I saw one of those e-cards on Facebook the other day saying something about how all these Moms are making Pinterest projects & gourmet dinners and I'm like "I took a shower today & didn't kill the kids".
I feel like that!!!
Life has sure changed, but it's not a bad thing! It's a matter of just figuring out a new way of life. This morning I got to take a long shower and actually shave my legs. Shave? What is that??
Somehow Mom can get Gage to take these 2 hour naps at her house, but this morning when I thought he was plum wore out after a fun morning of playing and a walk in our stroller.... he only stayed asleep for 30 minutes. I did have time to do some dishes, throw a load of laundry in, and pick up the living room. Just as I sat down to a semi-clean house and pumpkin candle burning, making me feel all cozy & inspired to blog, I see him squirming around on the bed. Oh hey there, Gager.
He is 11 weeks today! He is at such a fun age right now. I love it that he pays attention to his toys and loves when we read him books that have big pages with bright colors.
I am also feeling like I'm ready to attempt getting into a routine-- having a schedule. Obviously I'm not going to be strict about it, because there are plenty of days where we are out and about, and 2 days a week Mom watches him while I go to work. But I'd like to start doing some things at the same time each day to where maybe it will become predictable for him.
This morning after feeding him, I let him play on his playmat and listen to the Baby Einstein Pandora Station while I ate breakfast next to him and sang to him. Then we read books, and finally took a walk in his stroller. After his next feeding, I rocked him to sleep. He was tired for sure, as he had got really sleepy reading books and slept lightly the whole time on our walk. Hopefully this will be a time for a morning nap, whether it's 30 minutes or 2 hours (hopefully he'll catch on soon!) I still have to figure out what our afternoons might consist of that will be a daily thing. Hopefully it will include an afternoon nap as well, so I can start making some decent dinners! And I want to make bath time and when I put him down to sleep at night predictable as well.
So my question is to all you moms out there- when did your baby establish a routine? How many naps a day do they take? Any tips for me? Feel free to comment on here or on the link on my Facebook page! Thanks :)
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
hey blog, it's me again!
Well, well, well, look who is back!
After our internet being down for awhile and learning to do life with a baby- I am now welcoming myself back into the world of blogging! Oh, how I have missed it! There is just something about putting your thoughts down on... errr,the keyboard?
I could say so many things to catch up- but I won't. I'll just start from where I'm at now!
Currently, I'm sitting here with a glass of water gasping for air. I just did a short little 5 minute workout maybe and am dying. It was hard, I will not lie. It was one of those 20 squats, 10 burpees, 25 jumping jack, etc. etc.workouts. I died. This is Day 3 of exercise to get the baby weight off.... but that's another post.
Gage is currently wrapped up in his cuddly blankie and napping on my bed.I'm trying to take advantage of these nap times now, as before I just sat and held him and stared. I still want to, but my piles of laundry, unbrushed teeth,flabby body, and sandwiches for dinner really need to come to an end. Mom babysat here at my house the other day & I came home to a spotless house,napping baby, banana pumpkin bread fresh out of the oven, and supper in progress. Showed me up. I was like "how do you do that?!?" Superwoman, I tell ya.
Anway, a girl whose blog I read always writes her baby letters each month to capture all the things he is doing as he grows. I love the idea & hate to copy, but it's so sweet! And then you can print them off and give to him oneday! So here goes my rendition of it for Gage!!
see the 2 posts below....
1 month
Gage,
You were born with your bottom lip all sucked up. It lookedlike you didn’t even have a bottom lip! We laughed so hard at your little face,it was just the cutest thing! We all thought your hair was curly like yourDaddy’s the moment you were born, but when it’s dry it straightens out. Whenit’s wet we still think there is hope that you might have some cute littlecurls J Youalso had a longer tuft of hair at the base of your neck, kind of like a little“tail” like I did when I was a baby.
