In honor of Maddie

Yesterday a friend shared the story of Maddie  (click here to read).  A 4 month old baby girl who passed away recently without warning.  It broke my heart.  I can't imagine the pain her parents must be going through.  I read Maddie's mommy's blog and cried my eyes out.  Her mom asked that today, in honor Maddie being laid to rest, we dress our baby girls in the biggest bows they have.  It's the least we could do.  So here is P in one of her biggest bows, showing support.

Oh, and here I am crying writing this and I look down at my baby girl next to me and she has pulled her bib up over her face and is still playing like it's not even there...always cheering me up!

(almost) 4 Months

P had her four month checkup today.  4 days early but whatever.  It went really well.  She had grown so much.  She is...

14.8lbs

(75%)

24 1/2in

(65%)

16 1/4in Head Circumference

(65%)

Little nugget isn't so little anymore!!  I talked to Dr. Natalie about her sleeping and how she wakes up a lot.  I try not to nurse her every time she wakes up but sometimes I am so tired I just give up and give her a boob so she will SLEEP.  Dr. Natalie said we need to fix her sleep problems now because it's a lot easier now then when she is a year old.  She told me that she should be waking up ONCE a night to eat.  All other times I need to NOT feed her (unless of course she is giving signs that she is TRULY hungry).  She said I could even give her water in a bottle if I needed to but to just not nurse her to sleep.  She said she's just using me as a pacifier basically.  I'm not sure if I agree that that is a bad thing.  I've read a lot about how babies need to suckle and what not to help increase your milk supply and a few other reasons.  But I do agree that she is old enough and big enough to be sleeping more than 3 hours at a time so I guess I will give this a try.  She said since I am breastfeeding I can hold off on any solids until 6 months.  I am glad that I have a pediatrician that is on the same page with me as far as that goes.  It is important to me to exclusively breastfeed until 6 months.  I want her to have the best start possible.  Breast is best! :)  Dr. Natalie did say though if she starts acting like she just isn't getting enough food or is hungry all the time that I can give her cereal before bed.  Hopefully I won't have to do that.

While she was checking P over she had her on her belly and she said "oh boy, you've got yourself a strong willed kid here" hahaha.  Even she could tell what a firecracker P is!  I wonder where she gets that from (you can ask my grandpa, he will give you a big ol' smile and tell you from her mama!)

I asked about her nasty neck folds because they get irritated from being all fat and stuck together.  She said to use some anti-fungal cream used for athletes foot.  Yum.  The only other thing was she asked which way we hold P because she doesnt spontaneously turn her head to the  left because we always hold her in our left arm and she likes looking to the right.  So I guess we need to be more aware of that. 

P has rolled over once but she was on the bed so I guess that doesn't count as a true roll.  I was a little concerned she hadn't "really" rolled over yet but Dr. Natalie said it was just fine and it's more of a 4-6 month thing.  That made me feel better.  She's SO close so I'm sure it will be any day.  While I was changing her diaper I stepped away from the table that P was on (Dustin was standing right next to it) and P started wiggling and the PA acted like she was going to fall off the table.  I sort of felt like a dumb ass but Dustin was standing next to the table so I don't know why that lady acted like she had to rush over there because I walked away.  I think Dustin is perfectly capable of making sure P doesn't roll off.  Dr. Natalie said never to leave her unattended now because she has received 100's of calls where people said "I walked away for just a second and I heard a THUD" haha.  Oops!  I hope my kid never falls off anything.  I feel like I should get her a helmet and knee pads just in case.  :)

I gave P a little tylenol before her appointment.  I was unsure if I should give it last time because I have read articles about how giving tylenol makes the vaccines less effective but Dr. Natalie said it was fine to give and after her shots last time she was running a fever anyway so I decided to just go ahead and give it so maybe it wouldn't be as painful.  I don't know how much of the medicine she actually took because she kept spitting it out as I was giving it.  I told you she's crazy.  The shots were so sad as usual.  I could barely watch.  I'm glad Dustin went this time and could hold her little hand and be strong for her.  I do not like seeing my little baby in pain, even if it is for her own good.  She fell asleep on the way home and I left her in her carseat.  She's sitting here next to me wiggling around.  I think she will be waking up soon to eat so I  better go.  Scratch that, she's pooping!

