TVT

• First of all, can someone please OH PLEASE tell me how to turn off the word verification on my comments.  I can't seem to figure it out???!@?#?$?!?@  It's driving me nuts...
• Quite a few of you asked me to do a post about cloth diapers.  I am working on it but it will be another week or so before I get it up.  I'm crazy busy right now and I want the post to be detailed and very informative so it is taking me a while!  But I am still absolutely loving it so far.  It is easier than I even thought!  I actually look forward to doing diaper laundry...
• My 30th birthday is in 9 days, St. Patrick's Day.  I am super looking forward to it, actually.  I think I am going to be getting a pretty sweet gift from the hubs...not sure though.  I hope so!  He is not really a gift giving kind of guy but I told him he had to get me at least SOMETHING for this one...didn't have to be big...just something.  We have a parade here in town and we will probably go to that.  We are trying to decide if we want to take B and have a low key family type of evening or if we want to meet up with some friends and go listen to our friends band after the parade.  I'm not sure yet...not sure I can get a babysitter.  And I kind of want to hang out with my girl on my birthday :)
• Blakely is still eating 7 times a day.  I feel like this is so much.  Is it??  How many times a day do your little ones eat?  She will be five months old next week.  A couple of times I tweaked her schedule and she only had 6 feedings and she still slept through the night.  But she still wants to eat 7 most days.  I will be so happy when we cut it down to 6...
• We are headed to New Orleans soon with Blakely and I am getting very excited.  It is hard to decide what all I need to pack for her.  Winter stuff?  Spring stuff?  The weather is different here every day and the forecast in NO looks about the same.  I will probably just pack her entire wardrobe....
• I took my mom to the doctor for her 8 week checkup on her ankle fracture.  They told her she could FINALLY start putting a little weight on it....Thank goodness!  She is so tired of hopping!  
• I seriously can't believe that my girl is about to be 5 months...I mean doesn't that sound so old???
• We started Blake on some cereal recently.  That was super fun and I can't wait to make some baby food for her!  
• Happy Thursday and I hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

Wordless Wednesday

reading daddy's newspaper....

and trying to drink daddy's beer....

Uh oh....

Top Ten

I've seen a few of these posts on other blogs and I've been wanting to do one of my own.  
Here are the top ten things that I don't think we could have survived without since having Blakely.  Some were great just for those first few months or weeks and some we still use all the time.  

1.  Boobies.  Honestly, this girl loves her some boob.  It is like magic and I don't know how I am ever going to wean her.  I might still be doing it when she's 5...I'm totally kidding.  I was so lucky that almost everything went smoothly with breastfeeding and now we are in a groove.  I don't know what I would do without these miracle baby feeders....

2.  Bouncer.  I didn't have this until a few weeks after she was born.  I ordered it because her swing was too upright and I needed something that was reclined but not too reclined because of her reflux.  She loves it.  I got one that you can turn on to bounce or to vibrate, so it doesn't just bounce when the baby moves.  Miracle I tell you.  This is also what we have been using when we give her cereal now.  And an added bonus of it these days is that she poops every time I put her in it...very sweet.  This is the poop face....

3.  Boppy pillow.  Get one of these, people.  I have used it damn near every single time I feed this child.  The few times I haven't used it (covers were dirty, too lazy to walk downstairs to get it, etc.) my back killed me a few minutes in and I wanted to kick myself.  This thing also has a million uses besides feeding.  You can lay your reflux baby on it to help prop her up after feedings.  She can sleep on it when she will NOT nap anywhere else.  (I was always watching, don't freak).  She can do a little tummy time on it.  You can put it around her waist when she is learning to sit up and it will help her balance and if she falls over it is a cushioned fall.  This is the one thing I have used every single day since she was born.  Except the boobies, of course.

4.  First Years Steam Sterilizer.  I love this thing.  I use it to sterilize bottles, nipples, and all of my pump parts.  In the beginning I was washing all the pump parts by hand and then sterilizing them in the Med.ela microwave sterilizer bags (which I like, just not for every day use) or in the dishwasher.  The microwave bags took too long because they would only hold 2 bottles at a time or two pumps sets at a time.  And the dishwasher....well obviously it took forever.  I saw on another blog this sterilizer and ordered it immediately.  This is very easy to use.  It holds 5 bottles at a time and has another tray for all the accessories.  I can usually do 5 bottles and 3 pump sets and a few bottle caps and nipples at a time.  I just put water in it and it takes about 10 minutes to sterilize.  Totally worth the money.  Heart it...

