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| 1 day old, 4 days old, 2 weeks old, 4 weeks old- turning into a little girl already! |
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Week 5
Happy first 4th of July to our munchkin! We headed down to our neighbor's shore house for the holiday, and had a very busy day! We ate a ton of food (boob juice for Elsa), hit up the beach, and spent some quality time and a lot of laughs with one of the nicest families around. Somehow we didnt take a family picture for the holiday, but here are a few snapshots from that day and Elsa's 5th week of life:
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| cheeks for days! |
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| all 4th'd up and headed to the shore! |
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| at the NJ shore in a baby tent |
1 Month!
Obviously I am a bit behind and just writing these posts now. But oh my gosh 1 month with you flew by so fast! At 1 month:
- You weigh 10lbs on the dot, what a little chunker!
- Your head is still on the small size but is growing
- You are much more awake and alert than in the first few weeks but you still sleep alot during the day
- You eat like a champ
- You are doing well on your little routine each day but get overtired really easily
- You hate the carseat
- You like going for walks in the park
- You have been out to 3 restaurants, such a social butterfly!
- You LOVE "climbing mount daddy"
- You hate tummy time, and just cry and rest your head on the ground each time
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| after our dr appt. 10lbs- BOOM! |
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| climbing mount daddy |
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| Happy 1 month munchkin! |
Week 4
During week 4, we started really following a 3 hour routine with Elsa. She would eat, play for a little bit, and then nap, all in a 3 hour cycle. This actually worked pretty good for us, and helped her start to sleep a little bit longer at night. I think she was doing about 5 hours consistently at this point, which was a good amount, but not nearly enough for someone like me, who was used to getting about 10 hours of sleep pre-baby. This was also the week we noticed that Elsa was watching tv. A huge no-no for many, but considering she could only see the movement and brightness, we knew it wasnt a big deal. We took a little family outing to Verona Inn for dinner and propped our girl up on the table so she could take in the sites. She slept the whole time, even with super loud music and people all around us!
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| mug of baby |
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| snoozing on mom |
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| her clothes are still huge on her! |
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| watching tv with daddy |
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| one of the first smirks i captured |
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| Dinner at Verona Inn |
Week 3
All these weeks are definitely blurring together for me. Luckily I have taken about 800 pictures of my little nugget, and those are helping to remind me of all the fun things that have happened so far. Week 3 was when John was back at work full time in the office, so I was at home with Elsa most days. She started napping during the day for a decent amount of time, which gave me a little personal time so I could eat breakfast and shower before 5pm. We went for walks in the park, and Elsa spent a lot of time in her swing and bouncy chair. We hired a photographer to come over and take her newborn photos, which she slept through and was such a ham for the camera. We even had our first Skype date with Grinny and Grampy! Towards the end of the week, Elsa got to meet two more of my good friends, Morgan and Melissa. We went out to lunch, and celebrated Elsa's first lunch date with cocktails (for the adults only of course). John and I also took Elsa to Hoboken for brunch one day, and showed her the NYC skyline. It was so hot outside but she was a trooper and slept most of the time, even as we walked in and out of baby stores just to enjoy the AC. And last but certainly not least, we celebrated Johns first Father's Day with a picnic in the park, under a big tree. Elsa loves her daddy so much and she even decorated her nursery with little notes about all her favorite things to do with him.
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| newborn photo shoot |
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| family selfie |
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| Daddy and Elsa, both opened mouth |
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| picnic in the park for Father's Day |
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| Visit from Morgan and Melissa |
Week 2
This was a big week for Elsa. Not only did she meet her Grinny and Grampy (my parents), she also met our neighbors Warren and Alyssa, Jenn and Adam, and Krissy. We hosted a little BBQ at our house, and showed off our new baby. She was tiny, so practically none of the clothes we had even fit her. She also had no shoulders, so all the dresses we put on her didnt stay in place. Another highlight of the week was going for our first walk in Brookdale Park with her puppy brother Barkley.
Elsa didnt sleep much during these first few weeks, and both John and I were definitely turning into zombies from the lack of sleep. She spent a few nights in her swing, and I laid on the couch, staring at her and making sure she was still breathing and being in awe that this baby was ours, forever. She was still all scrunched up and tiny, but everyone that met her just fell right in love.
