Life of a 19 month old.

The other day I went back in the archives and read all about my pregnancy, birth and the first months of Elliotte's life. Something in me has been in the mood to reminisce I guess. I know that this is an exciting time as well but I have no way of looking back and seeing that because I don't document anything! So I figured, maybe it's time for an update!

Elliotte is almost 19 months old, YIKES! The older she gets the more I'm seeing that the baby stage is quickly vanishing and more importantly, that I'm thrilled to see it go. Oh at the time I did enjoy it, but now that Elliotte is a toddler I am obsessed with her, (ok, maybe I was then too...)  I just find her so much easier, I love not having to carry her everywhere, or spoon feed her, and the list goes on.... I'm also quite convinced that she's the smartest kid to ever exist but I'm told I'm biased. 

I think one of the main reasons that I love this age is that she can talk! If she wants a snack, she tells me, if she needs to poop, she tells me, the list goes on. She is quite the chatterbox, as I'm sure all 19 month olds are,  she likes to grab a diaper and pretend to put it on her doll as she talks to her soothingly, it's the cutest. She also talks A LOT about the twins. She is BABY CRAZY, she wakes up saying "baby, baby, Tali sad?, babiesssss". She's in a phase where she's very aware of sadness. Every time the babies cry she states, "babies sad", she loves to turn in her favourite book, Babar to the pages where Babar is crying and say, "Babar sad". I guess she's started to recognize sadness in herself so she can now see it in others, on that note...

TANTRUMS  A few months ago we entered tantrum land and there is no end in site. It's almost comical how when she decides to tantrum she just flops onto the ground like her bones just dissolved in her body. We're trying our best to just ignore them which seems to work. I'd say that if we ignore them, if she's not too tired she forgets she's mad within 2 minutes. I'm nervous for how I'll react when we're in public and she decides she's angry, it's bound to happen. 

Life is so good. There are many days where I think to myself that life really couldn't get any better. I know that's not actually true, but it's nice to know that I'm content where we are. I think for me, getting a full night's sleep has been key, along with exercise. The first half of this winter I was down in the dumps, worse than I've ever had it before, but just since the new year, life seems to be turning around. God is so good, and gracious!  

Date night's have been crucial!

Getting outside is always a treat for Ellie, she hates coming back in.

She LOVES going to the library!

This is a juice-stache from one of the juices I made, she thought it was pretty funny.

She's such a lounger.

The other day she was on Ben's shoulders and she just started to massage his scalp on her own, hilarious!

  

5 Month Update

Elliotte's Size:

My little girl was weighed this morning and was a whopping 13 pounds 1.5 ounces... We have visited  a lactation consultant because I was concerned that Elliotte has not been gaining enough weight and I feel so much better now. I have been really concerned about her getting enough milk and it was nice to have been given some tools to help increase my supply. The lactation consultant told me that since Elliotte is happy, wets enough diapers and is super active I should not supplement with formula, or begin solids and not to go on any drugs to increase my supply (for now), but instead to take the next two weeks to try to work on my supply and only then if her weight is still not increasing enough to visit a doctor. I was worried that I would be told to instantly go out and buy formula and give up breastfeeding altogether, it was such a relief to see a professional who was not overly concerned. I suppose in two weeks if she has not gained we will be forced to take some action.

Developments:

This child is sitting like a boss! She is perfectly stable now and loves to sit and look at the world around her. She also has taken more of an interest in toys and likes to grab and shake and stick everything in her mouth.

She has started somewhat crawling backwards and I don't think it will be too long before she's a crawling machine. It's cute, if I put her on her tummy and stick a toy in front of her she will try SOO hard to get to it and usually ends up scooting herself backwards. 

I now know why Ellie has been drooling a ridiculous amount and can't keep things out of her mouth for a second....TEETH! Sure enough Elliotte has two teeth ready to pop out the front bottom of her mouth. You can see them and all that stands between the fresh air and those two pearly whites is a thin layer of skin.

Tidbits:

• Sleeping has been 100% better. Elliotte is slowly transitioning to a 7:00PM bedtime and will usually only get up 3 or so times to eat before getting up for the day at 7:00AM and luckily at least one those times is while I'm still awake. I could totally get used to only getting up 2-3 times a night. 
• Ellie has this incredibly high-pitched screech that she likes to use to show us that she's happy, I'm convinced it's the cutest thing in the entire universe. 
• Pretty much all of Elliotte's hair fell when she was a month old or so and it's finally starting to grow back.
• Elliotte eye colour keeps changing but I think she's going to end up with hazel eyes, time will tell.
• I have been teaching Elliotte some signs and I'm almost certain that she now can sign 'milk' to me!

