaddlers diapers, but they just aren't keeping that poop in anymore. Kinda strange. Hannah is also starting to hate wet/dirty diapers. She used to just sit in them and not care, but now, she can't stand it. Of course, that's not a bad thing--keeps diaper rash away because it helps us be more aware of when she needs her diaper changed aside from normal feeding changes.
Well, I guess that's all for now. I promise I'll have pictures for you soon. :)
Friday, November 21, 2008
Quick Update
Just wanted to fill you guys in on a few quick things.
First, acac is awesome! I have loved having the ability to go workout and have 2 hours of childcare! I am working with a personal trainer who has me using some Free Motion machines to build my strength back up. It's been really nice to be working out regularly again.
Secondly, Hannah has been consistently sleeping 6 - 7 hours at night. Last night she slept 7 1/2 hours! We figured out that she was getting really sleepy around 9, so now the routine is to bathe her and have her fed and in the crib around 9. Been working so far!
That's all for now. More to come next week!
First, acac is awesome! I have loved having the ability to go workout and have 2 hours of childcare! I am working with a personal trainer who has me using some Free Motion machines to build my strength back up. It's been really nice to be working out regularly again.
Secondly, Hannah has been consistently sleeping 6 - 7 hours at night. Last night she slept 7 1/2 hours! We figured out that she was getting really sleepy around 9, so now the routine is to bathe her and have her fed and in the crib around 9. Been working so far!
That's all for now. More to come next week!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Cute videos
Today was fun! Hannah and I headed over to our friend Lina's house to visit her and her little boy David, who is 2 weeks older than Hannah. David was all smiles today! Very cute. :) Lina and I always joke that they are boyfriend and girlfriend. Also, Daniel and I will be joining acac tomorrow (a fitness and wellness center in Cville), and Lina also has a membership there, so hopefully we can go work out together! The neat thing about acac is that unlimited childcare will be included (up to 2 hours and 15 minutes at a time), so I am SUPER excited about that.
Then Hannah and I headed to our friend Michelle's house to visit her and her little boy Micah who is 7 weeks older than Hannah. He is a big boy! We put Hannah and Micah in the crib together, so here's a video of the two of them:
And below is a video of Hannah in her bouncy seat, which she loves. Laura's mom and dad got this little seat for Hannah. It makes doing my hair and getting ready in the morning a breeze!
Then Hannah and I headed to our friend Michelle's house to visit her and her little boy Micah who is 7 weeks older than Hannah. He is a big boy! We put Hannah and Micah in the crib together, so here's a video of the two of them:
And below is a video of Hannah in her bouncy seat, which she loves. Laura's mom and dad got this little seat for Hannah. It makes doing my hair and getting ready in the morning a breeze!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Big Day
Today was a big day--a bittersweet one for Ms. Hannah.
We went to the doctor for her 2 month well-baby check-up. She was a little over 9 1/2 pounds and was 22 1/2 inches long! So she gained 3 pounds and grew 3 inches in the last month--wow! She went from being below the 5th percentile in height and weight to being in the 50th for height and 25th for weight. Way to go, girl! She's very healthy, very alert, and our doctor was very pleased with how she's doing.
She was scheduled to get 4 vaccines today, but I only opted for 2. She got DTaP and HiB. My heart broke into a million pieces when those needles got stuck into her thighs.... I cried. I had never heard her cry quite like that. It was really really sad. She's been really sleepy and weepy for the rest of the day. I can imagine--rough afternoon! I'm tired too.... I think it was pretty rough on me as well.
As a "reward" for how well she did with her shots (because she totally understands that concept now...), Daniel and I went out to get her a bumbo chair! Yay! Below is a little video Daniel shot with my phone--very cute. :)
In other news, Daniel passed his sickness on to me--thanks, bud. I've since lost my voice, which is really stinky because I'm supposed to lead worship at an all-campus worship night at U.Va. on Wednesday evening. Thankfully, I only have a few songs that I'll be singing. But, it never proves to fail: every semester I lose my voice the week of Seek. Go figure. Be praying for that, though! I am anticipating that God's going to do some really neat things on Wednesday night and beyond.
