Josh, LA, Caleb and Ansley

Babyfood

2012-02-12T12:30:00.001-08:00

I am making Ansley her babyfood just like I did with Caleb, except a couple of things. 1. We are trying out the foods first with store bought. And 2. I am NOT making peas or greenbeans. I am NOT, will NOT make those ever again. After you puree them you have to strain them and it’s a huge big hassle and mess, and I’m NOT doing it! That is where I draw the line! Caleb is my helper-boy when it comes to making Ansley’s babyfood. He loves to be right in the mix. Only problem is I need about double the amount of food I want to save because he eats it as fast as I can cut it.

Making Pears just like I did when Caleb was little.

All ready to freeze in 1oz servings.

Happy and Healthy eating Baby Girl!

Manny’s Vaca

2012-02-08T17:21:00.001-08:00

We joke, ok I joke, that Josh is my “manny”, a man-nanny, since he is the one that watches the kids when I work. My Manny deserved some time away from the kids. Josh, Chris and Fawaz hiked for 3 days and 2 nights in Virginia. They had a great time and somehow we survived with out our ~~Manny~~ Daddy! While they were freezing their tails off, Caleb kept checking "Daddy’s spot” in the bed, because he knew he just had to be there.(I think that comes from me working nights and sleeping when he is awake sometimes.) I don’t know who or what Caleb was happier to see though…Daddy or his ‘soloist’(Josh’s newest camping equipment-cooking set, that Caleb has been playing with for the past month). It was definitely his Daddy! “Hi, Daaa!”

He said that the pictures don’t do it justice! Lots of amazing views.

Ansley-5 months

2012-02-08T12:39:00.001-08:00

She is spending a lot more time up(like in her excersaucer, johnny jumper and bumbo) and lot more time down(on her playmat). Basically we are encouraging her to use all her muscles and spend less time reclining in her bouncy chair!
She still isn’t a fan of tummy time, and usually just puts up a fight. But has ROLLED over now!
Getting pretty strong on the sitting up front. Only requires a little support.
Eats: pears, sweet potato (her all time favorite!), carrots, peas, baby oatmeal and we are introducing new foods every couple of days. She is really getting the hang of this eating with a spoon thing.
Drinks 4-5oz every 3hours during the day, and usually once at night.
Sleeps great in her nap nanny, but we are starting to work on weaning her of it and having her sleep just on her mattress.
Weighs 11 lbs and 2 oz.
Wears size 1 diapers, 3month clothes
Loves: Caleb, baths, grabbing her knees, you play with her feet(although she doesn’t want to play with them herself)
Most verbal when “talking” to and interacting with Caleb.
Starting sucking/chewing on her right pointer finger.

Not really jumping, does the occassional push off but mostly just slowly turns.

Going, going…

Gone! This was her first roll over! (this was right after Caleb used the potty, so we were doing lots of celebrating that night!)

Sweet Potato! Usually she takes two days to finish a jar of babyfood. But not with sweet potatoes, she ate them all up!

She is mostly in the bumbo when we are in the kitchen. It’s like she is supervising us.

She fell asleep next to me while I was pumping.

Her first swing.

This was the morning of my birthday. She usually cries when on her tummy, but this particular morning she was happy and giggling. I am taking it as my present from her! (oh and look at her in her cute little smocked dress and cardigan, LOVE IT!)

That girl loves some bath time. Her tushy makes me laugh. She gets it honestly!

Peas were almost as big of a hit as sweet potato. Almost.

I just can’t get enough of that open mouth smile.

Here is the nap nanny. I don’t dare take a picture when she is really using it and risk waking a sleeping baby.

Silly Caleb

2012-02-07T18:07:00.001-08:00

At the Children’s Museum.

Yep. That’s my bra.

Look at those legs in AE’s excersaucer

Caleb is a little bandit. He is quick to get AE’s leftovers whether bottle or babyfood. Dig right in Caleb!

Driving down Allen and Robette’s driveway. He loves it.

That is the firepit tool. Upside down.

Splashing and “swimming” around.

On the way home the other day. He had Josh’s sunglasses and put them around his neck(like Josh wears them if he is not really wearing them) and then fell asleep.

Ketchup, of course.

He will find anything that he can put around his neck or on his head.

Playing with the camera.

I love his silly self. I really like it when he shows some personality and quirkiness! We might eat our words later, but we cant wait until he wants to wear rainboots, a superhero cape and some other crazy ensemble, in public. haha.

Like spring, only it’s winter

2012-02-05T17:56:00.001-08:00

We have enjoyed some park time this winter. We are very thankful for every mild day.

Potty

2012-02-05T11:40:00.001-08:00

We finally bought Caleb a little potty. For the next few months, we were just planning on starting with the idea, not really going hard core just yet. Just introducing the idea really. Well I decided to have him sit down and try. I told Caleb to put his pee pee in the potty. AND BY GOLLY HE DID! I couldn’t believe it! Now we are no where near being potty trained, that’s for sure, but it was very reassuring to know that he is capable of knowing and doing what we are asking of him!

Pears

2012-01-19T18:39:00.001-08:00

Tell us how you really feel… ha.

I think she really does like them. She does that gaggy thing if she isn’t expecting it, if the food is too thick or if she is too full.

I bought a couple of jars of babyfood of pears to try it out. I also bought 4 whole pears to make some homemade pears too. Although with us hording breastmilk right now, we aren’t going to be able to store too much babyfood in the freezer.

See! She really was a happy girl about pears. (Her having one sock off is all too normal for us!)

Excersaucer

2012-01-19T18:31:00.001-08:00

Although Ansley likes to be up and right in the mix of things, she doesn’t really love the excersaucer like I would think she would. Maybe when she is into playing with the toys, she will have more fun.

With her being so tiny we have to pad around her.

She still prefers her tight fist over exploring the toys.

I think Caleb is enjoying it more now than he did when he was little. He thinks its hilarious. He loves to walk in circles and bite the teething toys. ha.

February 2010.

She will tolerate sitting in it for a long time if Praise Baby is playing. They both are mesmerized!

Weenie Roast

2012-01-14T18:55:00.001-08:00

We had some friends over for a weenie roast, s’more making, fire warming night! We had a great time. We even got creative with our s’mores and had some gourmet ones with Andies and Reece's!

Ansley getting ready for the cold temperatures!

But uncharacteristically Ansley slept the WHOLE time. Although we were a little worried what that would do to bedtime her sleeping from 5-7pm, we enjoyed being able to be out in the cold without having to worry about her! (She woke up right after, got a bath, ate and went right back to bed…THANK GOD, we will take that as a blessing!)

Caleb had a great time too!

The R family.

Although the picture above is better and very cute, I think I like take 1 better where Bethany got smoke in her eyes. It makes me laugh!

The D family. (We have missed you guys!)

Us minus sleepy warm Ansley.

The H family.

The M family(minus their sleepy warm baby!)

Marshmallows!

We finally pulled out Caleb’s gloves because his hands were beyond cold. He thought they were hilarious. He is really into wearing hats and hoods, he likes the novelty of them. I guess he likes gloves now too!

Cool smokey picture that we thought didn’t turn out but I love!

All the Mommies and our 2year olds!

We had such a great time. Thanks again for coming out. We will have to do it again soon!

