Christmas Party Pictures

What's New With Us

My little sweetie is "lounging" in her bathrobe on her tummy on a towel with the bottom of the robe pulled up over her back in an attempt to air out her little butt. I am hoping the air will help her poor little blistered butt. So, while she is laying contently sucking her paci, I thought I would attempt to blog about what's going on with us.

Prior to lounging around semi-naked, I had Elise in the shower with me. She absolutely, positively loves her bath time and all things water! Whether in her own little bathtub in the sink, in the bathtub or shower with her mommy, or sitting on a towel in the sink at Grandpa & Nana's, bath time is definitely one of her favorite times of day.

First Bath at the Hospital

Next Monday I am going back to work. However, Jason and I have decided that I will give them my notice when I go back and will stay at home with Elise for a while. I am very relieved that we won't be taking her to daycare while she is so small. When I took her to her doctor a couple weeks ago, I had to have a paper signed by the doctor stating she was cleared to go to daycare. Well, the nurses made a big deal about her going before having her 2 month shots which she won't get until the first part of January. The nurses told me about all the things that would happen if she were to start running a fever from being at daycare including an immediate spinal tap. They asked me if I had any alternatives to taking her to daycare so early. Now that won't be an issue. We will of course have to make some sacrifices, but it will be worth it.

Tomorrow Elise and I are going to Lubbock to see our old neighbors. Alexis had her little girl, Scout on November 12. One day after my original due date. Tomorrow will be our first time to meet her. It will be nice for us to get out of the house for a day. It has been so cold here, I haven't bothered getting out much. Before it got so cold, I was taking Elise for walks in her stroller around the neighborhood. Maybe I'll have to join the marathon moms at the mall that I have seen pushing their strollers at high rates of speed. But then again, I probably couldn't keep up with them. It's hard to window shop walking that fast. Jason probably wouldn't want me up there too often anyway, as it could be detrimental to the checking account. The hospital I delivered at offers a Breastfeeding Support group that meets one Tuesday each month. It's an opportunity to meet other mom's, weigh your baby, and get any advice and share experiences. I missed the November one, but the next one is next Tuesday and I think I may go and see what it's all about.

This Friday is Jason's Christmas Party so Lori is coming over to babysit and then again the following Friday for my Christmas party... that is of course if they still let me come.

Looks like the little peanut is waking up, which is probably good so she will sleep tonight. Her butt's probably cold too. I hope to keep my blog updated regularly so check back often for the latest on Elise!

Cruel & Unusual Punishment

Sorry for the lack of updates! As you can imagine it takes me 12 times as long to do just one thing with a new baby than before. Just imagine the chaos that ensues when the three of us have to get ready to be some where at a specific time!

Elise has been to the doctor 2 times the last 2 weeks for a diaper rash. We have been worried about it and feel bad for her. It looks like it hurts. She had been really fussy - which I have contributed to her blistered rear end. Her doctor said her poop has a lot of acid in it and that it actually looks good compared to some she has seen. We have been frosting her butt like crazy with ointment in an attempt to heal it.

Her clothes are starting to fit, but she is going to be too long for some of her little onesies that have the feet in them. She hates having her clothes changed, which is a shame because we inevitably go through an average of 3 outfits a day due to poop, pee, and/or spit up. She is starting to sleep longer throughout the night and is becoming more responsive to us. Jason kissed her "bye" today and she just kinda grinned at him. She smiled every time he did it, probably because his face tickles!

During our downtime today I decided to dress her in her Christmas outfit that her Nana got her. It's still a little big and I don't think she thought much of it. Needless to say, the pictures will speak volumes. She cried almost as much as she did when we took her to have her professional pictures taken. I'm trying to get her modeling career started early, but she has other ideas. And they include peeing and pooping all over her Mommy at her newborn photo shoot. As you will see below we started out just fine because she was being held. As soon as I set her down it's nothing but crying. She literally has to be held all the time!