Hannah has been sleeping 5 hours for her first stretch at night pretty consistently now. I haven't decided if I like that yet :) I find that I'm more tired when she does that, because she doesn't sleep as well once she wakes up from that first stretch of sleep. Oh well--that means we're on to bigger and better sleep stretches!
Welp, enjoy this little video of Hannah in her bumbo chair!
We went to the doctor for her 2 month well-baby check-up. She was a little over 9 1/2 pounds and was 22 1/2 inches long! So she gained 3 pounds and grew 3 inches in the last month--wow! She went from being below the 5th percentile in height and weight to being in the 50th for height and 25th for weight. Way to go, girl! She's very healthy, very alert, and our doctor was very pleased with how she's doing.
She was scheduled to get 4 vaccines today, but I only opted for 2. She got DTaP and HiB. My heart broke into a million pieces when those needles got stuck into her thighs.... I cried. I had never heard her cry quite like that. It was really really sad. She's been really sleepy and weepy for the rest of the day. I can imagine--rough afternoon! I'm tired too.... I think it was pretty rough on me as well.
As a "reward" for how well she did with her shots (because she totally understands that concept now...), Daniel and I went out to get her a bumbo chair! Yay! Below is a little video Daniel shot with my phone--very cute. :)
In other news, Daniel passed his sickness on to me--thanks, bud. I've since lost my voice, which is really stinky because I'm supposed to lead worship at an all-campus worship night at U.Va. on Wednesday evening. Thankfully, I only have a few songs that I'll be singing. But, it never proves to fail: every semester I lose my voice the week of Seek. Go figure. Be praying for that, though! I am anticipating that God's going to do some really neat things on Wednesday night and beyond.
Hannah has been sleeping 5 hours for her first stretch at night pretty consistently now. I haven't decided if I like that yet :) I find that I'm more tired when she does that, because she doesn't sleep as well once she wakes up from that first stretch of sleep. Oh well--that means we're on to bigger and better sleep stretches!
Welp, enjoy this little video of Hannah in her bumbo chair!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Election Perspective
I've been reading a lot of conservative Christian responses to the results of yesterday's election, and I have to say that I am both disappointed and rather disgusted. Here's why...
First of all, have we forgotten that God is always sovereign and always on His throne? Have we lost trust in His perfect will? Do we really believe that one person is going to cause the demise of one of the strongest nations on earth? Seriously--do people really believe that??
I understand that Obama has a very liberal platform and that he has the most liberal voting record in the Senate. I also understand that the Democrats have control of Congress. But honestly, I don't think that yesterday's outcome is about policies or about political party preferences. It's about a nation that is continuing to overcome racial oppression, prejudice, and misconception.
I am so proud of the United States of America. I am so excited about what kind of healing is going to come from this election. I am ecstatic that my daughter's first memory of the President of the United States is going to be an African American. As I watched Obama give his acceptance speech last night, I was overjoyed to the point of tears. As I listened to him list off events in our nation's history where the American people joined together to make huge steps forward, I couldn't help but rejoice in the unity of blacks, whites, latinos, and every other ethnicity to see something like this take place. We did it, America. You've proven to me that we truly are in this together.
And for the record, no, I didn't vote for Obama. But that doesn't mean I can't rejoice in his victory.
First of all, have we forgotten that God is always sovereign and always on His throne? Have we lost trust in His perfect will? Do we really believe that one person is going to cause the demise of one of the strongest nations on earth? Seriously--do people really believe that??
I understand that Obama has a very liberal platform and that he has the most liberal voting record in the Senate. I also understand that the Democrats have control of Congress. But honestly, I don't think that yesterday's outcome is about policies or about political party preferences. It's about a nation that is continuing to overcome racial oppression, prejudice, and misconception.
I am so proud of the United States of America. I am so excited about what kind of healing is going to come from this election. I am ecstatic that my daughter's first memory of the President of the United States is going to be an African American. As I watched Obama give his acceptance speech last night, I was overjoyed to the point of tears. As I listened to him list off events in our nation's history where the American people joined together to make huge steps forward, I couldn't help but rejoice in the unity of blacks, whites, latinos, and every other ethnicity to see something like this take place. We did it, America. You've proven to me that we truly are in this together.