Oatmeal

2012-01-10T17:18:00.001-08:00

We started the oatmeal. We do 1-2 feedings with a spoon but we also add it to her bottle about one time per day. Attempt one didn’t go so well. We tried it in the bumbo chair. She hated it. Hated sitting there. Hated the bib. Hated the spoon. And hated me putting it in her mouth! A little frustrated but not surprised with our picky eater girl.

Attempt two went much smoother. We went for the “comfy feel”. We switched the bumbo seat for her favorite bouncy chair. And the plastic bib to a soft cotton one and tried again the next day. Don’t really know what was the difference she needed or if it was something that was going to get better with time,or maybe just her mood that day! But something worked. And she enjoyed it!

Ansley’s dedication

2012-01-08T15:14:00.001-08:00

Here is the life verse we chose for Ansley. It was actually on a card pinned to a little pillow she was given when admitted to the hospital when she was just 4days old. There was so much trouble, uncertainty and heartache in her short little life that this strong verse seemed to be perfect.

The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:7

Pastor Don before service.

Sharing our verse and desire to raise her in a godly home teaching her about Jesus with the congregation.

Praying just for our little Ansley. That she would believe in Jesus early on in her life.

The family went out to eat afterwards.

The kids

Ansley, your Mom and Dad love you very much.

But Jesus loves you more! (even though it seems impossible to love you more than we do)

Happy dedication day sweet, beautiful girl.

Mommy’s little girl.

Daddy Day Care

2012-01-07T11:37:00.001-08:00

We were cleaning his booster chair and it wasn’t back together in time for lunch. So Josh set this up for him.

Ansley-4months

2012-01-03T10:02:00.001-08:00

Weight: 10lbs 4oz which is <3%(down from 10%)
Height: 23inches; 10%(down from 15%)
Head: 3% (down from 5%)
The doctor doesn’t seem to be too concerned with her growth. She is approximately on her same growth curve and is just going to be “petite”. However, we are going to start solids now. They usually recommend starting between 4-6months.(Caleb started oatmeal at 5months and babyfood at 6, so this is a little earlier than we planned.)
Size 1 diapers, Size 0-3 and 3month clothes. (finally out grew all of the newborn stuff)
Tries to suck her thumb sometimes, but has stopped doing it as often. I would have thought she would have been a “thumb-sucker” by now but not yet.
Loves being up and right in the mix of things, “standing”, her bouncy seat, facing out in her baby carrier, sticking out her tongue, watching football with Daddy(it catches her attention and keeps it-I think he has a new football buddy!).
Learned how to giggle and is so cute when her little face lights up with a big smile. I think she might even be a little ticklish between her armpits and chin around her collar bone!
Tries to “talk” sometimes, we just laugh at her cute little sounds because most of the time she is just quiet as a mouse.
Sleeps on her tummy for naps(which are very short like 45minutes most of the time{boo}) and in the Nap Nanny at night. Daddy has been sleep training her while Mommy is working, since Mommy is being a big softy!
Eats 3-4oz in Avent bottle about every 3 hours except for her long stretches at night. Still against breastfeeding. There is about 345bags of 6oz each for a total of 2,070ounces of milk in our deep freezer. Sadly that’s only enough milk for just under 3 months. So if I want her to have breastmilk for her first year, we are no where near stopping this pumping madness. Let the bottle washing continue.
Finally wore out our Itzbeen. A timer I used with Caleb and now with Ansley that keeps track of how long its been since she ate and I pumped. So we did an emergency run to Babies-R-us to replace it. We were lost with out it!
Still sneezes when we lay her down on her back. It’s a pitiful couple of sneezes right in a row. Pretty hilarious to watch. Because she has been so sneezy and snotty most of her life the doctor wants us to try some baby Zyrtec(allergy medicine) to see if that helps. If it helps we will continue to use it and investigate what she might be allergic to(it would be environmental allergens). If it doesn’t work then we will stop it and rule out allergies at this time.
Nicknames: Ans, Girlie, Little Miss, Annie(started by Meem), Ans-A-ly(started by Izzy R.)

Giggle girl.

The many faces of Ansley.

The serious-skeptical look.

The you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me look. (We’ve got 2 leg rolls now- we have worked hard for those)

The I-can-get-anything-I-want-because-I’m-cute look.

Annie in her little bear jacket, a Christmas present from Meem.

Sucking her thumb

In her Johnny Jumper. She does more slow pushoffs with her left leg or spins than actually jumping at this point. And because she is so tiny we have to put a blanket behind her to fill up space. But she loves it.

Trying to encourage some tummy time. I think that’s one the signature G-dad looks.

The kids.

2012-01-02T17:54:00.001-08:00

Christmas

2011-12-27T11:31:00.001-08:00

Because I had to work this Christmas weekend, we stayed home and had Christmas-just our little family.

We did go to church for Christmas Eve service and then over to friends for a little dinner party!

The kid table. Brynn and Scott had already changed into their Christmas jammies but we didn’t trust Caleb until AFTER he ate!

All the kids in their Christmas Jammies!

Look at that little Christmas girl. So sweet.

Casey and Jeff helped the kids decorate (a dairy,egg and peanut free!!!) Birthday cake for Jesus. Then we sang “Happy Birthday”.

Pure excitement! He didn’t know what to do at first. besides a couple of circles. Between all the cool toys and the fire he was a happy boy! We took him to the kitchen to eat breakfast without letting him see that Santa came!

And this is where he sat for many more hours. In his sled playing with his guitar, next to his ball(tball set)!

Even Ans was excited!

Ansley and her Santa loot.

And yes, she got a baby almost as big as her!

Mommy and her Christmas babies.

The kids got me a monogrammed tumbler. My first “mommy” paraphernalia.

Presents. He loved opening presents. He loved playing with the presents more. I couldn’t get him to finish opening all his presents.

Daddy and his Christmas Elves!

One of her stocking stuffers were these animal print ridiculously cute and styling glasses. Hysterical!

Ho. Ho. Ho.

Christmas dinner. I made my first Christmas Ham. And it was DELISH!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Santa

2011-12-23T10:50:00.001-08:00

Waiting to see Santa.

“SANTA! OH MY GOD! SANTA'S COMING! I KNOW HIM! I KNOW HIM!”-Buddy the Elf

Awe and wonder. How can you not believe?

“What about santa's cookies? I suppose parents eat those too?” –Buddy the Elf

“That's another thing... Buddy you should know that your father... he's on the naughty list.”-Santa

“Nooooooooooooooooooo!”- Buddy the Elf

Nana and Uncle Scott came with us.

“Does somebody need a hug?” –Buddy the Elf

Almost our time…

“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” –Buddy the Elf

Caleb was much more impressed with Santa from afar!

“You stink. You smell like beef and cheese! You don't smell like Santa.” –Buddy the Elf

Then off to lunch in the food court.

“Why are you smiling like that?”
”I just like to smile, smiling's my favorite” –Buddy the Elf

“We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.” –Buddy the Elf

“I'm a cotton-headed ninny-muggins.” –Buddy the Elf

Christmas Card

2011-12-15T13:08:00.001-08:00

The picture “runner-ups”

The Winner! I couldn’t resist the joy on our faces!

