Just Us Girls

Uncle Will

We finally found a sling so that Uncle Will can hold his sweet little niece. This past Monday, they came down to the house and we used it for the first time. It worked out so great! Here are some pictures of Baby K and Uncle Wilbur....

Mommy & Daddy's Date Night

We did it. We left Baby K for the first time last Friday night. It wasn't for very long, but it was a nice break and fun to just be with Brad. My dad and brother watched her while we went to dinner at Chili's and got ice cream at Coldstone - so very fun! We were able to catch up and talk about parenthood and all of the experiences we have had in these last few weeks. Baby K slept the vast majority of the time she was there - I think Papa fed her a bottle about 10 minutes before we got back, so it worked out perfectly! We definitely missed our sweet pea, but really enjoyed getting out for a date night. And, as usual, here is a picture of us before we headed to dinner!

Daddy Can Help...Yay!!!

Another first from last week...Baby K will drink from a bottle! I am beginning to get the hang of pumping, so that means Brad can help feed the little girl (which makes me oh so happy)! Now I need to figure out how I can go to bed early and he can feed her without me having to wake up and pump...maybe that will work itself out when she gets a little bit older. Anyway, I am enjoying the fact that we can take a bottle with us if we are going to be out and that Brad can help...here are some pictures (of course)!! This picture was taken after Brad had been laying down, so that explains his crazy hair! :)

Our First Walk

I have been getting really stir-crazy being in the house so much, so last week I decided I was feeling good enough to venture out on our first walk! Brad was in charge of walking Sadie and I had stroller duties - and it was fantastic! Baby K absolutely loves the stroller and movement - she was asleep within seconds (literally)! Needless to say, I plan on getting into a routine of a good walk every day (as long as it isn't too hot) for some fresh air, exercise, and a good baby nap! Here is a picture of us ready to head out...

Grandma Cee Cee's Special Gift

We have actually had the gift for a few weeks but I am just now getting to post about it. My mom (we have temporarily decided her "grandma name" will be Cee Cee since her name starts with a "c") spent many hours knitting the most special blanket. I picked out the colors and she did all of the hard work and it turned out to be BEAUTIFUL!!! I know Baby K will really enjoy it once she gets a little bit older. For now, it is being kept in her crib so Sadie doesn't get any ideas and think it is one of her toys. So, here it is...the specially knitted, just for Baby K, blanket!! (*in this picture, it is draped over the arm of the glider, just to offer some perspective)

Goofy Gal

I was looking through some other pictures of Baby K tonight and had forgotten that I took this one. Such a gem...I think she is going to be a goofball just like the rest of her family :)

Special Gift

I wanted to do a post about a special gift that a coworker of mine gave us. I know she worked long and hard on it and it is just amazing. She had her own business making and selling these before she moved here - I think she should start it back up! This Moses Basket is perfect - we use it in the living room when Baby K falls asleep - and it will be great for travel or for going to grandma's! Here are a few pictures of the basket (please pay attention to the great detail) and of Baby K snoozing in there. What a special gift ... and we are so thankful.

Just A Few From This Past Week!

It is amazing how the little girl grows and changes on a daily basis. Here are a few pictures from the past week. I have not been taking as many pictures because all of our days pretty much consist of getting out of bed around noon, feeding the baby every 2.5 hours or so, a shower, me & Brad eating occasionally, and lots of TV watching. We have left the house for doctors appointments and to visit both grandmas, as well as stopping to pick up fast food maybe twice. So...nothing too exciting here these days. Like I have said before, we are just taking it an hour at a time. Today, my goal was to figure out how to use the breast pump - and it was successful! This week we are going to see if Baby K will take a bottle so that Brad can help with at least one feeding per day (or night). Hopefully that will work out and it will allow me to have some extra sleep...and allow us to leave her with a grandparent to go to dinner or something! Over the last couple of days Baby K has gotten some baby acne. I know it is normal, but it looks rather uncomfy! Hopefully it will go away soon. Anyways, here are a few pictures from this past week!

She tried the big girl swing for the first time this week...and she loved it!! She wouldn't look at the camera - there must have been something very interesting on her right side!

Hanging out in the cradle!

Snuggling with mommy on the couch (she loves the hands up by her face)

I think this one is hilarious...I took this one this evening and her expression is so funny!

Another one from tonight - I don't think she likes the flash on my camera!

Whatever It Takes...

