Enjoying the moments

“Enjoy each day and each moment, even the hard ones!”   I have heard these words from so many friends and family members.   At times I have taken these words to heart, and other times I just want to get through the rough patches.   I was reminded again a couple days ago of the country song that talks about how you’ll miss this someday — I love that song!

Well, this morning I decided to savor the moment!  It has felt so good the last couple mornings to get up and get ready for the day and accomplish a few things before Ella wakes up in the morning, usually between 8 and 9.   So, last night I told Ty that I wanted to get up around 7 so I could get my day started and not be lazy in the morning.    He woke me up just as I asked, and I grudgingly began to wake up (I am NOT a morning person!).   As I am attempting to open my very heavy eyelids, I heard the whimperings of an early rising baby!  Hmmm…not what I had planned!  (I know, babies don’t follow plans very well )

So, instead of getting my day started and being productive, I crawled into my big rocking chair.  Ty handed Ella to me after changing her diaper, and she and I settled in to begin curbing her enormous appetite.  It wasn’t too long before she and I both began to nod off.  She and I slept (and she ate) off and on until 9:40 a.m.     I used to do this with her regularly when she was quite little.   Knowing she needs to learn to sleep on her own during the day, I’ve been putting her back in her bassinet for her morning naps.   But today, well…it felt like a good morning to just hang out together.  I love the cuddly moments, so I just sat back and enjoyed another one this morning.  So, here I am…it’s almost noon, and I still haven’t showered.   Maybe I should do that before she wakes up again (I did eventually put her down).  She only cat naps in the afternoons!

I hope to post some new pictures from our California vacation before I leave for my Washington trip.  But, we’ll see.  The pics are all on Ty’s computer at the moment…I’ll need to get a copy of them to download to mine.   Ok…gotta get moving now

Giggle

Ella just giggled!!!  It was so stinkin’ cute   Ty’s been trying to get it on the video, but of course she’s not going to perform!  So, I guess for now you’ll just have to take our word.  We’ll capture it on video eventually!

A little of this and a little of that…

We had Ella’s two month appointment this morning.  She weighed in at 11 lbs 13 oz!  She went from the 25th percentile in weight at one month to the 50th percentile at two months!  Our dr’s office has everything on the computer, and at each appointment he has shown us her growth chart.  I like being able to see where she is on the curve compared to the average.  She had her first shots this morning   I know she needs them, but it breaks my heart hearing her cry!  I didn’t watch.  Ty and the nurses held her; I sat in the chair and turned away.  I don’t handle needles well at all.  I figured I should sit rather than get lightheaded and faint! lol!  Even with the screaming, she really handled it quite well; she went to sleep in the car on the way home and slept for another 3 hours.

I’ve been enjoying my mornings at home a lot more.  She is taking long naps in the mornings, so I am able to get more and more accomplished in the mornings.  The afternoons and evenings are still filled with many little cat naps.  She typically sleeps 6 1/2 t0 7 hours at night.   She definitely likes her routine and being at home.  The couple days we were gone last week were a little rough.  We’ll see how our other trips this summer go.  I’m just planning on the fact that we’ll have several days where she is quite fussy.  I know I need to get out a little more with her.  It’s getting easier to do now that she doesn’t scream every time she’s in her carseat!

Ty and I had our third anniversary last week while we were on a service project trip to Roseland in Chicago.   I went with him for the first couple days.  It’s amazing to me that we’ve been married for three years already!  We’ll have to find time this week to go out for dinner and celebrate   Maybe we’ll even get a sitter.  It’s hard for me to think about leaving Ella with anyone.  But, last week I left her for the afternoon with a friend from church.  Ella did ok;  she and I both have a lot of adjusting to do!!  She’ll take a bottle, but it takes a lot of persistence.  Usually she’ll finally give in if she’s hungry enough.  She’s still little, and I don’t go back to work for a couple months.  So we have time, and we’ll get there!

I can tell she’s not feeling well this afternoon.  We’ve had lots of tears, which is very unusual for my little smiley girl.   Even in the evening when she is a little fussy, she doesn’t cry like this.   So we’ll just curl up and snuggle in the recliner all afternoon

Ella’s growing so quickly!