Zoo

2011-12-14T13:05:00.001-08:00

We decided to be spontaneous and make some family memories today. As one of Caleb’s songs say “At the zoo, at the zoo, at the zoooooooooooooooooooo!”

His favorite animal today. The duck!

Look at that girl, that sweet, happy, smiley girl. Of course she is in her Cat outfit and animal print pants for her first trip to the zoo!

Exploring around while waiting for the bus. I think he liked the bus and the ducks enough to make it worth the trip! haha.

Tis the Season

2011-12-03T18:55:00.001-08:00

We went out and picked out our Christmas tree tonight. Caleb kept giving us crazy looks as we tied a tree on our car and then put it in our house. If you think about it, it kinda is silly. Every year since Caleb’s first Christmas we have had all the intention to make a weekend getaway out of getting the tree and go to the mountains to cut it down. But every year we end up in a fancy lot like this one. Next year is the year…

What did the kids do while Mommy and Daddy decorated the tree?

Ansley’s first Christmas pictures.

We decided to not hang all of our ornaments this year, especially the balls because of Caleb being a little bandit and we didn’t want to deal with them breaking. As we were putting the boxes away we had a casualty. Got to break at least one a year right?

Caleb helping Daddy with a little Christmas cheer on the outside of the house.

Ansley-3 months

2011-12-02T12:48:00.001-08:00

Our little girl is getting big!

Last weight we knew was a couple of weeks ago at 9lbs 11oz. I think she is finally over the 10lb mark now.
Size 1 diapers
Wears mostly 0-3mo clothes, although she can wear newborn and some 3months
Trying very hard to find her thumb, and is getting very close. I love a thumb sucker so I can’t wait!
Very drooly
Loves to stand. She can hold on to your fingers and stand up. She is very strong.
Still no schedule yet
Smiles mostly at things but is getting her social smiles going too.
Still hates nursing and pitches a big fit if/when I try.
Takes 3oz pumped milk every 3hours or so during the day and usually gives us one long stretch(5-8hours) at night.
Loves the Baby Einstein activity mat, her bouncy chair with her little bugs and of course bathtime.
Sleeps in the pack-n-play on her tummy for naps and on her side in the bassinet in our room at night. She is sleeping on an incline with pillows supporting her so when I can figure out how to mimic that set up in her big crib, she will move to her room.

Watch me grow:

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T18:20:00.001-08:00

I was supposed to work this Thanksgiving, but ended up not. So we traveled to Josh’s grandparents, Papa and Vicki’s house for a few days. We all enjoyed some good family time and a Happy Thanksgiving together.

Neither kid cooperating for our family pictures. We thought about taking pictures all day, but of course it was almost bedtime before we actually did it. So this is our little family with a sleepy boy and a hungry girl. We are even thankful for each of their little whines!

Sibling Relationship

2011-11-17T17:19:00.001-08:00

How’s Caleb doing with her?

He is doing great! He loves her so much. We find him checking on her, giving her kisses and hugs all the time. If she is in reach of him he tries to get as close as possible and sometimes that means he gets right ON TOP of her. She is one lucky girl to have such a good, loving, sweet, protective big brother! She usually loves it and will watch what he does(there have been only a few tears from when he gets too ungracefully rough). And He is pretty darn lucky to have such a tolerant, sweet, easy-going little sister!

Wordless (and sightless) Wednesday

2011-11-16T10:55:00.001-08:00

Just Ansley

2011-11-12T11:02:00.001-08:00

Just because she is so stinking cute, I have to get some close-ups of our little girl. I can’t wait to be able to catch a smile, because her little face just lights up and she is even cuter!

Love her AME onsie with her little cardigan and hot pink head hairbow to match!

She likes to be propped up in the corner of the sofa or crib. The problem is she likes it so much that she squirms and wiggles that she ends up laying on her back really quick.

Music in the Evenings.

2011-11-09T10:46:00.001-08:00

Caleb has really been interested in all things music lately. So we have been putting on Pandora(an online music station) on the computer and having some family fun. Caleb will dance around or just stare at the computer screen(it’s a music station so there is not much to look at). He has also started really liking the guitar. He plays his air guitar, his guitar puzzle piece and his “Wiggles” guitar. So I suggested that Josh pull out his real guitar and show Caleb. He loves it. And I mean loves it. He is so fascinated by Daddy playing and also enjoys strumming himself.

Daddy and Ansley dancing

Ansley liked it.

One of Caleb’s dance moves. He does mini pushups to the beat of the music.

Caleb and Ansley dancing.

Mommy and Ansley

And of course, Caleb had to be in the mix too

Caleb getting his hands on the real guitar. He keeps wanting to touch the “buttons” at the top but we had to make a rule that he couldn’t because he cuts his fingers on the strings.

Daddy quickly trying to learn songs like “If your happy and you know it” and “Itsy bitsy spider” from a website.

Caleb reaching out to strum and help Daddy play.

I hope his interest in guitars continues through his childhood and that he will really learn how to play!

I told Josh that we will have to get him guitar lessons when he gets older. Josh said that he would teach him. A double bonus. Daddy/Son time and learning how to play an instrument.

HIGH FIVE! Good job boys!

Bath

2011-11-08T13:52:00.001-08:00

The girl loves her some bath time. She wiggles as much as she can until she is about under the water completely, then she stops and enjoys her spa!

Sometimes we double team baths. All four of us in the kid’s little tiny bathroom. It’s one of those routine tasks that we are turning into sweet family memories.

Ansley-2 months

2011-11-07T10:56:00.001-08:00

Height: 21.75inches; 15%
Weight: 9lbs; 10%
Head: 14.5; 5%
Drinking 3oz pumped milk about every 3hrs during the day. At night she goes anywhere from 3-8hrs between feedings. More towards the 3!
Starting to have more awake time but still not on a nap schedule
SMILING now! But very stingy with them
Notices and smiles at the dangle toys
Still sneezes a lot when we first lay her down on her back. She has the cutest sneeze.
Has the most pitiful, dramatic cry
Size 1 diapers
Wearing newborn and some 0-3month clothes
Hair is starting to come in. In the back its just long enough that you can pinch it and its looking like it has a red tint to it.
Loves to snuggle and sleep with us(we do make her sleep in her bassinet most of the time!)
Loves the bath. She cries when we take her out.
Loves “standing up”
When laying down(like on her boppy) she will try to lean forward and sit up. She is quite the strong girl.
People say she looks like a babydoll. If I have heard it once, I have heard it a million times.

Caleb-2 years

2011-11-07T10:51:00.001-08:00

He would have NOTHING to do with a 2year chair photoshoot. It drives me crazy that I can’t get him to smile. Well, shoot, not only can I not get him to smile, I cant get him NOT to cry hysterics.

Newborn, 1year and 2year comparison.

Height: 35.5inches, 75%
Weight: 29lb 10oz, 75%
Head:20inches, 93%
Favorite:
- Songs: Itsy bitsy spider, If your happy and you know it, hot dog(mickey mouse)
- Foods: hotdog(ketchup),chips, corn on the cob
Loves: books, blocks, being a bandit(and taking our stuff), roaming around outside, trains, balls, saying hi and bye to people when we are out(over and over)
Stopped both physical therapy and educational therapy!
Getting a speech therapy evaluation. We are on a mission to count your vocabulary and write down the words you say. We have 30 words that you say on a regular basis. So I think speech therapy is in your future!
Next motor goals are: walking up and down stairs and climbing into adult chairs/couches. Yes we are encouraging climbing on everything!
Sleeps from 7:30pm-6:30am and takes a 1-3hr nap in the afternoons.
Eats like a grown adult. We are going to be in trouble when he hits his teenage years!
Wears size 2T-3Tshirts, 18month-2T pants, size 6shoe and an adult size hat.
Size 5 diapers.

