You Only Live Once, This Is How I'm Doing It!

Month: April 2013 Page 1 of 2

One Month Old

wesley-1mnth-2-850

Weight: 8 lbs 11oz

Length: 22 1/2 inches

Clothing size: Newborn for onesies and pants. He’s officially too long for any of his footed clothes that are newborn sized. The 0-3 months size kind of swim on him still though because he hasn’t chunked out yet.

Diaper size: Newborn. We’ve tried going up to size 1 a couple times but they’re still comically big on him, although less so than they used to be.

Sleep: He takes 4 or 5 naps a day. At night he generally sleeps 3 to 4 hour stretches at a time, usually totaling 8-12 hours before he’s up again for the day.

Approximate number of photos I’ve taken of Wesley: 1,300

Approximate diapers changed: 320+

wesley-phoebe-blue-1mnth-850

Don’t know how I got so lucky to get such a sweet, happy little peanut. Happy one month, mister dude.

Weekly Wesley: Four

Four-Weeks-Old

Lights have become the most interesting thing in the world this week. Obviously.

This week Wesley has become so much more interactive and alert. He has also started cooing which absolutely slays me. He is a super happy, sweet baby. Unless there’s a problem (ie. he’s hungry, sleepy or needs his diaper changed) he is just a content baby who likes to stare at lights and out the window.

wesley-grin

I finally got my first real smile this morning and it was one of my favorite moments ever. It came after a really crappy night of sleep. He woke up around 4am and didn’t sleep for more than 10-20 minutes at a time after that. Thankfully he wasn’t fussy, he was just awake. I still wasn’t thrilled to be up and the sleepiness had me a bit grumpy. That went away in an instant when he looked me right in the eyes and, with a coo, flashed me the most adorable crooked smile. I’ll never forget it. Bad mood? Gone.

dad-75

He had another big outing this week. My dad turned 75 so we had a little party to celebrate. It was so nice seeing my dad so happy. Wesley was a dream. I put him in the wrap and he passed out and slept the entire party. The weather was beautiful so we got some of our first family shots outside by the lake.

Abigail-Joel-Wesley-Lake

I love our little family.

The next day is was still beautiful out so we took Wesley for his first walk.

wesley-first-walk

I’m so freaking glad spring finally decided to show up.

Mom-Baby-Water

Other milestones:

  • I finally got around to cutting little man’s nails. I was nervous but I waited until he was sound asleep and I didn’t cut anything but his nails.
  • He can now relatch himself when he’s nursing. He isn’t great at it and I have to help him more times than not. Still, it’s nice that he can sometimes do it himself.
  • He took a pacifier for the first time. I rarely give it to him but every once in awhile, when he’s definitely not hungry but seems to want to suck still, I’ll give it to him.
  • He actually enjoyed a bath for the first time. Up till then he hated them. This time though he was content and happy in it. I hope this continues.
  • He met his Oma (my mom’s mom) and his Aunt Bekah.

One last adorable thing happened this week. At the party my nephew Jordan kept asking to hold Wesley. I let him a couple times and he was so sweet and gentle with him. I snapped a couple of pictures and then later my sister sent me this text.

Jordan-and-Wesley

There really is nothing like the bond of cousins. I look forward to seeing him grow up with them. He has a whole group of best friends who can’t wait to wrestle, play and run around with him.

Weekly Wesley: Three

3rd-week

Joel went back to work so it was just Wesley and I this week. It went much better than I expected. Of course I basically get nothing done so my house is a bit of a disaster. My day basically goes: nurse, sit under Wesley while he naps, Wesley wakes up, change him, set him down and let him cry for a minute while I pee, grab water and food as fast as possible and repeat. So, not much gets done other than keeping the baby fed and happy. He doesn’t really nap more than a few minutes if I set him down.

mayawrap

This Saturday I tried my Maya wrap for the first time though and loved it so I’m hopeful that it will free my hands up a bit to at least get some things done. I also have a couple Moby wraps that I want to finally try. I’m pretty sure I can’t nurse him in the Moby though so I’m not sure it is practical since he eats so often right now.

mamaroo

Another thing that will (hopefully) help is this mamaRoo that Joel won! Wesley actually napped in it for almost an hour this weekend. It was pretty amazing. If I get some more hands free time I will be finishing and posting the birth story. I would really love to have it up before he hits the one month mark. We’ll see if life accommodates that goal though.