5.  Med.ela Pum.p in St.yle breast pump.  As you know from my previous post I have been pretty attached to my pump for the past 4 1/2 months.  We have a love/hate relaysh.  I love it because it has allowed me to store a bunch of milk.  I hate it because it isn't comfortable and who wants to spend all that time attached to a pump???  For like the first 8 weeks B would only eat off of one side and I was scared that my supply would go down so I would pump the other after EVERY feeding.  Boy was I glad when she started doing both sides!  

6.  Swing.  This is a newer love.  She hated the swing in the beginning.  I could only put her in it if she was pretty much asleep.  Now I put her in it and turn the vibrate on and she will play for a bit but eventually fall asleep.  This is pretty much the only way I can get her to take and afternoon nap most days.  Yay for the swing.

7.  "The Ball".  Obviously, we could live without toys but this is a favorite around here.  This was the first thing she could grab on to and play with.  She loved it.  Anytime she would get fussy I could give her the ball and she would be happy for a good 20-30 minutes.  She can chew on it which she loves.  She isn't as interested in it now because she can play with a bunch of other toys but for a long time this was my go to toy. 

8.  Video monitor.  I love this thing.  I love that I can see her during the night.  When she makes a noise I don't have to wonder what is going on, I can see.  Every time I wake up in the night (like 4011 times usually) I can peek over and see her breathing, feel better, and go back to sleep.  I also really enjoy watching her play by herself in the mornings.  It is frickin' adorable.

9.  Pandora radio on my iphone.  I never had this until someone on Face.book that had a new baby mentioned it.  I downloaded it and I have used it endlessly.  We listen to the lullaby station or Adele radio and she loves it.  She loves any kind of music so we listen to the stereo upstairs a lot too.  But having this on my phone is great for when we are downstairs, or when I am trying to put her to sleep and she just won't quite give up. This and the bouncer are the only way I have gotten a shower in the past 4 months.  Meltdown saver...

10.  Pam.pers Swad.dlers diapers with the wetness indicator.  I know this sounds crazy.  In those first two weeks of breastfeeding, before I got confirmation that she was gaining weight properly, I was so worried about her having enough wet diapers.  These dang disposables are so freakin' absorbent that sometimes it was hard to tell if she had peed or not.  Even when she did pee it wasn't very much.  These diapers that have the yellow line that turns blue when there is pee made me feel so so so much better.  Thinking back now I realize I was way too worried but I couldn't help it.  If we hadn't had those diapers I would have been sniffing those things like a crazy person and more than likely cutting them open to see if there was pee.  Insane.  **sidenote** I am not a huge fan of these now because her poo shoots out the back every.single.time (of all different brands of disposables) but in the beginning I would have probably lost my mind without them :)

So there you have it.  There are plenty of other things that we love, like the jumparoo, her play mat, her light up toy that we use for tummy time, etc.  But the above things have just been total lifesavers for me up to this point.  

Stash

I have been dipping into my freezer stash of frozen breast milk WAY too often.  

I first started freezing milk on November 1.  In the beginning I was storing it in my freezer inside.  They said it is only good for 3 months that way since the door is opened so much.  For Christmas, my dad got us a deep freezer for the garage so we moved everything out there (good for 6 months in that).  Thanks, Dad!

I still thought I needed to use the milk from November though before the 3 months was up.  So, I've been giving her a bottle or two a day of the frozen.  This gave mommy a perfect opportunity to have a cocktail!  I pumped SO often in the beginning that I had a ton of milk.  The November milk lasted all through January and February, giving at least one bottle a day and the occasional day of 3-4 bottles if I was away from her.  All the milk filled up two entire shelves in the deep freezer.  Now it only fills up one and a half.  

I sort of had a panic attack when I noticed that.  Why?  Because I am crazy.  I was a pumping machine because I thought I was going back to work.  I also pumped because I was always worried about my supply and I wanted to make sure I produced enough.  And, if I am totally honest, I pumped a ton because I didn't know when I would be ready to have another baby.  I wanted her to have breast milk as long as possible but I knew I couldn't be breastfeeding when we decided to try for another one.  So pump I did.  After every feeding.  For the first 8 or so weeks she only ate off of one side so I would pump the other.  Then when she started eating from both sides I would double pump after almost every feeding.  I wouldn't pump after the evening feedings because my supply was on the lower side then.  But I did pump after every middle of the night feeding even when she started sleeping longer stretches and every morning feeding.  When she started sleeping through the night at about 10 weeks I did too.  But she could only do one side when she woke up because I was so full.  So I would pump the other side and get a crazy about of milk.  This has since slowed down now that my supply has evened out.  

