Five... things I want to teach my daughter

1. Never hold onto anything tighter then your holding onto God.

2. People learn how to treat you based on what you accept from them.

3. Collect moments, not things.

4. We all fall down. If you fail, get up and try again. Those who never tumble never meet their potential.

5. Focus on the good, be thankful for what you have and give all the glory to God.



3 Months Old

Sweet Brown was right, "ain't nobody got time for that!" This new Mama is quickly learning life with a little one leaves little time for much else .. sooo I'm a few weeks behind, but better late then never, right?



I think we've hit the golden age of babyhood... happy but not yet mobile and getting more predictable. She's such an easy baby {and I'm pretty certain that I will not be this lucky with her siblings}. She's becoming so much more interactive, she is full of smiles and she loves to talk {about whatever it is she's babbling about}, our conversations are the highlight of my day! She is so much more alert and curious, she loves to flirt with the fan {as most babies do} and examine her surroundings.

 



She's a good little sleeper. She is still sleeping in the bassinet of her pack n' play in our bedroom. I haven't had the urge to get her into her crib, I enjoy her being close. She has slept through the entire night a handful of times, however, it's normal that she wakes up just once for a diaper change and to eat anywhere between 3 and 5am. She falls right back to sleep as soon as her belly has been filled. I don't mind waking up with her, she is always so excited to see me arrive at her bed side, I get the biggest grin.

 



She still loves her hands. She loves to suck on them and examine them. And it's not only her hands that she loves putting in her mouth... rattles, blankees, mommy and daddy's fingers... nothing is off limits.

 

Elle spends her weekdays with her G-Ro. Grandparents are so special and we are so thankful Elle is so loved and gets to spend so much time with her grandma.

 

 

All tuckered out from a hard day of play! =)







Saturday's and Sunday's are our favorite days, we try to make them as lazy as possible. We snuggle in the mornings with Dad and spend our time hanging out and giving kisses.

 

 

 

Month three has been so much fun. We love watching our precious girl learn new things and reach different milestones. I can't wait to report back about month four!





Settling Into Motherhood

Motherhood so far has been a constant adventure. It is overwhelming, wonderful, terrifying, and phenomenal all in the same day!

It's become clear to me that the person who wears the pants in our family is the person who wears a diaper underneath them... and I am totally fine with that! Life before Elle was measured by quiet moments at home with Ryan and our spoiled pooch Paisley, those TV shows I just couldn't miss and lazy Sunday's. Now, I couldn't imagine a life that wasn't gauged by the sweet smell of baby skin, little grunting noises at 3am, tons of cuddle time, the curling of her little toes, and those big toothless smiles that I'm now paid with. {How did I survive so long without her?}

In the beginning I was pretty overwhelmed. I struggled with decisions, and when I made them, I still wasn't confident in them. I'm definitely more confident in my decisions now, even when others question them. Plenty of baby experts out there disagree on the 'best' ways to raise a child, as mom's we just have to trust that we know best what works and doesn't work for our babies and ourselves.

Like many moms, I struggled with breastfeeding. From the day I found out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to breastfeed, for numerous reasons of my own so there was never a question in my mind. I sought out all the information that I could regarding the topic. I {surely} annoyed friends with my countless questions, I read blogs for days, I joined the Le Leche League group {the army of mom's with uber knowledge on the subject}... I was needless to say, determined. Due to my c-section and high blood pressure I spent 4 {long} days in the hospital, each and every feeding I had a lactation consultant by my side. Elliet had the most difficult time latching and even though we tried syringes with colostrum, nipple shields, etc. we were unsuccessful in our attempts. I was under tremendous pressure from the nurses and the pediatrician to give her formula, but I refused. I wanted to provide her with the best, and that was my milk. So... I decided I would exclusively pump. For five long weeks, I lived my life around a machine. On top of the ridiculous pain, I ate lactation cookies, took Fenugreek pills, and drank more water then I had in all my life! I was pumping every 2-3 hours, 24 hours a day, to increase my production. After feeding Elle, I had to pump to tell my body to produce more, by the time I was finished pumping, cleaning all of the parts and storing the milk in the fridge, it was time to feed Elle again! I was exhausted. This was the hardest, most challenging time in my life to date. The stress and pressure I was putting on myself was robbing me of my joy! Finally, after hearing several times that "formula fed babies are healthy too" and that it wouldn't make me any less of a mom to give Elle formula, my guilt ridden feelings finally began to subside and I started to incorporate formula into her diet. My sweet pea is now a formula fed baby, and she is a happy and healthy growing girl!