And for the record, no, I didn't vote for Obama. But that doesn't mean I can't rejoice in his victory.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Uncle Keagan and Aunt Laura
Uncle Keagan and Aunt Laura came and paid a visit to our little one this past weekend! We had a blast with them here. Check out Hannah's new hat!
We will get to see Keagan and Laura again for Thanksgiving. Hannah will probably look so much different, and it's only a few weeks away! I take her back to the doctor for her 2-month visit on November 10th. Then, the doctor and I will talk about vaccines and how we want to do all that (I think giving a small baby 5 shots in one day is a ridiculous idea). I am back into my pre-pregnancy jeans. Except that my butt is a different shape, so they're a little harder to get into. But that's okay. Now the only thing we have to wait for is my tummy skin to tighten back up. How long does that take? I've been walking/running around the little circle that we live on--a little over a mile each time I go--so that's really helped with feeling even more normal than I was feeling before. It's all a process!
Working on her smile:
Gettin' some lovin':
Group Shot!
Pose with Granddaddy:
All ready for Halloween/Thanksgiving with her little pumpkin outfit:
Family Shot:
Exercising her muscles:
We will get to see Keagan and Laura again for Thanksgiving. Hannah will probably look so much different, and it's only a few weeks away! I take her back to the doctor for her 2-month visit on November 10th. Then, the doctor and I will talk about vaccines and how we want to do all that (I think giving a small baby 5 shots in one day is a ridiculous idea). I am back into my pre-pregnancy jeans. Except that my butt is a different shape, so they're a little harder to get into. But that's okay. Now the only thing we have to wait for is my tummy skin to tighten back up. How long does that take? I've been walking/running around the little circle that we live on--a little over a mile each time I go--so that's really helped with feeling even more normal than I was feeling before. It's all a process!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Hike with Granddad
Dad and I took a trip down to Crabtree Falls today and it was beautiful!!! (as you can see above) Below are a few more pictures we took while on our little nature extravaganza. Enjoy!
Just about everyone we passed on the trail were enamored with Hannah. :)
Preeettttttyyyy.....
OOOoooooooooo:
Keagan and Laura will be here Saturday morning! Yay! We'll have more pictures to post from that. And to finish, here's a cute picture of Ms. Hannah. Hopefully we'll catch her smile soon!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Growth Spurts
All I have to say about this past week, as far as Hannah's progress is concerned, is that it's OVEERRRRRRRR. As you can most likely surmise, she went through a growth spurt this past week (which is normal around week 6), and we were miserable. Boo. She was squirmy and cranky, couldn't sleep well, wanted to eat every hour and a half (including at night), wasn't digesting her food well, was gassy, uncomfortable, ...... on and on we could go. So, she made life miserable for me as well. The worst night was Wednesday night, on into Thursday. Rough. But! Hallelujah, it's over. :) She's been so happy and pleasant the past day or two that it's been amazing that she is the same baby!
Today I started back at cfa. It was so nice to be back! Hannah did beautifully during the services--I had Daniel show up to church with her about 15 minutes before the first service started, and then they headed out after worship in the second service. That way she wouldn't be there all day long. And I had a few "designated baby holders" that were a huge help during both services, so thanks Dan & Robin and Rachel! I'll be back at cfa in the office this week, and Hannah and I will be takin' care of bidniss.
Welp, here's a cute picture to end this with. I would write more (Daniel's parents and his aunt and uncle came to visit yesterday), but Daniel wants me to take her from him. So, more later :)
Today I started back at cfa. It was so nice to be back! Hannah did beautifully during the services--I had Daniel show up to church with her about 15 minutes before the first service started, and then they headed out after worship in the second service. That way she wouldn't be there all day long. And I had a few "designated baby holders" that were a huge help during both services, so thanks Dan & Robin and Rachel! I'll be back at cfa in the office this week, and Hannah and I will be takin' care of bidniss.
Welp, here's a cute picture to end this with. I would write more (Daniel's parents and his aunt and uncle came to visit yesterday), but Daniel wants me to take her from him. So, more later :)
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Apple Picking!