We moved the crib into our bedroom (about 1 foot from myside of the bed lol) when you were just a couple of weeks old. Those first fewweeks I couldn’t sleep well because I was constantly staring at you watchingyou breathe J
The first time we took you outside the house you were twoweeks old and we took you to Top Rock Diner in the huge town of Alpena. It wasa Saturday night, we had no food at home, and your dad thought it would be funfor us all to go out to eat as a family for the first time. I, on the otherhand, was a nervous wreck the entire time worrying about you and could not evenenjoy dinner. You were just SO tiny in those early days and your car seatseemed to swallow you!
You were born with your bottom lip all sucked up. It lookedlike you didn’t even have a bottom lip! We laughed so hard at your little face,it was just the cutest thing! We all thought your hair was curly like yourDaddy’s the moment you were born, but when it’s dry it straightens out. Whenit’s wet we still think there is hope that you might have some cute littlecurls J Youalso had a longer tuft of hair at the base of your neck, kind of like a little“tail” like I did when I was a baby.
You were a hit right from the beginning. You had so manyvisitors at the hospital. Every fell in love with you on their first glance.The first night daddy was pretty conked out from labor & delivery (haha) sohe slept pretty soundly. Momma couldn’t sleep as much-so we stayed up all nighttogether & cuddled and that was the first step in us really bonding.
The day we brought you home we couldn’t figure out how tobuckle you in the car seat. The lactation consultant had to come into the roomand show us how to buckle your little body in the seat. That was just one ofthe many things we were clueless about as new parents! We had to laugh atourselves, because we felt like we had no idea what we were doing! Your daddrove home and was a nervous wreck every time we got close to another car. Wedrove 1 mile an hour coming down our driveway because we were afraid yourlittle head would bob around too much on the dirt road. Gram was here to greetyou & spent the first three nights with us so she could help me adjust tobeing a new mommy, teaching me all the tools of the trade J
You were so tiny that I was nervous at first picking you up,changing you, and feeding you! We kept you all swaddled up for the first fewweeks and you wore your hospital hat for the week at home. Finally I chilledout and realized you wouldn’t freeze to death if you weren’t dressed like anEskimo at all times!You screamed the first 3 nights and I realized later it wasbecause of the vegetable soup I had been eating- that had chili powder in it!Worst mom ever! I don’t even like to think about it now- how your little bellyhurt & it took 3 days before I realized it was what I was eating!!! Thanksfor forgiving me, son. J
Who knew a newborn could eat from a spoon? But you could!Before I had lots of milk to give you, it was important that you got every lastbit- so I would pump some and feed it to you by spoon in between feedings. Wegot such a kick out of you taking the spoon like a pro!Right from the beginning you have been our little “PooterTooter”. Your dad was astonished thatsomething that loud could come from something that little! You cracked us upeverytime you made a diaper J.
Bath time is Daddy’s favorite. The first few weeks we had togive you sponge baths. Around 2 weeks you had your first bath in your littletub and LOVED it! We would just use our washcloths to squeeze that warm waterout on you & you were in heaven! You seemed so content to be in that warmwater with us “oooing” and “ahhing” over you JWe moved the crib into our bedroom (about 1 foot from myside of the bed lol) when you were just a couple of weeks old. Those first fewweeks I couldn’t sleep well because I was constantly staring at you watchingyou breathe J
The first time we took you outside the house you were twoweeks old and we took you to Top Rock Diner in the huge town of Alpena. It wasa Saturday night, we had no food at home, and your dad thought it would be funfor us all to go out to eat as a family for the first time. I, on the otherhand, was a nervous wreck the entire time worrying about you and could not evenenjoy dinner. You were just SO tiny in those early days and your car seatseemed to swallow you!
You slept so much those first few weeks. You stressed Mommaout, little guy.
