Our story in the news

Here is our story in the local newspaper! We were thankful to be able to share about our journey to Elliana. I just hope that our pathway can continue to provide hope to others.

6 Months

Elliana is six months old today and I cannot believe how quickly time has flown. We have just revisited sleep training, and I'm proud to report that Ellie is sleeping in her own crib in her room. It's been pretty hard on Brandon and myself. I miss her being in the room with us, but we are all sleeping better with our space. Miss Ellie absolutely loves watching television. It's like she just realized that the big box with the talking people inside it is funny. She loves to eat bananas, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash. She doesn't like taking bottles and would rather eat from the "Mommy Buffet." She now says "ma-ma" but only when she's crying. I've been a terrible blogger, but only because I feel so overwhelmed all of the time. My schedule has finally slowed down and I'm trying to enjoy the little moments with my precious miracle. I'm still struggling daily with postpartum depression, but I'm surrounded by a supportive group of friends and family. I have missed writing here (free therapy). Sometimes it's just hard because I feel guilty for being on the other side of infertility now. My thoughts and prayers are still with all of you in the trenches fighting for your forever family.

It's Been a Month...

...since my last update.  One.whole.month.  I can remember when I updated my blog daily.
I said that I wasn't going to be one of those moms who abandons her blog once the baby arrives.  I guess I was wrong!  I miss writing and am going to make more time in my day to capture my thoughts.  It's like free therapy.

Elliana has grown up so much.  She's rolling over from back to tummy now, reaching for me and her bottle, and laughing and smiling all of the time.  She's a happy baby as long as I'm around!  To say that she's a bit attached to me is an understatement.  I am so blessed to be staying at home with her, but I do need her to be around other people as well.

I honestly have no idea how other SAHMs do it.  They always look like they just have it all together.  I'm lucky to brush my teeth and shower each day.  I choose whether it's more important to eat or clean while Ellie naps.  Heavens, we're still not sleeping through the night and have begun waking every two hours again. It's not been fun at all!  I often find myself feeling so guilty to have prayed and prayed for this little person when I'm crying because I just-need-a-break.  I don't know if it's just me or the PPD making me crazy.  I was in hopes that my depression would have lessened by now but it's still a daily struggle.

Nothing about motherhood has been what I expected.  I knew that each day would come with it's own challenges, but I did not envision severe acid reflux, early teething, possible renal refulx, EEGs, EKGs, upper GIs, catheter bladder samples, rectal exams, and multiple blood draws (including a cranium draw) in the first four months of Ellie's birth. We've definitely had some scares and issues with our little girl's health, but I do rely on the ultimate Healer.

I haven't seen my blog as a priority of my free time, but I see now how much I have missed this place.  I still read all of your blogs and love keeping up with the journeys that everyone is in.  To all of you still in the trenches, I am praying with you to achieve your FOREVER FAMILY.

Gotcha Day

It's crazy to think that this time one year ago I was just hoping and praying that one or both of my tiny embryos had implanted.

On Friday, September 6, 2013, we celebrated Elliana's "Gotcha Day."  She has given Brandon and I so much joy.  She keeps us on our toes and is high maintenance (just like me), but I wouldn't trade it for the world.  The past few months have been incredibly trying for me as a new mother, but I knew parenthood wasn't going to be easy.  There are many days where I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing, but I just try to laugh and smile at the blessing that God gave us.

The IVF experience was one of the most difficult things I've ever endured both physically and mentally.  On the difficult days filled with fussiness I will always remember what we went through to get pregnant with Elliana.  She's our own little miracle and gift from God.

Updates from a Bad Blogger

Ellie is 3 months old and I'm still getting the hang of this whole Mommy job!  I've been working on organizing and de-cluttering the house, so much of my free time has been taken.  Who's kidding, I have NO free time these days but I'm not complaining!

We bought a minivan!  It's scary how much I love my new vehicle....it has so much room!  Now Ellie will never be allowed to play soccer because I canNOT be called a soccermom!

