 |
| Sleepy Princess |
 |
| In Aunt Terri's outfit...how cute! |
 |
| After Picture Day |
 |
| Camo Baby! |
 |
| It's bath time @ Aunt Crystal & Lindsey's! |
 |
| Bows by Aunt Kasie... she actually likes this one! |
 |
| Jackie O sunglasses... its hard being this cute. |
 |
| Not quite fitting in her 3-6 month jammies yet |
 |
| She dreams and smiles a lot : ) |
 |
| Cozy in her new pajama's! |
 |
| First jeans experience |
 |
| Daddy and Baby Bear just hanging out |
 |
| She is blessed with MANY aunts that love her! |
 |
| Hi there Mama! |
 |
| They bought me WHAT? |
 |
| Snug as a bug in a fur blanket |
 |
| She fell asleep like this... greatness! |
 |
| She loves her Great Granny! |
 |
| Passed out cold |
 |
| Look at those lips! |
 |
| Love that face! |
 |
| Now that face... she's probably making Mom a surprise in her diaper |
Hi everyone! Can you believe how much our girl is growing?? She is doing so good, and we are loving and enjoying every moment with her. Now on to the updates!
Feeding: She is still taking 6-9 bottles a day, about 4 to 4.5 ounces in every bottle. I've read that they are supposed to be eating 2.5 ounces per pound of weight, so in keeping with that, she should be eating about 30 ounces per day. Which at one point (when she was waking up religiously at night as well) she was eating. Now, with her sleeping as she is during the night (more on that in a min!), she probably only takes about 24-28 ounces per day. I was really worried that with me cutting out the breastmilk in her diet, that her weight gain would stall. Breastmilk naturally has 20 calories per ounce (I think that's the measurement) in it, and we were also fortifying it with Neosure, which is 22 calorie formula. Now she is just taking the 22 calorie formula. But I have to say, just from looks, she is not hurting at all for food : ) We have a pedi appt next Monday in order to weigh her, but I'd guess she's around 12 pounds now? Praise the Lord! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her fat rolls... I remember so vividly wishing with all my heart to have a fat, healthy baby. And now we do!
We did have to end up starting her on reflux meds... she's taking Prevacid, which is proven effective and supported by the staff of our NICU (hi ladies!! We miss you guys so much!) and then a probiotic that also has been given good reviews. So far, she is pooping a lot more (woohoo!) but I have to say, I haven't really noticed much more of a change, in terms of her being more comfortable laying flat on her back, or eating sitting up without incident. She still squirms and seems uncomfortable when both of those things occur. However, its still relatively early in the game to say neither work, so we'll hang in there and hope and pray these work in our favor in the long run. I think the main point is to get the spitting up and choking episodes to stop. Which, since she's been on these meds, haven't happened. But we also want her to sleep on her back and eat a little easier. There are a couple positions we've had to try in order to feed her, and they are not "traditional", but she seems to enjoy them a lot more than just sitting up and eating. We will keep you posted on how this goes! Praying for the best! The doctor said with the combo of both meds, she could be " a different baby" in terms of sleeping/eating. That would be awesome!
Sleeping: Baby Girl is now pretty consistently sleeping through the night!! We have a small hiccup every now and then, but on most nights, she takes a bottle at 8 or 9 then falls asleep until around 2. She'll take another bottle then and then sleep until around 7 or 8. We are so happy with this! As I said, there have been just a couple days where she is up crying until 11 or so, but then goes down until about 8 AM, but I'll take it! She is sleeping mostly in her bouncy seat, and one of us sleeps on the couch next to her. We're still taking turns with that. I have the 1st shift, from after dinner until 1 AM. Then I sleep from 1-7 AM, then get up and go to work. CJ takes her from 1 AM on... and I LOVE him for understanding that I need at least 6 hours in order to function at work. I LOVE him for staying home with our daughter, for loving her so much and taking care of her while doing 15 other things every day. Although we still aren't in a crib yet, we are getting a lot more rest, and I know this is just a passing phase. Once she is a little older and we can let her "self soothe" or "cry it out" (I hate that term... i don't want her to cry), we'll try her pack n play or crib. I am satisfied with the leaps and bounds Avery is making in this area, and know it will only get better from here! She's awake A LOT more during the day, so we are reading to her, singing to her, working with her as much as possible. She does take a small nap here and there, which helps Dad when he needs to do his homework : ) She's also entered the stage in which she fights sleep. She gets so exhausted, as evidenced by her drooping, heavy eyelids, but will not just give in and go to bed! I have had to pace the small apartment for over 2 hours sometimes, just to get her to drift off! She loves to be rocked and bounced, and especially when you stand up and do this. She's so dang cute, I just can't seem to mind much.