Oh, and a BIG CONGRATS to our friends Matt and Elexis who found out they are going to be having a bouncing baby BOY come July! :)

Pictures...

Nothing to say, look at the cute baby.

Can't believe my baby is 16 weeks old.



Happy Valentine's Day...late.

These are the Valentine's P sent!

I wish I could say "Ohhh I've been so busy" but really I've just been so lazy. ha ha.  P has not been sleeping well again and all I want to do is just sit here and stare at the tv during the day.  I wish I could nap but I have such a hard time napping when she is sleeping.  I'm always listening for her to wake  up.  Last night she had a somewhat better night and slept 4.5 hours.  She was making all these noises when I put her in her bassinet (yes back to the bassinet because I was really tired of running back and forth 5 times a night to her room...again, lazy).  Anyway she was making all these noises and making me laugh and then randomly she just stopped.  I looked at her and she was passed out asleep!  It was too funny. 

Yesterday was an exciting day!  My friend Chelsea FINALLY, after 40 long hours of labor (thankfully with an epidural!), that ended up in a c section, gave birth to a beautiful and giant baby boy.  Brady Gabriel.  9lbs 10oz 21 inches long!  A big man baby!  He is adorable and I think he looks a lot like Chelsea.  Although, I see a lot of her hubby in him too.  I am so happy for her and so excited for her to join on me on this crazy rode we call motherhood. 

Yesterday was also exciting because my little nugget ROLLED OVER!!!  I thought for sure that she would go back to front first but instead she just randomly rolled from front to back last night.  She made it look so easy like she didn't even have to try.  Big girl!!!  I was reading the book we received from her pediatrician and looking at every milestone she should have hit by 4 months and that was the only one that she hadn't done yet, so I'm so excited.  Although I know those books are only a guide and each baby will do things on their own time...like sleep through the night. The book says that 4 month old babies "MAY" sleep through the night.  I guess P doesn't feel like doing that yet. 

Everything is good here.  Not much to report.  Days are all the same, and going by way too fast.  I can't believe she's so big already!!

Here's something enertaining...seriously...you need to read this.  In fact, take notes.

BREAKTHROUGH!

P was up ONE time last night.  Once!  That's it!  For the past two weeks she has been up every 1.5 hours or so, so this was amazing to me.  I took the advice from a friend in my mom group and tried letting her sleep in her crib.  Since she naps really well in there and when I first put her to bed at 7:30pm she sleeps for at least 4 hours. So last night she went to sleep (on her own, which she has been doing without fussing much if at all) at about 8pm and slept till 2:30am.  The longest stretch she has ever slept!  Then I got up and nursed her and put her back in her crib.  I went downstairs to pump and when I went back upstairs to check on her she was asleep.  She slept until 7am!  I don't expect this to happen every night because I know she likes to be a stubborn little turd but I'm hoping for a miracle that it will happen again!  Bed time is in an hour.  We will see!

She is changing so much every day.  She does new things and is always exploring her world, looking around and now shoving whatever she touches in her mouth.  She loves anything soft and will suck on it.  Blankets, burp rags, stuffed animals, my shirt...You name it.  She'll eat it.  She is so close to rolling over and I catch myself holding my breath watching her when she gets rolling around.  It will be soon I am sure.  She is also so close to laughing.  The other day she did a little laugh but I won't count it because it was just one time.  It was so cute and it made me tear up a little.  I can only imagine what I'll be like when she laughs a big ol' huge belly laugh.

Her 4 month appointment is coming up next week and I am so sad that she has to have shots again.  Last time I think it hurt my heart more than it hurt her to see her so upset.  Poor baby.  I wonder how much she has grown.  She seems so big to me these days.  I'm sure Dr. Natalie will say it is okay to start cereal but I have decided I don't want to.  I have done a lot of research and reading and talking to people and think it is best to wait till 6 months to start any type of food.  I hope that both of us can wait that long to start.  Rice cereal is just a filler and really has no nutritional value so I don't see a reason to just fill her up.  I am sure Dr. Natalie will be fine with me doing that.  I can't wait to start making her baby food but I don't want to start too soon.  Breast milk is best and I am so glad that I am able to provide everything she needs!