Ellie has begun napping during the day unswaddled.  I'm too afraid to not bind her up at night.  Lately she's not been sleeping well at night, but I'm not too worried about it.  She's still in the bedroom with us, but she sleeps in her bouncy seat.  She moves around too much in the bassinet and keeps me awake.  I tried putting her in the pack-and-play, but she spins around.

We're still breastfeeding!  Ellie has been interested in food for a long time, and we've started giving her single grain oatmeal with a spoon once a day.  She LOVES it and has surprised me with how well she eats.  I look forward to making baby food in the coming months!

As far as PPD is concerned...  I have good days and bad days.  I'm still on the lowest dosage of Prozac and have considered talking to the doctor about upping that.  With football season approaching, I'm already anxious about leaving Ellie so Brandon and I can attend some games together.  I desperately need a little bit of time away from her, but I'm too nervous.  I can only hope that this will ease as Ellie gets older.  I plan on writing more about Postpartum Depression in the future, promise.  Because I'm still trying to win the battle, it's difficult to write about it.  But I will start compiling my thoughts on the subject and try to share my journey with it.

My mind is in about 10 different places right now, so I will just end with some pictures of Ellie.

I wish I had the exact same outfit in my size

Ellie LOVED swimming in the lake with Daddy.  Ok, she was only in the water for 5 minutes but she seemed to like it!

Ready to go to church

With Granny (her great-grandmother)

Super Ellie

Sleeping just now unswaddled

Messing Up the Schedule

Rookie Mistake!  We are still trying to fix the schedule!  I have definitely learned my lesson and will not be adding any extra activities to our routine on Sundays.

My poor baby is napping now and woke up crying.  I went in and checked on her and she would NOT take her pacifier.  If I pick her up she immediately stops crying and takes the passy, but wakes by the time I'm down the hall after putting her back down.  It's so hard for me to listen to her cry, but I know it's best for both of us.  I desperately want her to self soothe.  I could just kick myself in the booty for going shopping on Sunday. :-(

Here's to hoping that we can get the schedule back in sync!

Tummy Time!

My Super Baby

Ellie has some funny expressions

Tummy Time wore her out!

Sleep Scheduling Continued

Our new schedule has been amazing.  I've been able to clean up around the house, shower, do laundry, and even eat!  Woohoo!  Going to church yesterday morning and enjoying some shopping did throw off the routine and I paid for it last night with Ellie not getting a solid sleep, but we'll get back on schedule today.

I don't have much else to say right now.  There's far too much I need to be doing around the house at the moment so I will update later!

Sleep Training

How is it August already?  This summer is moving by so quickly and football season is only a few weekends away.  Where has the time gone?  My little girl will be all grown before I know it!!!!!

Up until now Ellie has not been on a defined schedule.  That is ALL changing!  Ellie had been crying a lot and wasn't taking good naps.  She would wake easily and her tummy was bothering her a lot.  I made another pediatrician appointment for yesterday and saw a different doctor.  This doctor told me that Ellie needed a schedule with specific sleep times and she also needed to learn how to self soothe.  Whew!  Hearing this was so hard.  I had waited for this little angel for so long and I just wanted to spoil her as much as possible.  I've mentioned previously that we've co-slept with Ellie since birth.  She wouldn't sleep any other way.

After we got home from our appointment yesterday afternoon I began the transition into scheduling sleep.

E.A.S.Y.

Eat

Activity

Sleep

Yourself

The acronym is pretty self explanatory.  Ellie eats.  I then burp her and change her diaper if I haven't already.  I sit her in the bouncy seat and we play with our toys and I read to her sometimes as well.  (I actually read a Charlaine Harris book to her aloud this morning- haha.)  When I see her getting a little sleepy, I get her up and swaddle her and rock her for a few minutes before returning her to the bassinet.  If she wakes I check on her after about 15 minutes or so, hold her hand for a minute or two and then leave again.