Pictures from his actual birthday. October 27th. We made such good memories last year when he turned one that we decided to do the same thing again. We picked up Daddy from work and drove to a local park where we had a Chick-fil-a picnic and had a little family birthday party lunch.

Caleb enjoying his chick-fil-a.

Opening presents. Whenever you ask him what book he wants to read, he always replies “DOG!”. Well we didn’t even have any dog books(we have borrowed them from the library before) so we got him a couple of dog books!

Such joy as parents to see the joy in your child.

A bubble train. More of a hit than I could have imagined.

Caleb with the girls and our hairbows! We had to be cute for his special day!

A little playtime.

The family of four with our birthday boy. Wish I would have brought some birthday hats!

Same place. Same food. Same day. One year earlier. One kid less.

Caleb’s 2nd Birthday Party

2011-11-05T03:11:00.001-07:00

He loves trains. As soon as he sees one on anything he says “CHOO!”. So of course we had to have a “choo party”.

The Birthday Boy

The party guests.

Brynn, Piper, Izzy

Jake, Nick, Ansley

The food table. Caleb figured out there were chips and grapes up there.

Some details.

Lunch. We had some of Caleb’s favorite foods. Hotdogs, corn on the cob, grapes and chips.

The homemade train cake. To Caleb with love Mommy.(Dairy, peanut and Egg free of course!)

Singing Happy birthday! haha.

The R family.

The C family. Their little girl gets called “B” sometimes and I almost just wrote the B family! haha.

The M family.

Us. A little blurry but still cute.

All the kids playing in our ~~dining room~~ playroom.

Presents. The kids helped Caleb open the gifts that they brought. Everyone was happy.

He really got into opening the presents this time. It was really cute to see him rip them open and be excited for what is inside. Thank you everyone.

Happy birthday to our sweet boy. We love you Caleb!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T17:34:00.001-07:00

Sunday we went out and picked out a pumpkin.

We came home and carved it. We did it in the garage this year because it was too cold to be outside.

Of course we had to have a quick taste.

Happy Halloween

Caleb loved being dressed up. He did not love taking pictures. As soon as we were done, he was done.

Ready to go.

I was able to borrow the fireman outfit and came up with the idea to make a white onsie into a dalmation/firedog for Ansley. I hope to not make any costumes in the future. But I probably will.

The first house. Jake’s.

Our little family trick-or-treating. (again…NO pictures!)

“Lets get a picture of the three neighborhood boys”. Yeah right.

The two babies. Both were dogs. Nick was pluto and Ansley was a firedog.

Caleb was done and we were out of houses in our little neighborhood, so back to pass out candy. Only problem was WE were the trick-or-treaters for the neighborhood. We didn’t get any others.

Since Caleb was done. Ansley and I went back out for another quick photoshoot. I couldn’t get over how cute she was!

Hope you had a Happy Halloween.

Wedding Weekend

2011-10-26T07:00:00.001-07:00

We had a wedding for a family friend in Atlanta this weekend. So Ansley and I drove down together. We were able to meet up with some good friends/college roommates during the day before the wedding. We had a blast shopping and hanging out.

LA, Jenn, Andrea and Ansley

While I was getting ready for the wedding, Jenn and Andrea were getting Ansley ready. The dress that Ansley is wearing was mine when I was little.

Congrats Ally and Jon. Ansley slept through the whole thing(thank goodness!). My brother John and his girlfriend, Allie(isn’t that funny Ally&Jon and Allie&John!) bet whether Ansley would make it through the whole ceremony. Allie won $10!

Party Time.

Duck, Duck, Goose

2011-10-18T17:46:00.001-07:00

Caleb got to feed some ducks today for the first time. I didn’t think he would care very much for the activity but he loved it. He started out throwing down whatever size piece of bread you gave him, but then he got a hang of it and started breaking it in pieces. He liked that they were a safe distance away from him, must say that I liked that part too.

Big Boy

2011-10-18T17:40:00.001-07:00

We graduated Caleb from the high chair to his booster chair. He now joins us at the table. I’d like to say we did it just because he was ready and didn’t need the high chair anymore. Although that is true, our main reason was because he is so messy and his booster/table is and will be easier to clean. We picked the spot at the table that isn’t near any walls or A/C vents! I must say I love having our big boy at the table these days and I love have the space back in the kitchen.

(Notice his cool big boy pajamas-Batman!)

Multitasking

2011-10-16T15:22:00.001-07:00

I am taking multitasking to a new level.

Using my Brestfriend to bottle feed so that I have a free hand to do other things like feed Caleb lunch, and eat lunch myself.

This is what I call “Making dinner for EVERYONE!”. I am pumping and cooking dinner. Dinner happens to be one of our “Let’s Dish” meals and was very very yummy.

Another night(Josh was working late) I was eating and pumping. Dinner this night was from one of our friends that signed up to bring us meals. It too was very yummy and we are very thankful for all the meals we are getting. Thanks Friends.

Here’s what my partners in crime looked like while I was pumping and eating. One was happily eating, one was pissed they were not.

(side note: Caleb loves rice, but he is about to be banned from eating rice at home!)

Pumping and holding Little Miss

I also pump while driving. Although I haven’t mastered taking a picture of it! Don’t worry I haven’t tried. It looks a little like the picture above, just insert steering wheel and put baby in her carseat.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T03:32:00.000-07:00

Fall Farm Family Fun

2011-10-10T15:02:00.001-07:00

Mommy took Caleb and Ansley to a local farm. We had beautiful weather and so much fun. We met several other families there too.

There were big silos of corn to play in,(I think it was C’s favorite, although he seemed to be so happy with anything we did there)

There were also lots of pumpkins,

A cow train,( He rode once with me. And then I got enough nerve up to let him ride by himself. He was such a big boy, did great and LOVED it.)

of course lots of photo ops,

This one would have been a cute picture!

Train hay rides,

tractors,

and haystacks!

Uncle Zach

2011-10-09T18:27:00.001-07:00

Uncle Zach came for a quick, spontaneous visit this weekend. Some of these pics are his from his point of view from the weekend, the rest are ours.

Playing outside.

Cute one.

Mommy and fussy Ansley

Uncle Z seeing that we feed that girl ALL the time.

She was having a little moment.

The wheels on the bus…

We have this thing with our family(LA’s family of origin) about “you done good” cakes. If you ‘done good’ then you get one! The boys said “you done good” when they saw pictures of Ansley. Uncle Z bought me a cake!

Got em! I knew someone loved me and was willing to put in cabinet locks for me! Uncle Z to the rescue! (oh and thanks Nana for putting in the one!)

Caught trying them out. Ha. ha.

Thanks Uncle Z for your hard work! He fought with the tiny screw, I think he finally won. I gave him an Elmo bandaide.

Wagon rides.

More eating.

