Tuesday, February 25, 2014

12 Weeks

So once again I survived a full week back at home.  I'm still on the job hunt and am not having a ton of luck just yet.  It seems once you get through the full overview you are at the mercy of new listings or you are kind of stuck.  Right now I feel stuck!  It is a little bit of a blow to the ego not getting a ton of response from jobs that I've applied to, but as I remember from my last search it seems to come in waves.  I hope that is the case once again.

We are working on finding a groove here at home with baby and I think we're headed in the right direction.  He wakes almost every day between 6:00 - 7:00 and is up for the day, he eats, we play a little and I get myself ready as much as needed depending on what we are doing for the day and then by about 8:30 - 9:00 he's ready to nap and that is how our day goes, eat, play, nap...until about 8:30-9 PM we've been trying to put him down for the night in his crib.  I've been letting him cry a little bit and it seems to be working!!!  I'm hoping to cut out a few of the wake ups that he has just been wanting his nook back in his mouth, but at least he isn't needing to eat every wake up.

As he sleeps/naps he is still in his swaddle and cries if he is not.  I've been much more prone to nurse him rather than pump and bottle feed like I had been for the first 2 months because I know now that he is doing a much better job eating and I'm not worried that he isn't gaining weight.  He now wears 6 MONTH!  I laugh at my pregnant self as I was picking out clothing thinking...hmmm 6 months - that will be June!  Not so much!  I was excited to pull out all the 6M clothes we have a ton of cute outfits!

Last week Friday I took him to visit my Dr. at the fertility clinic we went to in order to conceive him.  My doctor was thrilled to get to meet him and he gave her big smiles.  I almost cried!!!  It was just one of those heart warming moments that brought back a flood of memories of everything we went through and survived!  We also went to visit Daddy at work and it was a little too much for one day because Richard was hungry and tired.  So after a bit we headed home.

Sunday brought what I believe was the end of a growth spurt.  He was fussy and wanting to eat every hour and a half.  Dick had to work so I had no breaks and no naps.  Richard and I spent part of the evening just crying together...but he finally wiped himself out enough to sleep the majority of the night much to my relief!

Time for me to head to bed because I'm sure I'll be back up in a few hours!  Here are a few pictures this week:

Julie

Monday, February 17, 2014

11 Weeks and Maternity Leave 2.0

What you say?  Maternity leave or more like unemployment.  As of this past Friday I am no longer employed.  Its a long tedious story that I don't have the time or energy to write about right now.  Long story short...its not you its us.  Thanks for keeping me through an unpaid maternity leave only to let me go after 3 weeks back.  Now that's classy.

In happier news we celebrated Dick's 33 birthday and Valentines Day as a new family should, take out and TV.

Haha...that is one tired baby.  Even happier times ahead when I realized this size 6M shirt finally fit him:
Saturday we spent at Grandma's house and we at least made it a few hours before he pooped through the outfit.  This week has been such a whirlwind of ups and downs, but I know that things will work out, they always do.  The good news is my babysitter is going to take him 1 day a week to hold our spot for when I do find employment and I get to spend more time with this adorable little boy!
Yes he is wearing baby leggings, affectionately known as his "leggies".   I will try to relish being a temporary SAHM in the meantime or maternity 2.0!

Julie

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

10 Weeks - Where are you Spring?

We've made it to 10 weeks!  I can't believe how quickly my baby is growing!  I updated his stats in the last post, but he is over 12 pounds and 24" long.  We've begun to adapt to our new work schedule.  I miss him during the day, but feel like the time I spend with him is much more quality time.  It is often a very short time he is awake because he has been falling asleep between 7-8 and since he isn't home until around 5 it doesn't seem like enough.

We spent the weekend alone since Daddy went off for a much needed "Man Weekend" and I snapped this photo when I brought him home Friday.
 
I decided I could finally see a little bit of myself looking back at me and I love it!  I also have to share a picture of him stretching and looking "SO BIG"!  He looks like such a little man.
As stated in my goals I am doing my best to enjoy each and every single day with him (good days and bad days).  We don't really have a lot of what can be considered bad days because he is a pretty content baby.
 
Another thing that I have been working on the past few weeks is losing some of that pregnancy weight.  I'm going to be honest that I gained 55+ pounds.  I was so afraid to do anything that might hurt the pregnancy that I stopped exercising very early on and while I don't regret that, I have a lot of work to do!  Right off the bat I lost 30 pounds in the first few weeks.  I thought...hey! no big deal this will just melt away, but that was not the case.  I just kind of got stuck there for a few weeks.  I've added in healthier eating and exercise and have dropped another 7 and have minimum 19 pounds more that I would like to lose to hit my goal in June.  I plan to do this through consistent cardio workouts and healthy eating/portion control.  I have to be careful since I am still nursing to not cut out too many calories so I will need to be very conscious of how I go about this.  I feel like there is such a fine line on where I place my focus right now.  I have to take time away with Richard to work out, but in the long run I want to be a healthy Mommy that can keep up with him.  It is a hard balance and being a working Mom.  I dream of the days of summer that he can come along with me in his stroller and I won't feel quite so guilty.  The good thing right now though is since he falls asleep an hour or so after he is home I can leave him with Daddy while he is taking a nap and hit the gym for 30 minutes which is about all I can handle right now anyways.
 
That is the update.  We are still experiencing below zero temperatures almost daily, but have forecasted a little bit of a 'warm up' 20-30's by the end of this week.  Can't come soon enough!
 
Julie

Monday, February 3, 2014

9 Weeks (2 Months!) AND Stats

Oh that little boy just makes me smile!!!  My baby sitter sent me this picture last week and it just cracks me up.  I survived the first week back to work and so did he.  It's odd, but it ended up being easier than expected and the time I do get with him is just so much more special. 

He is now smiling all the time and reacting to different things.  This morning he was talking to himself in his crib (he slept in late and we had to get moving) and I walked in and peered down at him and he gave me the biggest smile.  My heart just melted!

He is eating anywhere between 5.5 - 6.5 oz per feeding and up to 34+ oz per day!  I'm still keeping up breast feeding including nursing direct once in the morning at once at night and pumping throughout the day to have the 20oz I send along to the baby sitter.  I hope I can continue to keep up, but it is so stressful.  He has now also moved on to 3-6 month clothing.  What!?   See you later 0-3 its been real!  He also still LOVES his swing and being swaddled to sleep with his favorite clear pacifier.  It is like some magic sleeping combination.  I dread the day this no longer works.

He has his 2 month check up this afternoon.  I can't wait to get his updated stats!!!  I'm NOT looking forward though to the vaccinations.  Amazing how you can inject yourself literally 100's of times and be okay, but the thought of injections in my baby turns me into a mess.  Can't you just inject me instead???  Ugh...I'll survive.  I will try and update this post later this week with all his stats!

UPDATE - Appointment went well!  He is 24" and 12 Pounds 6 ounces.  89% for height and 60% for weight.

Julie

The Chickee La La's

It took us years of discussion to finally pull the trigger on being "Chicken People".  Let me tell you why, our dog Lady has Cock...