Gwyneth Eden: 6 months

Gwyneth is now 6 months!  Half a year old!  She is now so big when I see a newborn, she seems gigantic.  I remember thinking how small my baby looked compared to others.  Not any more!

Gwen's "Firsts": Eating oatmeal cereal and carrots. Also, she was able to stand by herself while holding onto the exersaucer.  It might have only been a few seconds, but it was exciting :)  I think we have also consistently had her sleep in her crib for a month straight!  This is a big accomplishment.  You would be so proud of us, she even takes all her naps in the crib!  Last, she went to to Festival of Lights.

Daddy and Gwen about to go into the Festival of Lights!

High of the Month: What a happy, smiley baby Gwen is!  Rarely do we even need to give her the pacifier.  She uses it to fall asleep for naps and bedtime, but I would say most days the pacifier stays in the crib all day long.  I only take it out with us if I really need to make sure she stays quiet.

Low of the Month: Lack of sleep during the night.  We are slowly working on improving this.  We have her down to only eating once at night, but she still wants to pacifier quite a few times.  Once again, this too shall pass.  I don't mind feeding her one time at night , but I am a little more motivated to get her sleeping better since next weekend it will be our first time leaving Gwen overnight. 

Something I Learned: The Nose Frida is awesome.  Gwen has been congested a lot so we bought a Nose Frida a.k.a. the snot sucker.  Sorry, I'm a mom now and talk about gross things.  I will stop there, but if you want to know more just look it up :)

Facts for the Month: 

Favorite toy: crinkle book
Weight: 13.5 lbs
Weight percentile: 8th (still)
Size clothes: officially 6 months!

Rolling over? Still only belly to back
Sitting up? Not without some help
Any words? Just lots of squealing

I will leave you with some pics from the month!

Constantly trying to get her socks off.

Cousin Lilly wanted to hold her at Thanksgiving. So sweet!

My favorite thing to dress her in is animal print.

Gwyneth Eden: 5 months

Gwyneth is now 5 months old!  Seriously, I can't believe she is this big now!  She is quickly approaching 6 months, which is half way to a year!  I think she gets cuter every day and I love watching her learn new things.  I think she also gets more laid back as she gets older which is never a bad thing :)

Gwen's "Firsts": Seeing snow!  She also sat in a high chair for the first time.  Can't say it didn't happen without massive amounts of spit up, but she did sit in it!  Something about sitting makes her leave puddles of sit up.  She went trick or treating for the first time and it was adorable.  Gwen is so advanced she even held her own trick or treating bucket :) This meant Mom and Dad got some candy!

High of the Month: No more 4 month regression! The 4 month mark brought quite a few challenges with sleeping and overall fussiness.  Almost as soon as she turned 5 months on November 1, she had a more calm and "go with the flow" disposition.  Non-selfishly, we love seeing her happy and enjoying everything more!  Selfishly, this means we get more sleep and are less stressed!

Low of the Month: Poor baby has her first cold.  She is congested and has a hard time breathing through her nose.  Of course right before this showed up we restarted the crib transition.  You know what happens next, right?  Yep, back to the Rock 'n Play.  She sleeps and breaths much easier in there sssssoooo in a week or so maybe we will try the crib again.

Something I Learned:Transition your baby to the crib by 3 months.  Next baby we will have learned at least a couple tricks of the trade.  Everything tells you that habits start developing around 4 months, but I thought, "Well, our baby won't have any problems being flexible and adjusting to whatever we want her to!"  Babies definitely have likes and dislikes.  Gwen likes sleeping in a cozy, inclined setting and dislikes a big, flat crib.

Facts for the Month: 

Taking a pacifier?  YES!
Spitting up? Getting better!
Solid foods? In a month!
Favorite place to sleep? The swing.
Cloth diapering? Going strong!


Since I stopped taking weekly pictures, here are some fun ones from this month!

Gwyneth Eden: 4 months

Gwen is already 4 months old! What?!?!  My little preemie 4 pound baby is getting so big.  She is a super happy girl and we love her so much!  She actually was 4 months on October 1, but this kept getting past me!

Gwen's "Firsts": Rolling over!  This has become pretty fun when I attempt to get her to do tummy time.  She will first start fussing and then just roll over.  Even in the boppy she will attempt to roll over.  She consistently will roll over from belly to back and is dangerously close to rolling over from back to belly!  She also has slept in her crib for the first time!  She does not consistently sleep in her crib, but we are trying!