Elsa didnt sleep much during these first few weeks, and both John and I were definitely turning into zombies from the lack of sleep. She spent a few nights in her swing, and I laid on the couch, staring at her and making sure she was still breathing and being in awe that this baby was ours, forever. She was still all scrunched up and tiny, but everyone that met her just fell right in love.
Week 1
We came home with our daughter on Saturday, June 1st. 5 days before my due date, and in the middle of a serious heat wave. Elsa was so tiny, having lost 10 ounces while in the hospital and weighing only 6 lbs 4 oz when we brought her home. The first week is now a complete blur to me, but at the time it felt like time was standing still. Elsa cried a lot, and so did I. I was completely overwhelmed and unprepared for this amazing tiny baby. No one gave us instructions. No one told us that these first days would not only be the happiest days we had ever experienced, but also the most stressful. The first night home Elsa was a rockstar sleeper, giving us almost 5 hours straight of shut eye. She tricked us into thinking we could beat the odds and actually get more sleep than most other new parents. The second night she woke up every 2 hours screaming to be fed. Reality had slapped us in the face.
Two days after we got home we brought her to her first doctor appointment. She was sleeping, so we hopped in the car and drove the 10 minutes to the doctor office. When we arrived, we realized she had not only pooped, but had pooped so much it was all over her and her car seat. Luckily we had a diaper and wipes, but no other clothing, so little Elsa made her first trip home in just a diaper.
Two days after we got home we brought her to her first doctor appointment. She was sleeping, so we hopped in the car and drove the 10 minutes to the doctor office. When we arrived, we realized she had not only pooped, but had pooped so much it was all over her and her car seat. Luckily we had a diaper and wipes, but no other clothing, so little Elsa made her first trip home in just a diaper.
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| Leaving the hospital with our little girl. Yes I wore pj pants home. |
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| The best welcome home, decorations that John put up for our girl! |
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| Pre doctor appt, pre poop blowout |
Surprise, It's a Girl!
When we first found out we were expecting a baby, one of the things we constantly talked about was whether or not to find out the sex of the baby. I had always imagined myself not knowing what I was carrying and strongly wanted to keep it a surprise, and John really wanted to find out the sex, so that we could be better prepared for parenthood. When the 20 week mark came and it was time for the sonogram tech to tell us the news, we decided that we didnt want to know the sex. And so throughout the rest of my pregnancy, the baby was referred to as "it". We prepared the best we could, buying everything in neutral colors and registering for plenty of white/gray onesies. As time went on, everyone asked if we had any feelings of boy vs girl. To be honest, I never really had any inkling whatsoever. the odds were 50/50. But John, he said from the beginning that the baby would be a girl.
Which brings me to May 29th, 2013. I had a doctor appointment that morning and as I sat there listening to my doctor tell me "not to expect anything soon", I realized that I could seriously be facing another week or two or being pregnant, effectively going past my due date. Then my doctor offered to induce me, and I happily took her up on the offer. So, we were scheduled to arrive at the hospital on Thursday evening to be admitted and induced. I called John, told him the news, and I think we both felt anxiety once we realized that this nugget that had been residing in my belly for the last 9 months was going to be here in just a day. So naturally, I came home and kept myself busy all day. I took Barkley for an almost 3 mile walk, went to Target and the grocery store to stock up, and cleaned as much as I could within our house. During the entire day, I felt slight cramps and had decided early on that it was just Braxton Hicks contractions, since the doctor had said that the baby would not be coming soon. John got home around 5pm, and I decided to accompany him to his softball game that night in the next town over. I was feeling great, but still feeling those slight cramps every so often. So off we went to the game, completely unaware of what was about to transpire. After about an hour of sitting on the bleachers, it dawned on me that these "cramps" were coming pretty consistently, about 20 minutes apart. That was when I started timing them, and realized that maybe I was getting real contractions? I told John this and decided to head home, just in case. At this point, I really didnt think this was anything real though. By the time I got home, the cramps had turned into contractions, and they were coming much faster, about 10 minutes apart. I called John and told him to come home right away so we could shower. By the time John got home, I was feeling a decent amount of pain and knew that I wouldnt need to be induced, since this little baby was going to arrive early on its own! Around 1130pm we arrived at the hospital, and I was still in pretty good spirits. 30 minutes later though, shit got real. The contractions were coming only a few minutes apart, and I wasnt dilated much at all. I begged for the epidural, only to be told I had to wait for an IV of fluids. I wanted to punch someone in the face because the pain I was starting to feel was unreal. All of the following then happened, in this order: I peed in a bedpan, screamed for the contractions to stop multiple times, begged for the epidural, got the epidural (3am, or more than 3 hours after our arrival at the hospital), told the nurses I loved them and would make them cookies, and was finally brought into a labor and delivery room (up until this point I had been on a bed in the hallway, moaning like a cow). While they stuck an oxygen mask on my face, John took a quick power nap. I still wasnt dilated much and figured we could both use some sleep. 45 minutes later, about 430am, I called for the nurse and told her I felt alot of pressure. She checked me, and was surprised to see that not only was I dilated to 8cm, but the baby was ready to make its big trek. At 450am I began pushing, at 455am I asked if the baby had red hair (the doctor could see her head) and at 503am, only a little more than 5 hours after getting admitted and 15 minutes after starting to push, our little girl was born. John made the "it's a girl!" call and cut the cord, and I cried like a jerk because I was so happy our baby was finally here, dimple chin and all!