I'm so amazed at my girl, she blows me away with all the ways in which she is developing and all on her own volition! I can't wait for what's next.

Got my hair done this week, it was LONG overdue. My babysitting situation fell through so I got to bring Elliotte with me. 

Picture taken on her 5 month birthday.

Sleeping beauty

My regal beauty of the pug variety!

4 Month Update....

Our girl is now over 4 months old and it's incredible how much she has changed since her arrival. I enjoy my days with her so much, I truly couldn't have known that motherhood would be so totally amazing!

Elliotte's Size:

My girl is still pretty little. At her appointment this week she weighed 12 pounds 6 ounces which puts her in the 15th percentile, such a little girl. The pediatrician has been watching her weight gain because it has been so slow but as of this week she said she has no concerns about her. She's happy, and growing (although not quickly), ACTIVE, and demanding. The doc mentioned that since she is so active she is most likely just not able to keep weight on, I wish I had the same problem...

Everything was put into perspective this week when we visited 2 brand new babies, fresh out of the  NICU (both premies), they are SO LITTLE, which makes Elliotte look HUGE!

Developments:

Well this girl just does not stay still! On Friday November 23rd, Elliotte rolled from belly to back. I thought it was strange how long it took her considering she rolled the other way at 2 months. Now tummy time is basically a joke since she INSTANTLY rolls over the second I place her on her stomach.

We got Elliotte a Jolly Jumper and she LOVES it. She loves to just hop around and usually lasts about 15 minutes before she loses interest. It has allowed me to be able to actually get some things done around the house.

This girl is always wanting to know what's going on in the world. Ever since she was about a month old she has wanted to be held facing outward. She is always looking around staring at everyone and everything. Ben gets frustrated because she really won't snuggle anymore. The only time she lets you hold her close it to nurse and even then she's flailing her arms and legs about. I'm downright petrified for how she's going to be once she starts walking.....

Ellie is almost sitting. She will sit for about 10-15 seconds before she wavers and topples over. I don't think it will be too many months before she is a good little sitter. 

Well, I have now kissed any good night rest goodbye...Ellie seems to have regressed. She wakes up every 1.5 hours and will just cry, sometimes I'll feed her to sleep and then the second I place her in the bassinet she starts to wail. Last night I ended up just sleeping in the bed in her room with her next to me since I could not get her to sleep on her own. I'm very perplexed as to whats going on. She went from 9 hour stretches to this. Does anyone have any advice or ideas as to what I can do? I'm starting to feel like a zombie, not to mention a bad mother....

In more fun news...Elliotte has now discovered Rose the Pug. She will look at her and just laugh as Rose runs circles around her. Now that she's reaching for things if Rose is within reaching distance Elliotte just grabs for whatever she can grasp. Luckily, Rose the Pug is easy going and doesn't get angry when she has her eyeballs fondled. 

Interesting Tidbits:

• We went to 'Movies for Mommy' at the theatre last week, which is nice in the sense that we got out, but once there I realized that it isn't for us. First of all the movie that was showing was pretty violent which doesn't make sense to me seeing as there are kids there... and secondly, Elliotte wanted to stand, squirm, laugh, squeal and bounce all over the place for the entirety of the movie... yes, I was 'that mom', you know, the one that can't control her baby. 
• Now that Ellie isn't sleeping so much at night she seems to be having better naps and I'm loving having a little more time to get things done. I've noticed that she doesn't nap if we are out and about so I have been trying to stay home more during the days and it is LOVELY. (I also like the idea of staying out of the Christmas hustle and bustle, it is a well known fact that I don't like Christmas, maybe I'll go into why in a later post) 
• We are hosting 2 parties this weekend and my house is a DISASTER, hopefully Ellie will sleep for me today so that I can get ready.
• Ellie is at an awkward stage where she is too long for a lot of her 0-3 month clothes but is wayyy to skinny to fit into her 3-6 month stuff. Her clothes either look nice and fitted with her limbs just too long, or they fit in length and she is swallowed by the width of them. 

I know it's soooo cliche but I just can't believe how fast time is going! My girl is most definitely out of the newborn stage and literally bouncing into babyhood. Next stop, toddlerhood! I just want my days to slow down and my baby to stay the same for just a WEEK... The good news is that with every phase comes amazing growth and development- there is ALWAYS something fun and new. 