High of the Month: She is able to interact with us more every day.  It is fun to make her squeal and giggle.  She loves when we sing songs to her, especially, "What Does a Fox Say?"   Probably something about us trying to make ridiculous sounds is highly entertaining for a baby!  Since she is more aware of her surroundings, it is fun watching her interact with objects and people.  If you wear glasses, Gwyneth will instantly be your BFF.  So shiny...

Low of the Month: Gwen's sleep... She has started putting up quite a fight for all naps and bedtime.  We have tried every trick in the book at this point and with no luck.  At first it was encouraging to this, "Oh, its just a phase," but this has been going on for over a month.  Eventually this will get easier!  It will probably get harder at times too.  Oh, babies and sleep :)  Luckily she is cute, so I at least get to snuggle with her in the middle of the night, right?

Something I Learned: There is something called a 4 month regression!  It is amazing to me how much I knew about pregnancy before being pregnant and how little I know about babies.  You don't really need to know much about being pregnant.  As long as you have common sense, you can't mess up being pregnant!  You know, don't get drunk, don't do drugs, etc.  Having a baby on the other hand, there are so many things to think about!  Another thing I learned about is wonder weeks.  All these crazy things I have never heard about!

Facts for the Month: 

Weight: 11 lbs 2 oz
Favorite toy: her fist
Favorite activity: playing on her activity mat
Size clothes: still 3 months

I kept up with taking weekly pictures in her crib, but then one week I changed the crib sheet since she was actually sleeping in there and it didn't match the other pictures.  This bothered me and so I stopped :)  I still have lots of others of her to make up for it.  For her 4 month, I actually do have them all, but 5 month is when they will stop!

P.S.- Blogger would not let me arrange these how I wanted.  Nevertheless, here they are!

13 weeks

14 weeks

15 weeks

16 weeks

17 weeks

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Insta-ladas
(Instagrammed Enchiladas)

There aren't a ton of meals where I look forward to leftovers the next day.  You know, sometimes they don't heat up well or you just don't want to eat it twice in 24 hours.  These are a total exception.  I looked forward to eating these for leftovers all day.  I wish I was kidding!

I had these grand intentions of taking step by step pics, but Gwen kept needing her pacifier while she was "napping", so I don't have a ton of pictures. 

I got this recipe out of my good ole Betty Crocker Cook Book.  Everything from that thing is marvelous.  I appreciate that most of the recipes are twists on the classic dishes.  I would have never thought to make these with salsa verde (green salsa), but its so good!  Of course, you could make it with regular salsa (the red kind) and I am sure it would still be good!

Oh, I must add that these, according to Betty, are lower calorie.  According to me, probably not because I like way more cheese than her.

Here is the original recipe:

Chicken Enchiladas

Prep: 25 min   Total: 50 min   Servings: 6

1 cup salsa verde

1/4 cup cilantro sprigs

1/4 cup parsley sprigs

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 cloves garlic

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

6 flour tortillas

1 medium lime, cut into wedges

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray 11 x 7 inch (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Place salsa, cilantro sprigs, parsley sprigs, lime juice, and garlic in blender or food processor.  Cover and blend on high speed about 30 seconds or until smooth.  Reserve half of mixture.

3. Mix remaining sauce mixture, chicken, and 1/4 cup of cheese (or more if you like cheese).  Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture onto each tortilla.  Roll tortilla around filling and place seam side down in baking dish.

4.  Pour reserved sauce mixture over enchiladas.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.  Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes or until hot.  Serve with lime wedges.

There you have it!  Yum!  

For a side, I make rice and guacamole.  

The very first picture shown is make assembled, but not yet cooked enchiladas with mild salsa.  The blender pictures are with hot salsa.  Both were very good, but the hot was HOT.  Probably depends on your preference if you like hot things or not.

Hope you like them!  Enjoy!

Reflecting on One Year

On July 20, David and I celebrated our first year of marriage!  This year has flown by and without a doubt this has been my favorite year!

To celebrate we went out to dinner at Maggiano's.  This is where we had our rehearsal dinner, so we thought it would be a fun place to reminisce, plus it is so yummy!

During our delicious dinner and that enormous piece of cheesecake, we talked about our first year of marriage.  I wanted to come up with a list of questions that we answer each year on our anniversary to see how we grow and change.

After doing this, I realized one of the most challenging aspects of this year for me and also where I have grown the most is in cooking, grocery shopping, and meal planning.  I cannot even begin to tell you how many tears were shed over those three things!  Seriously, looking at ads, cutting coupons, meal planning, grocery shopping, hulling those groceries up to our third floor apartment, cooking the food, and then burning it never ends well :)

Since this blog started as a way to share what I was learning in marriage (and pregnancy... and parenting), I want to try and help other wives out that are trying to figure out all this as well.  My most frustrating moments have come from not knowing what recipes to make or choosing the wrong ones and ending up making a frozen pizza.