Development: She has rolled over a couple more times and is holding her head up a lot more. She got her first chair from Aunt Carly (Bumbo Seat), but we haven't had a chance to get it yet. I can't wait! That will help her practice sitting up on her own. She is standing when we hold her arms, and just constantly surprises us with how much body strength she has. In her neck, her arms, her legs. She is living up to her Super Baby name! She is batting at her toys that hang across her activity mat and her car seat. She is trying to talk SO MUCH as well! She's always making sounds that I think sound like the beginning of words : ) Avery will be crawling in no time, I'm fairly sure. She gets her legs under her and scoots when she's on her belly... more b/c she does NOT like being awake and on her tummy, I think. She's also drooling up a storm, which is the first sign that..... wait for it..... she's teething!!!! She actually won't have teeth for awhile, but I can't believe beginning to give my BABY... well, BABY food, is on the horizon. Shes growing up way too fast. I plan on buying the Baby Bullet and making her baby food. Or just using our food processor, but I need to get the little bullets that come with it to keep the food in. She might be a picky vicky like her mama now, but my kid is going to EAT HEALTHY, and not anything like me... I'm bound and determined. She makes the funniest faces, and I think is becoming a lot more aware of whats going on around her. I feel like she's an old soul, the way she looks at us sometimes. Her personality is really starting to shine through in everything she does, and its such a joy to watch her develop. I can't wait until we are chasing after her! She is also smiling a lot and has even giggled a few times. These are absolutely the moments I live for. She grabs onto the rings on her activity mat and hangs on, which really impresses me! We received the 1st mail in survey from her Follow-Along program, and CJ and I sat down and filled out what she's doing and not doing. They go by her adjusted age, so we got the 2 month old questions. I am happy to report she got a YES on everything almost! The only thing she's not really doing yet is following things with her eyes that are far out in front of her and that aren't making noise. If something is noisy, she will look at it and follow it. But not if it's just a toy or a person that's silent. So I'm sure that will be coming soon, but not yet.
Overall, we are in a really good, happy place. We had Cindie come out and take Avery and ours pictures about a week ago, so those will be available to check out hopefully soon! I am loving my new job, and look forward to going every day. I don't love being away from CJ and Aves that much during the day, but I know it is necessary for our family. With the raise and promotion I received, we'll be able to rent a nice house come the end of May. I would do whatever it takes to make sure my family is taken care of... so this makes me feel good that I'm able to contribute. I am so, so blessed that this is the plan God had for us. We're also going to officially join our church in March. Our 1 year anniversary is quickly approaching!! February 25th definitely snuck up on us : ) I can't believe we got engaged, married, pregnant, and had a baby in the span of a year. Such a true testament to who CJ, Avery and I are as people.... impatient!! I'm not sure what we are doing to celebrate, but I thank the Lord we have come as far as we have, as a family. It hasn't always been easy, but it has always been worth it. CJ is doing great in school, and AWESOME as a dad and hubby. I'm so proud of the way he balances everything and does it all to keep Avery and I happy. He is at drill this weekend, and is coming home tonight! Aves and I are getting the house ready to welcome him home : ) Other than that, we're just living each day the best we can. We are blessed. We are happy. We are learning the art of parenthood, and how to navigate making the best decisions for Avery and ourselves. We are thankful. We are praising God for everything He has given us, all the grace and mercy He continually bestows upon our family... there are never enough words to adequately describe how lucky we are to have what we do.
We love our family and our friends and the people who have never failed to lift us up in prayer, who support us, who care for us, who love us and make sure we always know they are there. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! We hope God washes you in blessings, in peace, in happiness. We appreciate you!!
xo
