Baby Loves

Well, “What’s Cookin Wednesday” has come and gone – without a recipe.  I just have been slacking in the meal planning department this week.  Hopefully I’ll pick it back up next week.  Anyways, with 3 months under our belts (that basically makes me an expert, right?), I thought I’d post about all of the baby “gear” that Hadley has loved, and the things we could live without. 

First up – Soothie Pacifiers.  Not just any paci will do for this girl, and Soothie is the way to go.  I think we have about 10 of these floating around the house at all times.  She is getting to where she doesn’t take them quite as often, she really only takes one when she’s going to sleep, but they have been a God-send in the car as well.

Fisher-Price Deluxe Infant to Toddler Comfort Rocker.  This thing is basically the same shape as the oh-so-popular Fisher Price Rock –n- play, but I liked that it had the toy bar as well and can easily rock or be stationary.  Because of Hadley’s reflux, she has spent a LOT of time sleeping in this.  I think we started her sleeping in this around 4 weeks and she’s still in it at night. (She just started napping in her crib during the day – yay!)

 

For swaddling – the only one I found that Hadley couldn’t bust out of was the Halo Infant sleep sack/swaddle.  The downside to this was that the velcro was SO loud, it was impossible to do a “quiet” diaper change in the middle of the night.  She was wide awake the second you open that velcro.  We also used the Aden + Anais muslin swaddling blankets – they are HUGE so you get plenty to work with. Unfortunately, Hadley decided swaddling was for babies and was SO. over it by about 7 weeks.  The swaddle sleep sacks have been packed away, but the A+A blankets are the perfect weight for a car seat cover or stroller blanket.  I use them every day!

The Boppy pillow is still used daily in this house, as well.  I use it to nurse Hadley, and when she was smaller, it was great for other people to hold her.   I’d recommend getting at least 2 slip covers for it – we’ve had lots of spit up on ours!

Chicco® Lullaby LX 4-in-1 Playard in Romantic.  The biggest thing I have loved about this is the changing table.  We have this in our room (even though H is sleeping in her bouncy seat) and use it as another changing station.  It can hold diapers and wipes in the side (although I just keep a little basket in the actual bassinet part of it) and the mattress part converts to a playmat as well.  Not to mention that this brand just felt “sturdier” than a lot of the others we checked out. 

Sticking with the Chicco theme – we really like our infant seat as well.  The Chicco Keyfit 30 (which means the weight limit is 30 lbs) in Romantic.  I like that it’s neutral colors and comes with an infant insert & headrest, and that little foot- muff thing.  (That’s the technical term for it.)  We tried to get a lot of our big-ticket items in neutral colors so they can be used for another kiddo down the road. 

Instead of going with the big travel system for our stroller, we opted for the snap & go stroller.  The car seat just pops right into the top and you strap it in and you’re good to go.  It’s super light weight, has a huge basket, 2 cup holders and a spot for keys & your phone.  We have gotten a TON of use out of this, and I’ll be sad when she can’t fit into her infant seat anymore (or wants to face forward instead of staring at me all the time).  However, I’m really excited about our second stroller once Hadley gets a little bigger…

This is the Baby Jogger City Mini.  It has a car seat adaptor, so we could be using it right now, but rather than spend the money on that, we are just waiting until she’s big enough to sit in the seat on her own.  Maybe we’ll try out the car seat adaptor for another kiddo.  The biggest selling point to this one, if you haven’t already seen it, is the way it folds up.  SO. stinkin. easy.  LOVE.  If you haven’t seen it – click over and “watch it in action.”  Not to mention it’s light weight, has a HUGE sunshade, and maneuvers really easily.  I can’t wait to start using it!

Speaking of neutral, big-ticket items, this swing has gotten a lot of use in our house as well.  In fact, there was a stretch of about 3 weeks where Hadley wouldn’t nap ANYWHERE except in this swing.  Now it’s more of an entertainment item and will keep her occupied while I’m doing the dishes or drying my hair.  It has 2 positions – a recline for infants and a more upright position for when they’re bigger – and swings both side to side and front to back.  Hadley really liked the side to side for being rocked to sleep. 

The Bright Starts – Start Your Senses play mat has gotten a lot of use as well.  Hadley loves the little lights, music and little bee/bugs that hang from the mobile.  I always like that the mobile part can come off and attach to the car seat handle, too!

On the list of things we could live without – the Diaper Champ.  I honestly don’t think there’s a huge difference between this and your basic trash can with a lid.  It does the job, and I think it looks cuter for her nursery than a trash can, but it fills up quickly and is sort of a pain to wipe down. 

There are a lot of other items we use, but these stand out as the ones we use the most.  Hopefully this can help someone else out there, and help me to remember what we’ve gotten a lot of use out of!  I’m thinking about doing a post on my favorite Etsy sellers too – it’s addicting to shop on there for Hadley!  Let me know if you’ve got any favorites!