Proud Uncle Zach and the kids.

Painting Pumpkins

2011-10-07T16:08:00.001-07:00

Some girls from work came over for a playdate! That’s a lot of 2 year olds(plus Colby and Ansley). Everyone brought pumpkins and they painted them and played in the yard. It was so fun to see the work girls again and for Caleb to play with some kids.

Caleb, his friends and their painted pumpkins

Playing in the yard.

Thanks for coming Liz, Ashley, Beka and Courtney!

Umbilical Cord

2011-10-07T09:02:00.001-07:00

It’s amazing to think about how the umbilical cord works. That it is the connection that I had with Ansley. It was her lifeline, where she got all of her nutrition and oxygen. A miracle really. Josh didn’t get to cut the cord with Caleb so it was definitely a special thing for him to be able to do that this time.

Here is what Ansley’s umbilical cord looked like at 1 minute old.

Here is what Ansley’s umbilical cord looked like at 1 day old.

Here is what Ansley’s umbilical cord looked like at 1 week old. They tell you to clean it with alcohol several times a day(after they put a medicine on it called triple dye) to help dry it out so that it will fall off.

Here is what Ansley’s umbilical cord looked like at 1 month old after the doctor cut off the rest of the stump that was hanging by a string. The yellowish part is where it was attached at. It is not infected but is where/how her body was “healing” so that it could fall off. Usually by the time that it falls off, this part is dried up also. Hers had a little more to do, so the Doctor told us to put salt on it for a couple of days.

Sounds weird and feels weird to put salt in her belly button but if you think about it, it makes sense. If you have a wound and go in salt water it helps it heal faster, this is basically the same thing. It turns the yellow part into a scab as it is healing. It has no nerve endings so none of this process hurts her.

And her is what her BELLY looks like now.

A Vineyard Retreat

2011-10-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

Josh worked a retreat last Saturday and the kids and I came along. Chris, Nicole and the girls were there too. It was a pretty cold day, especially with out the sun shinning but we stayed bundled. Nicole was a big help with Ansley and Caleb. Our car looked like we were staying for a week but we were well prepared and able to enjoy whatever the day threw at us.

Daddy working hard in the store.

Cousin Morgan

Cousin Cate.

Double Bob

2011-10-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

I took the kids out the other day for our first walk. This was before the fair so it was our first time out with our Bob. It was pretty fun and both kids did great. Caleb falls asleep so easy if he is tired at all so the only time we can go for walks is right after his nap! (he is mad I am taking his picture, not about the walk)

Mommy’s view.

He was so sweet the whole time. He held onto her foot and kept peeking at her to make sure she was ok.

Mommy Juice

2011-10-05T17:51:00.001-07:00

Since Caleb is allergic to milk, we call anything he drinks juice(water, juice or almond milk)-because we don’t want him to ask someone for milk and them give it to him. Caleb calls it “joo”. He thinks he has found treasure when he finds a bottle with “joo” in it. The other day I was feeding Ansley and pumping so I was doubly busy and he got ahold of her bottle. He was so excited and I couldn’t/didn’t want to do anything about it. I reminded myself that some people breastfeed their kids until they are 5, so a little “mommy juice” couldn’t hurt him. So now, breastmilk is called “mommy juice”.

He has 2oz, Ansley has 3.

The Fair

2011-10-05T06:00:00.001-07:00

We took a family day and went to the fair. It was such a good time for everyone.

Caleb and Mommy got armbands so we could ride as many rides as we wanted! Caleb HATED. I mean cried hysterically. Hated getting his armband scanned at the different rides.

The first ever carnie ride. The Slide.

Getting a pep talk about the arm band. We has just gotten our bands scanned and we waiting for the train ride to start.

Bethany, Piper, Mommy and Caleb.

YAY! So much fun.

Stopped for some BBQ lunch. Look at our cute little troopers!

He was actually pretty brave, more than his usual.

Looking at the cows and ponies.

Petting Zoo. NOT.A.FAN.

Mommy and Ansley stayed outside. This is Mommy’s view.

Daddy’s view. No wonder the kid was scared. Look at that beast!

HUGE horses. 2000lb and 17hands(for those of you who know horses)

We didn’t hear a peep out of her all day. Had sleepy and awake time and was just perfect!

Sheep.

Army “truck”. I think he said it shot bombs or rockets or something.

The carousel.

The bus. This was one of his favorites.

It went pretty high and fast for a kiddie ride. Got my tummy. Must of gotten his too because he loved it.

Another favorite. The sack slide.

Our family.

The R family.

Another kiddie ride.

“Lets go on one adult ride”. “OK”.

“Why are we doing this"?” (We are back row, middle with our arms up)

All done. Headed home with our sleepy boy and (of course, right on cue) our hungry baby.

1001 Reasons I need Cabinet locks.

2011-10-04T18:24:00.001-07:00

#1: Q-tips. Enough explanation.

#101: Socks. Caleb takes all of Josh’s socks and spreads them all over the upstairs, his favorite spot is his room. He also takes all his socks and puts them all over his room and in our room.

#459: My toiletries(deodorant, astringent,and facial lotion are the favorites) spread everywhere and anywhere. I am actually missing my make-up remover wipes.

#567: Bottles in sock drawers.

#798: (NoTe: The was not staged, he was CAUGHT!)He reorganizes our bathroom drawers several times a day.

#888: Deodorant in the closet. Isn’t this where you keep yours?

#990: Guitar in the toiletry drawer. Makes sense right?!?!?

#1001: My personal favorite! Broom in our kitchen drawer(sorta)! This makes me LOL!

I have been working on this post for quite sometime now, gathering evidence. I think I finally got enough critical pieces for my case!

Silly boy

2011-10-04T18:11:00.001-07:00

I sat him in his high chair the other day with his dinner in a bowl and a spoon to eat it with. Silly boy starts eating with our ice cream scoop! He snuck the ice cream scoop somehow when I picked him up. Never saw it until he started eating with it.

It’s kinda hard to eat peas and rice with a big ice cream scoop. But he gave it a good try!

(notice the real spoon on his tray that I gave him to use!)

Nursery Complete

2011-10-02T13:51:00.001-07:00

In my blog post about the nursery, I listed some things that we were still working on. Well at exactly the one month mark, I finally have a finished room! I love love love her room. It is so cute!

Shelves are up. “My first baby doll”, a photo(with her little tootsies and our wedding rings)bank, and a cute fabric elephant card we got with one of her baby gifts.

The two frames are ones we used at our wedding as part of our table decorations. I changed out the pictures for two of the maternity photo shoot pics. The flowers are from the top of a diaper cake I had at one of our baby showers.

Frames are up and have the right pictures in them! Two are maternity pics(one was the belly with blocks spelling her name picture and a family of three and a belly picture) and the rest are from her newborn photo shoot(the one of her on her back in a basket, one on her tummy and of course the big bow picture).

(GREAT)Aunt Nicole made Ansley her wooden letters and they are absolutely beautiful!! The detail is amazing and the colors match perfectly!

And of course we have the last missing piece(as mentioned in the other post): Little Miss.

