Happy Valentine's Day!

This morning I enjoyed breakfast while watching my favorite show:

Does anyone else out there have to decide between sleep or alone time?  I'm pretty sure that's a choice all mothers have to make daily.  I'm glad I'm getting to the point, rest wise, where I can swing it.  I'm definitely more tired by the end of the day when I don't take advantage of that last sleep session; but I just hate getting out of bed with half the day already over...

Ayden was AMAZING this morning.  He hung out in his swing while I took a shower:

Then he hung out some more in his Rock and Play Sleeper while I fixed my hair and makeup.  

I can see why a lot of new mom's don't bother getting ready everyday.  Today was the first day that it didn't take me two hours...  I usually have to stop to calm or feed him but today he was a rockstar.  So content to just hang out.  I was playing music and singing to him, he seemed to enjoy it :).  

I can't bring myself to not get ready every day and there are a few reasons why:

1. I have very fine hair that dries and gets brittle if I wash it too often so I only wash it every other day.  I also have hair that is frizzy and poofy if I don't blow dry/straighten it.  This being said, I like to fix it because then I can have manageable hair that looks somewhat decent on the second day.
2. It makes me feel good.  I always just feel blah when I don't put forth the effort.  Call me vein...
3. Though my husband tells me everyday that he thinks I'm beautiful, with or without makeup, I really think it's important to put forth effort to be sexy and attractive for your spouse.  Even after 12 years together, he can't keep his hands off of me (especially right now since we are still in the 6 week postpartum wait and I'm "off limits").  This is partially due to the fact that I make a point to stay sexy and attractive for him.  Just because I'm a mom now doesn't change the fact that I'm still his wife (this also includes physical fitness.  I can't wait to start working out again!).

Today we just hung around the house with plans to finish the laundry and tackle some smaller to do's. 

Ayden's grandma (David's mom) brought him his first Valentine's Day present on her lunch break...

So cute :)

...and we spent a LOT of time doing this:

Notice the laundry waiting in the background...

My midwife told me at our appointment last night to expect more nursing around every 3 week mark (3, 6, 9, 12 weeks, etc.) because that's when they are usually gearing up for growth spurts.  He just hit 3 weeks on Saturday and he seemed to want to nurse every hour or so today.  I've always loved reading so I've taken to reading my books to him while he's nursing.  It's so beneficial to read to children and it's never too early to start!  It can be anything from magazines and your own novels to, of course, children's books.  The sky's the limit :).  It's nice that I haven't had to give up one of my favorite pass times.

We took a nap about an hour before David got home so we could gear up for our evening of Valentine activities:

When David got home, Ayden took another nap in the Moby while we walked the dog together and then we got started on dinner.  As soon as we lit the candles in our dining room and sat down to eat, Ayden had a gas attack and was screaming and crying.  David came to the rescue and calmed him.  He is SUCH a good dad.  We finally gave him a half dose of his Colic Calm and he felt better for the rest of the night.  

This year's Valentine's Day was VERY different from those in our past but you've got to work with what you've got ;).  I have to say I am a very lucky lady to have had TWO Valentines this year :).  

<3 My boys <3

~Sarah

Growin' Boy!!

Ayden usually goes to sleep for the night between 9:30 and 10:00 and sleeps in 3 hour increments.  I call each 3 hour stretch a "sleep session."  Naturally, I try to sleep when he does all night and we usually end up having 4 sleep sessions total (though my sleep sessions end up being more like 2 hours because I tend to hold him for a little bit when he falls back to sleep and I also wake up once or twice to check on him).  This morning when I put him back in his bed for his last sleep session I decided to get up and get ready for the day while he slept.  It was a hard decision at the time.  I was so tired and I knew that I needed rest, but I also knew that when I try to get ready while he's awake, it takes me twice as long.  

This is what I found when I was done getting ready :)

He was in such a great mood all day!  It was amazing :).  He napped in the Moby and Ergo while I cleaned the house and got caught up on some laundry (wearing both gives my tired back a break since each carrier tires different muscles).

He even spent awake/content time in his pack 'n play and bouncy seat while I vacuumed, which would have never been an option this time last week...

Chillin' in the Pack 'n Play

We even successfully ventured out to go to the pet store for some dog food and stopped by the grocery for a few items that the store we visited yesterday didn't have. He slept the whole time :). Like I said... Amazing!

This evening we also had our 3rd postpartum midwife appointment where Ayden weighed in at 8lbs 2oz!  He's a little over a pound past his birthweight now!  What can I say?  He is thriving on his mama's groceries :).  

He's in there somewhere!

It's supposed to snow tonight so we'll probably hang around the house tomorrow and work on some more "To Do's."  Fun, fun!! :)

~Sarah

Family Nap Time

We had a great Sunday!  The weekends go by too fast.  Ayden had a good day and I was glad.  I like for David to get to enjoy his happy moods too.  

