1st time doing tummy time...

We are working on it

1st time in her crib for naptime...don't be fooled...she was not sleeping, just hanging out. I think I checked on her every 2 minutes.

Little bit is making some big strides in the last few days. Since Adam is gone, I am trying very hard to get on somewhat of a schedule with Ellie. A friend suggested that we put her in her crib for at least one nap a day to get her used to going down in her own bed and also soothing herself. So that is what we did today. She fussed alittle but mostly hung out in her crib looking around. I think it wore her out more than anything because she didn't sleep at all basically after her 4pm feeding. So mommy is hoping for at least a good 3-4 hour stretch tonight if she is lucky. When she was in her crib today and she had been crying, I walked in to check in on her and she started to get some tears. I started to get some tears too!!! She is growing up so fast. We had our first tummy time today as well and read a book.
I also ventured out to the grocery store with Ellie by myself today which was a huge accomplishment as I was secretly panicking over this errand. I timed it right after a feeding and she did fine. Slept the whole time. Note to anyone from Fresh Market who reads the though. Please make bigger carts. I had to carry Ellie's car seat the whole time because it didn't fit in the cart. But luckily we on;y needed a few things. Ellie has also begun to grasp onto fingers and her passy. She has also begun to follow voices which is exciting and is starting to interact more.

Chipper meeting Ellie...

Baby Ellie's First Bath in the Hospital

June 28, 2011

Ellie loves snuggling with her daddy

When driving back from Chattanooga, I was driving and I had looked back in my rear view mirror  and Ellie and Adam were sleeping the same exact way. If I weren't driving, I would have snapped a picture...here is how they both looked.

It's hard to believe Ellie is going to be 4 weeks on this Thursday, June 30th!!! She is scheduled for her 1 month pediatrician's appointment on July 1, 2011.


-Just a few happenings since last update. My milk seems to be coming in a little crazy right now. Hence, Ellie projectile vomiting all over me 2 times in bed. the strange thing is, I wiped it off and went on with cleaning her off and back into bed without completely being grossed out.
-Still running on very little sleep. I would like to say I am getting used to it, but I am not. I am managing alittle better. But it's hard not to manage when I look at Ellie and how incredibly sweet she is especially when she gets all cozy in my arms.
-Sleep is still hit or miss. With Adam being gone, I am determined to get her into a routine for the sake of both of us.
-Adam has gone back to Idaho Falls. This is going to be an interesting time for both of us.
-Ellie and I ventured out for our first walk around my parent's block yesterday evening. Ellie managed to sleep through the whole thing.
-After dropping Adam off at MARTA, Ellie and I began our drive home. Pretty much after leaving the station, Ellie began to produce blood curdling screams. I think 5% of me started to panic, thinking...how the heck am I going to get home fast enough. By the time we got home, she had cried herself to sleep. I started to think, we are probably not going to be venturing out too much for the sanity of both of us.
-Ellie and I are venturing out to Baby's R Us this afternoon all by ourselves. Next on our list of places to venture out is the grocery store. Mommy is still psyching herself up for that one.

Channeling her inner animal

"Auntie" Em and Ellie

Little watermelon belly

Hanging on the porch soaking in some sun

Ellie in the moby...still trying to master the wrap.