Well, the Garrett family made their way to Carter Mountain Orchard today with our friends Luke and Rachel. We had a great time picking some Granny Smith apples and eating apple cider donuts, which I highly recommend! Then we came home and I (Calie) made an apple cinnamon cake while Rachel and Luke made an apple pie and chicken and dumplings. MMMMmmmmmmmmmm.
Hannah is now 5 weeks old! Can't believe it. Tomorrow is my last Sunday on maternity leave. It's exciting and sad at the same time. I've really enjoyed being able to sleep in and not have any responsibilities on Sunday morning, but at the same time, I'm itching to get back to work. Hannah's been going a little bit longer between feedings, which has been nice. So, that'll be a luxury until we hit a growth spurt. :) I'm trying to think if there's anything else to share... I don't think so. Have a great day!
Here's the easterly view from the top of the mountain:
Calie and Rachel (Hannah's buried in the sling somewhere)!
Daniel and Luke...
(don't ask... but do ask about the other incriminating pictures we have)
(don't ask... but do ask about the other incriminating pictures we have)
This was from a lazy Sunday afternoon where I was attempting to multi-task by holding Hannah and playing on the computer at the same time:
So, one day this past week was 80's day at Daniel's school. Here was his outfit. To say the least, he is now one of the most popular teachers among the students. :)
Hannah sporting the mullet, rocking out:
Hannah is now 5 weeks old! Can't believe it. Tomorrow is my last Sunday on maternity leave. It's exciting and sad at the same time. I've really enjoyed being able to sleep in and not have any responsibilities on Sunday morning, but at the same time, I'm itching to get back to work. Hannah's been going a little bit longer between feedings, which has been nice. So, that'll be a luxury until we hit a growth spurt. :) I'm trying to think if there's anything else to share... I don't think so. Have a great day!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Sleep in Heavenly Peace
We definitely slept in heavenly peace last night! Hannah slept for 4 hours! WOOOoooohoo that felt good. :) I actually woke up at 2:30 waiting to hear her cry, cuz that should've been about the time that she would wake up. But I fell back asleep and didn't hear her cry until 4. So I got up and fed her, and then she slept from 5 - 8 this morning. So I got a total of 7 hours of sleep last night. Awesome.
And THEN, to top it all off, when I went in her room at 8 this morning to feed her, she half-smiled at me when I picked her up. Yay! So cute. :)
Anyway, that is all. Hopefully today will continue in this manner!
And THEN, to top it all off, when I went in her room at 8 this morning to feed her, she half-smiled at me when I picked her up. Yay! So cute. :)
Anyway, that is all. Hopefully today will continue in this manner!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Pictures!
Sleepy baby :) She sleeps with her mouth open, just like her daddy.
Photo shoot with Grandma Broussard:
RAT TAIL! Yikes. We need to cut that off...
Visit from Uncle Matt and Aunt Becky:
Uncle David and Aunt Abigail:
Ava! Hannah's first cousin:
Cute cousin picture:
We've found a bath method that works!
"Hmm.... let me think about that one..."
"Umm.... you're weird." This really looks like a Calie face:
Hannah will be officially one month old tomorrow! Woohoo! Enjoy these pictures :)
Friday, October 3, 2008
Major Update
Wow! Sorry for being so bad at updating this last week and a half. I haven't really been motivated to update because we can't get any pictures off our camera. So, updating isn't quite as exciting wtihout pictures. :)
Okay, so Daniel's mom came up this past Saturday and stayed until Tuesday. She was such a huge help around the house--cooking, doing laundry, keeping things organized, watching Hannah so I could get out and do a few things. I really appreciated having her here. Also, Daniel's sister and her husband and 18-month old came and visited on Saturday. It was very neat to see them! Ava is growing so fast! We have some cute pictures of her, so maybe when our picture-uploading capabilities are fixed I can post some.
Hannah went for her one-month appointment today. I can't believe it's been 4 weeks already!! She is now 6 lbs, 5 oz., and 19 1/8 inches long. So she's grown almost a half inch and has gained almost 1 1/2 pounds from her lowest weight measurement. She's still very petite, but doing well! Nights have been interesting. Either we have good nights where she is willing to go right back to sleep after eating, or we have terrible nights (like last night) where it's 3am and she isn't interested in going back to sleep at all. So last night I was up with her downstairs to keep her from waking Daniel up. Not fun. But, we're working on it. Thankfully we don't have that problem every night.
