One Month Treasures

A month has already passed…I still can’t believe it. At 8 lbs 4 oz my baby girl has been growing! She is starting to look more like a baby and less like every other newborn. I’m gonna have to say she looks most like me. I’m not that biased…I know Gabe looks just like his Father. Jillian definitely has some of my expressions down already. That’s my girl! 

She listens contently while I sing to her. She loves my singing (better than the Glee versions, still not biased). She loves falling asleep on my chest, which I adore. I could have a laundry list of things to do but am willing to stop to let my princess fall asleep on my chest. Jillian enjoys baths and the California baby calming lotion is most magical. She will just stare and be absolutely still after she is given her bath. I love the stuff! Jillian hates to be cold and it works to calm her down. The lotion is a life-saver.

In her first month we have learned that she doesn’t like to be in a dirty diaper in the slightest. She will be counting sheep one minute then out of the blue let out a piercing cry! She refuses to wake up most of the time. She just wants us to know she is dirty and we need to do something about it. She loathes being cold which makes changing her clothes a lot of fun ;-) Lotion can be cold most of the time so again moisturizing her is oh so fun. Oh but let me tell you…worth it when I can’t stop smelling her!
   

1. Gerber Newborn Mittens. These were the only mittens that fit these first couple of weeks. We tried several different ones. These did not fall off. 

2. Baby Aquaphor. Jillian's infant skin started peeling after a week. I was advised not to peel it. I purchased this for her skin and for umbilical cord care. This works for many things just as it does for adults. 

3. The Ladybug Sponge Bath. This came in handy for her first bath and the first couple of weeks also. This is soft and small enough to store. Worth it for the price!

4. My Little SnugaMonkey  Rock 'n Play. This has been worth every penny! Jillian did not like her bassinet. She plays in this during activity time and sleeps in it. I also love that it is portable! 

5. Pampers Sensitive Wipes. I'll be honest...I was not a fan of these with Gabe. I tried them when he was a little older though so his poop was thicker at the time. I went through them fast because he needed a thicker wipe. So I don't recommend this for older babies. Jillian however has semi-sensitive skin. The thicker wipes were colder and stayed wet. I didn't want them to be dry but her bottom felt like it was drenched after a wipe. After about a week we changed to sensitive wipes and don't plan on changing back anytime soon. 

6. SwaddleMe Muslin Blankets. These are super soft, large and stretchy. I love swaddling Jillian with them..and they come in very cute designs! 

7.  California Baby Calming Lotion. This was a gift given to us. I heard many good things about the California Baby line. As you know from my post...it's pretty much a bath time necessity in our house. 

8. Homedics Sound Spa. This sound spa helps relax even me! It has a rain, waterfall, summer night, heartbeat, ocean, and rainforest option. Jillian seems to enjoy the ocean and heartbeat best. It has a 15, 30 and 60 min timer. We usually turn it on and completely forget about it. Oops!  One day I will remember to use the timer. 

9. Chicco Cortina Keyfit 30. There were several car seats we looked at. This one felt more durable and comfortable to us. I knew I didn't want a pink car seat and this color was perfect. So far this seat does the job!

I will soon be posting about my pregnancy and hospital must haves! Come back soon :-)

Jillian's Birth Story

Feeling the sharp pains of contractions was not a new thing to me. I had two false labors when I hit the 35 week mark. So when I had been having contractions all day, I was weary of this being the real deal (Even though they were coming stronger when I walked and I could barely breathe). I really really wanted to be sure this time. I eventually made it to the hospital after 5PM. Toward the end of the presidential debate they wanted me to walk to see if there would be any progression. Hours later around 1AM he decided I was progressing and I was admitted. At 7AM the on-call doctor broke my water, I was given Pitocin soon after.

 My birth plan was not set in stone, but I knew I wanted to wait as long as I could before I considered an epidural. (Not because I enjoy pain but because of my previous labor experience) Once the contractions became unbearable I called for the epidural. Called…hollered same thing. I prayed and thought about Gabe…that’s what got me through it. I started shaking and crying after the epidural. I became an emotional mess. All I knew is I wanted to see Gabe…I could care less if he was in school. In the end I knew if anything were to go wrong it was best he was not there.  

 After 12PM my doctor came in and after checking me she said I can start pushing in about fifteen minutes. Wait what?! I just got the epidural! In my panic/excitement I started texting my closest friends and family. Baby girl would be here shortly!! All I’m gonna say is an epidural can be an amazing thing J When they started getting me ready to push, I demanded hubs to press play on my IPod. The room filled with the awesome playlist I made for this day. I remember the doctor asking if I wanted to feel her head…um no thanks. I’m sure that motivates some people however I was already fully concentrated on pushing. 

 I felt a lot of pressure but after about 6 pushes (I literally pushed for minutes yeah hate me all you want)…they handed me my baby girl. With tears streaming down my face, I held my baby girl for the first time. “There you are. You are so beautiful. It was you this entire time wasn't it” She started calming at the sound of my voice. 6lbs 6oz and 20.5 inches of love entered our lives that beautiful fall day. I looked up at my husband who just became a new daddy and I simply said “we did it”.  I knew I couldn’t have done it without him. He brushed my hair back looked in my eyes and said “No, you did it”. I did, didn’t I…I made it through everything. She was beautiful and we were both healthy. It was surreal. We were blessed more than I could ever imagine. 

Daddy will tell you she did not want to let go of his hand! We are pretty sure the shutter noise of the camera calmed her as well. 

Completely in love and enjoying the skin to skin time..ahh these moments are what I live for!

Daddy holding his baby girl...I knew you were wondering where his pics were, someone had to be behind the camera. She already has him wrapped around her tiny fingers. 

I have never been more proud of Gabe, than I was the day his sister was born. As soon as I introduced the two of them, he started crying. He assured us they were happy tears. He asked to hold her and wanted to help as much as he possibly could. My heart melted.

Welcome, I hope you enjoyed the first published post in a long time :-) Tell me your labor story, I would love to hear them!