Put up your dukes!

 

Last week was a big one for Mary Emma.  After getting her two month shots, we finally took Mary Emma to church.  We had gotten a daygown for a shower present and this was the perfect occasion to wear it.  I was so glad it still fit because it was a newborn size.

When we got out of church we also took her to her first restaurant outing – Iguana Grill.  She was so good, looking at the sparkly lights hanging from the ceiling the entire time.  Then we went to ToysRUs, Daddy’s favorite store.  And finally, to Home Depot where we stayed in the truck while Elliott ran in to get a few things. We ran into some friends of MiMi and Pawpaw’s that we’ve been trying to see for forever!

After all that, when we got home Mary Emma was very tired.  So she took a little nap and after waking up played in her bouncy seat with her puppy dog.  Elliott decided to video a little since she is really learning to focus on things and grasp at toys.  The following is an edited version of that video where Mary Emma “puts up her dukes”.  It made Elliott and I laugh until we cried!  I hope we don’t have a little fighter on our hands!

 

Two Months!

 

Dear Mary Emma,

Today your are two months old!  We went to the doctor today and got your first set of vaccinations.  You did great!  You cried when you got your shots, but Daddy quickly took you outside and you began to settle down.  You slept most of the afternoon, while Mommy and Daddy watched your sweet face. 

You weigh 11.12 ounces and are 22.75” long.  You’ve gained a little over 4 pounds since you were born and almost two inches.  We can tell when we hold you how much you’ve grown.  You’re eating six times a day, 5 – 5.5 ounces.  You are quickly outgrowing your 0 – 3 month clothes and wearing some 3 month clothes.

This month, you’ve really started showing your personality.  You are so happy when you wake up in the morning, giving us the sweetest smile.  You love, love, love your bouncy seat and sit in it for hours on end, you’ve started batting at your dangly toys.

You also have a new best friend!  Gabbie watches over you all day and all night.  You’ve been sleeping in your bed for a few weeks and we hear Gabbie on the monitor in your room keeping you company.  She also lets us know when you are upset.  As soon as you start to cry, Gabbie runs to our room and jumps on the side of the bed to let us know you need us.  Here is a picture MiMi took when she was staying with you of Gabbie keeping guard while you rested on the couch.

You still love to go outside and have started “talking” more to your toys on your playmat.  Your tickle spot is under the side of your chin and you don’t like your feet played with.  You love bath time and like to splash in the water.  You never cry, not even when you get water in your eyes.  Your favorite toy is a pink elephant that you can attach to your playmat or carseat that plays music.  You also like your lamb lovey when we play peek-a-boo or touch him to your face.

Last week you got to meet your Uncle Terry Paul and his girlfriend Leslie from Ohio.  Daddy has always called Uncle Terry Paul “Turtle”.  He bought you a turtle outfit before you were born and it fit perfectly so you could wear it for his visit. 

 

You “talk” a lot to Daddy and like for him to make noises with his mouth. This video is of you singing with Daddy in your swing.

We can’t wait to see how much you grow and change in the next month and what new milestones you will reach!  We love you so much and are enjoying watching your personality develop and how you’ve changed already from a newborn into an active baby!

Mommy

Weight - Wait!

I went in for my six week post-partum check up yesterday where the doctor told me I had lost all my baby weight plus three additional pounds - great, right???  But why don't my old clothes fit if I'm smaller than when I got pregnant???  Apparently this belly and these hips need a little more attention before fitting in those skinny jeans (okay, I never really had skinny jeans - but you get the point). 

She also told me that because I had gestational diabetes and was on insulin I'm at a greater risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.  My doctor was gestational diabetic and on insulin with her last child.  She told me she kept up the diabetic diet for a good year, but then started backsliding having too much pasta here and there, drinking regluar soft drinks, and eating too many sweets.  Her last hemoglobin check found that she was borderline for Type 2 diabetes.  Now, she is no where near over weight, which is why that's so scary and her doctor told her if she couldn't get her numbers down she would be putting her on medication in 3 months.  No thank you, no more needles sticks for me!

So, I put down the regular Dr. Pepper and backed away the Sour Straws to continue following the meal plans set up when I was pregnant.  But there is so much that I deprived myself up because I didn't take the time to try to make my recipes diabetic friendly, thinking I only have to do this for a few more months.  I set out yesterday to find healthy recipes to my favorite meals, Mexican and Pasta namely.  I stumbled across this website and thought I would try a few of her recipes.  The first one I made was Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas - and it's a keeper!  The recipe calls for you to make homemade Enchilada Sauce, but I had a can handy and used that instead.  It probably only increased the sodium content of the recipe.

Tomorrow we are grilling some Chicken trying Spaghetti Squash Pesto with Tomatoes (which P.S., Lillian you can totally eat because there are no pine nuts!).  Almost every recipe looks fabulous, but the pictures are copyrighted so you'll have to go check them out yourself. 