Diaper changes are his favorite :).  Guaranteed good mood!

Since David has become more involved with the cooking, we've been meal planning and grocery shopping together.  Last week we did the meal planning on Sunday but ran out of time to actually go to the grocery so we had to do it Monday night.  It worked out okay but in our sleep deprived state, it's not fun for David to work the full day then come home and have to go back out to the grocery.  When we finally finished putting everything away then made and ate dinner, we declared that from then on we'd meal plan on Saturdays and go to the grocery first thing on Sundays.  Though we didn't get out of the house to go to the grocery until around 2 or so today (not exactly first thing...) we did manage to go early enough to have time when we got home to do some meal prepping for the week.  But just because we got home in time doesn't mean we had the energy to do so.  We came home, put the cold stuff in the fridge, then the three of us sacked out on the couch for the next couple of hours.  Baby steps I suppose :).  

Ayden isn't always ready to wake from naps when we are :)

We woke up from our nap around 6:30, made the quickest dinner on our meal plan (talapia with dijon and almonds and a side of green beans), then the three of us returned to the couch for an episode of Heros on Netflix.  It was a wonderful weekend and we are happily falling into our new life as a family of three. 

~Sarah 

Date Night!

Our baby boy is 3 weeks old today!!

He is starting to come to life a little more each day.  He still isn't socially smiling at us but his face definitely lights up when we talk to him and kiss on him.  He's such a cutie!  Today was another fussy day.  Two steps forward and one step back maybe?  As long as we're still moving in the right direction, even if it is slowly but surely.  

David had something he needed to do at his parent's house today so we headed there planning on only staying an hour or two.  Like I mentioned before, today was a pretty fussy day and Ayden woke up a little more often than usual last night so we were both tired and a little overwhelmed.  We had given him a dose of his Colic Calm before we left the house and the relief of it (combined with the car ride) put him right to sleep and he stayed that way for almost three hours!  We took advantage of the loving hands to hold our sleepy baby and took a short dip in their hot tub and had some much needed alone time.  It was so relaxing to soak in the hot tub.  We talked and smooched and it was wonderful :).  When we got out I changed and fed Ayden and he fell right back to sleep and slept for another couple of hours.  During this time I took a 20 minute nap and David's parents ordered some take out. I had a ribeye (my favorite cut of steak).  It was the first time I've eaten a steak cooked to medium since before I was pregnant.  It was mouth watering!!  We ended up staying for 4 or 5 hours.  After all was said and done, David looked at me and said, "We kind of had a date night."  You have to take what you can get ;).

David and I have been dappling in photography a little bit.  We would ultimately love to own a business together where we both worked from home and made our own hours.  We are kind of hoping photography might be that job someday.  We've done a couple of photo shoots for friends and family and were eager to take photos of our own son once he got here.  Here is a sneak peak at the finished product of Aydens newborn shoot:

Ayden - 1 week old

It was a little stressful being the photographers, parents and subjects all at the same time but we managed to get some great shots (if we do say so ourselves.)  As soon as he was born I had this uncontrollable desire to stop time and preserve him just as he was... my tiny little snuggly newborn.  That being said,  it was so important to me to capture all of the details of him as a newborn during his photo shoot.  I hope someday when we look back on these pictures that we are temporarily transported back to this time of all of the little newborn sounds, peach fuzz, facial expressions and even cries.  This time is so special and I want to savor it always.

~Sarah

Back To Work

Here's something you may not know about me... My family owns a dance studio.  I started dancing when I was 2 years old and it has been a part of my life ever since.  When I graduated from high school, I continued to dance for a couple of years after and was part of The University of Kentucky's Pom Squad. Other than that, the only thing I've done with my dance training is teach at my mom's studio (my sisters both went on to NYC to dance on Broadway and with the Rockettes!).  Even when I was working more than full time as a school teacher, I just couldn't picture my life without the studio in it somehow; so I always taught at least a little.  This year I teach for just two and a half hours on Fridays.  It helps contribute a little bit of additional income as well as getting me out of the house.

I taught all the way up until the Friday before my due date and I have to admit I was nervous about going back, especially with how fussy Ayden can be.  I'm not back full force because I am still healing, but I did go in for an hour and a half today and he did great!  I wore him in the Moby and he slept the whole time. I think he liked hearing all of the familiar music and sounds.

 I will have to find another way to keep him happy once I'm back full force since the Moby doesn't come with shock absorbers and he would definitely get jostled once I'm back to tapping, turning and leaping with my students.

As for Ayden's fussiness, today was even better than yesterday!!  He got fussy every now and then but it was the normal newborn fussiness that can be cured with changing, feeding or cuddling.  Here he is chillin' in his bouncy seat at 7:00 while we made dinner.  

Still goin' strong!

It really makes a huge difference for your baby to be in a good mood. I don't want to jinx us or anything but think that all of the troubleshooting my midwife did with me is working!