I am excited to begin posting more recipes on the blog and tricks I have learned over the year to save money grocery shopping.  One crazy idea I have is to even calculate the cost of every recipe I make to figure out which meals are the most cost effective and which meals will be considered splurges.

We still go over our grocery budget most months sometimes by $5 and sometimes by $30, but we are in a much better place than a year ago!  In other budget categories we don't have as much control over, but the grocery bill we definitely determine and can change!

Keep a look out for fun recipes that I promise taste good, save money, and reduce your stress level :)

If you feel like you are failing in the whole cooking area, I will leave you with this fun story.

In the first couple months of being married, I got really excited about freezer cooking.  David's dad had given us a lot of potatoes from his garden so I wanted to make a lot of mashed potatoes then freeze them for future meals.  I also had recently gotten a Kitchen Aid mixer.  My thought was I would boil the potatoes and then mash them using the mixer.

So, I boil them, put them in the mixer, and turn it on.... and mashed potatoes hit the ceiling.  I cried and some how probably blamed it on David.  Proud moments!

Now, I am much more careful when I turn on the mixer and use a potato masher to make my mashed potatoes!  There is definitely a learning curve!

Gwyneth Eden: Weeks 11 & 12

3 months old!  It both feels like she was just born and that she has always been here.  Gwen is doing so well!  I can't believe this little girl weighed 4 pounds when we brought her home from the hospital.  I wouldn't be surprised  if she is approaching 10 pounds now.  We have been cloth diapering now for a little over two weeks which is a little of an adjustment :)  I think we may be getting the hang of it though.

Gwen's "Firsts": Wearing cloth diapers of course!  I also read a book to her for the first time.. she cried the whole time.  Well, I tried!

Proud Wife Moment: I went to City Flea kid-free last Saturday morning which meant David had Gwen.  We were still in the beginning stages of figuring out this whole cloth thing so I didn't say anything to him about using them.  I thought it might go over better if I learn how to do the whole prefold and snappi trick and then teach David since I am a cloth diaper researching addict.  I left and thought he would use disposable which was 100% fine.  When I got home she didn't have on a prefold, not even a BumGenius.  She has on a perfectly snappied prefold.  Seriously, he did a better job than I do.  Good job, Husband!!!!

Funny Moment:  Gwen is down to pooping like 1 time a day (TMI?)... anyways, I don't like when she poops in her cloth diapers because they are still new and who wants poop on new things?  I told her multiple times that she should only poop in her nighttime disposable like it would make a difference. You would never believe it, but for almost a week after we get her a bath, her disposable, pajamas, and swaddle, we lay her down, and then.... POOP. Seriously!  She listens so well :) We then have to change her and use another disposable which defeats the purpose of cloth, but eventually I will get over her pooping in her pretty diapers.

High of the Week: Gwen coos so much now!  When you smile at her, she starts making all kinds of fun noises.  She is a happy girl!

Low of the Week: This is barely a low... I hate how with cloth diapers they make clothes fit way tighter.  She just moved into 3 month clothes a couple weeks ago and now some of her onesies are tight.  Anyone ever get onesie extenders?  

Something I Learned: I have read on multiple websites that sleeping through the night is defined as 5-6 hour stretches.  Really?!?! I don't really know how that is sleeping through the night because I personally want 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep... minimum.  I can't bring myself to claim she is sleeping through the night at 5 hours.  I can go for 7, but not 5.  If I can function well and not day dream about a third cup of coffee, then that is sleeping through the night.  Don't get me wrong I will take what I can get!  I just thought when I hoped and prayed for sleeping through the night I would get a little more than that!

From now on when I say Gwen slept through the night, that means I got at least 7 hours of sleep without having to feed her :)

Facts for the Week(s): 

Blow out diapers: NONE!
Times sleeping through the night: 10
New favorite accessory: flower headbands
Fun fact: Gwen has a large space between her big toe and 2nd toe

11 weeks

12 weeks

1 week of Cloth Diapers

Imagine Prefold with a Snappi

Alright, guys!  We have officially made it a little over a week of cloth diapering!

Let me just say, those first few days I kept thinking, "Oh no.  What have I gotten myself into?"

It is intimidating at first.  How do I wash them?  What if they leak?  Did I pick the right detergent? What if I hate this?  Will my husband kill me if I just spent all this money and want to just use disposables?

As of right now, I don't hate it.  I also don't love it.  I am somewhere in the middle.

Here is a little summary of things:

What I like about cloth is...