You were such a little man and I wanted to make sure I fed youall that you needed to grow, but I would literally have to rub you, talk toyou, and sometimes even strip you down to your diaper to keep you awake to eat.All you wanted to do was sleep! At 5 days old you had lost down to 5 lbs 15 oz.and at 2 weeks old you had just gained back up to 6 lbs 4 oz. I had to startfeeding you more frequently (ever 2 hours) and that seemed to do the trick! Ataround 2-3 weeks you had your first growth spurt and you wanted to eat nonstop!All we did was sit in our rocking chair and you ate all day.
The first month was mostly us learning the wholebreastfeeding thing together, lots of naps, and lots of diapers. And lots ofbeing up all night. But that’s ok- I was tired at the time but I wouldn’t tradeit for the world.
It only took one second for you to come in and steal ourhearts & totally rock our world! From the moment of your first cry, lifehas never been the same. But what joy you have brought your dad & I! Thefirst month was lots of learning and at the end of it we finally started tofeel comfortable in our role as parents. We aren’t as clueless. We can usuallyfigure out what you are wanting when you cry now and we have adjusted to ournew life as Mommy & Daddy.
What a month!
We love you, Gage!
2 months
Gage,
Your second month has flown by! You have done so much changing this month it is unreal. It makes me sad actually!
You went from my tiny 6 lb baby to now probably closer to 10 lbs! At your 6 week appointment you weighed 8 lbs 8 oz, but since then have had your biggest growth spurt yet! At 7 weeks you started eating NONSTOP! It actually took me a few days to figure out what was wrong. For a couple of days you were fussy ALL day which is totally unlike you. I would feed you, change you, burp you, etc. and nothing worked! We were both crying by the end of day 2 and then I had an idea. After you ate, I gave you a little more in a bottle I had pumped earlier and just one more ounce did the trick! You were growing so much and so was your appetite! You were eating me out of house and home!!
That huge increase in your appetite and frequency of your feedings lasted about a week & by the end of the week you were noticeably bigger! It is crazy to me how fast you grow!
You have now started sleeping pretty consistently between 5-6 hours straight at night. Makes for a happy & more rested Momma that’s for sure! After you turned a month old, we moved your crib back against the wall, about 4 more feet away from my bed and that was a big step for us! Haha!
The most exciting thing this month has been to see your little personality develop. You are a morning person, like your Mom. You are always SO happy in the mornings and over the past week (week 7) you really began to smile at us. You love to lay down on your changing pad and have us hover over you and make silly faces & noises! You usually always smile when you are laying down looking up at us and it is just melts our hearts! Your dad can make this weird noise while he tickles your belly & that is your favorite, because it almost always makes you smile!
At about 6 weeks you became super alert, seeming to focus your eyes in on us when we talked to you. Now at 8 weeks, you can follow us across the room with your eyes and turn when you hear noises in certain directions. Especially your Momma, you can pick out my voice above all the rest. It sure melts my heart.
You LOVE music! When you are cranky we can sing to you & you will get so quiet and just look at us! Uncle Trev has also wrote you a lullaby song on the guitar and you love when he plays it to you. It’s so cute how still you get and it seems like you are just listening as hard as you can.
You LOVE to bounce! Music & bouncing are guaranteed ways to put you in a better mood.
You LOVE your Dad’s diesel truck. Whenever you are in it you almost instantly go to sleep. It’s really loud and it seems to vibrate, which you like. One day you were fussy and we drove around for awhile and you were happy again!
We have started taking you to the Alpena Park in your stroller. You also love your stroller, probably from the way it bounces you around some as we walk. We usually go eat at Top Rock and then take you down there and walk a mile or two. Daddy hogs the stroller- he always wants to push you.
You have went on many shopping trips with Mom & Gram now and you do so good! We’ve had many of nursing sessions and diaper changes in the backseat! But it seems like you like to be out & about, just like Mom.
Bath time is still a favorite here at the Smothers. Your Aunt Jess, Papa Keith, GiGi, Granny, & Poppa all have came over different times to watch you take your bath because you are just so cute doing it! You still love it & will usually pee on one of us in the process! You even pooped in there once & that was quite the experience for your Dad and I!!!