I also went for my post-partum check-up today. I only need to lose 6 more pounds to be at my pre-pregnancy weight. Woohoo! Although, my doctor was like, "You know, I'd like to see you down to 125 pounds." My response? "Umm......... I haven't been that weight since I was in the eighth grade!" HAH!!! Very funny. But, I guess it's something worth shooting for. I really think the only way I could lose more than about 10 pounds would be running--and I HATE running. But I'm seriously thinking about it. We'll see. I'll also be starting this special birth control for breast-feeding moms. It's called POPs. It's only got progestin in it, as opposed to normal hormonal birth control pills. I'm kind of bummed, though, because I was on the NuvaRing before, which was awesome (cuz I didn't have to remember to take a pill at the same time every day). You just pop it in one day, take it out three weeks later, and then pop a new one in the next week. Easy. I'm not so good at taking medicine, so we'll see how this goes. My doctor said that my ability to remember to take the pills will depend on how badly I don't want to get pregnant. :) True, I guess.
Anything else? In breastfeeding progress, Hannah can now latch onto the left side without the shield, which is great! She still fights with the right side, so that'll probably take a bit longer, but that's okay. She doesn't always cooperate with the left side, but at least I know that she's more than capable.
Alrighty, you guys take care. Hopefully I'll have pictures soon!
Okay, so Daniel's mom came up this past Saturday and stayed until Tuesday. She was such a huge help around the house--cooking, doing laundry, keeping things organized, watching Hannah so I could get out and do a few things. I really appreciated having her here. Also, Daniel's sister and her husband and 18-month old came and visited on Saturday. It was very neat to see them! Ava is growing so fast! We have some cute pictures of her, so maybe when our picture-uploading capabilities are fixed I can post some.
Hannah went for her one-month appointment today. I can't believe it's been 4 weeks already!! She is now 6 lbs, 5 oz., and 19 1/8 inches long. So she's grown almost a half inch and has gained almost 1 1/2 pounds from her lowest weight measurement. She's still very petite, but doing well! Nights have been interesting. Either we have good nights where she is willing to go right back to sleep after eating, or we have terrible nights (like last night) where it's 3am and she isn't interested in going back to sleep at all. So last night I was up with her downstairs to keep her from waking Daniel up. Not fun. But, we're working on it. Thankfully we don't have that problem every night.
I also went for my post-partum check-up today. I only need to lose 6 more pounds to be at my pre-pregnancy weight. Woohoo! Although, my doctor was like, "You know, I'd like to see you down to 125 pounds." My response? "Umm......... I haven't been that weight since I was in the eighth grade!" HAH!!! Very funny. But, I guess it's something worth shooting for. I really think the only way I could lose more than about 10 pounds would be running--and I HATE running. But I'm seriously thinking about it. We'll see. I'll also be starting this special birth control for breast-feeding moms. It's called POPs. It's only got progestin in it, as opposed to normal hormonal birth control pills. I'm kind of bummed, though, because I was on the NuvaRing before, which was awesome (cuz I didn't have to remember to take a pill at the same time every day). You just pop it in one day, take it out three weeks later, and then pop a new one in the next week. Easy. I'm not so good at taking medicine, so we'll see how this goes. My doctor said that my ability to remember to take the pills will depend on how badly I don't want to get pregnant. :) True, I guess.
Anything else? In breastfeeding progress, Hannah can now latch onto the left side without the shield, which is great! She still fights with the right side, so that'll probably take a bit longer, but that's okay. She doesn't always cooperate with the left side, but at least I know that she's more than capable.
Alrighty, you guys take care. Hopefully I'll have pictures soon!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Evenings with Hannah
Hannah's growing fast! We have her sleeping in her crib at nights now, which has actually made way for more sleep on her part and on our part! She is also a tummy sleeper. I don't care what everyone says about SIDS risk factors--if a baby likes sleeping on their stomach, they should be able to sleep on their stomach and not be forced to sleep in a way that's not comfortable for them. Because if they're miserable, so are mom and dad.