Ansley Elizabeth-1month old

2011-09-29T17:28:00.001-07:00

All things Ansley:

Weight: 8lb 2oz, 20%(birth weight 6lb 9oz)
Height: 20.25inches ,25%(birth height 19.5inches)
Head:15%
Hates: Breastfeeding, big burps, sucking(no paci either), getting her noses sucked out
Loves: cuddle time, sling carrier, to be swaddled, big hairbows(oh wait that’s Mommy!), sleeping on us, her side or her belly, looking at the chandelier in the kitchen
Eats 2-4oz every 2-4hours of breastmilk from the Avent bottles
Her defense mechanism when she is stressed(shots, lumbar puncture etc) is sleeping and lots of it
Sleeps most of the time, she does wake and have very short periods of awake time in between. At night she is either swaddled and in her bassinet or snuggled with one of us. Daytime sleep is anywhere!
She is very tolerable of Caleb’s sweet and not-so-sweet touches, kisses, rubs, hugs, and pokes.
Lost her umbilical cord stump(it was hanging by a thread and the doctor cut it off at her one month appointment)
Wears newborn clothes and some 0-3(because they are just too cute to wait), and newborn diapers
Finally got her room finished(pics coming soon!)
Number of:

Times Hospitalized:2(birth included)
boo-boos:4(IV, spinal tap,diaper rash(s) and umbilical cord)
Colds:1
Times rolled over from front to back(even if it doesn’t count):3
Times pounded in the head by big brother:too many to count
Times went to church:2
Trips to Mommy’s work:3
Trips to Daddy’s work:1

Library Story time

2011-09-28T05:52:00.001-07:00

Our first full day by ourselves was today and we took a trip to the library. They have a free story time almost every Tuesday mornings. His class is up to 23months, luckily there is a 2’s class too! He loves it. The guy in the yellow shirt leads it, he reads a couple of books, sings a few songs and gets out shakers and toys to play with.

Caleb is really into “dog” books here lately, so on our way to the library we were talking about getting some dog books. Lucky us, it was DOG week. He he is petting the big stuffed animal dog!

Ansley had some happy awake time and then drifted off to sleep.

Once we got home(and I had to pump), Caleb enjoyed some of his library finds a “dog” book and a “choo” dvd.

Strong girl

2011-09-27T16:58:00.001-07:00

Before:

During:

After:(she even smiled after, like she was proud of herself!)

This girl is so strong. She will just wiggle and push and squirm and move until she gets where she want to be. She has actually rolled over from tummy to back 3 different times(one of the times she wasn’t even upset. I’m not thinking that it “counts” but it’s still pretty impressive! She is also very good at holding her head up and with her head control in general. You have to be careful where you put her. Even putting her laying across your lap, she will kick and wiggle right off!

Helpers version 2.0

2011-09-26T17:41:00.001-07:00

Nana came and helped us out for a week. She was such a blessing to have her with us. She helped us feed and take care of Ansley, clean up, wash pumping parts and bottle, organize pumping parts and bottles, cook dinners and play with Caleb(and rock Caleb in the middle of the night). She was such a great help that she was worn out by the end of the week! She spoiled us all by bringing some cute clothes for Ansley, treating Mommy to Yamato(a favorite Japanese restaurant) and other yummy meals, giving Daddy a break after work and getting Caleb new toys.

Nana and her grandbabies.

Nana helping feed and burp Ansley.

Caleb showing Nana what happens when she spends too much time with Ansley and not enough for him!

Lots of Nana/Caleb time was spent reading books and playing with one of his new toys, Thomas the train-“choo”.

Nana took Caleb for his first trip to Toys-R-us. They came home with this double slide climber! Daddy, Nana and Caleb all worked very hard to put it together! (early birthday present!)

We moved his sandbox and pool and made a little playground area in the backyard for little boy! He loves going out there now. He will go to the back door and move the blinds(which he shouldn’t do!) and look for his new play area, asking to go outside. We put it in a mostly shady area so Ansley and I will have a place to hang out while big brother plays.

Papa and Grandma Vicki came as our last set of helpers. I cant believe how fast and slow time is going all at the same time. Caleb learned how to say “Papa” and “Grandma”. Grandma made us lots of yummy meals! They were a nice transition because they didn’t stay with us(they stayed at a hotel), so we didn’t have them first thing in the mornings or in the evenings after dinner. Both times of the day are hectic and busy for us, so we got to ease into our days alone, doing just parts at a time.

Papa and Grandma

Papa had his fair share of helping out. Lots of snuggle and feedings with Ansley.

And lots of playing with Caleb. Caleb asked to go outside with Papa all day, even the minute they came back in! Thanks for being a trooper,Papa!

Rainy day #3! Papa, Grandma and Caleb all got their raincoats on and took a field trip. Papa said “ok, Sport!”, when he was picking him up in the garage to run him out to the car in the pouring rain! I love that Caleb gets some good Papa time!

But Grandma had Caleb’s heart in the kitchen. That boy loves to eat and that grandma loves to feed that boy!

So many (healthy) options!

Thanks Papa and Vicki for all of your time and generosity! We loved spending that time with you and are very thankful for all your hard work!

Go BIG or….

2011-09-25T18:01:00.001-07:00

go hungry!

The epiphany: The lactation consultant we saw once(at the very beginning of the feeding struggle) suggested we use the nipples and bottle on the right. She said that it would be better because Ansley was eating so little, that way we could really monitor(better more exact measurements) how much she was actually eating. So I happily switched from the bottles that I had(Avent) to the free disposable hospital bottles. She takes those bottles great, the only problem is she still won’t breastfeed. Where does my epiphany come in? “I" look nothing like the nipple on the right! Avent nipples are known for being good to use with breastfeeding because they resemble(believe it or not!) a mom. Ansley HATES and I mean HATES having the nipple flair out. She acts like she acts when she breastfeeds when she tries to drink from the Avent bottle.

The plan: To take away all things that don’t have the “boob flair” and make her make the transition. If I can win her over to the Avent bottles then I will have won her over to the boob.

The immediate future isn’t looking so fun. She is going to fight us and feedings are going to take FOREVER! I told Josh that we need to really support each other and not cave, especially in the night, and go back to the small nipple(which includes the hospital paci she takes too). Oh, when is this feeding struggle going to end?

Praise God!

2011-09-22T11:32:00.001-07:00

Our celebratory picture with milk all over Ansley’s face! I couldn’t get downstairs fast enough to share(and show) our good news! Ansley just wanted to keep eating!

We had a truly successful breastfeeding! And when I say successful, I mean swallow after swallow after swallow, with a choke in the middle, add 3 extra minutes and a burp at the end SUCCESSFUL! And when I pumped afterward I got 1oz less from the side I feed her on! (side note: when I fed her on Tuesday at my Breastfeeding support group, she got 0.3oz from me!) We have had a couple of good sessions but it would be like a total of 2-3 swallows the whole time. We have been praying for Ansley like crazy! And Praise God, we can say Thank you Lord! We are still a bit away from loosing the bottle but I am thankful for every little success! I was singing “Cast all your cares” and “How great is our God” over and over the whole time she was eating trying to remain calm and relaxed(Penny, our smart start nurse, said that when you aren’t relaxed it shuts off the milk flow), and to remember Who is in control.

Sorry for another Breastfeeding post, but as you can tell feeding our Little Miss is running our lives right now!

“…and again I say rejoice!”