I went back to work when you turned 7 weeks and that was a sad day. I cried all morning getting ready. I went to load you in your car seat and you literally gave me the biggest smile you ever had. I bawled! Leaving you at Gram’s was hard too, but just because I would miss you. You are in such good hands with her—she is going to spoil you that’s for sure!!! Thank goodness I only have to work 3 days a week!
The mornings when I don’t work and we get to sleep in, I usually put you in bed with me after your morning feeding around 5:30 or 6. We get all cuddled up and dad usually joins in. Around 7 he has to sneak out of bed to get ready for work. Then he’ll come in and give us kisses before he leaves, and when we wake up he has a pot of coffee waiting for us. It’s the little things…. I looooove cuddling up to you. I put my mouth close to your head where when I breathe you can feel the warmth and you seem to love it, as do I breathing in your sweet perfect baby scent
We also love to kiss you. Nonstop. Your dad & I both. It probably annoys you, but we just can’t help ourselves. One day you’ll be embarrassed when we do that to you in public, so for now we’re getting all the kisses we can!
You were exactly 8 weeks old on Halloween & dressed up as Woody from Toy Story. I made you some chaps by cutting up some of your pants. You were so cute. You were fussy at Trunk or Treat at church, but when we came home you were all smiles sitting up on the couch with your stuffed Woody & horse!
The last few nights we have started rocking you to sleep and singing to you. The other night it took over an hour for you to finally go into a deep sleep, and by the end we had sang so many hymns and choruses it was crazy. But it is now my favorite time of the day. I love that you can be fussy and we can go sit in the rocking chair, pop in your paci, and sing and it calms you down. I could rock you forever, and sometimes I fall asleep and when I wake up we are both conked out in the glider and have been there for a couple of hours! Then I’ll lay you down in your crib and swaddle you. Of course, just from the waist down because you have to have your hands out. In all your ultrasounds, when you were born (literally), and from your first day outside my belly, you have always had those hands up by your face. So when I swaddle you, I leave them out. Because that’s what you like.
I love life with you. I could keep on writing about all the fun things that have happened this month, but I’ll end with this. This month you have got to be such a big boy and have been such a fun little guy to be around.
You are so loved, Gage Man
(aka: Gager, Gagey, Chunky Monkey, Skunk Butt, 410, Pooter Tooter, Dumplin’)
Your second month has flown by! You have done so much changing this month it is unreal. It makes me sad actually!
You went from my tiny 6 lb baby to now probably closer to 10 lbs! At your 6 week appointment you weighed 8 lbs 8 oz, but since then have had your biggest growth spurt yet! At 7 weeks you started eating NONSTOP! It actually took me a few days to figure out what was wrong. For a couple of days you were fussy ALL day which is totally unlike you. I would feed you, change you, burp you, etc. and nothing worked! We were both crying by the end of day 2 and then I had an idea. After you ate, I gave you a little more in a bottle I had pumped earlier and just one more ounce did the trick! You were growing so much and so was your appetite! You were eating me out of house and home!!
That huge increase in your appetite and frequency of your feedings lasted about a week & by the end of the week you were noticeably bigger! It is crazy to me how fast you grow!
You have now started sleeping pretty consistently between 5-6 hours straight at night. Makes for a happy & more rested Momma that’s for sure! After you turned a month old, we moved your crib back against the wall, about 4 more feet away from my bed and that was a big step for us! Haha!
The most exciting thing this month has been to see your little personality develop. You are a morning person, like your Mom. You are always SO happy in the mornings and over the past week (week 7) you really began to smile at us. You love to lay down on your changing pad and have us hover over you and make silly faces & noises! You usually always smile when you are laying down looking up at us and it is just melts our hearts! Your dad can make this weird noise while he tickles your belly & that is your favorite, because it almost always makes you smile!