Wesley-doctor-3

Wesley hit his birth weight finally. He actually went over it, by an ounce. Yay! I was getting sick of the weekly $20 copay just to set him on a scale. I mean, obviously if there was something wrong I’d want to know so we went. It’s nice that he hit that base now, it’s definitely a load off my mind.

funny-faces

He’s way more alert this week. Especially in the last couple of days. It’s fun that he has awake times that he’s not screaming his head off because he’s hungry or needs a diaper change. The alert times are only a few minutes long but I’m loving the eye contact. Plus, he makes the most hilarious faces. This kid is cracking me up already. I’m so excited to see his first “real” smiles. Joel actually got a real smile today. I’m not jealous yes I am.

Other milestones:

  • He rolled from his stomach to his back during tummy time on the 17th. I missed it again totally not jealous but Joel said he was kicking so hard that he (accidentally?) rolled himself over. It seemed to really startle him too.
  • He had his first big public outing which was to my nephew’s 2nd birthday party. He was passed around amongst my family and loved the attention.
  • Little man broke out with some serious newborn acne. Everything I’ve read said it doesn’t bother him which is good because it looks really painful. Hopefully it doesn’t stick around too long.
  • We got the photos from the newborn shoot in the mail. They’re so adorable! I’ll be posting my favorites a little later this week.

I’m hoping this next week is at least as smooth as the previous one. I know it’s too early to declare any kind of routine but I am definitely starting to feel more comfortable. I even have had moments where I actually felt like a mom. I think him being more alert has made me feel more connected to him. He is already so adorable and I can’t wait to get to know his little personality even more.

Weekly Wesley: Three

3rd-week

Joel went back to work so it was just Wesley and I this week. It went much better than I expected. Of course I basically get nothing done so my house is a bit of a disaster. My day basically goes: nurse, sit under Wesley while he naps, Wesley wakes up, change him, set him down and let him cry for a minute while I pee, grab water and food as fast as possible and repeat. So, not much gets done other than keeping the baby fed and happy. He doesn’t really nap more than a few minutes if I set him down.

mayawrap

This Saturday I tried my Maya wrap for the first time though and loved it so I’m hopeful that it will free my hands up a bit to at least get some things done. I also have a couple Moby wraps that I want to finally try. I’m pretty sure I can’t nurse him in the Moby though so I’m not sure it is practical since he eats so often right now.

mamaroo

Another thing that will (hopefully) help is this mamaRoo that Joel won! Wesley actually napped in it for almost an hour this weekend. It was pretty amazing. If I get some more hands free time I will be finishing and posting the birth story. I would really love to have it up before he hits the one month mark. We’ll see if life accommodates that goal though.

Wesley-doctor-3

Wesley hit his birth weight finally. He actually went over it, by an ounce. Yay! I was getting sick of the weekly $20 copay just to set him on a scale. I mean, obviously if there was something wrong I’d want to know so we went. It’s nice that he hit that base now, it’s definitely a load off my mind.

funny-faces

He’s way more alert this week. Especially in the last couple of days. It’s fun that he has awake times that he’s not screaming his head off because he’s hungry or needs a diaper change. The alert times are only a few minutes long but I’m loving the eye contact. Plus, he makes the most hilarious faces. This kid is cracking me up already. I’m so excited to see his first “real” smiles. Joel actually got a real smile today. I’m not jealous yes I am.

Other milestones:

  • He rolled from his stomach to his back during tummy time on the 17th. I missed it again totally not jealous but Joel said he was kicking so hard that he (accidentally?) rolled himself over. It seemed to really startle him too.
  • He had his first big public outing which was to my nephew’s 2nd birthday party. He was passed around amongst my family and loved the attention.
  • Little man broke out with some serious newborn acne. Everything I’ve read said it doesn’t bother him which is good because it looks really painful. Hopefully it doesn’t stick around too long.
  • We got the photos from the newborn shoot in the mail. They’re so adorable! I’ll be posting my favorites a little later this week.

I’m hoping this next week is at least as smooth as the previous one. I know it’s too early to declare any kind of routine but I am definitely starting to feel more comfortable. I even have had moments where I actually felt like a mom. I think him being more alert has made me feel more connected to him. He is already so adorable and I can’t wait to get to know his little personality even more.