I still pump every night when I go to bed which is about 2 hours after she does so I get a decent amount then (4-5 oz).  I also pump after she eats in the morning because sometimes she can still only do one side (3 oz).  This is a good amount, although not near as much as I used to get.  These are the only times a day that I pump.  

I have enjoyed being able to have a cocktail when we give her a bottle at the 7pm feeding!  But I am going to stop dipping into my stash and just give her a bottle of what I pumped that day.  If I take something out of the freezer I feel like I need to put that same amount back in.  

Isn't it insane that I am worried about my freezer stash?  What is wrong with me?  I mean I saved it for her to DRINK!  Hello!!!  But for some reason I hate to see it get smaller.  Here is a picture of it now...

That top shelf used to be full up to the vent thingy!  These are all 3-5 oz bags. 

I guess it's just that I am proud of all that milk!  I don't know, I mean, I worked really hard for it.  I know that I am so lucky to have this and I guess that is why It makes my heart race to see it dwindle.  But it is ridiculous to worry so much about it.  Since I noticed it was so much smaller I have been like a drill sergeant when it comes to her bottles.  I only want a certain amount put in and if it gets wasted (as in she ends up not taking it from someone else) I get all worked up.  So stupid.  GAHHH!!  I have also started pumping like crazy too.  It is 2 pm and I have already pumped three times.  I have pumped enough for her to have a bottle this afternoon and will probably pump enough for her bottle tomorrow by the end of the day.  I need to relax and breathe.  Is anyone else this crazy about their stash???  Or anything else baby related??

And just because she is almost too adorable to handle...

TVT

A little thought vomit for your Thursday....even though Thursday is almost over...

• The weather has been beautiful here the past two days...like 75 and sunny!  Yesterday we went downtown and took a long walk.  Then we sat on a blanket in the grass and let Blakely play.  It.was.awesome.  I am so very ready for spring!  I even breastfed in public for the first time, if you consider the park public.  Lonnie was kind of surprised that I did it but, seriously, I was NOT going to the car just to feed my baby...crazy...

I bought the poor baby some sunglasses after I saw this picture...

she really just wanted to chew on the thing the whole time.

• Speaking of boobies, I'm pretty certain I have lost most of the sensation in my nipples.  I'm a little sad about this.  
• I haven't had a period yet...I've randomly had cramps here and there.  I wonder when that will happen...
• My super great friend that I hosted the shower for is having her baby like right now.  I am so very excited for her.  I've been talking to her throughout the day today because she thought she was having contractions but she wasn't quite sure.  She didn't want to go to the hospital just to be sent home.  Well it was the real thing!  
• Speaking of contractions and labor and all of that...it has brought back a lot of memories talking to her about that stuff today.  I have literally been on the verge of tears just thinking back to that day I had Blakely and all that lead up to it.   
• I totally took a pregnancy test yesterday.  I just felt weird (exhausted) for like 2 days.  Of course it was negative....it stung a little.  Not because I thought I was pregnant because I totally didn't (breastfeeding, no period yet, thick shell around eggs, no sperm at the moment) BUT I hate seeing that one damn line...I've seen it enough in my life...
• Lonnie has been working the late shift at work this week and I hate it.  I am so ready to get back on our normal schedule.  I am sure this is why I have been exhausted.  I go to bed way too late and then have to get up way too early with the baby.  I have been completely worthless around here...
• Carter's is having a big sale...all you peeps with little ones need to check it out... 
• Ok I have to try to go to bed!  

Four Months Old!!!!

Crazy long post ahead with boatloads of adorable baby pics!  You've been warned ;)

Blakely turned four months old on February 13.  The time needs to start slowing down because I can't believe she is this grown up.  Sometimes I look at her and just think back to when she was a little newborn...I guess I will do that her whole life!

Firsts:  She rolled from tummy to back for the first time on 1-21-12.  She has done this quite a few times since but she doesn't really do it on purpose.  It still sort of surprises her.  I think she is close to rolling from back to tummy because she sleeps on her side most of the time so she just needs that last little push to get over.  

She had her first hard core growth spurt.  She wanted to eat pretty much all the time for about 4 days.  I fed her about every 1.5 to 2 hours for two whole days and my nipples weren't even that sore the first week of breastfeeding!  She was super fussy during this time and only wanted to be on the boob or asleep.  We just hung out in bed for days....it was nice to snuggle :)

She found her feet and plays with them all the time now.  