Surprisingly enough this is a great system.  Until now Ellie had been eating every 2 hours!  It left little to no time for me to do anything.  I was a little concerned at the frequency of her feedings as was the pediatrician. Since yesterday, I've been able to stretch out her feedings as well as have her sleep in her bassinet by my side of the bed.  Brandon slept in the guest room last night since he had to leave early to drive to Mississippi for the day.  Ellie did so much better than I expected and was able to be calmed down by holding my hand during the night.  I did miss my snuggles with my little princess, but I felt great knowing that she was safely swaddled next to me in her own sleep space.

It will definitely take us some time to completely adjust to this schedule and new sleeping arrangements, but we can do it.

Watching Mommy dry her hair and put on make up.  She's mesmerized by the hairdryer!

"It's a wonderful day to be nude!"
At the pediatrician's office waiting for the doctor to come in.

This may be one of my favorite pictures of her.
I'm so in love with my little girl.

Ellie 2 Month Check Up

13 lbs 1 oz

23 inches

Our little princess is a growing girl! 

Ellie had to get her shots and she was less than thrilled. I held her in my arms and had the passy in her mouth. She screamed so loud as her face turned bright red when the nurse gave her the two injections. It didn't take too long to calm her down and she was asleep in my arms. 

We did have to up the dosage on Ellie's acid reflux medication. She's still having issues and is battling what they call silent reflux at night. I'm hoping that this adjustment will help us all get sounder sleep at night! 

Each day this is all getting easier. I'm thankful for such a supportive and loving husband. This would all be impossible without him. Ellie is playing more, smiling more, and even laughing each day. I am forever blessed with my little family.

Video of Ellie and Sneakers!

Since I've been syncing my iPhone I have many videos of Miss Ellie!

Please excuse us sounding so silly.  The things you do to make the baby happy! :)

An Update in Pictures

So I synced my iPhone up to the computer and removed about 1500 pictures!  Let's just say that I'm a bit obsessed with my little princess.  She's growing up so fast and we celebrated her turning 2 months old on Sunday.  Where is the time going?!?

We have her pediatrician appointment on Thursday morning for her 2 month shots!  I'm not really looking forward to this appointment because of the shots, but I'm very interested to see how much she weighs.  I'm guessing around 13 lbs by now.  She's my healthy little eater!

Breastfeeding is still going GREAT!  We were supplementing with some non-dairy formula but stopped that over a week ago.  Ellie is a boob girl and would rather have Mommy's Milk any day!  She gets 2 bottles at her bedtime feedings and we add some rice cereal to help with her reflux.  Other than that I breastfeed all day unless we're out and about and it's easier to use the bottle.  I've learned that if I drink a Gatorade I end up with a crazy amount of milk, so I definitely recommend my other breastfeeding moms try it if they need some extra milk.

We still have some spit up every couple of days but it's nothing terrible.  I can tell when her reflux is bothering her, but it's nothing like it was before.  

Ellie still has a gassy tummy, but I've come to realize that she's just a gassy girl.  I'm watching everything that I eat and she still has an upset tummy.  =(  

Ellie is still a high needs baby and is very particular.  (She's so my child!)  Mommy is very high maintenance and I guess it makes sense that my baby is like me as well.  HeeHee!  She is still super happy in the mornings and lets me eat breakfast and then we play.  We follow a routine each day, but no times are set in stone yet.  Well, we try to bath time at 6:30 each evening.  I thrive on structure, but we're still learning each other.  I'm in no rush, and I let Ellie lead each day.

Each day brings it's own struggles, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I am so in love with Elliana.  She has given me so much Joy and I love waking up to her each morning.  She's my precious angel from Heaven and I swear that I love her so much it hurts!

And the pictures..........
I promise to start updating with pictures more often!

(Follow me on Instagram for more Ellie updates:  ellies__mom)

Sunday July 21

Sunday July 21 at Zia's (Aunt Feenie)

Sunday July 21 with Grandaddy/PaPa Joe in celebration of his 84th birthday

Saturday July 20 at Vick Birthday Party

Saturday July 20 at Vick Birthday Party with my bestie Tiff

She adores her Daddy

Saturday July 20 getting ready to visit Granny

Isn't she just adorable?