Wow…I haven’t posted pictures of Ella since she was 2 1/2 weeks old.  So, it’s time; actually it’s past time!  When I was going through pictures this past week, I was amazed at how much she has changed.  I’ve been taking a picture or two (or more!) every day so I was able to really take a look at how she is growing and changing.

A common sight. 5.09.09

She's been very alert and had a strong neck from the start. 5.11.09

"Oh my, I am so tired!" 5.17.09

Talking to mommy! 5.20.09

Ella's first Memorial Day Parade in downtown Holland. 5.25.09

"I'm getting so big!" 5.30.09

Our first time camping. 6.04.09

"I love my daddy!" 6.07.09

Ella's favorite place to nap! (Notice the burp rags? She's become quite the spitter.) 6.13.09

Our very smiley (and suddenly chubby) little girl 6.16.09

Our outings of the day

Today was a dreary day.  It certainly does not seem like summer in Michigan.  I shouldn’t complain, I’m enjoying the no humidity!  But, I needed to get a couple things, so this afternoon Ella and I headed to downtown Holland.  It was overcast, but it did not rain while we were wandering around.  I had a wonderful time strolling around downtown with my baby girl   She did quite well today.  We had a little bit of crying in the first store, but then she took her paci and slowly fell asleep!  So, I took advantage of her nap and stopped for an iced mocha at JPs (it tastes even better when it’s free).  Then I was off to a couple more stores to pick up a few cards I needed (anniversary, Father’s Day, weddings).  It was so nice to be able to take my time picking out cards.   It also felt great to walk outside!

Tonight Ty and I headed back to downtown to enjoy the Thursday night street performances.  Our little peanut was a champ once again tonight!  She certainly cried in her carseat on the way there, but once we got going she settled right down.  In fact, she actually took her evening nap in her stroller while we wandered up and down the sidewalks of downtown Holland!  The evening started out with a light sprinkle, but it ended up being a beautiful night with a little bit of sun!

As much as I do miss the tiny baby snuggly times, I’m enjoying this time with Ella very much.  She’s doing much better with getting out and about (and so am I).  She definitely needs her naps however.  I can really tell if we do too much; the next day she is quite fussy and out of sorts.  But,  she really is good, and developing  her own personality.  It’s fun to see that emerge.

Ty and I feel incredibly blessed to have Ella in our lives.  Life is good.  God is great!

Ella’s growing so quickly!

I wanted to share and record a few things about our life with Ella right now:

• On saturday the 30th of  May, she slept through the night for the first time.  I woke up in a panic when I realized she had been asleep for seven hours!  I checked on her, and then I crawled back in bed.  We both were up about an hour later.
• She is sleeping through the night fairly consistently now.  It is usually a 5 1/2 — 6 hour stretch.
• She is still eating every two hours during the day, and a lot at night before bed.  It seems like she is stocking up to make it through the night!
• She has become quite the spitter.  I’m not liking this so much.  She goes through multiple outfits a day right now, including pajamas!
• She is very talkative, and it is so adorable.  I love it when she looks at me with her big blue eyes and long dark eyelashes, and then she starts to coo away.  It seriously sounds like she is saying her name!
• She does not like to be left alone in a room, even for a short time.  Her bouncy seat works sometimes.  So far she does not like her swing, and the Baby Bjorn works for a short period of time.
• She loves to be held, especially during her naptime…
• …but, she is doing better at napping in her bassinet during the day.
• She will go to bed awake, if she is sleepy.  It can be a little tricky to get her to sleep at just the right time.
• She strains her neck to turn and watch t.v. when we change her on the footstool. 
• She cries when she has a dirty diaper.
• So far she does not like tummy time — even with a fun new tummy time mat with toys and a mirror!
• She typically only cries in her car seat for the first five to ten minutes, and then she will fall asleep.
• She has made it through several baths without tears.  They still come afterward, however.
• She has taken a walk or two now without crying.  If I can get her in the stroller asleep, I might be able to go around the block before she wakes up again.
• She recognizes us, and rewards us with her heart melting smile when she sees us.
• She has done quite well at the Holland State Park campground this week.  However, we only spent one night there.  She did great;  it is just easier to sleep at home since it is close.
• Yesterday, she and I went grocery shopping for the first time together.   It wasn’t until we were in the check out lane that she started crying!
• She went to her first Memorial Day parade, as well as her first picnic in Centennial Park.