-Rarely having to buy disposables (we use them at night for now)
-Saving money
-Fun colors and patterns
-Superiority of holding in explosive poop

What I don't like about cloth is...

-Extra laundry... lots of extra laundry
-Stress of making sure I am doing it right
-Stains on my pretty diapers

Things I am still figuring out are...

-Which detergent really is the best
-Best way to put on the prefold
-Which covers of mine leak and which don't
-Which type of cloth diaper I like the best
-Is it cute for babies to have an abnormally large, puffy butt


More updates to come!

Gwyneth Eden: Weeks 9 & 10

These weeks are just flying by!  I feel like by the time I post one update the next one needs to be posted!  Gwen is getting bigger by the second and more of her personality is showing.  I think I can actually differentiate cries now!  Or I can at least do this with a little more accuracy!  Sometime she throws in a new cry I have never heard which throws off the system, but I would say I can figure it out 80% of the time!

Gwen's "Firsts": She went to her first Younglife club :)  She may have slept through the whole thing, but she was there!

Funny Moment:  Gwen poops a lot.  This means I have to smell it a lot.  I don't really understand why people think breastfed babies' poop doesn't smell because it does.  Want to know what it smells like? Popcorn.  I realized that's what the familiar smell was, so I Googled it to figure out if anyone else had this realization.  Yep, other people's babies' poop smells like buttery popcorn as well.  Don't be fooled though, it in no way smells pleasant.

High of the Week: We had a really good weekend as a family together.  David was off work so we got to do all kinds of fun things!  I got to go out for a girls night with out kids, we all went to the conservatory, and then David and I went to Sunlight pool!  

Low of the Week: I can't think of anything!  Woo hoo!

Something I Learned: I realized I don't understand the sizing of children's clothes.  First, I thought size 0-3 months bridged the gap between newborn and 3 month.  Nope they are the same.  This also goes for 3-6 months and 6 months.  Second, I didn't realize the typically kids grow out of 3 month clothes when they hit 3 months.  I though you started wearing 3 month clothes at 3 months, 6 at 6, etc.  For Gwen obviously all that is off, but for the "normal" babies that is kind of how it goes.

Facts for the Week(s): 

Days past when I meant to post this: 6
Size clothes Gwen is wearing: 3 months
Weight: 9 1/2 lbs (ish)
Gwen's favorite activity: Sleeping in the ergo

9 weeks

10 weeks

Unplugging is Hard

This week I decided to take a break from Facebook and Instagram. A friend of mine is doing this so I figured, why not? I haven't unplugged for awhile... and it shows.

Thanks for the idea, Lauren!

I made a category for my Facebook and Instagram apps a few pages over on my phone titled, "Do not Open." I thought by adding the extra swipes maybe it would give my brain time to say, "Stop!"

Turns out avoiding social media is hard. I have added Pinterest and soon Vine to my "Do not Open" category.  I found I was just replacing my Facebook and Instagram time with other distractions. Maybe social media isn't the problem. Maybe it is something deeper.

I keep wanting to just see how many notifications I have. What if someone sent me a message? Did anyone like my cloth diaper blog post? For real. This is what my brain does.

I don't know what the "cure" is, but it's obvious Facebook isn't the culprit.

I think I look to get some sort of validation from people liking what I post on social media. I even get excited when people repin my pins on Pinterest. Haha! Like I was the one who came up with those recipes that I will never ever make, but hey, they think I have good taste!

I am only 3 or 4 days in. I don't remember if I started Saturday or Sunday!  I want to just end my unplugging and get back to posting pictures and stalking my Facebook friends. What else are you supposed to do at 3:00 a.m. when you are up with a baby?  Crazy what taking a break from these mindless things will show.

Give it a try. See what happens!

P.s. yes, I am posting this to Facebook but only because I can do it from Blogger :) I did not get on Facebook to do this and I did not check if I got any likes or comments on this post :)

My Diaper Stash

My original plan with cloth diapers was to begin immediately after arriving home from the hospital .  I wanted to throw myself into things so I would not know any different.

Well, Gwen arriving early threw us off a bit :)

I am simply cloth diapering because it saves a ton of money.  The diapers we purchased I chose because they are known for their longevity (multiple kids) and least amount of sizes (less time you have to buy the next size).

I am happy to say though that we should be cloth diapering within a week!  That is the goal!  I am currently waiting on 2 dozen prefolds and my wet bags.  Once those are here, I just have to prep them all and we will be done with disposables!

I am trying A LOT of different diapers.  Partially because a lot were given to me and partially because I think cloth diapering is addictive and I just want to try every diaper in sight.  Thank goodness a lot of them were gifts!