Smiling at Pops (my Daddy)

HD Supply Baby

It was a long day at the office!

Friday July 19 in her Bumbo seat.  She holds her head up great these days!

Worn out!  She does like getting in some sleep on her tummy.

I'm so in love with her.

I couldn't help myself.  Cuteness overload!

Saturday July 20 with Granny, her great-grandmother.
Ellie is lucky to have 3 great-grandmothers and 3 great-grandfathers all living and in good health!!

With Daddy at the Vick Birthday party.
(It was Ellie's first birthday party to attend!)

I miss blogging

The title says it all. To be honest I'm still struggling with being a new mother. I seriously have no idea what I'm doing most days. 

Since I last wrote we have continued to have a fussy baby. The new medicine is helping Ellie's acid reflux, but she has such a gassy belly. We are sick of the mylicon drops! They do NOT help Ellie. A neighbor had suggested gripe water and we've seen little to no difference from them either. We purchased the Windi and it did not help as much as we expected either. :( 

I've cut out all forms of dairy from my diet.  I have maybe one 8 oz Sprite daily just for something different to drink. I've drastically changed the amount of carbonated drinks that I consume to help with Ellie. I second guess each meal before I eat thinking about how it will affect miss priss. 

We've been supplementing my breast milk with Enfamil Nutramigin that has NO cow milk. Ellie will only drink the formula if  it's mixed with my milk. It does make me happy that she prefers Mommy's Milk! We've also been adding a little rice cereal to her bottles to help with the reflux. I was worried about over feeding her, but I read where lots of other moms were adding the cereal to their reflux babies bottles as well. 

There's no denying that I'm an attachment style parent. I read about it before Ellie was born and knew that was going to be me. I knew that we would co-sleep in the same room but that wasn't enough for our Ellie. People don't often share this but I'm going to........ We bedshare. There- I said it. That is the ONLY way that our daughter will sleep. We've swaddled her, and she cries when she's put down away from us. I'm sure I will get some nasty comments about letting Ellie sleep in the bed with us but were just trying to survive. I wake up so often to make sure Ellie is comfortable and I no longer need my pillow to sleep. I so hope that one day Ellie will sleep on her own, but I do like having her close to me. 

Colic....... There's no denying that Ellie is a colicky baby. She starts crying each afternoon anywhere from 1:30 pm onward until bedtime. Thank goodness she is comforted by the sound of the vacuum cleaner! I have an app on my phone that mimics the sound and it is great at helping soothe our sweet girl. The world's just too big for her. 

Let me say that PPD and colicky babies don't go we'll together. But I am proud that I opened up to my husband and family and got the help I needed. I've been on the lowest dose of Prozac for about 5 weeks now and I know that it's the only reason I have not pulled my hair out so far. I prayed and prayed for a child, but was not prepared at all for her to cry for no reason for hours on end. I am just getting a handle on it, and she is beginning to find comfort in just hearing my voice. It's been a rough 7 weeks here at the Boyington house but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I am in love with Ellie and can't imagine life without her. God is good.

(Please excuse any typos because I'm writing from my phone while Miss Ellie is asleep in my arms.) 

Catch Up

Being a Mommy is a tough job.  Well, being a Mommy to a little girl with acid reflux and gas problems is tough.  I'm exhausted!

I took Ellie back to the pediatrician last Thursday.  At her appointment she weighed 10 lbs 10 oz!  She's my chunky monkey.

Ellie had been crying all day long for a few days and she just seemed miserable.   I took her back to the doctor because her acid reflux medicine just wasn't working.  The Zantac three times a day wasn't enough, so they have switched us to Omeprazole twice a day.  They did a rectal exam and took a urine sample from a catheter.  My poor baby was poked and prodded so much.  They took her temperature and she was running a low grade fever.  It was awful. On top of everything, Brandon was out of town traveling so it was just Ellie and me at the appointment.

So far we've seen a little bit of improvement.  BUT lately Ellie has been having tummy problems.  She has so much gas, and she cries because of it.  The pediatrician told me to eliminate dairy from my diet, but I already consumed so little because of my own lactose intolerance.