I might be biased but I think she is the cutest little lady ever.  She's probably sick of me taking pictures of her and Dustin has started calling me paparazzi because I am always in her face with the camera.  She's such a  ham.  I usually take at least a few pictures of her a day.  My poor computer is about to blow up with all these pictures!

Oh and we are totally getting ready for summer.  I bought her new sunglasses  and a sun hat (still a little big).  Can't wait to be outside with her!

Her hair is so ridiculous.  She's so bald up front but then she has like 4 random hairs that are growing long...ha ha ha She looks like Homer Simpson

Oh boy...

I jinxed myself yet again.  I talked about how great P was doing in her bassinet and how she was sleeping longer.  Well scratch that because the last four nights have been brutal.  She has been awake every 1.5-2 hours.  I am exhausted!  I don't really know what to do with her.  I've tried it all. 

I've also been worried about my milk supply and that has stressed me out.  I finally decided to just call the lactation department at the hospital and they are always so helpful and nice.  They made me feel a lot better and said I am totally fine.  Now if I could only get that into my head I'd be great.  P is doing fine and growing and eating and having PLENTY of wet and dirty diapers.  I guess I just got used to the engorged feeling and now that I've finally leveled out it's a little scary.  But they told me my body is doing what it is supposed to do.  It was just a little scary that she started sleeping bad when I started worrying about my milk.  I worry a lot.

Anyway, today I think P and I will take a trip to the mall to try to find daddy a birthday present!  We will see how that goes.  I am crazy.

Here is a picture of my adorable little night owl in an outfit from Grandpa and Cindy!  She's ready to shop!  Orrr...scream the whole time at the mall. HAHA



Blizzzzzard!

I hate snow.  I can't wait to move somewhere where it does NOT snow.  I hear California calling my name again.  Anyway, we had a blizzard here the other day.  I'm sure everyone heard since it was all that was on the news for days.  I thought our house was going to blow over!  We had 70 mph wind gusts.  Our lights flickered a few times and I was just praying they wouldn't go out.  Thank goodness they didn't.  By like 10pm at night the dogs could no longer go in the backyard because of the snow drifts.  By morning the drifts were up to our windows.  Our whole backyard is waist deep snow.  Ew.  Ari refuses to go out.  We literally have to throw him out of the door.  Again, I hate snow.  So over it.

 The boys hate the snow but I had them all ready to brave the cold and wind

Saturday I went to this cloth diaper store here in town.  I really had only went to get some the reusable swim diapers that I  had posted previously but I got to talking to the lady there and decided to try out some cloth diapers.  It hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be to use them and clean them.  I actually don't mind it at all.  So we are cloth diapering part time for now.  I don't use them when she napping or when we go out but when we are home she is usually in them.  If the snow ever goes away I'm going to go back and get a few more diapers.  Here is P in her new diaper!

The only thing I don't really like is how bulky they are but I purchased a few different kinds from a girl in my mom group who ended up with too many and hasn't used them that aren't as bulky so we will see.  I didn't realize how much waste disposable diapering produces.  Well I guess I did know but I never really thought about it.  I also didn't realize it takes 500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose.  That's so long!

P is such a sweet baby.  She was 14 weeks old yesterday.  I forgot how many weeks she was and had to count!  I can't believe it has been that long!  She is always smiling and trying to laugh.  When she gets excited she opens her mouth really wide like she is laughing but nothing comes out.  It cracks me up.  She is growing like a weed and just this week I have started putting her in her 3-6 month clothes.  She still fits most of her 0-3 month but She has a TON of 3-6 so I want her to get some use out of all of them.  She has started sleeping in her bassinet at night and we are both sleeping better it seems like.  I guess we were both ready for the move.  Every night after her bath and cuddle time I put her to sleep in her crib to get her used to it.  We have been doing that for about a month.  She now sleeps about 3 hours at a time in there.  During naps I usually put her in her crib as well but sometimes I just stick her in her pack and play if I'm going to be doing quiet things.  She LOVES her new ipod player and she listens to Bob Marley and Jack Johnson to fall asleep.  I made her a great little playlist and I swear she sleeps better when it is playing verses her sound machine.

Other than that, not much going on.  Just getting ready for our Superbowl party on Sunday!  Can't wait for P to rock her new Steelers outfit.  I even made a bow to match.