Well, we have found that Baby K does indeed like the sucking sensation to soothe her. As a result, we have resorted to using a paci when she has clearly eaten and is acting hungry (but is really just exhausted) - whatever it takes to calm her down and keep her quiet (and sleeping when possible). She typically falls asleep within the minute when we give it to her. If we are not able to get it to her in time, sometimes she finds her thumb! Here are a few pictures of her with the paci and sucking her thumb. When she has her paci, she usually puts her hand in front of to make sure it doesn't go anywhere (which I find rather adorable)! Enjoy!

She Did It!!

We just got home from Baby K's 2-week appointment and she did it!....she is above her birth weight now! That is music to my ears because that means I can let her go a little longer between feedings at night. That means more sleep for momma (even if it is only an hour or so)!! The weights thus far:

At birth: 7 lbs 1.5 oz
4 days old (left hospital): 6 lbs 5.75 oz
1 week appt: 6 lbs 11 oz
2 week appt: 7 lbs 4 oz (YAY!)

She also measured 20.75 in today - she grew half an inch since last week! She is still little, but she is growing, so I am a happy mom! I will try to post some more pictures sometime soon...I haven't taken quite as many pictures because I have been trying to sleep/relax when I can! It is a bit frustrating that Brad can't help feed her, but hopefully I will get used to it. Seems like that is all I do! The pediatrician suggested feeding every 2.5 to 3 hrs during the day so she will sleep longer at night...that means I will virtually be feeding her all day (and hopefully I can fit in a potty break for myself)...sheesh. I am reminding myself to enjoy all of the little things because time flies...she is so sweet (even when she cries) and we love her so much!

My First Mother's Day

What an amazing feeling - I got to celebrate my first Mother's Day this past weekend. I just barely squeaked it in - Baby K was only 11 days old! We had a rough night Saturday night because her tummy was hurting (thank goodness for Mylicon drops!)...she slept on Brad's chest on the couch til 6am and then came into the bedroom for a feeding and some more sleep. We got up late morning and I gave her a bath. It was then time for me to shower - when I got out, both Brad and Baby K were in there with a bag and a card. The card was so sweet and then the gift - a diamond band for my right hand!!! Brad joked that I just had to have her in April - diamonds are April's birthstone. It has filigree on the sides, so it also matches my engagement ring. He also commented that it can be stackable for any future kiddos and their birthstones (man, he really put a lot of thought into it!). Absolutely amazing and so very special!!


My mom, grandmother, and brother came down for a visit and brought us lunch also (the lunch was actually my Mother's Day present from my brother). It was so nice to relax and get to visit. Here is a picture of the 4 generations...so neat!



I, of course, also had to have a couple of pictures of me with Baby K - after all, she is what allowed me to be able to celebrate Mother's Day! In the second picture, she is wearing a monkey outfit that she wore at the hospital. I can hardly believe that she is filling it out all the way and seems to be about to outgrow it!

I am so lucky to have a great husband, a precious daughter, and so many supportive and loving friends and family. I appreciate all of the Mother's Day greetings and cards that I received - it really meant a lot to me!

I go to the doctor Thursday for a check up and then Baby K goes on Friday for her 2 week check up. Hopefully she will be back up to her birth weight - she is definitely eating regularly, so hopefully that is doing the trick! Will update later this week with how the appointments go!!

Our Little Sweet Pea

Love the sleeping pictures...she looks so peaceful (and it means I can get some rest too - added bonus!)

Almost a smile...she looks so happy!

Look at those feet!!!

A Couple of Things I Love

1) When I go to swaddle Baby K, she gets a look of sheer bliss on her face...close to a smile, but not quite (I swear she does smile occasionally, but I am sure it is because she is passing gas or going tinkle - regardless, it is adorable). It is a look of relief and comfort - and I absolutely adore it.

2) When I change Baby K's diaper, she kicks her legs like a little tadpole. While it makes it a bit more difficult to change her diaper, I think it is so cute and funny.

First Few Days at Home

A Little Update

Well I am excited to report that I can wear my wedding rings again! Hooray! The last time I wore them was Easter Sunday...I guess about a month ago. It feels nice to be able to wear them. Also, my swelling, especially in my feet, is pretty much gone! In total, I have lost 23 lbs and that number increases daily (definitely not complaining about that) - that is less work that I have to do on the back end! :) I go to the doctor next Thursday and hopefully my blood pressure is back to normal.