Here is a run through of all my cloth diapers.  Obviously, I have not used any of them, so in the future I will come back to them and give my review.


1. Charlie Banana: One Size Pocket Diaper

This diaper we purchased at Target.  It was on sale for only $8!  Super cheap.  It is one size which I love because it fits from 8 lbs until potty training.  It is so cute and soft!  I can't wait to try it.

2. Thirsties Duo All in One: Size 1

These diapers were a baby shower gift from David's aunt that cloth diapers.  I love them!  These are all in one diapers so you put them on and take them off just like a disposable... except way cuter.  Thirsties Duo diapers come in two sizes.  This is the first size which goes up to 18 lbs.

3. Prorap Covers: Size Small

These diapers were a gift from a friend who cloth diapered.  I have 10 of them!!!  They fit from 9-14 lbs.  I am excited to try these with prefolds because I think I will be able to get a really good fit with them. 

4.  Bummis Super Whisper Wrap: Size Small

These were also a gift from my cloth diapering friend!  How can you not love that frog print?  These will fit from 8 lbs. to 15 lbs.  I have heard amazing things about these covers.  I will also be using these with prefolds.

5. DiDee Snug Prefit: Size Small

 I actually have never heard of this brand and therefore, know nothing about it!  I know this part goes on the baby's butt and then I put a cover over it.  We will just have to try it and see!  I have two of these.

6. Fuzzibunz Pocket Diaper: Size Small

Yes, these also were a gift passed down from my friend.  Fuzzibunz is one of the most well known types of cloth diapers and gets fabulous reviews.  I love that one of them is super girly!  I only have the pocket diaper for these, but no inserts so I will most likely be stuffing them with prefolds.

7. Snuggle Hugs: Size Small

Gift from my awesome friend.  I have never heard of these and could not find out much from the internet.  The ones with fish on them make me wonder if they could be a swim diaper cover.  They also snap the opposite direction that most diapers do.  I will give them a try a try and see how it goes!

 8. Flip 

I have been dreaming about these diapers ever since I started looking into cloth diapers.  These are one size diapers and are so easy to use.  You either lay a Flip insert or prefold into the cover and off you go!  The biggest thing I love about them is that while you need to wash the insert each time, as long as the cover does not have poop on it you can reuse it.  I have 5 of these beauties. I was able to get the covers without inserts for $7 each from a Seconds sale.

9. BumGenius 4.0

These are the other diapers I have been googly-eyed over from the start.  These are all in one, one sized diapers.  Like the Flips, they did not come with inserts, but I got them super cheap.  I have 10 :)  My plan is to again just use prefolds to stuff them.

10. Imagine "Smart Fit" Prefolds

These have been ordered, but not yet come in.  I ordered 2 dozen of these.  I hear that they are amazing so I am excited about them!  I love that we can use them for so many things.


That is my diaper collection... so far :)  Stay tuned for how cloth diapering start out!  Hopefully my detergent comes in this week so I can get washing!

Gwyneth Eden: Weeks 7 & 8

Gwen's "Firsts": First time in an Ergo!  She loves it!  She stays asleep the entire time she is in it.  She also wore a headband for the first time and it was the most precious thing I have ever seen.

Funny Moment: David can get her to smile consistently!  I love watching him making smiley, goofy faces at her and she LOVES it.  She grins so big and will keep smiling until he stops talking and smiling at her.  I just sit there and laugh watching them go back and forth.  It is too cute.

High of the Week: We are officially breastfeeding!!!!! For the time being I feed her and then must pump, but I am slowly trying to get rid of the pumping part.  I am still very dependent on the Boppy and she is not the most efficient nurser, but I am happy to be working towards when it will be easy.  That is assuming it does get easy!

Low of the Week: These weeks were pretty good! Maybe we are finally getting the hang of this parenting thing. My low is simply that she is growing out of her newborn clothes :( I am so sad about it! My little tiny baby is getting big! I know I will just continue to love her more and more as she gets bigger but a part of me will miss this part of things.

Something I Learned: This confused me. I went to Target to buy some diapers. I had planned on buying another pack of newborns, but when I got there I quickly changed my mind. For Target brand, you got 36 newborn diapers for $6.99. For the size one Target brand, you got 50 for $6.99!!! 14 more diapers for the same price, hence why she moved up a size. Even the size 2 diapers had more in a pack than newborns. You won't fool this girl, Target!