In the evenings, Daniel and I bathe her sometime between 9:30 and 10:30, depending on when she's going to eat. Then, when she's ready to eat, I'll nurse her and then put her to bed. Then I go to bed too! That'll give me around 2 hours of sleep before her first middle-of-the-night feeding. I usually feed her two or three times in the middle of the night--always around 2 and 4:30, and sometimes there's a feeding before 2. All depends on what time she goes to bed and how much she ate. So, we're making progress!
Having my mom around for the last few days has been absolutely awesome. She's really helped me get on somewhat of a routine with Hannah, especially at night, which has been huge. It's amazing how much Daniel and I don't know about being parents of a newborn (really, there's not much we know about parenting in general). So she's been able to show me a lot about soothing Hannah, how to keep her occupied and happy during the day, and some little adjustments we can make with her to keep her content. So, thanks mom for all of your help!!!!
Mom and I went outside with Hannah for a little while today and I got some cute pictures of my little girl--too bad I can't upload any to show you. :) When I can, I will. Sorry that I can't right now! I'll update again when I have more to talk about!
In the evenings, Daniel and I bathe her sometime between 9:30 and 10:30, depending on when she's going to eat. Then, when she's ready to eat, I'll nurse her and then put her to bed. Then I go to bed too! That'll give me around 2 hours of sleep before her first middle-of-the-night feeding. I usually feed her two or three times in the middle of the night--always around 2 and 4:30, and sometimes there's a feeding before 2. All depends on what time she goes to bed and how much she ate. So, we're making progress!
Having my mom around for the last few days has been absolutely awesome. She's really helped me get on somewhat of a routine with Hannah, especially at night, which has been huge. It's amazing how much Daniel and I don't know about being parents of a newborn (really, there's not much we know about parenting in general). So she's been able to show me a lot about soothing Hannah, how to keep her occupied and happy during the day, and some little adjustments we can make with her to keep her content. So, thanks mom for all of your help!!!!
Mom and I went outside with Hannah for a little while today and I got some cute pictures of my little girl--too bad I can't upload any to show you. :) When I can, I will. Sorry that I can't right now! I'll update again when I have more to talk about!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Hannah's Progress
We went to the doctor yesterday to have Hannah weighed, just to make sure she was gaining weight--she hadn't gained any weight since our hospital discharge at her one-week appointment. Well, in the last week, she gained 8 ounces, which is awesome!!! Our doctor told us that they like the babies to gain at a minimum an averageof 20 grams a day, and her average was 32 grams. Way to go, girl. Now, the consequence for that is that she eats ALL THE TIME. Last night, she ate every hour and 45 minutes. So mom didn't get much sleep last night, to say the least. Oh well.
In other news, my mom is visiting for a few days. She got here yesterday, and it's been great so far. She'll be here especially to help me out the first few days that Daniel goes back to work (starting Monday), so that should be huge.
Also, I'm not sure when I'll be able to post pictures for a little while. We somehow managed to break our CF card reader, so we can't get pics off the camera for now. Boo.
'Til next time!
In other news, my mom is visiting for a few days. She got here yesterday, and it's been great so far. She'll be here especially to help me out the first few days that Daniel goes back to work (starting Monday), so that should be huge.
Also, I'm not sure when I'll be able to post pictures for a little while. We somehow managed to break our CF card reader, so we can't get pics off the camera for now. Boo.
'Til next time!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Week Two
Well, here we are in week 2 of Hannah's life! Things are going well. Nights aren't too sleepless, and we've managed to find a system that allows at least one of us to get good sleep. Below is Hannah's favorite sleeping position. As long as she's in the boppy, she'll sleep anywhere--provided that she's well-fed. :)
And again, here's our little beauty sleeping:
Last Saturday, Daniel's mom and his two grandmothers came to visit! That was very neat, and I'm glad that his Grandmas got to come and meet Hannah (since I don't know when the next trip home is going to be). They only stayed for a few hours, but it was a good visit.
Here's Grandma Nee Nee:
And Grandma Garrett:
And we can't forget about little Gypsy! She has been so good since we brought Hannah home. I was expecting her to go nuts and be super territorial and mean, but she's done well. It's obvious that she gets lonely and misses all the attention that she used to get, but we're trying to spend more time with her. I guess this is good practice for when child number 2 comes around. :)
A common occurrence in the Garrett household can be seen below :) And understandably so!