Today was Baby K's first pediatrician appointment. In the doctor's words, "she is just perfect!" (of course, I thought that all along, but it is nice to hear her health is right on track). She weighs 6 lbs 11 oz and is 20 1/4 in in length. We go back to the doctor next Friday and hopefully she will be back at her birth weight.

Things are going pretty smoothly - she is eating well and sleeping like a baby! I feel lucky that I am able to get 7 or 8 hrs of sleep a night, even though they are not in a row. Brad is at home with us for 3 weeks on paternity leave, so that is making this transition much easier. He is definitely being "Super Daddy" and letting me take naps, fixing meals, doing laundry...what a great hubby and daddy!

I am going to try to upload some pictures soon, so be looking for those in the next day or two. :) Hard to believe this sweet baby of ours is already 8 days old.

Some of My Favorites...

Baby K's Arrival

Well, I am finally on here and decided to tell the story of Baby K's arrival! As mentioned in a previous post, we arrived at the hospital Tuesday night, April 28. I was started on Pitocin around 7:45 pm - let the labor begin! I certainly did not feel the contractions very much early on. They also gave me 2 Ambiens so I could get some sleep that night. I think I had some good quality sleep for probably 4-ish hours. I woke up when my nurse came in to check me and I was having some pretty strong contractions. Needless to say, I didn't go back to sleep. I continued with the contractions and was clinging to the side of my hospital bed - it was definitely time for an epidural. I got the epidural around 5:45 am and felt so much better after that. I could tell on the screen that my contractions were becoming more regular and I could still feel some pressure, but they were nowhere near the pain I had experienced earlier in the morning. At around 8:30, both my mom and Brad's mom arrived - it was all becoming more and more real (as if the pain hadn't made it more real...ha). My nurse would come in to check me about every hour and I slowly made some progress. They did have do an internal monitor to get a better feel for my contractions and the baby's heartrate. I continued to progress to about 6-7 cm and the baby was at -1 station. At that point, it was pretty clear that the baby was just not going to be able to come out that way. My nurse called my doctor and they said it was very likely, as in 95% chance, that I would need to have a c-section, so I told them to go ahead. They indicated that there was no need to put the baby through more stress and my body through more stress if it were that unlikely to happen that way. At this point, things become slightly blurry to me - I was anxious, scared, excited, and on drugs :) I do know that less than an hour after they told me this, I was holding my sweet daughter. I am thinking it was probably about 10 minutes after they suggested a c-section that I was wheeled into the OR. The moms were moved to the room where I would recover and Brad was in the OR with me. I remember them saying they were starting the surgery and then minutes later hearing "OK, we are about to pull her out! Dad, you want to see?" And then I heard the sweetest sound in the world...the cry of my little girl. The first word they used to describe her was "feisty"...that's about right if she's anything like her momma! They showed her to me and took her over to be cleaned up. A minute or two later, I was holding this baby that had been in my belly for almost 10 months - words cannot express what was going through my mind at this point. After I held her for a little bit and the doctor's finished sewing/stapling me up, they took her and weighed her and measured her. After we did some pictures and everyone was finished, they wheeled me into my recovery room. I know both the moms had just sat down in that room and saw the gurney coming in but did not expect it to be me at all. Then they did a double take and saw it was me on there holding my baby girl - wow. Brad accompanied Baby K to the nursery to get her first bath and get checked out and then he came back to my room. After about 2 hours or so, I was taken to the room I would be in the rest of my hospital stay. I know I had lots of well-wishers and visitors that day, but I was extremely groggy - it is definitely all a blur. The main thing I remember is that it was, by far, the best day of my life. She is the cutest, sweetest little thing and I love her so much. I know everyone says you don't realize how much you can love someone until you have your own child, and now I realize that that is so true. I love my family and I love Brad, but my love for this little girl is just immeasurable.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Home Sweet Home

This post will have to do - I am so tired and every time I have tried to get on here to post about Baby K's entrance into the world with pictures, she falls asleep on me or it is time for a feeding! Needless to say, this post will have to do :) This picture was of us leaving the hospital this morning - I absolutely love it! Stay tuned for more ... hopefully tomorrow!!

Baby K

Baby K was born Wednesday, April 29 at 12:48 pm weighing 7 lbs, 1.5 oz and 19 3/4 inches long. She is the most amazing gift from God and we love her so much!

We are going home on Sunday - I should be able to post some pictures and the basic birth story sometime over the weekend.

Thanks for all the prayers and love....we can't wait to show you the newest addition to our family!