 

Sidenote: These are all just my opinions – I’m certainly not being endorsed by any of the above companies (although if any of them wanted to pay me for singing their praises I wouldn’t be opposed )

And baby makes 3…

I’ve updated facebook but just realized I’ve neglected the blog  a little in the past week.  We thought we had until the 12th, but little Miss Hadley Ann decided she had other plans and arrived on January 3rd at 10:30pm!  Warning: birth story to follow so for those of you not interested in too many details, you can skip to the bottom for pictures  

On Sunday the 2nd, we went to bed fairly late (11pm – who would have thought that I would ever say that was a late bedtime for me?) and I woke up around midnight to what felt like a really strong Braxton Hicks contraction.   I tried to go back to sleep, but 5 minutes later I had another one.  They weren’t extremely painful, just enough to keep me awake, so I started timing them, just to pass the time more than anything else.  By 5am they had gotten a little more painful, so I woke Matt up and told him I was calling the doctor to see what they suggested.  The doctor said since I could still talk through them easily and my water hadn’t broken, to just sit tight at home and try to rest as much as possible.  So, that’s what we did until 10:30a or so when the contractions were coming every 3-5 minutes (although I could still basically talk/walk through them).  We called the doctor again and they said to go ahead and come in to get checked (thankfully it was a weekday and during business hours, so we didn’t have to go to triage in labor & delivery).  We went in and the doctor said I was only 2 cm and should go take a walk, have some lunch and try to get some more rest.  She told me to call her when the pain basically made me hit my knees. 

So, Matt and I went to the mall and walked around for about an hour, had some lunch in the food court, and although the contractions were coming faster (about every 2-3 minutes) I was still on my feet, so we hopped in the car to head home.  About 30 minutes after we got home, I laid down on the couch and started feeling much more intense pain in my back.  I tried to stay lying down to rest but the only position I could handle being in during a contraction was on my hands and knees.  Since I’d talked to the doctor twice at this point and neither time did they seem concerned that she was coming soon, I decided to try a bath to relax some more before calling again.  At that point, I had definitely reached my limit on pain, so I got out, we loaded up the car and called the doctor on the way to the hospital.  Again, I was thankful I could just go into my doctor’s office (on the second floor of the hospital).  I was in tears by the time we got to the doctor’s office so they brought me right back, came in and checked me and told me I was at 4 cm and they had called down to labor & delivery and told them to expect me. 

Around 4:30p we were checked in to the hospital and I was told the epidural was on it’s way.  Although I could still tell when I was having contractions even after the epidural, it was such a life-saver.  I wouldn’t have had any energy left for delivery without it.  The doctor seemed to think it would still be awhile so she left and said she come back to check me in a couple hours.  By 6p my water had broken and they said I was 6 cm – which was great news.  At 8, they came back and I was at 10cm, but they told me we would wait before pushing to let the contractions do some of the work for me.  I started pushing around 9p and Hadley was born at 10:30p. 

The next few days are a bit of a blur in my head – we were in the hospital from Monday through Wednesday evening (I had to be on antibiotics because I had a fever during labor, so they wanted to monitor me all day Wednesday before releasing us). 

Here are some pics and Hadley’s stats:

Weight: 7lbs 9oz (she was 7lbs 3oz when we left the hospital)

Length: 20 1/2 inches

Head: 14 1/2 inches

We had a weight check appointment at the doctor on Friday and she had already gained an ounce back, so as far as we know, we are at 7lbs 4oz now.  She is a pretty good eater, so I’m hoping we’ll be even bigger at her 2 week check up. 

Pregnancy Updates

Life has been pretty busy around here, so even though I took a picture at 36 weeks & 4 days, I never got around to posting it, and now here I am at 38 weeks & 4 days.  So this post will have to serve for both pictures.  First, a quick baby update for what’s going on with her…

From 37 weeks: 

Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away.  (How is that fair?  She’s ready to come out, but we have to wait 3 more weeks to meet her?)  If you go into labor now, her lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard—anyone know what that is?). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

And 38 weeks:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek—again, this is not a very good comparison for me). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

My hair & eye prediction is that she’ll have blonde peach fuzz for hair and brown/gray eyes. 

How Far Along: 38 weeks and 4 days

Total Weight Gain: I’m right around 35-40 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight!  YIKES! Again – I can’t believe I’m posting that for all the world to see – but I do want to be able to look back on this and remember where I was at each point in the pregnancy…

Maternity Clothes: Even my maternity clothes are getting uncomfortable.  I wear leggings and t-shirts pretty much every day

Best Moment this week: Since this post is covering the last 4 weeks since I posted, I’m just going to say pretty much all of Christmas time.  Everyone came to us this year and it was nice to be able to relax and enjoy spending time with family.