She took her first ride in the big girl stroller.

She attended her first baby shower.  It was for my friend Anna who is due with baby boy Hudson on my birthday, March 17!  She did so great.  

She started reaching out and grabbing her toys this month.  I noticed her doing it on purpose over and over again on 1-31-12.  

Her first time wearing a hoodie!

Her first jean skirt!

First time sitting up in her Bumbo seat

Her first snow day!  Although by the time I got her all dressed up to go out in it, the snow had melted....

Her first Super Bowl

Her first time in the Jumparoo!

Feeding:  We are still exclusively breastfeeding.  I dont' have any intentions to stop any time soon....boobies are magic!  She has started taking a bottle SO.MUCH.BETTER.  She still only likes to take it from me or Lonnie but we are working on that.  I usually give her a bottle once or twice a day and it is always the last feeding or two of the day.  I wanted to start giving her a bottle to go down for the night so Lonnie and I wouldn't always have to be home at 9 every night.  We tried to go out the other night and have my aunt put her down but she didn't really want to take the bottle from her.  We will keep trying though!  

This is what she has started doing when I feed her.  It's like she thinks my boob is hilarious!

At the doctor today he talked to us about starting solids.  He said it was up to us as to when we wanted to do it.  He said that from 4-6 months anything that we give her is just practice to get her used to eating with a spoon.  All of her nutrition will still come from breast milk.  When she gets to six months he wants her to have cereal every day to get more iron since she is breastfed.  So I bought a box of rice cereal.  I don't know when we will try it out...Lonnie wanted to do it like yesterday so we will see.  Maybe this weekend.  I just don't quite think she is ready but maybe I'm just sad she is growing up so fast? 

Sleeping:  She is still such an awesome sleeper at night!  I feel like we are so very lucky when it comes to this.  She sleeps about 10-11 hours each night.  Her naps during the day have gotten so much better as well.  She will usually take 2-3 naps a days and then a small cat nap in the evening.  

Diapers:  She is still in size 2 disposable diapers but we have switched to cloth!  Right now I am still figuring out which one is my favorite before I order a whole stash.  I have 10 different diapers (I know, I am obsessed) so we are cloth throughout the day.  Still disposable at night.  I just got some hemp inserts today so as soon as I get those washed I will try one at night.  I will do an entire cloth post soon to let y'all know what I like and what I don't...although I am so not an expert!  

Look at that cuteness!!!

The diaper is cute but the only thing I see in this pic is her bald spot!!!  

Clothing:  We are in a weird spot with clothes.  0-3 month stuff is getting pretty small and she can't wear any of it with the cloth diapers now.  So we are pretty much in 3-6 month or just 6 month since switching to cloth.  The 0-3 dresses will still fit with the cloth diapers.  I got so many clothes from my showers but not really any 6 month stuff.  I have a ton of all other sizes!  So I have had to order some 6 month things for her.  I hate to order anything for the cold weather because spring is right around the corner so I feel like she is wearing the same things over and over again...which is totally fine, I know :)  I can tell that she will be up a size in pants with the cloth diapers.  But I figure with spring and summer coming I can just keep her in dresses and rompers to show off her super cute diapers!  I should probably stop ordering all girly print diapers....I can't help it....the cuteness is unbearable....

Weight:  She weighed 14 lbs 2 oz at the doctor this morning.  That is right at the 50th percentile.

Height:  She is 24 inches long and that is just under the 50th percentile.  

He was happy with her growth and said that she was doing great!  She got her four shots and she screamed for a few minutes.  Lonnie had to get some blood work done so I carried her out to the car while we waited for him.  She was really upset in the car from the shots and being so sleepy so I fed her and she conked out for a while.  We came home and all took a three hour nap...it.was.awesome!

Eyes: They are still blue.  They are a darker blue like Lonnie's but they do seem to be getting a little bit brighter blue.  

Hair:  Her hair is still light brown and sometimes it looks a little red!  She has a bald rim around the back of her head now from rubbing her head and turning it back and forth when she is playing.  It is more bald on the right side because that is the side that she always wants to sleep on.  The front is getting pretty long.  

Daily Routine:  I stick to this routine pretty much every day.  Sometimes it gets a little off but I just adjust throughout the day to get back on.  