Seventh Anniversary

Joel and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary today. Since our lives have been recently taken over by a tiny dictator…

Give me all your milk!

Give me all your milk!

We didn’t go out or do anything super fancy.

Joel did bring me some beautiful flowers, made me a delicious dinner and poured me my first glass of wine in… over a year, at least. It was really sweet.

anniversary2

I’m not sure how I got so lucky with this amazing guy. He treats me like a queen and is the most amazing dad. I could go on and on but frankly my brain is a bit frazzled and now Wesley is starting to fuss so I won’t.

I’ll just say it’s been a good seven years. This is the start of a completely new chapter in our lives and I’m so excited to see where it takes us. I can’t imagine a better partner for this adventure.

Weekly Wesley: Two

Wesley-Week-Two

He barely fits into that newborn sized outfit anymore. Only in length though, he still has yet to really chunk out.

This week I felt much more comfortable with the whole parenting thing. I still feel like someone might take him back at any minute. How can he possibly be my kid? I’m a mom? This is still so weird and unreal to me. I love him though, in a fierce, takes-my-breath-away, makes-me-want-to-squeeze-him-forever, terrified-of-anything-happening-to-him kind of way. I suppose that’s what being a mom feels like?

nip

Breastfeeding is still going well. I even nursed in public for the first time. I did at what I felt was a pretty “safe” place, Buy Buy Baby. I mean, how can anyone get offended by breastfeeding in a baby store, right? It went well and no one said a word. He still eats pretty much around the clock, if he’s awake, he’s eating but I don’t mind too much. There are times where I feel like I’ll always be buried underneath a baby but I know that can’t possibly be the case. People don’t carry around their toddlers 24/7, despite what people on Twitter would lead me to believe. So, I’m working on enjoying every moment of squishy baby cuddles because I know they’re not forever. And every once in awhile he wants or needs something that isn’t my boob. Like a diaper change. Based on the number of diapers he goes through I don’t ever have to wonder if he’s getting enough milk.

carseat

Sleep is still going well. He wakes up 2 or 3 times a night so I’m getting 2-4 hour stretches at a time. Can’t complain about that really. Last night he had an hour and a half crying session but it turned out to be gas related. I did overindulge in chocolate so I’m guessing that was the culprit. Once he had not one but two very dirty diapers he finally ate and fell asleep for the night. He still only really sleeps if I’m holding him or he’s pressed up against me, although every once in a great while he’ll sleep somewhere else. He actually takes his best naps in his car seat, which I can’t complain about at all. We somehow got a kid who loves to sleep in the car. This bodes well for future travel. Yay!

Wesley-Doctors-Office-BW

We got a new pediatrician this week. Not because we disliked the other one but because we got a letter from our insurance saying we’d picked someone out of network. That insurance thing is a whole fiasco that I may or may not take the time to write about. Let’s just say for now it was a giant headache. Thankfully I love the new guy that we picked. He was very supportive of me breastfeeding, saying it’s the best thing we could be doing for Wesley, even better than vaccines. The last pediatrician gave me formula samples because Wesley had lost slight more than the “normal” 5% of his birth weight. This pediatrician said that as much as 20% is normal for breastfed babies and since Wesley is gaining weight slowly but surely he’s not too concerned. We do have to go back again this week to check Wesley’s weight. I’m hoping he is at least up to birth weight this time so we can stop going in every week and switch to just monthly visits.

Joel-Wesley-cuddles

Joel goes back to work tomorrow. Sob! That’s all I have to say about that.

Other Milestones:

  • We had our first little outing with Wesley. It was a quick trip to the grocery store so Joel could look for some Mountain Dew in glass bottles. The man may be a bit addicted to Mountain Dew.
  • Wesley retook his hearing test since he failed one ear at the hospital. Thanks to a very patient audiologist and me nursing him through the whole thing he passed. Yay!
  • We got a new swing for Wesley (thanks to Joel’s mom) and he actually sat in it for a couple of 10 minute stretches. Kid still prefers being held over anything else but it nice to have a place to set him down so I can do quick things like pee or brush my teeth.
  • Wesley is getting better at tummy time. He doesn’t cry as soon and he is turning his head to both sides now by himself. Hopefully this means the weak side of his neck is getting stronger.
Ermahgerd whale!