Helper in the night

2011-09-19T08:50:00.001-07:00

I forgot to mention one very important helper, Uncle John! He just recently moved up here to go to law school and fortunately for us was available the night we went into the hospital. Saturday evening before things started really hurting(the day before Ansley was born), I called John and asked him if he would rather come spend the night(SLEEPOVER!!!!) just in case or be called in the middle of the night when we really needed him. He voted for the sleepover! We really didn’t want to have to wake up Caleb in the middle of the night and either have someone watch a wide awake toddler or take him with us and then it be a false alarm. So we were very relieved to have John!

Thanks Uncle John! We are so very grateful for you!

Allie, John’s girlfriend, wasn’t here when she was born, but she came up the next weekend!

Pumping world

2011-09-15T16:34:00.001-07:00

My life these days is centered more around pumping than anything else. Josh thought it was bad when I pumped 1-2x/night a couple of nights a week with Caleb(when I was at work). I thought it was bad too. We were both really not looking forward to that part of breastfeeding. Our worst nightmare,pumping wise, has come true! I pump 8-10x per day. I have been for over a week now. It not only takes the actual time and annoyance of pumping(15-60min at a time). But you can probably add hours of dishwashing now too.

On a SUPER positive note though, I think that I might be getting ahead of her! Since I started pumping after every feeding about a week and half ago, I would have only one bottle in the fridge. The bottle that I just pumped, ready for the next feeding, and usually I would have to pull some of my frozen milk out to get the right amount that she needed. But just since last night I have 4+ bottles ready to go! I am so excited and hopeful! Praise God! She is still nursing for about 10minutes(every now and then she gets herself extra time added to the end if she is actively eating) and then takes about 2.5oz. Although she does “demand” an extra ounce every now and then.

But look at that cute little face. She makes everything worth it!

It’s a tough job being a big brother…

2011-09-15T13:50:00.001-07:00

but someone has to do it.

Caleb has been down to one nap for several months now. But since Ansley was born, he is falling asleep so easily. And then still taking a good nap in the afternoon. No matter where we go or what time we go he has been falling asleep in the car! And then today we had our first day of bible study, and he actually fell asleep in his class. He didn’t fall asleep because he was crying and then someone was holding him or rocking him, no, this boy laid down on the carpet and went to sleep. Never cried or whined. He had carpet imprint and a dazed look on his face to prove it when I picked him up!

Smart Start

2011-09-14T18:00:00.001-07:00

Our county has a free program called Smart Start, where a RN follows you and your baby until they are 6weeks old. They keep an eye on baby’s weight, mom’s blood pressure and any other problems that you and your baby might have. Here is our nurse, Penny! She weighed Ansley today and she weighed in at 6lbs 14oz! This picture makes me laugh because you can add a conversation bubble from Ansley about not wanting to see her weight!

“Don’t tell me…”

Here is Penny when she came when Caleb was first born!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

Breastfeeding Support Group

2011-09-13T12:03:00.001-07:00

Hi. My name is Leigh Anne and I have a problem.

The hospital started this breastfeeding support group that you can go to every week. I decided to go because I need all the help I can get! The benefits that I was particularly looking forward to was 1. I could weigh her and see how much she had gained, and 2. I could get a chance to talk to the lactation girls again.

When I got there, there was a circle of chairs, with about 8 moms and their babies and their BOOBS! Some a little less shy than others. Being a labor and delivery nurse, I help moms breastfeed, but there was just something different about a boob circle! The lactation nurse that I last dealt with, Bev, was there and I was so happy to see her again. I immediately took Ansley over to the scale and weighed in. She was 6lbs 10.4oz! Yay, Ansley! Our goal is .5-1oz/day weight gain. Our weight gain over the past 5days was just under 1oz/day! ‘Weigh’ to go baby! Now to work on more of the milk from me than from the bottle!

The whole time that I was there I felt like I was apart of a documentary. Maybe the family that was from San Francisco in the movie-“Babies”. Most of the moms were a little “hippy”, “earthy”, or just plain weird for me! They were all really nice and welcoming, apparently most of them go to many different new-mom groups now. I guess it was nice to know that I am not the only one worried about weight gain or milk supply. But the biggest help was coming up with a few more “tricks” to do by talking to the lactation consultant.(like doing Kangaroo care,skin to skin, again). I don’t know if I will go again or not. We will see how I feel next week…

Here’s what 6lb 10.4oz looks like. (Above birth weight of 6lb 9oz!)

Family resemblance

2011-09-12T18:15:00.001-07:00

Or lack there of: Mommy’s baby pictures. Can a Momma get any kids that look like her?!?!?

Daddy’s baby pictures.

Caleb

Ansley

Caleb and Ansley

Photographer Mommy

2011-09-12T17:26:00.001-07:00

By the end of the newborn photoshoot Ansley was done, awake and tired of being moved around and posed. She wanted nothing to do with more posing or pictures. Which was fine because I felt like “we” got some good shots. However, I did have some props that didn’t get used. So I was determined to have a photo shoot of my own.

The first prop was this cute pink flower headband. Love!

The second was this doll bed that I had as a child. My Aunt Anne made it for me back in 1987 when I was 6.

For not being a photographer, not having a good camera or having good lighting, I thought that I got some pretty decent shots! I tried the other day to do the bed shot with her nake-nake but she would have nothing to do with it. She kept wanting to stretch out and wiggle everywhere.

Newborn Photo shoot

2011-09-11T17:26:00.001-07:00

by Century Photography

We’re going to frame this one and put it in our living room.

Mommy loves her babies!

Little girl already has Daddy wrapped around her finger!

So sweet! Little gentleman giving kisses on sissy’s hand.

Two men and a little lady.

I loved the headbands Jennifer brought to the photoshoot! Nice and dainty.

Love.

Sweet slumber.

So what if my bow is bigger than my head!

Snuggly.

The next two pics, she is laying on the blanket their great great grandma made them. Caleb also has some pictures with this blankey.

All because two people fell in love!

Love this one too! The cheeks and thighs are an optical illusion that make her look like she has body fat!

Dilemmanade

2011-09-11T11:09:00.001-07:00

When life gives me dilemmas, I make dilemmanade. –Allie S.

(a quote I found on facebook, that made me literally laugh out loud)

Ansley has had quite the start feeding wise. She didn’t want to suck at all until she was 20hours old. We had learned our lesson with Caleb going too long with out eating, so I immediately started pumping and dropper feeding her. This saved us from having problems with her blood sugar and jaundice. Between hospital stays I thought that she was eating. It was a fight to nurse her but I didn’t think anything abnormal was going on. With all the procedures during her second hospital stay, she went a long stretch again without eating again. We pulled out the dropper again to get any amount of milk in her. With all the stress going on with me worrying about my little girl and her not eating right, I almost lost all of my milk supply. It took me a couple of days after she got discharged to realize something(or nothing in this case) was going on.

Ever since I realized there were abnormal difficulties with her nursing. I started pumping after every feeding and giving her what milk I did have in a bottle. She immediately started to gain weight and have more awake times. Both signs to me that she was in starvation/hibernation mode. Even though the pediatrician wasn’t alarmed yet, my mother’s intuition had kicked in and I knew something had to be done. I called the lactation consultants from the hospital and scheduled an appointment. They were able to weigh her before and after she “ate”. Unfortunately she gained no weight, which means that she got no milk.