My 6 week PP appointment with Dr. McKenzie is tomorrow.  I'd write more but Ellie is about to wake up from her nap.  I promise to start writing again as Ellie starts feeling better.

A different Ellie

Our sweet girl had been so much happier since we started her medicine! I'm sure she was in a lot of pain with her little throat burning before. We saw an immediate difference from the first dosage and she is continuing to get better each day. She got a little upset yesterday evening, but we has traveled to Tuscaloosa and we think it was just too much back and forth for Miss Ellie. 

On the breast feeding front all is still going well. I pump as much as possible during the day so I can bottle feed her at night. She will fall asleep at the breast (and so do I) so it's easier to pump during or after while I'm giving her a bottle. The pediatrician. Also thought this was a good idea since your supply usually decreases at night. I'm not able to freeze as much milk because of this but I think we're doing just fine. I have at least two days worth of bottles of frozen and that's enough at the moment since I don't plan on not being around to feed her. 

When I breastfed I let her have 11 minutes on each side so she doesn't just pacify on me. She was staying on longer before we started her Zantac. I'm sure it was to keep the acid down. I pump immediately after each feeding and I can get anywhere from 2-4 oz depending on the time of the day. When she takes a bottle she will eat anywhere from 4-6 oz, again depending on the time of day.

As far as sleep is concerned, were seeing  her go back to her usual. Pattern. She can sleep anywhere from 2-4 hours between feedings. She took a 3.5 hour nap this morning before church and only woke up because I picked her up to change her diaper and clothes! 

I'm so glad to have "our baby" back. I'm just so upset that she was in pain but we are thankful for good friends, a great pediatrician, and Zantac!

Ellie's One Month Check Up

Our appointment was scheduled for next week on Monday but Ellie had been crying almost nonstop for days.  Tiffany convinced me to go ahead and call the pediatrician's office to see if they had any idea why she was so upset.  I had made a voice recording of Ellie nursing and Tiffany thought that she may have acid reflux.  I am so glad that I listened to my friend and called the doctor instead of waiting.  Sure enough, Ellie has been suffering from acid reflux.  That's why she's been so upset crying and wanting to eat constantly.  They gave us a prescription for Zantac that we give before eating three times a day.  After the first dose, Brandon and I noticed an immediate difference in Ellie!

Being a first time mom (FTM) I feel so lost sometimes, but I am so glad to have great friends.  Thank you, Tiffany!  I don't know what I'd do without you.  Now we can start doing fun stuff with the babies since Miss Ellie is happy again.

Pediatrician Appointment:
Ellie weighs 10 lbs 1 oz
She's grown one inch since birth, measuring 21.5 inches now
Our little girl has grown so much, and the pediatrician said that besides her acid reflux, Ellie seemed perfect.

One Year Ago Today

I had my eggs retrieved a year ago today. As I'm typing this I am blessed to be looking down at my little girl. We went through so much to have her and I am amazed at what can happen in a year's time. God has been good to us. 

Random Thoughts- LONG post :-)

There's so much advice that people give you while you're pregnant.  The one thing that I heard over and over again was "sleep while the baby sleeps."  As much as I heard this, I would just shake my head and smile.  Wow... you hear that over and over again so you know that it's acceptable to sleep while the baby sleeps!  I have to say that I love my nap(s) during the day.

Postpartum Depression (PPD) blows!  Every day is still a battle for me.  I absolutely love my sweet angel, Elliana, but my hormones are crazy.  I still have bouts of anxiety in certain situations and I can feel the weight of the world on my chest.  I'm so lucky to have an understanding husband.  After all that he's went through in his own life, he has never even struggled with depression.  He gets that I'm not just sad, but it's an imbalance with me.  My mind is so fuzzy, but I'd guess that I've been on my medication for about two weeks now.  Dr. McKenzie did tell me that it would take about four weeks to feel more back to myself.  I have moments where I feel like me again, but they don't last long enough!  I know it may be hard for my readers who have underwent infertility treatment and who are still battling to read about my depression.  Please don't mistake my hormones for not enjoying motherhood.  Ellie is no cake walk, but when I see those precious sleep smiles and I can comfort her crying I know that everything I endured is worth it.

