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!