Anatomy wise, Ansley has everything working against her. She is a cute one just doesn’t have the mouth needed to help her with nursing. Her mouth is too small, her palate is too high, her tongue is too far back. All things that are just her normal. She also doesn’t have a strong suck or a strong desire to eat. And with my diminished milk supply we were not a winning team.

I have started to take a herbal medicine called Fenugreek three times a day, and a prescription medicine, Reglan, three times a day. Both medicines are supposed to increase your milk supply. It is crazy that I am dealing with a decreased supply because with Caleb, I had so much milk not only would I drown him, I was able to feed another baby with my excess milk! So now I am trying to breastfeed her for 10minutes only(so she doesn’t waste too many calories working too hard), then I bottle feed her, then I have to pump so I have some milk for the next feeding. It is quite the intense feeding regimen, but we hope that once she gets a little bigger and a little stronger we will be able to successfully breastfeed again.

Everyone has been able to get in on the feeding action these days.

I found these verses this week in my emailed daily devotions. They brought me to tears and to realize that even though I don’t feel like it, God is in control.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” –Phil. 4:6-7

“Be still and know that I am God” –Psalm 46:10

“It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones. Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them.” Psalm 127:1-5a

Our first helpers

2011-09-10T18:06:00.001-07:00

Our first helping visitors were Josh’s parents, Gdad and Gma. They were here for our first week, which turned out to be a crazy one. It was so nice to have them here when they were because when we were admitted back to the hospital we knew we could have some peace with who was keeping Caleb. They had some full days and nights. They even ventured out with Caleb to many different places like shopping, restaurants, parks and the Children’s Museum(and of course the hospital daily!).

Our next help was my grandma-Meme! The last time she was here was right after Caleb was born. I have such fond memories of that time we got to spend with her, I was so excited to have her able to come back. She is such a sweet loving grandma, bringing peace and godly insight to what has turned out to be a stressful time(because of Ansley’s health and feeding issues).

We were sad to see Gma, Gdad and Meme leave us. We appreciate all their help. Thank the Lord we have more reinforcements on the way(my mom-Nana and Josh’s grandparents- Papa/Grandma Vicki). More later on Ansley’s feeding issues, but with her issues and with a toddler(not to mention the exhaustion part!), help is definitely needed at this point!

Sweet siblings

2011-09-10T14:50:00.001-07:00

This was Ansley’s first time in her crib, and she looked adorable in it! Caleb has been using her crib to play in for a while now,so of course he had to get in too! Caleb tries to be so sweet with her, he just underestimates his size and gracefulness!

He about attacks her trying to give her kisses. First is kisses on her head(with the “MMMMMMMMMMMMM” sound effect too), and then he grabs her hand and goes in for kisses there too! I will take it. I think kisses are better than hitting, even if he is a “GWB”. (Graceful water buffalo:This is what Josh and I say when someone is a little clumsy, ungraceful or just a bit unaware of their body!)

Operation: First sponge bath at home.

2011-09-06T18:03:00.001-07:00

Mission #1: To get our little stinky girl clean. (successfully completed)

Mission #2: To help Ansley sleep better by doing it right before the bedtime feeding. (Mission failed, this sleeping beauty didn’t stay asleep too long! Operation “swaddle baby” is back or even operation “just sleep and snuggle with us” seems to be working the best right now)

Thanks Gmom for your help getting our sweet girl smelling sweet again!

Big Brother

2011-09-06T17:46:00.001-07:00

Caleb holding Ansley

Who says the “hooter hider” is only good for one thing?!?!? It also doubles as Caleb’s cape!

Caleb is still trying to figure out this breastfeeding thing!

Whenever we(especially Mommy) change, bath or feed Ansley, Caleb is right there. He is our little supervisor.

He really is being such a good big brother. Last week it didn’t really hit him what was going on. But we can tell that it’s hitting him harder this week. He is just being a little extra whinny and clingy. And if he has kissed her once he has kissed her a thousand times. It got so “bad” that I had to make a rule that there was no kissing while she is eating.

Just a routine doctor’s appointment

2011-09-04T18:03:00.001-07:00

We had our routine doctor’s appointment set up for 2 days after we got home from the hospital to check her weight. Ansley was having a little trouble with sleeping and eating, but what newborn doesn’t?

I would have to dropper feed her to either get her interested in food or to just get some milk in her. She had been finicky about eating since she was born. She literally did not suck until she was 20hours old. But besides that we didn’t think anything else was going on.

Daddy went back to work for a few hours, so Gdad took us to the doctor. We decided to get Caleb out of the house for a little field trip. He wasn’t supposed to fall asleep!

Both kids knocked out on our 20minute drive.

At the doctor’s office.

New weight: 6lbs 2oz. (birth weight 6lb 9oz, and going home weight 6lb 4oz)

Getting measured again. Only 19 inches now that her cone head has rounded out.

Getting snuggly waiting on the doctor to come in.

This was right before she came back in to tell us that her rectal temperature was 94-96degrees and that we were being sent directly to the hospital. No pictures were taken of my breakdown. I immediately called Josh at work and had him meet us at the doctor’s office.

As soon as we got to the hospital we were admitted to the pediatric unit. They started and IV, drew some blood, got a urine sample with a catheter and did a spinal tap. In newborns when they are sick they can either spike a fever(like adults do) or can get hypothermic(which Ansley did). If an infection is present, treatment is needed immediately. Right after all of the labs were drawn, IV antibiotics were started just in case. She was under a warmer(see her rosey cheeks!) and finally was warm for the first time in days! I was able to give her “sweeties” (sugar water with a dropper) and it actually kept her calm and she fussed very little during all of the procedures. I was really amazed at how well the sweeties worked.

Her little IV. And of course we had to have a pink board!

We had to step out of the room for the spinal tap and I finally got her back! Mommy and Ansley are sitting under the warmer.

Daddy spent half his time at the hospital with us and half at home with Caleb.(Josh’s parents were still in town and were watching Caleb!). Josh had to pack my bags and he had a great idea to get this 9mo sleeper sack for Ansley. It was huge and perfect. Her little IV was able to fit in the big sleeve and it was able to keep her nice, warm and cute.

The next morning you could really tell she was started to feel better. Nice and alert.

For the couple of days we were home, she only wanted to sleep on our chest. We thought she was getting spoiled. Turns out the girl just wanted our body heat. Poor girl. Now she is able to take naps by herself since she was nice and warm again.

Daddy and Gdad would send Mommy picture texts and videos of Caleb. I missed that little boy so much, I cried!

We had awesome nurses. One of the night shift nurses got a movie for us and we were able to “have our first girl’s movie night!”

Gma and Gdad brought Caleb up to visit everyday!

Hospital ICE!

Using the warmer again just to have some nake-nake time and air out that bottom!

She had an IV in her left arm, 3 heart monitor stickies on her chest and a oxygen monitor wrap around her toe. Try handling and holding a baby with all of those wires!

Discharge Day! We gave her a little bird bath and changed her sleeper sack. The only problem was we didn’t have any more girly ones, so we used a Caleb hand-me-down. All of her lab results came back negative! Her discharge weight was 6lbs 7.5oz! Talk about some weight gain!

But don’t worry she still had her pink hat on!