Ermahgerd Whale!

(I stole this picture from Joel because it gives me the giggles. His face!)

I’m still working on the birth story. Several days ago I had a bit of a meltdown when I lost an hour’s worth of writing on it thanks to a hosting glitch. I was so upset I put it aside for awhile. As soon as I get another moment where my hands are free I’ll get back to it. This week starts my first week of mothering alone 8+ hours a day (hold me) so I’m not sure what the odds are of me getting a free moment any time soon though. Wish me luck!

Weekly Wesley: One

1st-week

I survived my first week as a mother. Survived isn’t really the right word though because honestly I’m loving it so far. It’s still hard for me to tear myself away from his face long enough to throw a picture on Instagram much less write anything. Not only that but this kid loves to nurse so I rarely have more than one hand free. Currently Wesley is dream eating on my right side and I’m awkwardly typing this up with my left hand.

photo

Don’t take any of that as complaining though. Breastfeeding is still one of my very favorite things I’ve ever done. Wesley is a complete natural, it kind of blows my mind. I was expecting cracked, bleeding nipples and super sore boobs but so far I’ve experienced none of that. It can hurt a little when he latches on but usually that means I just have to unlatch him and try again. My milk finally officially came in yesterday. I was wondering if it was in before but when I woke up with seriously giant, dripping breasts I stopped questioning things. You’re welcome for that mental image guys.

Wesley-Sleeping

Sleep is actually not too bad now. The first two nights were rougher than I expected. All he did all night long was eat and cry. I’m fairly sure he didn’t sleep at all unless it was a cat nap while nursing. Oof. Joel was a saint and took turns walking him while he cried. We both got no more than two 45 minute stretches of sleep each though. There are no words for that kind of sleep deprivation. Wesley finally mastered the side lying nursing position though and that means that we both get far more sleep. In fact, last night I had to actually wake him up because my boobs were so full I couldn’t sleep anymore. Twice. I know these things change all the time but I’m enjoying the decent stretches I’m getting while I’m getting them.

Joel-and-Wesley

I love seeing how Joel has taken to fatherhood. It is beautiful. He so clearly adores our little guy. I’ve changed… one? diaper since Wesley was born. In just one week he’s gone from basically no experience to getting really comfortable with holding and soothing and dressing a tiny newborn. I knew he’d be a great dad but I didn’t know how much I’d enjoy watching him be one.

Phoebe-and-Wesley

Phoebe has adjusted really well. I plan to write a separate post about the transition but it’s going far better than I expected. She is such a great dog and I have a feeling her and Wesley are going to end up being best friends just like I hoped.

I’m recovering well. I plan to write about recovery and all that in a separate post as well. For now let’s just say not being pregnant anymore feels way better than I expected.

Wesley-Week-One-SkyMommy

Other milestones:

  • Wesley held his head up the morning after he was born.
  • Wesley’s cord fell off last night. So at six days old! I was kind of surprised it fell off already but I’m certainly not complaining. It’s nice not to have to worry about bumping it all the time. He has the funniest little outie belly button. We’ll see if it stays that way as he chunks out.
  • We finally did “real” (aka not on my chest) tummy time today and he predictably hated it. Poor little guy was so squished in utero though that he has a little weakness on one side of his neck so it’s really necessary for him to get that exercise.
  • His jaundice seems to be clearing up. The pediatrician sent us back to the hospital to get blood work done the day after he came home. She seemed to think it was pretty bad and said he might need to be readmitted depending on the numbers. Thankfully the levels weren’t too high and we didn’t even need to get a UV blanket to take home. In retrospect maybe dressing him in yellow for his appointment wasn’t the best choice. We have another appointment Wednesday so we’re hoping he’s gaining weight okay and his jaundice is gone.
  • Wesley has had lots of visitors already. He’s met all his grandparents and one set of great grandparents. Plus six of his cousins and a bunch of his aunts and uncles. This little man is so loved by so many people.

Looking-at-Mommy

It doesn’t feel totally real yet. I can’t really wrap my head around the fact that I’m a mom. Wesley is my son. I keep saying it out loud in hopes it will fully sink in. I love him but he doesn’t feel like he’s actually mine yet. I’m hoping that’s normal and that it will click in soon. But even though it hasn’t I’m still in a state of completely bliss over this adorable little bundle I was somehow lucky enough to get blessed with. One week old and he’s already perfect.