Facts for the Week(s): 

Gwen's weight: 8 lbs 11oz
Size diapers: 1

Gwen's length: 21 inches

Number of Zumba classes taken: 2
How sore am I from Zumba: SO SORE

7 weeks

8 weeks

                                

8 Things I Didn't Know About Childbirth

Giving birth to Gwen came a little sudden to say the least!  I hadn't taken any birthing classes or even a hospital tour.  Maybe these are common knowledge, but here are 8 things I didn't know about giving birth!

1. When they break your water, it is no where near like peeing your pants.
It is like a waterfall.  If it breaks on its own maybe it is less surprising.  I was shocked at the amount of water this girl lived in!

2. The IV bag goes everywhere with you.
I had visions of laboring by walking around freely.  You of course can walk around but you must take the IV with you. That means taking the big metal rack thing they attach it to with you as well.  I did not feel as "free" as I had hoped!

3. Epidurals compared to contractions do not hurt at all.  
You would think a large needle going into your spine would hurt.  Not for me.  It felt a little like a bee sting, but that was way better than how horrible my contractions were.  

4. They numb the area before giving you an epidural.
This probably would have been helpful to know before going into labor.  It makes the epidural way less intimidating.

5. The doctor has a lot of crazy tools someone sets up...
Like scalpels and other crazy things.  Don't look at it.  I averted my eyes and David told me about it later.

6. Pushing is not as intuitive as you would think.
With having an epidural, I could not feel a thing.  I had the knowledge for what pushing was supposed to be like, but when you can't feel anything, its pretty difficult!

7. They may put an oxygen mask on you.
 It freaked me out and it actually made it harder for me to breathe.  I was a spaz though, you probably would be fine.

8. Having a good nurse is crucial.
Honestly, since I had no complications, I would say it was more important than having a good doctor.  Our nurse was amazing.  She helped us make decisions without pressuring us, encouraged me when I was about to die from the pain, and supported me when David had to leave the room during the epidural.  She was just phenomenal.  


Anything surprise you about giving birth?

Gwyneth Eden: Weeks 5 & 6

These weeks have just been a whirl wind!  She is almost 8 weeks old and I am just now posting this!  I just looked back at her 3 and 4 week pictures and am amazed by how much she has grown.  Gwen is packing on the weight and doing wonderful.  These past two weeks have had their challenges for sure, but I am hopeful that things will become more natural and less chaotic in the weeks to come!  

Gwen's "Firsts": First time wearing a bathing suit!  She also had her first blow out diaper that David got the privilege of changing. 

Funny Moment: My mom and sister, Kelly, were over last week and I had just got done feeding Gwen.  My mom was holding her and she spit up as usual.  Kelly has not been around many babies and almost threw up when she saw the spit up!  Sorry sissy!  We will have to get you used to newborns!

High of the Week: Thanks to the help of a wonderful lactation consultant, I am officially no longer exclusively pumping!  For anyone who has ever exclusively pumped, you know this is a big deal.  Pumping=horrible.  Yes, there are some perks to it, but overall I am happy to be able to at least start down the path of breastfeeding.

For the time being, I have to nurse her and then pump afterwards.  Since I keep getting mastitis (see below), they want to make sure I avoid getting it again!  This whole feeding process takes an hour and half... yikes.  I am putting in the work now to hopefully give my self an easier time in the future.  

Low of the Week: Mastitis.... AGAIN!!!! No joke.  I had it when she was 3 weeks old and then came down with it gain at 5 weeks.  To make it worse, it was on the 4th of July.  I spent the day in bed trying to not let myself quit pumping and be done with it all.  Luckily, the next day more antibiotics were called in and I began to feel better.  Let's hope this is it!  I am not sure I have it in me to endure through another round.

Something I Learned about Newborns: When they dream it may be the cutest thing I have ever seen. Gwen coos and makes all sorts of adorable faces.  I won't lie though, I described it to David as, "It sounds like she is dreaming as though a puppy died!"  She looks very concerned when these dreaming sessions occur.

Facts for the Week(s): 

Gwen's weight: 7 lbs. 3 oz.... I know right?!
Cloth diapers purchased: 15
Types of cloth diapers: Flip and BumGenius
Fun baby gear purchased: Ergo!  Thanks for the discount Zulily!
Date night: Despicable Me 2 and Cold Stone!

5 weeks

6 weeks

Gwyneth Eden: Weeks 3 & 4

We are just loving life with Gwen.  At times (a lot of times) it is challenging, but we are learning a lot and starting to figure things out.

We took some family pictures with David's family over the weekend.  They turned out awesome.  Here is my favorite!

Gwen's "Firsts": She went to Bob Evans, Target, and the zoo for the first time!  Taking her to the zoo was great!  Now I know that if for some reason she refuses to sleep, I will put her in the stroller and walk around.  She was out the whole time. 