We head back to the doctor on Friday to see if Hannah is gaining any weight. Let's hope she is!! Also, my mom is going to be coming up on Friday to stay until Monday or Tuesday. Daniel goes back to work on Monday, so I definitely would like to have my mom here for that first night/day to see how that goes. I guess that'll be the real test, because Daniel's going to need to get some good sleep and I'll be with Hannah all day long. I'll let you know if I lose my sanity :)
I'm trying to think if anything special happened this week.... Umm.... I went for my first work-out post-partum today, which was super nice. It was good to be moving around again. I look forward to more of that in the coming weeks! Okay, nap time!
And again, here's our little beauty sleeping:
Last Saturday, Daniel's mom and his two grandmothers came to visit! That was very neat, and I'm glad that his Grandmas got to come and meet Hannah (since I don't know when the next trip home is going to be). They only stayed for a few hours, but it was a good visit.
Here's Grandma Nee Nee:
And Grandma Garrett:
And we can't forget about little Gypsy! She has been so good since we brought Hannah home. I was expecting her to go nuts and be super territorial and mean, but she's done well. It's obvious that she gets lonely and misses all the attention that she used to get, but we're trying to spend more time with her. I guess this is good practice for when child number 2 comes around. :)
A common occurrence in the Garrett household can be seen below :) And understandably so!
We head back to the doctor on Friday to see if Hannah is gaining any weight. Let's hope she is!! Also, my mom is going to be coming up on Friday to stay until Monday or Tuesday. Daniel goes back to work on Monday, so I definitely would like to have my mom here for that first night/day to see how that goes. I guess that'll be the real test, because Daniel's going to need to get some good sleep and I'll be with Hannah all day long. I'll let you know if I lose my sanity :)
I'm trying to think if anything special happened this week.... Umm.... I went for my first work-out post-partum today, which was super nice. It was good to be moving around again. I look forward to more of that in the coming weeks! Okay, nap time!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
A Few Firsts
There's our little beauty! Well, we've had a few firsts in the last 2 days or so, and I thought I'd share them with you. The first was our first official trip out of the house since being home. I didn't have many shirts that were conducive to nursing without having to take the entire thing off, so we went to Old Navy to see what kinds of things they had to offer. I got to use my sling for the first time, and it is awesome!!! It's going to take some practice getting Hannah in and out of there on my own--right now I really need Daniel's help. But she is so happy in there... I guess because she's bundled in very tightly and it reminds her of being in the womb. And of course, while in the store, we got lots of Oooohs and Aaahs over our little cutie. I do admit, she is pretty attractive. :) So, here's the sling in action! (This was our practice run before leaving the house)
My small group was having a social night out last night, so Hannah and I ventured to Cheeseburger in Paradise for dinner while Daniel went and hung out with his small group guys at Buffalo Wild Wings. It was nice to get out and see everyone. I got to meet a friend of one of the girls in my small group named Kelly--she was really neat to talk to. Hannah also did well.... she slept in the carseat the entire time, so that was easy. Next, Daniel and I decided to give her a bath last night....... umm.... bad idea? She did NOT like that at all. I think it made her really cold. But Daniel did a great job with her. Once we dried her off and got her clothes back on, she was happy. I think it cost us our sleep for the night, though, because she was not at all interested in sleeping until about 7:00 this morning. You can see just how happy she was below :) Again, once she was dry and clothed, she was happy. The last picture is Daniel with her once she was back to normal and the traumatic experience was over.
I also have to mention that Hannah HATES getting her diaper changed (Daniel's in the middle of changing a poopy diaper).... I don't think it's the actual changing of the diaper that she doesn't like. I think it's the removal of her clothes that makes her cold that she hates. Because once you put her clothes back on and she feels that body heat again, she's happy as she was before. Because she's so small, we dress her in a onesie, with a sleeper over top of that, swaddled in a blanket, with a hat. We have to make sure that we keep her body temperature up. So I think when it's diaper time, she gets super cold--and who likes that anyway?We go to the doctor for our first visit tomorrow, and I'll let you all know how that goes. Hopefully she's gaining weight and staying healthy. I'll keep you posted!
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