Evelyn Jo-One Month Old

One Month!  Wow!  This time if flying by SO fast!  I can't believe it!  Yes, this is coming in late but that is the story of my life right now :)

The first month of Evie's life has once again been a learning experience for us as e get used to having two children.  It has been busy as life with your second child does not slow down much like it does with the first child.  She does pretty good in the car seat and doesn't fuss much when we are out and about which is wonderful.  She started out pretty easy going but between Week 3 and 4 she has become more fussy-almost colicky-unconsolable at times. April 27th was the first "tough" day.  I messaged Amber saying it was our most challenging day yet.  Evie cried most of the day and would only sleep for 10-15 minutes at a time and would wake up angry.  This was the start of a very trying period of time for us. Lets just say this definitely gets worse into her second month.  

GROWTH:

Evelyn is done wearing newborn clothes.  In fact, she was pretty much our of newborn clothes by week 2 or 3.  She is fully in Size 0-3 Months.  We did an at home weight check around 10 lbs.  Which at first I didn't think was accurate because in my mind I though she was close to 10 lbs at her two week check up but it was actually close to 9 lbs so 10 lbs sounds about right.  Her thighs are super chunky haha.  We are using cloth again 100% of the time and some of the newborn diapers are hard to get around her chunky legs.  So different from Elsie's little chicken legs.  Also she is a supersoaker.  Her diapers are completely saturated after 1-2 hours.  I guess that means she is hydrated.  

SLEEP

Evie is a pretty sleepy baby and many times we have to wake her to eat.  I do think this fact has impacted my milk supply.  At night time she will sleep anywhere from 3-5 hour stretches at a time. We do not wake her to eat at night since she is getting her 8 feedings in a day and seem content with this.  She is still sleeping in her small pack and play at night but will sleep during the day in the rock and play, swing, or the Ergo baby carried (a lifesaver for us this time around).  She doesn't really take a pacifier and oh there are times we really wish she did and times that we try but does little good. 

FEEDING

Evie is eating at least 8 times a day.  I will nurse her first and then she gets a bottle of formula afterwards.  We make up a 2 oz  bottle and most feedings she will polish that off without a problem.  Night time she doesn't eat quite as much but will still drink some formula.  There are even times during the day we have to mix up another 2 oz.   In the first two weeks though she was not a very aggressive eater, would just eat for  little bit and then stop.  I believe we are at least at a 50/50 ratio for formula to breastmilk but I can't say for sure since I have no idea how much she gets when she nurses.  Also before we give her formula we will supplement with any milk I got while pumping which I do after nursing her.  I generally get .5-1 oz total after each time I pump which is about 2-4 times a day.  

Evie is getting so strong.  She can hold her head up for a decent amount of time (as you can see in the picture above).  We try to do tummy time which she actually seems to enjoy.  She goes for walks in the Ergo carrier and really seems to like that.  I think we have used the stroller only once for her. We have been hearing sounds our of her that is not crying which is wonderful and the best day yet is when she first smiled!  (4/30)  Just shy of her one month birthday!  She hates getting dressed but doesn't mind getting her diaper changed.  In fact she is VERY quick to let you know she has a wet diaper and wants it changed immediately.  

This just made my day :)

I love looking at these pictures I took of her-not because they are such wonderful pictures-in fact, she looks a bit scared and wondering what they heck is going on! :) 

Elsie is still in love with her sister!  by the time we got to taking these pictures though Evie was over it.

And here is a quick comparison of Evie and Elsie at one month.  Not the best comparison pictures but it will have to do :) 

 

Life in February

I know March is over but life has been busy and I am behind...not a big shock is it?  So this was what we were up to in February.

February started off with a trip up to Minnesota to go visit family, meet Randi's new little baby girl Clara, and have fun at the Mall of America.  It was a wonderful weekend!

Baby Clara...SO ADORABLE!!

We also decided to schedule Tally's appointment to be spayed.  When picking her up they told me she needed to be "quiet" for 21 days!!!  How do you keep a puppy from jumping, running, and playing for 21 days.  Poor Tally spent a lot of time in her little hallway nook so she wouldn't jump up on the counters or (a terrible, annoying things she does) or up on the couch. 

We hosted our annual winter game night.  Once again it was a blast!  

Elsie went bowling for the first time!  We had a little get together with all the daycare families on a Sunday night.  It was a lot of fun to get together and for Elsie to try out bowling.  She loved it!  

Valentine's Day 2014

Our Valentine's Day was pretty low key this year.  We just ordered pizza and had a "Pizza Picnic" that night.  We got Elsie this gigantic card card and she loved it!  She also got a few little items such as a new Valentine's book, Dora band-aids (why do kids like bandaids so much?) and a Dora puzzle.  

In February we went to watch Emma and Olivia's basketball game, their first grade music program, and they participated in a half time show for the high school which was broadcast live on the computer.  So that one we watched from the comfort of our bed :)  Elsie loved seeing her cousins on the computer screen.  

Mission Starfish 5k

On February 15th I ran my first race of the season.  It was a beautiful 10 degrees out with some gusty wind and snow that started right as we began.  This race was pretty grassroots put on by a local high school girl who was raising money for Haiti.  There was maybe 100 runners.  It wasn't timed but I did run the whole thing in my Yaktrax because it was pretty slick out.  

Heidi, Sue, and Me at the end of the 5k.  

On February 20th we had our first thunderstorm of the year with thunder, lightning, and some small hail.  Following the thunder snow we got some snow too.  They were forecasting a major blizzard for us but it didn't turn out to be much.  

Unlike Cinder, Tally was not phased at all by the thunderstorm.  

Elsie LOVED the big snowflakes and thought it was so funny that my hair was all white from the snow.  

And of course we had to play outside in the snow and make snow angels.  

Where is Elsie?  Oh here I am!!  She LOVES to play hide and seek these days.

The weather wasn't especially beautiful this month but I had signed up for a 10k that was taking place in the middle of March.  So, despite the fact that it was a balmy eight degrees out I bundled up and hit the trails.  My goal was to make it three miles.  It ended up being a GREAT run and I made it just shy of five miles-which is the farthest I ever had run and it gave me confidence that I could make the 6.2 miles in March.  

Some Random Pics

You can't really tell in the picture but the sun was reflecting on the steps to create a "rainbow" effect on the stairs.  Elsie came down the stairs and exclaimed "Mommy, there's a rainbow on the stairs!"  She was really excited.  

Elsie with Daddy in a fort under the Dining Room table.  

She found her winter gear that I bought for next year-she really wanted to go outside.  

Of course, a lot of our month looked a lot like this-packing boxes!  

Elsie is REALLY into her babies.  She had to "brush" baby's hair before leaving for the day :) 

And finally, we ended the month like this:   

Snuggling together on our last night in the house on 17th Street

Closing on our house!  

(you can check out the moving post here.)

And the last night of February looked like this!