2 week old update

Sleeping Ellie

Big Blue Eyes

First Roadtrip

At Mamie and Deedah's house in Chattanooga

Deedah loving on Ellie

*This week brought some new updates on Ellie. One night this week, I was having alittle bit of a problem with my milk production. Probably was a combination of not getting enough sleep, stressing, etc...Adam and I usually supplement Ellie a bottle or 2 of breastmilk to give myself a break. So that evening, Adam decided to feed Ellie at her 4 am feeding, but since we didn't have enough of my milk, we decided to give her 2 oz. of formula....bad idea. Shortly after Ellie drank the formula in our bedroom, she projectile vomited all over our bed and then proceeded to projectile all over our floor as well. Note to self, Ellie probably isn't a fan of the formula. So at 4ish, we were stripping the bed and putting new sheets on the bed and I have since not become even more of a nursing fiend and started pumping after every feeding.
*The day Ellie turned 3 weeks old, she slept 4 whole hours through the night. It was amazing. I woke up so rested surprisingly enough for having only basically 5 hours of sleep in all. I can't say she has done it since, but we are hoping this is the start of things moving in the right path.
*She is feeding alot better and lets us know when she is hungry and has gotten a pretty regular feeding schedule.
*In the last few days, she has started cooing every once in a while.
*Ellie took her first road trip to Chattanooga to visit her Mamie and Deedah overnight. We had the best intentions to leave from Adam's doctor's appointment at 8am. Well Ellie had other plans for us because she wanted to eat. So Adam left for his appointment and we left after that. Well then by then it was almost 9:30 and Ellie decided it was time to feed again. So before we even got on the road, we ended up in the parking lot of Best Buy so I could nurse. I have become quite the expert at nursing in the car. I then burped Ellie and ended up with spit up in my hair. It is amazing the things that end up on you after having a baby and you just shrug it off and move on. We did finally make it to Chattanooga. I was able to get a nap in and Ellie had a wonderful time with her Mamie and Deedah.

Father's Day

Adam was able to celebrate his first Father's Day this year. Ellie and I made pancakes for daddy and brought them to him in bed. I must say it is a little bit harder to maneuver and make breakfast in bed for someone with a baby. Ellie then gave her daddy a few pictures framed for him to take back when he goes back to work in Idaho Falls. We then had lunch and dinner with Poppi and Gigi and Aunt Jackie and Uncle Ryan.

Ellie is changing everyday which makes me alittle sad. It is hard to believe our baby girl is 19 days old. She is feeding much better and more consistently. She defintily lets us know when she is hungry. Yesterday, when we ran to Whole Foods, as soon as we left the parking lot, Ellie decided it was time to eat and let out a blood curdling cry. I couldn't get back to the parking lot fast enough to nurse her. She is starting to sleep better at night and goes every 3 hours, althought eh doctor said today that we could stretch it 4-5 hours at night for feedings if Ellie allows us to. We will see. She weighed 7lb1oz today at her doctor's appointment. She did have her clothes on though so I am thinking she was more like 6lb10oz maybe. She had her second bath on Father's Day and managed to pee all over Adam before hand, but she didn't seem to mind her bathtime as much this time, thank goodness. She loves to cuddle with us especially at night and is more alert during the day after feedings.

Family Picture minus Shelby for Father's Day. Looking and feeling alittle tired

Big Blue Eyes

We were told today at the doctor's office, Ellie had a great wardrobe. I am glad at least one of us looks put together.

Adam's 1st Father's Day

Making Daddy pancakes for Father's Day

Making breakfast wore little bit out.

Attempt at bath #2 was successful and I did it all by myself.

June 18, 2011

 

Hanging out with Deedah

Sleeping on her Mamie

My sleeping baby

Loves sleeping on her daddy

Not as easy as it looks...1st bath at day 15 of age

Traumatized by her first bath

Tired Mama

Testing out the Baby Bjorn

Finally calmed down from what should have been a relaxing bath

Highlights from the last few days: First bath which was quite an ordeal. I ended up actually getting in the tub with my clothes on in order to get Ellie washed. She wasn't too fond of her first bath. Had her second weigh in and at 14 days was 6lb6oz...so we are not back up to her birth weight. Adam and I had our first "semi date" night. Usually before Ellie arrived, we would go out to dinner on a Saturday night. Well this weekend, we ordered take out from PF Changs, opened a bottle of wine...Ellie was sleeping and we enjoyed an evening in. And it was actually wonderful. How things have changed in the last few weeks.

Ellie's Photo Shoot

On Sunday, June 12th, one of Jackie's co-workers whom is a photographer as well came over and took some pictures of our growing little family. Here are some of my favorites.

Photographs taken by Julie Zorn Shipp

Ellie---10days old