When the magical 6 weeks came, the week I was returning to work, I was sad. The first day away was the most difficult, I cried. I like my job, but I love watching my baby grow. I am so very thankful that Elle is able to be in the care of her grandma while I am away. I remember the bond I had with both of my grandma's and I am so happy knowing she will enjoy that same relationship.

I'm guessing for many new mom's as it is for me, it is easy to take all the care for the baby, yourself. They have been a part of us for over nine months... giving our fragile creation over to another's care {even her daddy} can make me feel almost negligent. Having things done right {meaning my way of course} is important, right? But I'm trying to stay cognisant of this behavior because I know she needs that bonding time with the others who love her too {just not as much as I do, ha}. But I'd rather abide by the "look but don't touch" rule we learned as kids {I say this with a grin}. Basically this has been my biggest struggle with motherhood so far. Letting other's enjoy her as much as I do. It's not with everyone and it's not all the time, but it is often... unfortunately.

Since there are no online courses for Baby 101, we are creating our own path in the Rempe household. It's been beautiful and hectic, crazy and smile-inducing and I look forward to a lifetime of it!

2 months!

I guess the old expression, 'time flies when your having fun' holds true for our family this month! I'm also going to guess that is going to be a running theme of my blog because time is truly flying by!

She is such a content baby, she really only cries when she's hungry or sometimes when she gets too sleepy. She's a hands-on kinda girl, she's always got her hands going. She gave her first real smile on February 21st, I'm paid in smiles so I get excited with each one! I get the most smiles in the morning.. unlike her daddy, I think she's a morning girl!

One thing we are really working on this month is implementing a routine, most importantly a relaxing bedtime routine. I am very routine oriented so I'm sure Elle likes routine by genetics. There are so many suggestions when it comes to getting a newborn to sleep through the night... Baby Wise, the Sleep Whisper, etc. I feel like I've taken suggestions that work for us from each and I'm running with it. Since predictability can aid in better sleep we are doing a bath, lotion massage and bottle before going down to bed by 9:00pm. I am also working towards the Baby Whisperer's EASY routine = Eat, Awake, Sleep, Your Time. It doesn't work perfectly all the time but I do it when I can. We have also started naps in her crib to help with the transition from her bassinet in our room when Mommy finally feels the time is right. =) 



Elle is enjoying her play mat more, she really likes to stare into the mirrors {like father, like daughter} and she realizing she can bat her hands at the hanging toys to make them move.

She loves to fall asleep on my chest {Mommy loves that too} and she makes my heart melt when she looks up at me while her head is on my shoulder with those beautiful eyes. Those are my favorite moments with her.  

Last week was her 2 month check-up which included the dreaded 2 month shots. She was not happy about this and neither was I. She was very clingy and fussy for the remainder of the day. She is now 11 lbs and 6 oz and 23 1/4 inches long.

Yesterday we celebrated St. Patrick's Day!

She is growing and changing so much, so fast. I am trying my best to live in the moment and soak up every sweet moment of newborn-ness that I can. I can't wait to see what month three holds for us. I am hoping for more smiles and maybe a laugh! We love our precious little girl! 

Elle is One Month Old!

It is so hard to believe that Elliet is already one month old! The month flew by so quickly. Allot of learning has occurred this month, and boy was I naive to what life with a newborn would be like! I'm not sure anyone could have prepared us for the life we've come to know, the good and the hard parts. Thankfully she makes life much sweeter!



Elle is growing and becoming much more alert. We've started tummy time on her play mat to help strengthen her neck and back muscles to reduce her risk of SIDS. She does very well, she can lift her head while lying on her tummy and turn it from side to side. She responds well to sounds and will follow objects briefly with her eyes.



She is such a good baby. Thankfully we haven't dealt with too much fussiness, I think due to my sleep deprivation I'm typically more fussy then she is! Ha! I have been researching sleep training, when to start and what are the best ways to get baby to sleep through the night. I am so much looking forward to a uninterrupted night of sleep, just the thought of it makes me giddy as if I'm about to leave for a vacation!

Bath time has gotten much better! Initially she did not enjoy her baths, but as of a week ago, she will sit through them without a tear. She actually seems to enjoy them now.



What she has added to our lives is unexplainable. We can't wait to see what this next month brings!