Wish me luck on keeping up the low carb, low sugar diet - it was much easier when I was concentrating on Mary Emma's health.  Now I just have to make my own health that important.

Blessings,

Candice

Home Sweet Home…well, sorta

 

Today Mary Emma, Elliott and I came home to spend the night for the first time in 11 days.  Granted we’re not quite in our room yet, staying in the extra bedroom until Lowe’s installs the new carpet – but we are home.  Of course the carpet I picked out is special order and will take longer to get here, but it will look great when it is here!

Tonight we’ve decided we’ll let Miss Mary Emma try sleeping in her crib for the first time, before she figures out she’s sleeping in our room in a Pack ‘n Play.  Until this week we were on a streak where she took her last bottle around 9 or 10 and then slept 6 or 7 hours, waking up around 5 AM.  But the last two nights she’s been waking up at 3 AM and not going back to sleep until 4:30 or so.  We think we’re going through a growth spurt – we went to the doctor this week and Miss Priss is weighing in at 9 pounds in 11 ounces. 

Even when she’s waking up at 3:00 it’s worth it when you see this sweet face…

This week she has really started smiling and giggling some.  She was hanging out in her nap nanny looking out the window while I dried my hair one morning.  Then she really started laughing…

We also reached another milestone this week, taking a bath in our bathtub without the infant sling.  She loves the warm water and likes Elliott to splash it on her the entire time. She only cries when we’re getting ready for her bath, but once the water hits her, she is fine.

Until next time…

Blessings to all!

Candice

How long are you a house guest before having to pay rent?

This week Mary Emma, Elliott and I have been "house sitting" for my parents while they are in South Alabama for Dad to work.  Not that they need a housesitter or really even asked us to housesit - it sounds better to be housesitting instead of, Elliott had pull up all the hardwood floor in our bedroom, drill a three foot hole, and repair a busted water line that was making our floor have that "cool but undesirable feature when not intended" heated floor feel.  I mean, if I had wanted heated floors, that's one thing, but having hot water continuously running under my house, that's another. 

So, while Elliott and his step-dad Jim have worked ever so hard to repair the leak and fix the floor - we have been "squatting" at mother's house.  Mary Emma has adjusted to the change of scenery and loves the sunroom.  I do miss my bed and of course the dogs don't know what is going on because one of us comes to feed them, give them water and then leave again.  And apparently Cody has taken up with the new neighbors across the street.  We've seen him wave from his new home on the front porch. 

Since I don't have my camera cord here to upload new pictures, I'll just post some from mother's computer of Mary Emma's birth and day after.

First is the totally awesome sign that Elliott's best friend Wes made for us when we got home - super cute!

Next is my favorite picture of Elliott and Mary Emma.  This was probably one of the first times he held her and she already had him wrapped around her finger.

This last picture tickles me every time I look at because of the story behind it.  On Friday after Mary Emma was born my dad took all the pictures on their camera and not until they got home did he realize he doesn't have his picture with Mary Emma.  The first thing he did when they came back on Saturday was to have his picture made holding her.  Too Sweet PaPa!

That's all for now, hopefully the next post will come from our newly carpeted house.

Blessings,
Candice

Please vote!

This is a quick post to ask you to do me a huge favor.  One of my pledge sisters has battled breast cancer and now is battling brain cancer.  She has an incredible story with miraculous results from her surgeries and treatment.  Please visit the following site and watch the video in the right corner, then vote for Tracy.  Her video is Tracy in Huntsville.

Vote for Tracy!

Also visit her Caring Bridge website to read more of her story.

Tracy's Caring Bridge Site

Blessings,

Candice

One Month

 

Dear Mary Emma,

I can’t believe you are already one month old!  You have brought such joy and happiness already into our lives.  You are growing and changing so much every day. 

You are wearing size 0-3 month clothes, the newborn sizes are already too small and packed up!  You weigh almost 9 pounds.  You love to eat and take 4 ounces of formula every 3 to 4 hours.  You are starting to find your voice and “talk” to your toys on your playmat.  You are very funny and make Mommy and Daddy laugh when you swat at your butterfly and ladybug.  You “saw” Gabbie for the first time this week, following her with your eyes after you heard her bark.  You should be used to that sound!  You are also trying to start making facial expressions and we see a smile now and again.  You’ve recently started touching our faces when we hold you which melts Mommy and Daddy’s heart.

You love to rock and sing with Mommy and walk around the house with Daddy.  You are very alert and focus on people’s faces and things around the house.  You like to go and your room and have us talk to you about your toys and bed.  You kick and wiggle your arms more than any baby I’ve ever seen.  You love to be a squirmy wormy especially when you’re on your back.

When you get fussy, you love to go outside.  We take you outside at least once a day and you seem so happy and content.  You are a good car rider and like your carseat.  You are a very happy baby and you don’t seem to mind when other people hold you.

Mommy and Daddy feel so blessed to have you in our lives and can’t imagine what life was like without you.  Continue to grow big  and strong and we’ll continue to love you with our whole hearts. 

Mommy