Welcome to the World, Wesley

SkyMommy-Wesley-Yawn

This picture perfectly describes how we all feel in this house right now. Not at all surprising of course.

That being said, this will be the short version of things. I’m working on the full birth story but it’s really hard to pull myself away from staring at his perfect little face long enough. That, or I’m trying to catch a moment or two of sleep or maybe shower. Maybe. Anyway, here are the important details.

Wesley made his entrance into the world on Easter Sunday, 03-31-13. He weighed 8 pounds 1 ounce (which is only one once off from the weight estimate on the BPP ultrasound. How often does that happen?!) and he was 21 inches long.

His birth was positively beautiful. It really was everything I hoped it would be. I owe so much of that to my amazing support team. Everyone from the nurse, to my midwife, to my mom and sisters played their part and helped me through everything. Mostly though Joel was my rock. He was by my side literally every minute of my labor and I could not have done it without him. With all their help and thanks to my body somehow knowing exactly what to do and when to do it I got an empowering, natural birth. The moment I met my son will forever be one of the best moments of my life.

We are home now and adjusting nicely. Wesley is a champion at nursing. I really expected it to be difficult and painful at the beginning but he knew just what to do and I have to say breastfeeding is one of my favorite things I’ve ever done in my life. He hasn’t quite gotten the hang of sleep but duh, I wouldn’t have expected him to. Joel is great at taking shifts so we both catch some sleep in spurts.

All in all I’m in state of complete newborn bliss. You’ll have to forgive me from slacking online for a bit. I’m just trying to soak up every second with my gorgeous new son.

Welcome to the World, Wesley

SkyMommy-Wesley-Yawn

This picture perfectly describes how we all feel in this house right now. Not at all surprising of course.

That being said, this will be the short version of things. I’m working on the full birth story but it’s really hard to pull myself away from staring at his perfect little face long enough. That, or I’m trying to catch a moment or two of sleep or maybe shower. Maybe. Anyway, here are the important details.

Wesley made his entrance into the world on Easter Sunday, 03-31-13. He weighed 8 pounds 1 ounce (which is only one once off from the weight estimate on the BPP ultrasound. How often does that happen?!) and he was 21 inches long.

His birth was positively beautiful. It really was everything I hoped it would be. I owe so much of that to my amazing support team. Everyone from the nurse, to my midwife, to my mom and sisters played their part and helped me through everything. Mostly though Joel was my rock. He was by my side literally every minute of my labor and I could not have done it without him. With all their help and thanks to my body somehow knowing exactly what to do and when to do it I got an empowering, natural birth. The moment I met my son will forever be one of the best moments of my life.

We are home now and adjusting nicely. Wesley is a champion at nursing. I really expected it to be difficult and painful at the beginning but he knew just what to do and I have to say breastfeeding is one of my favorite things I’ve ever done in my life. He hasn’t quite gotten the hang of sleep but duh, I wouldn’t have expected him to. Joel is great at taking shifts so we both catch some sleep in spurts.

All in all I’m in state of complete newborn bliss. You’ll have to forgive me from slacking online for a bit. I’m just trying to soak up every second with my gorgeous new son.

Laura’s 1000 follower giveaway

This past week Laura from Walking in Memphis in High Heels reached 1,000 followers on her blog!  To celebrate and thank her readers, she has teamed up with some of her favorite bloggers to have a huge giveaway!  Please take a moment to show these women (and one man) some love!  One lucky reader will win a $300 gift card to J.Crew, a $200 gift card to Target and a $200 gift card to Sephora!  How amazing is that?!  You can check out each blog by clicking on the link below their name, and enter the giveaway by using the Rafflecopter below.

Abigail  ||  Ady  ||  Alicia

Andrea D  ||  Andrea M  ||  Angela

Alyssa  ||  Amy D  ||  Analisa

Ashlee  ||   Bekah  ||   Brianne

Chioma   ||   Colleen   ||   Dani


Emily  ||  Holly  ||  Jaclyn

Jaime  ||  Jason  ||  Jessica M

Jessica S  ||  Jessica T  ||  Jodi

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Tasha  ||  Amanda

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post was not sponsored or associated with Target, Sephora or J. Crew. All participating bloggers contributed towards the prize.

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