Gender: Still a girl for all we know!  - Hadley Ann :)

Movement:  I can feel her all the time now – in addition to the jerky little kicks, I can feel her rolling around and squirming in there.  She also gets the hiccups a couple times a day (and night).  They’re cute at first, but when they’re waking you up at 3am they lose a little cute-ness.

Food Craving: No real cravings, and I haven’t been quite as hungry lately either.  Hadley is definitely taking up more room so I can’t fully enjoy a big meal. 

Sleep: Still not too much trouble here – I wake up once or twice a night still, sometimes because of Hadley kicking, sometimes to go to the bathroom – but I typically don’t have too much trouble getting back to sleep.

What I am looking forward to: Finally meeting our baby girl!

Belly Button: Half in-half out.  If I’m lying down, it’s in, but pretty much any other time it sticks out a little.

Symptoms: We had our first visit to labor & delivery just before Christmas because I had a fever and chills and my doctor’s office was closed, so they wanted me to get checked out.  After almost 5 hours there, they basically said I was fine and sent me home.  I’ve also had a bad cold the past 4 or 5 days, which has NOT been fun, but thankfully Matt has been off work and able to pick up the slack around the house so I can rest.  Other than those things, I’m not feeling *too* bad yet – just getting tired quickly and have a hard time getting up/walking around too much. 

And here are the latest belly pictures:

34 Weeks and a Day

First up – a little bit about what’s going on with Hadley in there…

Baby's now the size of a honeydew!
From now on, baby's growth is mostly in the plumping up department – though she won't get much longer, she'll put on a pound or more of baby fat before birth. Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight. (taken from the bump.com and babycenter.com)

How Far Along: 34 weeks and a day (well technically today is +2 days, but the picture is from yesterday)

Total Weight Gain: somewhere between 25-30 pounds (it’s been fluctuating a bunch lately, and I keep forgetting to ask the doctor at my appointments)  Also – I can’t believe I’m posting that for all the world to see – but I do want to be able to look back on this and remember where I was at each point in the pregnancy…

Maternity Clothes: Starting to get a little tired of wearing the same thing every single day.

Best Moment this week: Getting a prenatal massage.  Definitely a must-do for this point in the pregnancy!  It was so relaxing.

Gender: Still a girl for all we know!  - Hadley Ann :)

Movement:  I can feel her all the time now – in addition to the jerky little kicks, I can feel her rolling around and squirming in there.  She also gets the hiccups a couple times a day (and night).  They’re cute at first, but when they’re waking you up at 3am they lose a little cute-ness.

Food Craving: Food in general!  Hadley must be going through a growth spurt this week because I am hungry ALL. THE. TIME.

Sleep: Still not too much trouble here – I wake up once or twice a night still, sometimes because of Hadley kicking, sometimes to go to the bathroom – but I typically don’t have too much trouble getting back to sleep.

What I am looking forward to: Getting the nursery done!  We’re hoping to get the last few things this weekend and finally put some stuff up on the walls in there!

Belly Button: Still in, but hanging on by a thread – and if I laugh or cough it pops out (TMI – sorry!)

Symptoms: Still feeling pretty good – no big complaints here :) Although walking and getting up from a sitting position are getting harder and harder.  I always thought the “pregnancy waddle” was because people just got so big that they walked like they were overweight.  I’m realizing it has more to do with pain than anything else, though!  It’s amazing what kind of aches and pains a little 5 pound baby can inflict on you!

And here’s the latest belly picture…

Catching up from November…

I mentioned in my last post about Christmas cards (which are on their way – yay!) that we had a really busy November.  This time of year is always so busy between the holidays, our anniversary and of course, football season, but with a baby on the way, that just added to the hustle and bustle!   I already blogged about our anniversary, but since then, we’ve had 2 baby showers, 2 doctor’s appointments, family in town, and a holiday out of town!

First up – the first baby shower, which was thrown my my sister Katie, sister-in-law Kelly, and friend Amy.   The baby shower was on the 13th of November and I am finally getting around to sharing pictures! 

My sister made the invitations and almost all of the decorations at the shower – she’s so creative!

My sister-in-law made this adorable “bootie bouquet” behind the “cute as a button” chocolates.  When I brought them home, Matt seriously thought they were real flowers! 

Part of the spread – homemade from scratch cinnamon & caramel rolls courtesy of my dad! 

Melissa gets the prize for being the most off on the “guess-the-size” game; my grandma was almost right on (although it does look like she’s a little bit high as she’s going around the bump)

My sweet friend Liz MADE this quilt for Hadley!  So precious!

Some of the guests…

Baby James was all tuckered out after all the attention from the ladies

Family shot – my mother-in-law came up from Houston, my mom came up from Austin and my grandma came down from Minneapolis!

Matt and I feel so blessed to have family and friends who care for us and are so excited to celebrate with us during this time!   In addition to this shower, Matt’s office threw us a baby shower the following week!  Unfortunately, I didn’t get any pictures there, but we had a great time and were so blessed by the people in his office as well!