Which brings me to May 29th, 2013. I had a doctor appointment that morning and as I sat there listening to my doctor tell me "not to expect anything soon", I realized that I could seriously be facing another week or two or being pregnant, effectively going past my due date. Then my doctor offered to induce me, and I happily took her up on the offer. So, we were scheduled to arrive at the hospital on Thursday evening to be admitted and induced. I called John, told him the news, and I think we both felt anxiety once we realized that this nugget that had been residing in my belly for the last 9 months was going to be here in just a day. So naturally, I came home and kept myself busy all day. I took Barkley for an almost 3 mile walk, went to Target and the grocery store to stock up, and cleaned as much as I could within our house. During the entire day, I felt slight cramps and had decided early on that it was just Braxton Hicks contractions, since the doctor had said that the baby would not be coming soon. John got home around 5pm, and I decided to accompany him to his softball game that night in the next town over. I was feeling great, but still feeling those slight cramps every so often. So off we went to the game, completely unaware of what was about to transpire. After about an hour of sitting on the bleachers, it dawned on me that these "cramps" were coming pretty consistently, about 20 minutes apart. That was when I started timing them, and realized that maybe I was getting real contractions? I told John this and decided to head home, just in case. At this point, I really didnt think this was anything real though. By the time I got home, the cramps had turned into contractions, and they were coming much faster, about 10 minutes apart. I called John and told him to come home right away so we could shower. By the time John got home, I was feeling a decent amount of pain and knew that I wouldnt need to be induced, since this little baby was going to arrive early on its own! Around 1130pm we arrived at the hospital, and I was still in pretty good spirits. 30 minutes later though, shit got real. The contractions were coming only a few minutes apart, and I wasnt dilated much at all. I begged for the epidural, only to be told I had to wait for an IV of fluids. I wanted to punch someone in the face because the pain I was starting to feel was unreal. All of the following then happened, in this order: I peed in a bedpan, screamed for the contractions to stop multiple times, begged for the epidural, got the epidural (3am, or more than 3 hours after our arrival at the hospital), told the nurses I loved them and would make them cookies, and was finally brought into a labor and delivery room (up until this point I had been on a bed in the hallway, moaning like a cow). While they stuck an oxygen mask on my face, John took a quick power nap. I still wasnt dilated much and figured we could both use some sleep. 45 minutes later, about 430am, I called for the nurse and told her I felt alot of pressure. She checked me, and was surprised to see that not only was I dilated to 8cm, but the baby was ready to make its big trek. At 450am I began pushing, at 455am I asked if the baby had red hair (the doctor could see her head) and at 503am, only a little more than 5 hours after getting admitted and 15 minutes after starting to push, our little girl was born. John made the "it's a girl!" call and cut the cord, and I cried like a jerk because I was so happy our baby was finally here, dimple chin and all!
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Welcome
Little miss Elsa Wynn made her appearance into the world a week early, at 5:03am on May 30, 2013. Weighing 6 pounds 14 ounces (guess that 35 week sonogram that claimed she was "large" was way off) and measuring 20.5 inches long, she entered our lives and changed them for the better in an instant. From the second that John proclaimed "it's a girl", we experienced a love that we never knew existed and became instantly obsessed with her. John has been bugging me for a while to make a blog for Elsa, and just this one time I am making an exception and actually listening to him. I hope you follow along and enjoy the journey of watching our little munchkin grow up.
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