And now it's time for a shirt change. It appears she might have over indulged herself earlier at her last feeding.

Unfortunately the tights Meme got her do not fit yet and she had a massive crying fit when I put them on her.

Babies Don't Keep

But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow

So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust, go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby. Babies don't keep.

~Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

I wish Jason would let me quit my job so I could stay home with my sweet little baby while she is still just that! She grows and changes everyday and unfortunately the ladies at the daycare will spend the days with her instead of her mommy in just a few short weeks. They will hear her little sounds and see the funny faces she makes when it should be me while she is still so tiny. Jason may find himself taking her there every morning because I don't know if I can bring myself to do it!

If only I could just win the lottery while I'm waiting on the Publisher's Clearing House to knock on my door. That would actually be one knock or doorbell ring I would welcome, unlike all the others from children and delivery men that drive my dogs bananas and interrupt our nap times! I have always appreciated my mailman, but on several occasions he has left packages on my doorstep and in our lawn chairs on the porch and has NOT rang the doorbell and for that I thank him!

Well, blogging will have to wait for now because babies don't keep and I'm going to hold mine while I can!

A Night Out....

Jason and I took our first outing solo last Thursday night. Meme kept Elise while he and I went out to eat with John and Lucy for my birthday. We were gone only a couple short hours, but missed her so much! These are a few pictures from our night out...





Elise is going to take her first trip tomorrow to Pampa. She and I are going over and spending the night with her Grandpa and Nana. Her Grandpa hasn't seen her since she was almost a week old and is having withdrawals. My challenge is going to be figuring out what to pack for her and how many diapers? I almost need all the clothes that fit her (which isn't many) because she dirties up clothes just as fast as she dirties diapers. She grows and changes everyday and is starting to show a little bit of personality!

Our weather is changing... a cold front is moving in tonight. The high tomorrow is only supposed to be in the 40's. Brrr....... cold weather is not my cup of tea! Here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Two Week Check Up

Meme came in on Sunday and has been staying to help with Elise. She, Jason, and I went up to Amarillo this morning for Elise's 2 week check up. Her pediatrician is in Italy for a Harvard pediatric study, so we saw her fill in. Elise weighed in at 7lbs and is now 20 in. long. She was 6lbs. 2 oz at her weight check a week after she was born, so she's doing really good! After we got in the exam room and got her undressed, we had to walk her down to the scale. Jason was holding her and she spit up her entire bottle ALL OVER her neck, belly, back, and her daddy. It took a whole receiving blanket to get that all cleaned up!

When we got home from the doctor's office, she and I got in bed and napped on and off until 2:30 today. She had to get a bath this afternoon because she smelled like sour milk.........eewww. I put a little outfit on her that actually fit pretty well!

My Sweet Little Pumpkin!

Elise is just like her Mommy, the girl loves to eat! We took her to the doctor on Monday for her weight check and she weighed in at 6lbs. 2oz. The nurse said they don't expect for them to be back up to their birth weight until 2 weeks old so she is doing great! She has her next appointment next Wednesday for her 2 week well baby check up. The 2 week appointment is on my due date, November 11!

She is really breaking Jason and me in to parenthood. A few nights ago, we were trying to get things ready to go to bed. In a matter of an hour we went through 3 diapers, 3 outfits, and 2 changing pad covers. It was one blowout after another, and her sweet little face showed that she was secretly laughing at us on the inside.

She had been fighting going to sleep the last few nights, but we had a very successful night last night. She only woke up at 1:30 this morning for an hour and then again at a little before 6am. She stayed up until Jason went to work at 8am and then went back to sleep. It was her best night since coming home.

We went on a walk around the neighborhood yesterday and again today with Daddy during his lunch hour. We are going to try to take advantage of the warm days and get outside while we still can.

John and Lucy came over on Saturday to bring her first Halloween costume outfit over. Just like all of her clothes is was a little big, but she was festive at least!

If you will notice, she is trying to nurse from her Daddy!