Holy Hot Flashes!  I thought I had experienced hot flashes while on fertility meds, but I had NO IDEA!  I still sleep on a towel each evening because I sweat so much.  During the day I stay cold.  Makes absolutely no sense at all!  It's so hard to take a shower during the day if Brandon isn't around because I still feel bad if I'm not watching the baby every second of the day.  I'm trying to reassure myself that I can lay her down in her bouncy seat, swing, or in the floor and walk away for a few minutes and it be ok.

I'm almost four weeks postpartum and I'm still having some bleeding.  My bladder is a little bit better each week.  I've noticed a lot of nerve regrowth resulting in more pain. =(  It hurts every single time I teetee in the potty.  I know for a fact I don't have a bladder infection because I had the same feeling when I saw the doctor last and they checked.  My episiotomy is still open by my rectum.  I don't expect it to be fully closed for a few more weeks.  I had a serious cut and I can't expect it to just be completely healed over night.  As for the rest of the cut near my *ahem* hooha, it's completely healed but I can still feel the stitches.  Let's just say that I'm glad the Sneakers and I are such good friends because intimacy is completely out of the question for me for a while.  I just can't see myself being cleared for that by 6 weeks unless a lot more healing starts quickly.

Breastfeeding isn't really that bad, at least for me.  I have a great supply.  I did have sore nipples at first, but it went away.  Ellie has a great latch, but she's recently started pulling away while latched.  I swear I'm going to remember this when she gets her first spanking!!  ;-)  It hurts terribly when she does it and I need to find a way to teach her not to do it.  Maybe make a loud noise or something?  Anywho, I pump after most feedings if I can get Ellie asleep.  I try to freeze at least 5 oz a day and have at least one bottle in the fridge.  Brandon is giving her a bottle at least once a day.  We've not really experimented with many bottles, but Dr. Brown's are the best for us.  We used the Avent bottle and baby girl doesn't like it.  We got a Similac bottle for free with something and she doesn't like it either.  I think they both leaked.  They were "slow flow" but still came out too fast.  The Dr. Brown's is awesome- especially when you remember the blue filter funnel thingy!

We've already had our first diaper rash and Desitin works great!  We tried Boudreaux But Paste and it didn't touch the redness.  I saw a dramatic difference after one application of the Desitin.  My mom also mentioned giving her a break from the wipes when she's irritated and just use a wash cloth.

Brandon and I saw Man of Steel on Friday night and my mom kept Ellie for us.  It was our first date away from her.  I had so much anxiety about being away from her but it was great for us.  I had my hand pump with me and had to use it during the movie because I felt full!  Thankfully I always take a blanket to movies so I was able to pump without anyone noticing!  We also went to dinner and got home to find her sleeping soundly.  Mom stayed the night and took the first "shift" so we could rest.  Since Ellie has stopped waking for her 11 pm feeding, so we're getting a couple more hours of solid sleep.  Praise the Lord!

For the first three weeks, no one fed Ellie but Brandon and myself.  I obviously breastfed her and Brandon gave her bottles.  Since Mom stayed with her for our date she gave the baby a bottle and then Dad fed her the following day on the way to the lake.  I wish we could have kept feeding with Mom and Dad for a little bit longer, but I don't plan on letting just anyone feed her.  She's got such a sensitive tummy it causes some of my anxiety.

I feel like there's so much that I'm leaving out.  Ellie is a handful.  There's no other way to describe it!  Brandon and I are about 95% sure she has colic because she will scream and we cannot console her.  Well, I can calm her down by breastfeeding, but she just pacifies on me.  I can only get her to take a pacifier if I offer my breast first and then sneak it away to replace with the passy.

As I get back into my groove I plan on blogging much more.  I miss writing so much.  I just have to prioritize my time now when I have moments where she's not crying.