I could easily ramble on…no surprise, I know!  But, I’m going to say goodnight for now.  I will try and post a few pictures in the next few days.   (Our pictures are all on my desktop, not my laptop.)

They say time flies when you are having fun…

…and I certainly agree

What is incredible to me is how fast it flies when one has a newborn (except when one is up all night long!).   So many people advised me to “savor every moment, even the tough ones, because it goes by so quickly”.  I’ve been trying, but unfortunately they were/are right!   I can not believe that Ella is 8 weeks old already.

I’ve been living in a bit of a blur these past eight weeks.  My days are filled with holding Ella, nursing, and changing diapers.   I  feel like I am constantly making a mess in the house, but never cleaning it up!  I am blessed to have an incredible husband who does loads and loads of laundry, prepares meals and cleans the kitchen (including the mess I make during the day), picks up the house, and takes care of me all without complaining.   He does this while working full time.  Yardwork and home upkeep fall on his shoulders as well.

The last couple weeks have been a little easier for me.  I have done some laundry.  I have had dinner ready once or twice when Ty came home from work.  I have cleaned up the kitchen.  I have organized Ella’s new clothing and room (well, it is almost finished!).  I have started to leave the house more often by myself with Ella.    I realize that for most of you, these are not major accomplishments;  you have managed a household with a newborn and other kids in tow!  However, this has been a huge adjustment for me.   I’m not used to having something so small dictate so much of my life.  Don’t get me wrong; I love her to pieces

At times it is hard for me to not accomplish anything during the day.   But, Ty gently and lovingly reminds me that I am doing the most important thing all day — taking care of our daughter.   I know that he is most certainly right.    But,  my life has been turned completely up-side-down!  I find myself skimming books, magazines, and newspapers instead of reading them.   My scrapbooking area is covered with medical paperwork and baby care information.  I have started writing thank you notes, but I am not even remotely close to finishing them.  And, for one who loves to scrap so much, I have recorded very little about when Ella is doing things and how she is changing.

Also, I have not kept up with blogging the way I had hoped.  It has been hard for me to get upstairs and use my computer.  But, I picked up my laptop from school on Friday.  It has been at school for my sub to use while I was on maternity leave.   (I will admit that at the moment I am nursing and typing this entry at the same time!)   Maybe I will be able to post a little more often now.  Only time will tell…

an entry from the end of may that i never posted…

ella is now six weeks old   a few of the highlights of the last few weeks (in no particular order):

• she weighed 8 lbs, 2 oz and was 22 inches at her 4 week checkup.  she went from the 10th percentile in weight to the 25th.  the dr. was pleased with her growth.
• between 3 and 4 weeks she began to smile at us.  the look of recognition and the smile that follows melts our hearts.  it is the most amazing feeling in the world knowing that she recognizes my voice and face.
• between 4 and 5 weeks she began to “talk” to me.  i love to hear her cooing!  it’s so much fun when she responds to me; when we have a little “conversation”.  she’s responding to her daddy with coos now as well
• she continues to eat, a lot!!  she’s in another growth spurt…eating every two hours during the day.
• a typical night involves sleeping for 3-4 hours, waking up and eating for an hour (includes poop time–she likes to lay on the footstool and take care of business!), sleeps for another 3-4 hours.  we’ve had a few great nights with 4 1/2 – 5 hour chunks of sleep at a time!  of course, she throws in a bad night, just to keep us on our toes
• she finally fits into her 0-3 month clothes.  she was in newborn sizes until last week.
• wednesday we weighed her at my dr. appointment.  she’s about 10 pounds at 6 weeks!
• nap time during the day is starting to get better…she sleeps more on her own without me holding her!
• she takes a bottle — both breast milk and formula (even from me if she’s hungry enough!)
• we’ve been venturing out of the house a lot more…crazy horse (our favorite restaurant), captain sundae (ice cream store), target, memorial day parade, and more.
• taking a walk is still a big challenge — if she is sound asleep when i head out, it may go ok.  but, a typical walk involves some serious screaming!
• she is starting to accept the car seat a little more.  it is still rare that a trip in the car doesn’t result in tears, but this too is slowly improving.
• she’s starting to take a pacifier, but it’s hit and miss in it’s success.