At about 6 weeks you became super alert, seeming to focus your eyes in on us when we talked to you. Now at 8 weeks, you can follow us across the room with your eyes and turn when you hear noises in certain directions. Especially your Momma, you can pick out my voice above all the rest. It sure melts my heart.
You LOVE music! When you are cranky we can sing to you & you will get so quiet and just look at us! Uncle Trev has also wrote you a lullaby song on the guitar and you love when he plays it to you. It’s so cute how still you get and it seems like you are just listening as hard as you can.
You LOVE to bounce! Music & bouncing are guaranteed ways to put you in a better mood.
You LOVE your Dad’s diesel truck. Whenever you are in it you almost instantly go to sleep. It’s really loud and it seems to vibrate, which you like. One day you were fussy and we drove around for awhile and you were happy again!
We have started taking you to the Alpena Park in your stroller. You also love your stroller, probably from the way it bounces you around some as we walk. We usually go eat at Top Rock and then take you down there and walk a mile or two. Daddy hogs the stroller- he always wants to push you.
You have went on many shopping trips with Mom & Gram now and you do so good! We’ve had many of nursing sessions and diaper changes in the backseat! But it seems like you like to be out & about, just like Mom.
Bath time is still a favorite here at the Smothers. Your Aunt Jess, Papa Keith, GiGi, Granny, & Poppa all have came over different times to watch you take your bath because you are just so cute doing it! You still love it & will usually pee on one of us in the process! You even pooped in there once & that was quite the experience for your Dad and I!!!
I went back to work when you turned 7 weeks and that was a sad day. I cried all morning getting ready. I went to load you in your car seat and you literally gave me the biggest smile you ever had. I bawled! Leaving you at Gram’s was hard too, but just because I would miss you. You are in such good hands with her—she is going to spoil you that’s for sure!!! Thank goodness I only have to work 3 days a week!
The mornings when I don’t work and we get to sleep in, I usually put you in bed with me after your morning feeding around 5:30 or 6. We get all cuddled up and dad usually joins in. Around 7 he has to sneak out of bed to get ready for work. Then he’ll come in and give us kisses before he leaves, and when we wake up he has a pot of coffee waiting for us. It’s the little things…. I looooove cuddling up to you. I put my mouth close to your head where when I breathe you can feel the warmth and you seem to love it, as do I breathing in your sweet perfect baby scent
We also love to kiss you. Nonstop. Your dad & I both. It probably annoys you, but we just can’t help ourselves. One day you’ll be embarrassed when we do that to you in public, so for now we’re getting all the kisses we can!
You were exactly 8 weeks old on Halloween & dressed up as Woody from Toy Story. I made you some chaps by cutting up some of your pants. You were so cute. You were fussy at Trunk or Treat at church, but when we came home you were all smiles sitting up on the couch with your stuffed Woody & horse!
The last few nights we have started rocking you to sleep and singing to you. The other night it took over an hour for you to finally go into a deep sleep, and by the end we had sang so many hymns and choruses it was crazy. But it is now my favorite time of the day. I love that you can be fussy and we can go sit in the rocking chair, pop in your paci, and sing and it calms you down. I could rock you forever, and sometimes I fall asleep and when I wake up we are both conked out in the glider and have been there for a couple of hours! Then I’ll lay you down in your crib and swaddle you. Of course, just from the waist down because you have to have your hands out. In all your ultrasounds, when you were born (literally), and from your first day outside my belly, you have always had those hands up by your face. So when I swaddle you, I leave them out. Because that’s what you like.
I love life with you. I could keep on writing about all the fun things that have happened this month, but I’ll end with this. This month you have got to be such a big boy and have been such a fun little guy to be around.
You are so loved, Gage Man
(aka: Gager, Gagey, Chunky Monkey, Skunk Butt, 410, Pooter Tooter, Dumplin’)
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