If you stayed with me this long, thank you.  I feel better writing already. :-)

4th Wedding Anniversary

Wow, where has the time gone?  Brandon, aka Sneakers, and I have been married for FOUR years today!

I can honestly say that I married my best friend.  Brandon and I definitely worked on building a friendship early in our relationship, and I know that's why we're so close today.  He's truly the person that I want to spend the rest of my life with.  He's my everything.

The past four years have been filled with so much happiness, heartache, good times, bad times, and joy.  Through it all I can say that we have found joy in all things and now we truly have our Joy, our darling Elliana Joy.

Everyone tells you that having children changes everything, and our lives are already different now with Ellie.  There are more arguments in tired moments and less time spent together.  I do find myself missing my husband so terribly that it hurts.  But when I see him holding our daughter with so much love in his eyes it warms my heart and makes me fall even more in love with him.

To Brandon:
Happy Anniversary, Sneakers.  My love for you grows as each day passes.  We have been blessed beyond measure and I am so thankful that God gave Elliana to us.  She was the perfect anniversary gift this year.

To Ellie:
I'm so happy that you're with Mommy and Daddy on this anniversary.  The past two anniversaries were so sad for us trying to get pregnant.  You are the only gift that we needed to give each other this year, baby girl.

"I never knew how much I loved your Daddy until I saw how much he loved you."

Elliana: 3 Weeks Old

How old is Elliana:
3 Weeks

How does Mom feel:
I'm slowly starting to feel like my old self again.  So much of my swelling has gone down and I'm now able to wear most of my normal clothes.  I'm so happy that it's summer time and I have many tank tops that accommodate nursing.

How does Dad feel:

Brandon is super busy with work lately.  There are so many renovation projects starting here in the Birmingham area and that's great for us.  When he tells me his sales for the week I'm just amazed at the numbers, but he's awesome at his job too!

Sleep for Mom:

What sleep?  Just kidding.  Ellie sleeps for about 4 hours straight during the night before waking up to eat.  Now I wake up before her just knowing that she needs to eat because my chest hurts.  The only problem is that she got her nights and days a little confused and sometimes wants to stay awake after feeding.  When she's in a good mood it isn't that bad.  When she's fussy it's much more difficult to be awake for so long.  I keep reminding myself that she's still a little baby and we'll be on more of a true schedule soon.  But with all that said, one of the great things about breastfeeding and pumping is that I can sit down any time day or night and close my eyes and go to sleep easily!

Sleep for Dad:

Brandon helps me with most nighttime feedings.  He offers her a bottle during one of the evening feedings so I can rest and pump and he's great at diaper changes too.  I probably let him help way too much.  It's just so hard on me still trying to do it all each night when she's fussy.

Sleep for Elliana:

Our sweet little princess is a high needs baby.  There's no other way to describe her!  She gets mad and fussy and then won't take the pacifier.  It's hilarious, because when she's mad she balls up her fists like she's punching at us.  I've been able to differentiate between her hungry and mad cries, and that's very helpful at night.  You have to hold her for at least 20 minutes once she's asleep and then carefully place her in whatever she's going to sleep in.  We bought a co-sleeper that sets in between us in the bed, but she doesn't seem to like it.  She's done best lately in the bouncy seat or swing.  She's still so little and I'm working on making her feel comfortable sleeping somewhere other than in our arms.

Upcoming Appointments:

June 24- 1 Month appointment and shots

Funny Moments:

I went to meet Brandon at one of his properties to pick up some medicine for Ellie, so I drove up to the jewelry store to see the girls.  I had packed a bottle (Dr. Brown's) for baby girl but forgot to put in the little blue funnel thing.  Breast milk had leaked all in the bag and I had to feed Ellie in the back of the store.  At least I was somewhere where I had a quiet place to go.  It had me laughing so hard because I must be running on so little sleep that I forgot one of the most important parts of the bottle!


Pre-pregnancy weight:  123 lbs
Full term pregnancy weight:  162 lbs
Today's Weight:  136 lbs

My sweet angel

Her first bath after her umbilical stump fell off

Her first superhero outfit!