three weeks ago today…

we brought ella home!  i continue to be amazed at how quickly our daughter is growing!  at her two week appointment she weighed 7.1 pounds!  she has her four week checkup next week, and i’m sure she has gained more weight.  i see so many changes in her when i compare pictures from when she was born until now.  it’s incredible.  we’re trying to savor every minute we have with her.

i’ve had my moments of uncertainty…i’m still learning her crys.  although, for the most part the only time she cries is when she has a dirty diaper or is hungry.  but, it seems like she is hungry all the time; i feel like her “growth spurts” are continuous!  it’s a big adjustment for me to not be able to just go anywhere i want, whenever i want.  i’ve had the opportunity to get out of the house a few times, and it felt great!  my parents were here for three weeks, and they helped around the house and watched ella.  it really helped my healing from the c-section to have them here to help out with so much!  it’s been a little quiet around the house the last couple days since they left.  i was quite nervous about being home alone with ella all day by myself.  ty has been able to come home from work a little early, which has really helped me.   but for as much as i feel the need for some time out of the house, i really missed my little girl when i did leave the house!  i felt like a piece of me was missing!

on sunday, may 3, ella was baptized.  ty baptized her; it was an incredible day.  it was a long morning, and a little tiring for all of us.  but, we enjoyed being able to share the day with so many of our friends and family.  she was a doll during church, and she didn’t cry!  afterwards was another story!  she was quite tired, and i think overwhelmed by everything.  so, she and i missed a large part of the luncheon we had afterwards.  i felt badly about missing the time with our friends, but ella needed to eat and needed some quiet time as well.

we have been incredibly blessed with words of encouragement, gifts, and meals.  it is wonderful to know how much ella is loved already!  she is an amazing little girl.  i’m overwhelmed with the responsibility of raising her, but i know that God has a plan for her life already! 

hello world!

it’s incredible for me to think that ella is 12 days old already!  time certainly flies by, even when one’s activities are quite limited   i’ve been wanting to update my blog for about a week now.  i really should be in bed; ella is asleep at the moment.  but, i thought i’d jump on the chance to give an update.

we are doing quite well.  we’ve had our bumps along the way; big bumps at times!  we’re learning a lot as we go, and like all new parents are trying to do everything right.  but, knowing that we’ll make mistakes along the way.  we’re trying to figure out how we work the best, what we think is best for ella, and how to balance the advice we’ve been given and the information we’ve read.  i’m learning the biggest thing for me is doing what we feel comfortable with.  this is all so incredibly new!  i’ve spent a lot of time over the years with babies and children — being a nanny, babysitting, etc…  life sure looks different when i am the parent and am completely responsible for the well-being of my child!

we are loving the time we have to sit and cuddle with ella.  she is quite alert during the days, and we’ve enjoyed the time to talk to her and hang out together.  it’s an adjustment for all of us as we are getting much less sleep than we are used to.  however, the past three nights have been a considerable change from the previous week!  she’s starting to sleep for longer periods of time; i haven’t been up as many times during the night.   i actually have been able to sleep in my bed!!  this is a huge change for me; i’ve been sleeping in the recliner for quite some time now, and that has continued a bit with ella.

i’m amazed at how much she has changed over the past 12 days.  she’s really growing!  i’m excited to see what she weighs at the drs office on thursday.  we see glimpses of her personality coming through each day — the strong willed child is a description that pops into my mind at the moment!  lol!  but, really she is so sweet, and i’m am so blessed to be able to be home with her for so long.  i’m recovering well from my c-section.  it’s more often that i have to slow down and take it easy, since i feel so good.  i don’t want to experience any of the horror stories i’ve heard from friends who overdid it!

there are so many things i could say, but i really need to get some sleep.  so, i’m just going to include a few of my favorite pictures for you.  ty also continues to update pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/uthpstr/.

our first family picture

three generations

daddy and ella time

"hello world! i'm 10 days old today"

she is so incredibly precious, and we feel very blessed to have ella faith in our family.   thanks for your prayers and support.   i’ll continue to update as i find time