Do any of you have an old hobby/sport that you can't seem to get away from?

~Sarah

Troubleshooting

Today was an amazing day!  

Just finished breakfast

There was a lot of baby wearing going on!

Always the perfect opportunity to snuggle

After yesterday's "episode," I decided to call my midwife to do some more troubleshooting for what I can do to help Ayden with his gas problem.  He has not been diagnosed as "colicky" or anything and even if he were, I'm not sure that I'd buy it.  I feel like if a baby is going to cry, he/she is going to have a reason.  When I say cry, I'm not talking about your typical newborn fussiness that is quickly fixed by a diaper change, feeding or cuddle.  I am talking about the blood curdling cry of a baby who is in severe discomfort where nothing you do can fix it.  My midwife is convinced that it is a hind milk/fore milk imbalance that is being caused by a temporary over supply.  She thinks that when my supply levels out, that his gassiness and therefore fussiness will too.  In the meantime, here are the tips she has suggested that I follow:

• Reclined nursing which can help slow the flow.
• Block feeding: Nurse on one side for 4 feedings before switching to the other side.  This ensures that the baby is getting hind milk.  It also keeps him from gulping due to overactive letdown which then leads to air intake.  Some of you might be thinking, "what about the other breast?!?"  When it gets super full, usually around the 3rd feeding on the other side, I will start using my Milkies Milk Saver and hand express the side in waiting while he nurses.  I usually get about a half of an ounce out which takes the edge off.  I keep a Madela bottle with a lid on the counter all day and add to it.  At the end of the day I have at least an ounce to bag and freeze without ever pumping! (Breast milk keeps for a long time at room temperature and it is not recommended that you add room temperature breast milk to refrigerated breast milk.)
• Burp in the middle of each feeding (usually after the gulping portion of the feeding is finished) and again at the end of each feeding.
• Continue to cut out dairy.

I've been cutting out dairy for about a week now but I started doing the rest of these things around 6 o'clock last night.  They seemed to work because today was wonderful!  I really got some great quality time with my little man.  I got to read to him and talk to him.  He even looked at some of his high contrast toys for a little while.  When he'd get a little fussy, I'd change him, feed him or cuddle him and he'd calm down or fall asleep.  It was amazing!  

Listening to me talk to him after a feeding

He got to meet his cousins for the first time (they are 2 years old and 4 months old and have been sick so they hadn't gotten to meet him yet).  He slept through most of their visit but it was fun to see them all together.

Sleeping while his cousins visit

Though the day was wonderful, the evening got a little rough.  We aren't completely out of the woods, but it was great that he got to take a break for the tummy rumbles for the day.  We have used the Colic Calm a couple more times and it does seem to help.  Here's to another great day tomorrow! 

~Sarah

Show and Tell

Some pictures from the day:

We had Ayden's first snow over night last night! But it melted before I could get a picture...

He had his worst crying spell yet this morning.  It broke my heart!  I sat and cried with him as his belly rumbled and he screamed.  It's just terrible to sit and watch your baby in such pain and discomfort and be defenseless against it.   

After the episode.  Glad to be feeling better...

Once we got through it all we got ready to go see Daddy at work:

Dressed to impress.  So funny how his pre-fold makes him look like MC Hammer!

David was so proud to show off his son to everyone at work.  They all gathered around and just looked at him for a little while.  They were all making comments about how small he is, how cute he is, etc, etc. We were just so happy and proud to call him ours. He slept for the whole car ride there and for the whole time David was showing him off.  He didn't even object to getting back in the car seat!  

Proud Papa

On our way home we stopped at  CVS Pharmacy to pick up some of this magic:

It gets AWESOME reviews and one of David's co-workers used it with her daughter and loved it.  We used it once this evening and it worked very well. I will do a full review once we've had a chance to really test it.  The funniest part is that he was sleeping soundly until I got in the check out line.  Then he got hungry and started crying so I was standing there with a crying baby and a box of Colic Calm.  Everyone felt very sorry for me. That time, though, he was just hungry.  

We got home and I fed him then we spent the next hour or so like this:

Napping like this is my favorite!

Someone wasn't ready to wake up when I was so he finished his nap in the Pack 'n Play.

David had some computer work to do when he got home this evening so I actually made dinner without any help! I tackled spaghetti squash for the first time.

I poked it all over with a knife, microwaved it (5 minutes for every pound), cut it in half lengthwise, cleaned it out (discarding the seeds) and mixed it with ground turkey and spaghetti sauce.  If you are trying to decrease your carb intake and are missing spaghetti meals, this is the way to go!  It was easy and delicious. We will definitely be making it again!

After dinner we gave Ayden his first real bath since his belly button is finally good to go.  Here he is all snuggled in his lamb towel afterward.

Though the day got of to a bit of a rough start, it ended up wonderfully. Tomorrow, Ayden gets to meet his cousins for the first time!  Should be fun :).

~Sarah