730 to 8am-wake up for the day.  First feeding.  She usually only eats off of one side (bc it is so dang engorged!) so I pump after.  
8 to 930am-play in the bouncer and watch mommy clean up the house and get Grand Di dressed and ready for the day. 
930 to 1100-morning nap.  This is still her best nap.
11am-next feeding.
1130am to 2pm-we usually play on the floor or with Grand Di since she is staying with us for a while.  Sometimes she will take a small nap from 1-2
2pm-next feeding.  If she napped before this feeding then we will play til about 415 before the next nap.  If this is only her 2nd nap then she starts to get real fussy around 3.  I usually have to rock her or put her in the swing to get her to go to sleep.  Sometimes it even takes the boob.  
5pm-next feeding and daddy comes home to play. 
7pm-next feeding and sometimes this is from the bottle if mommy has had a cocktail ;)
9pm-last feeding and she goes down for the night.  
I usually pump again when I go to bed which is like 1130...way too late!

Favorite Toy:  By far her favorite toy is this ball.

It is quite possibly the best baby toy ever invented.  Except, of course, for Sophie...

A few other things I want to remember...

She is starting to actually like tummy time.  But only if we are playing with her.  

This dolly is one of her favorites as well.  And this picture is one of MY favorites...

She LOVES LOVES LOVES taking a bath now.  She just stares at herself in the mirror the whole time.

Or she watches the water fall onto her belly...

When she went through her growth spurt and was so fussy Lonnie would carry her around all evening long like this.  She absolutely loves it and she will stop crying immediately if you hold her like this.  

She has started drooling like crazy...

She is such a daddy's girl.  It is the cutest thing ever.  She just lights up when she sees him or hears him talking.  If I am feeding her then she stops eating and starts looking around if she hears him.  When he gets home in the afternoons and she sees him for the first time she starts smiling and wiggling all over the place.  He is so good with her...she is so lucky to have such a great daddy!

my loves

She has started trying so hard to sit up.  She doesn't really want to be laying on her back anymore.  When she is laying she starts doing crunches to try and sit up...so cute!

Sometimes I put her on the floor with a couple of toys.  I'll come back a little bit later and the toys are scattered all over the place and she is totally passed out.  She played so much she wore herself out!

She smiles all the time.  It makes my heart smile...

She has started to get a little bit of stranger anxiety the past few weeks.  When someone takes her from us or picks her up she is ok for about 30 seconds.  Then she starts wailing!  I hate it for the person holding her but she will usually stop after a minute or so.  Especially if Lonnie or I get in her face.  

We don't go anywhere without Jaffy the pink giraffe.  She is always in the car seat, swing, or bouncer with B.  

Mommy:  I am doing good.  This month has been a little overwhelming for me.  Since my mom is staying here because she broke her ankle and is non weight bearing for at least 3 more weeks I have been SUPER busy.  I enjoy having her here though.  I'm actually getting used to it and I'm not sure I want her to go!  She is able to do a little more for herself now so that helps me out a lot.  She and Blakely have totally bonded and that makes me very happy :)

Daddy:  Daddy is doing ok this month.  He has had a few health issues that are making him very tired.  He wants to go to bed early but once her sees her smiling face he has a hard time doing that!  

I love this little girl with my whole heart.  It is impossible to even put in to words.  I love being her mommy and I am so excited to watch her grow up.  

She is just so beautiful....

TVT

It seems like it had been a while since I've done a TVT so here goes...

• I have a hot date tonight.  This means that I took a shower and AND shaved my legs.  I can only remember doing this one other time since Blakely was born.  The shaving part not the showering part ;)  Surely I did it another time....
• I have become obsessed with cloth diapers.  I mean I can't stop shopping for them, reading about them, obsessing over which one to buy next, I have even been dreaming about them.  This is so weird...Who am I?!?!?
• I want to get a new blog design here pretty soon.  But I kind of want a new blog name so I have to decide that first.  I want something that is reminiscent of my name now but something new and fresh.  I keep thinking that one day it will just come to me!!
• We have decided to go to New Orleans for a vacation soon.  I could not be more excited about this!  We are taking Blakely and my mother in law.  That way she can watch her in the evenings and Lonnie and I can go out!!  It is about a 7 hour car ride and I hope B does well in the car seat for that long.  We were going to fly but we would have to take the pump, the pack n play, the stroller, etc...it just seemed like too much.  We will see how this goes...I am so excited!  I love love love planning our trips.  I already have like 4 lists going of things to pack and things to do.  
• I am so ready for spring!  I can't wait until we can take B for boat rides.
• I packed up all of Blakely's newborn clothes this week.  They are so small!  I have a friend that is having a girl in April and I find myself not wanting to give her anything.  It is just so hard to part with any of the clothes :(
• Ok gotta go get ready for my date!  Happy Thursday!