 

 

Baby Fav's

So, by no means do I claim to be an expert of babies. While I was pregnant, I enjoyed reading and hearing what other mom’s loved for their babies. These are the items that have become my ‘Must-Haves’ items, in no particular order:

If you are nursing/pumping, you MUST get this bra! This thing has helped keep me sane, I can’t imagine having to sit for 20 minutes holding funnels to my breast at 3 am. You may think this is a ridiculous product if you have not had the need to use one or seen one in action, but it has been a favorite purchase so far!

 

The Baby Connect app has been an absolute ‘Must-Have’! In my sleep deprived state I could at times probably forget my own name much less remember the last time I fed Elliet. It keeps track of her feedings, diaper changes, my pumping sessions and much, much more.  And for my type-A personality, it even puts the information into bar graphs and time lines for me! Just since I started using the app, she has gone through 223diaper changes, 183 bottles of breast milk, and I have had 129 pumping sessions. Wow.

 

Organic Coconut Oil. This was recommended by a lactation consultant while we were in the hospital to use instead of the Lanolin Ointment. What a difference! She also suggested using it on baby’s skin as lotion, while greasy, it rubs in well and leaves skin hydrated and super soft.

 

Elle loves her play mat! She loves to lay and stare at the bright colors, she really focuses on them and you can see the stimulation they provide her.



The Nap Nanny! This contoured cushioned seat is great. When I asked a mommy friend of mine who recently had her second child what her favorite baby item was, she replied the nap nanny.  I know that it’s been recalled and no longer sold in stores due to irresponsible use, but I’m so glad that I have mine. It has come in really good use since Elle has acid reflux, it's reccomended not to lay them flat after a feeding so we use this quite often!

 



I’ve also been learning about infant massage and techniques to help her with digestion and gas. I also found this site that is good for new moms to learn about what it may take to get Elliet on a schedule when the time is right.

 

I found these ROCKABYE BABY! lullabies on ITunes and Elle loves them. They have lots of fun artists that they have remade great songs into lullabies for... Dave Matthews, Coldplay, Bob Marley, U2, etc.

 



And finally, everyone needs a She-She! My Aunt Sheila came in for Elle’s birth and stayed four nights and came back again a week later and stayed with me for the week. She helped with everything from the dishes and laundry to diaper changes, feedings, grocery shopping and trips to Buy Buy Baby! Baby Elle and I are so lucky to have her in our lives!

 



She's Here!

Introducing our sweet Elliet Rose – born January 16, 2013 at 4:43 pm.

She weighed 6 lbs 11 oz and was 18 ½ inches long.

Fun Fact: Elle and I were almost the same size at birth, only 1 ounce and ½ inch different in our birth weight/length. I was 6 lbs 10 oz and 19 in long.

Wednesday, January 16^th started off as any other normal work day. I had my weekly OB appt at 9:00 am, which always starts with a blood pressure and weight check. Afterwards, I sat on the exam table while Dr. Martin reviewed my chart. “Oh your blood pressure is awfully high” she said as she closed the chart and walked over to begin the ultra sound. After hearing Elle’s heartbeat and confirming she was still breech, Dr. Martin took my blood pressure manually herself. After doing so she looked at me and said, “Well we’re having a baby today!” I was in total shock! I think I asked her 3 or 4 times if she was sure {HA!}! She reassured me that we would be meeting Elliet that very day and directed me to go check in at labor & delivery at the hospital. Immediately while still in her office I sent a text message to Ryan… he was out of town in Mustang, which had been my biggest fear since he works out of town during the week. He quickly left work and made it to the hospital in plenty of time. I was 38 weeks and five days shy of our planned C-Section.

Throughout my pregnancy and in the days approaching the planned C-Section I had not been fearful or scared, I was calm, anxious and excited. This feeling of calm, yet excitement remained with me until I reached the operating room.  Up until this point, the most medically I had experienced was having my blood drawn. Being in this cold, sterile room; reality started to set in. The spinal block I received in my lower back to numb my body actually was less painful then the IV that ha been placed in my wrist. Soon they allowed Ryan to come into the OR and sit by my side. I was really glad to see him! The section started and it was crazy to know what was happening to my body while I was awake, yet unable to feel, with the exception of the pressure, reminding me the Dr’s were there.

 

 

In a matter of minutes I heard her cry! I was completely overwhelmed with emotion! They immediately took her to weigh and asses her and Ryan followed. Then they brought her to introduce her to me and I couldn’t help but cry at the overwhelming feeling of love and joy! Our daughter was born, I could see her and touch her and kiss her! All things I had longed to do for the past nine months!

We are so in love!

 

 

Newborn

 

Sleeping with Dad in the hospital

 

Leaving the hospital