Funny Moment: Gwen really needed a bath, but we were having friends over for dinner so it was just going to have to wait.  David decided he could do it by himself and was up for the adventure.  He undressed her (no diaper) and carried her into the bathroom.  Seconds later, I hear him yell.  He walks out of the bathroom and is covered in pee!  She got his shirt and shorts!  You can't leave a diaper off that girl for any amount of time without expecting to be covered in poop or pee.

High of the Week: Cuddling and hanging out with Gwen.  I am not sure if all babies are like this, but she LOVES to be held.  She could be fussing and grunting without ceasing and as soon as you pick her up she is calm.  I love having a baby that likes to cuddle!  She is so cute!  It is really great when you are holding her after feeding her and she just smiles away.  I know it has nothing to do with me at this point, but its definitely adorable.

Low of the Week: Mastitis.... really bad mastitis!  I thought I just had a clogged duct a week ago.  I had woken up with a fever, chills, and felt achy all over.  It was miserable.  I called my doctor and she gave me a prescription since it sounded infected.  Days went by with little improvement.  I was taking ibuprofen to keep my fever away enough to where I could take care of Gwen.

When it still was not improving, I went into the office where they ordered an ultrasound to make sure I did not have an abscess.  I will not go into details about what that is or how they treat it :)  Turns out I did not!  I just needed stronger meds because that infection would not go away.  You know its bad when your doctor is shocked with how bad it is.  I currently am taking my medicine and feeling much better! 

Parenting Lesson: I guess this is a part of parenting, but I learned a valuable lesson in freezing breast milk.  You are supposed to freeze it flat!  I had been freezing it standing up.  Wow, you would never believe how much more you can cram into your freezer by freezing it the way the instructions say.

Something I Learned about Newborns: I learned that preemie babies smile more than a full term baby!  This makes a lot of sense because she is a super smiley girl.  It ends up fading and she will catch up with a full term baby.  So sad!  I love her little smiles!

Facts for the Week(s): 

Projectile poop that hit me: 0
Projectile poop that hit David: 3 or 4 :)
Gwen's weight: 6 lbs. 1 oz!
Gwen's weight percentile: 1%... she made it on the chart!
Current favorite show I watch while feeding Gwen: Cupcake Wars!

Wearing her cupcake outfit to be festive!

3 weeks old

4 weeks old

What having a Newborn is like for Me

We look so rested, relaxed, and perfect with a newborn, don't we?

Having a newborn is actually tough.  Seriously.  People told us this and explained especially how hard the first 6 weeks were.  What did I do?  Acted arrogant and like I knew everything.  Yeah, whatever, so you get a little sleep deprived!  Just sleep when the baby sleeps and you deal with it!  Right, parents?

Haha!  Oh, Stacy.

I often tell David how fun things people are doing look on Instagram or Facebook.  I suddenly want to go do all those things or hang out with those people.  Why?  Because like the article, "Stop Instagramming Your Perfect Life", explains, social media portrays a better, more desirable view point on real life.

How does this relate to having a newborn?  It makes me think I am the only one struggling.

Am I the only one who motherhood doesn't come easily?  Am I the only one who is stressed out all day?  How about wanting to throw their pump out the window? Or has no idea when their baby is hungry or simply sticking their tongue out because she is about to puke all over me?

No, I am not.  I let myself believe I am the only one who has no idea what they are doing because I compare myself to what others are doing based on their pictures and how their life appears.

I know they struggle and that they also are stressed out.  You go from 0 to 100 instantly.  There are no days off or even hours off.  It is all the time and that WILL wear you down.  It doesn't matter how much exposure to newborns you have had.  You probably have never taken care of one every day, all day with your hormones out of control.

Now, I love my baby girl.  She is the cutest baby ever.  Yes, I am biased.  I think its cute when she sneezes, sleeps with her hands behind her head, and I even think its pretty cute when she smells.  I am sure the last one will fade :)

So, if you wonder if you are the only one struggling you aren't.  I am.  There is a grace for all that.  There is grace for when I don't want to give Gwen a bottle because when she spits up it makes me stressed.  There is grace for when I don't want to even try breastfeeding because I am afraid I will fail.  There is grace for when my iPhone falls on her.  Don't judge me.  She is fine!

When you see or read about her, know that our life is no where near perfect.  I am doing the best I can, but it won't ever be perfect.

Look at these pictures for instance.

Look how much fun we have taking pictures!  Just kidding.  These pictures came out of trying to cheer me up because shortly before this I was crying about feeling guilty and like I didn't measure up.

Be encouraged that you are doing the best you can and that is all you can do.  It is ok if parenting looks "easier" on other people.  We all know there is nothing easy about it. The good news is having a baby is awesome regardless of the work and mental breakdowns.  Gwen is a blessing and we love her!

I am not complaining and this is not a "cry for help".  I am just letting you other moms know that I have a hard time like you and I only have one kid who is 3 weeks old.  

I will leave you with this picture.  

This is us doing the best we can.  Babies aren't supposed to sleep with extra bedding, but she spits up constantly.  I don't want to have to wash the padding on her Rock 'n Play so I improvised.

Gwyneth Eden: Weeks 1 and 2

Phew! I can't believe this little girl has been here for 2 weeks already! She is such a sweetheart.

I thought I would have more time for blogging and writing updates, but it turns out a newborn, especially a preterm newborn, requires some time! Hopefully once we get out bearings things like writing can happen more often.

Gwen's "Firsts": Well, she had had her first time doing a lot of things like crying, having breast milk, getting her diaper changed.  Some of my favorites are the first time I heard her hiccup and sneeze. Adorable. 

Funny Moment: David left to go do laundry. It was my first time taking care of Gwyneth by myself. I noticed her diaper was dirty so I prepared to change her. Well, I found out the hard way this girl has projectile poop. A poop covered arm, stained carpet, and 4 diapers later, we tackled that poopy diaper. Good thing I was able to laugh or else there may have been a melt down.

High of the Week: Other than her being born, bringing her home was amazing. To be in our own territory and learn how to take care of her in our space was so freeing. We didn't have certain standards to try and meet. We could sleep in our own bed, have significantly more space, and best of all, no one was checking on us 24/7. We love having our sweet girl home!

Low of the Week: Learning how to breastfeeding a preterm baby. As if breastfeeding wasn't hard enough, having a baby a month early adds significantly more challenges. Currently I am not able to and must pump then give her a bottle. It is exhausting and frustrating to say the least. I hope that in a couple weeks we can try and give breastfeeding a chance. If I am honest, I feel like I am missing out. I know for right now I am doing the best thing I can for her, but it is still hard for me to accept.

Parenting Lesson: Always have the next diaper ready. I have been told this and didn't listen. Lesson learned.

Something I Learned about Newborns: They make a TON of noise. Sometimes she grunts without ceasing for hours. Sometimes she hiccups. Sometimes she sounds like a cat. This girl is always making noise... Especially between 12:00 am and 4:00 am :)

Facts for the Week(s): 

Gwyneth's Birth Weight: 4.4 oz

Days in Hospital: 5

Days until David is Back at Work: 3 :(

Total Weight Gwen has Gained: 7 oz

Google Searches Containing the Word "Grunting": infinite

1 week

2 weeks

Birth Story of Gwyneth Eden: Part 3

10 cm!  What?!  We were told that once you reach 5 cm, it is normally a centimeter an hour.  This would have put us at 3:00 am, not 10:45 pm!

That was the reason I was in pain.  She was moving down and in ready position!

Katie sat me up and to allow for the baby to drop even lower and prepare to push.  The cart of delivery tools and who knows what else was wheeled in and set up.  I chose to not look at this cart.  Seeing scalpels and weird looking birthing instruments would not be beneficial!

Shortly after, Dr. Choi and at least 5 other nurses came in.  At this time it was around 11:30 pm.  I had no idea what to expect for the pushing portion of delivery.  Some women I knew pushed for hours while others could have simply coughed and their baby would have flew out.  An oxygen mask was put on my face to help me breathe.  This actually just freaked me out and it kept sliding into my eye.  I would have breathed much more effectively without it!

It was then time to push and meet our baby girl!

I was instructed in how to push and breathe.  I could not focus and figure out what they wanted me to do.  Do you take a deep breath and then hold it and push?  Do exhale while pushing?  How do you hold your breathe for that long and have the energy to push?

These were all the things running through my mind, but could not ask.  They were telling me to push so I just went with it!  The first couple pushes were not effective at all.  With lots of people giving me directions,  I could not figure it  Dr. Choi then said the baby's heart rate was dropping and they would use a vacuum to get her out as soon as possible.

That was all I needed!  You tell me my baby's heart rate is dropping and I will figure out this pushing thing real fast!  Two more pushes with the assist of the vacuum and the baby was out!

At 11:52 pm on May 31, Gwyneth Eden came into the world. 

For arriving 4 weeks early, doctors have been astonished by how well she has been doing.  She spent no time in the NICU.  She is just a small baby!  We are so in love with this little girl!

Birth Story of Gwyneth Eden: Part 1
Birth Story of Gwyneth Eden: Part 2