She has found her feet and it's impossible to keep them out of her mouth.

Chillin' out in her Jolly Jumper

Found a rare moment of her happy on her tummy

Carseat smiles!

This is her 'I'm ready for a nap' face.

Of course we need a picture of Rose the Pug!

And we can't forget the people who are usually behind the camera. My parents took Ellie while Ben and I made a quick dash to Costco the other night, it's  funny how even just grocery shopping can feel like a date now.

2 Month Update... 2 weeks late.

Elliotte is now over 2 months old. I can't believe it! She is such a precious little girl. Every day she is changing and growing and I feel so blessed to be able to be here for every little development.

Elliotte's Size:
Well, my little girl is still pretty little. We had an appointment with the pediatrician last week and Ellie weighed in at 10 lbs, 7oz.  Her length was 22 1/2 inches which was actually shorter than she was a few weeks prior at her final midwife appointment so I'm assuming someone measured her wrong. The pediatrician had no concerns about her size so I'm just going to enjoy her skinny little legs while I can.
However, the original reason we went to the pediatrician was due to the fact that Ellie has a dark red area on the bottom corner of her lip. I had no concerns about it, but after having my Uncle (a pediatrician) take a look at her we decided to get it checked out. She may need treatment for it but at this stage we're just waiting to get in to see a dermatologist before deciding anything.

Developments:
On Monday, October 8th Elliotte rolled over. We were at my cousins house enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with the extended family, Ellie and her second cousin were lying on the floor playing. All of a sudden Ellie just flipped right over from her back to her stomach. I assumed it was just a fluke since she's still so young but since then she's been doing it with increasing frequency. She's already done it 4 times today. It's quite exciting to watch her, she can get about 3/4 over no problem and then she get's stuck on her arm, she grunts with frustration for about 5 minutes before she works up the strength to get completely over. I think I have a tenacious little girl on my hands. She still shows no signs of wanting to roll from stomach to back.

She's now cooing and laughing up a storm. It's so fun to play with her now that she likes to interact more and more. She likes to imitate the sounds and faces that we make. It's a hoot.

A List of interesting tidbits:

• We have been trying to get out lots to avoid cabin fever.
• Sometimes when Ellie is having a particularly long nap I put my finger under her nose to make sure she's still breathing.
• While we are on the topic of sleeping, we are actually getting a reasonable amount of it these days.
• Elliotte seems to have decided that she won't take a bottle any more...rats...
• I cried when Moose rolled over. I'm quite the suck...
• It feels like fall is already over and winter is here, boo.
• Ben and I had a fantastic date night sans baby this past week. 
• There is nothing more precious then my little girls coo's, smiles and giggles.
• This parenting thing is harder than I ever imagined, but I wouldn't trade it for the world! 

7 Weeks

Boy am I glad to leave the last week behind. If Ellie wasn't eating, she was crying, luckily this phase only lasted 48 hours. In retrospect I think it's pretty obvious that is was a growth spurt, but boy was that a long 2 days. I now have a lot of sympathy for parents who deal with colicky babies. 

I feel as if we are sliding into a bit of a routine now, although it's definitely not one that I would have designed had I been in charge. Elliotte for the last 4 days has been very alert and awake from about 5:30PM to 1:00AM only sleeping for about 15 minute intervals every 3 hours or so. During this time she likes to eat every 1/2 hour. From 1:00AM to 6:30AM she sleeps like a baby (woohoo!). From 6:30AM to 5:30PM she follows the pattern of eating, then is awake and playful for maybe 1/2 hour then back to sleeps for 3 hours then repeat. This seems to be pretty consistent and to be honest I don't hate it. This pattern allows me to get a lot done during the day and I'm sort of getting used to staying awake till 1:00AM. I'd say the only downside is that when Ben get's home we don't get much time to relax together since this is the time when Ellie is the highest maintenance. Ideally I'd like it if she went down for the night at 8:00ish and then I would just get up and feed her a couple times during the night, but at this stage she calls the shots.

Update Time:

Elliotte's Size:

I feel sort of lost since little E didn't have an appointment this week. I know she's growing though because she is now fitting a few of her 0-3 month onesies and even a couple of the 3 month sleepers. She isn't really filling any of her clothes out widthwise but lengthwise she sure is. I'm excited to see her weight and length in a couple weeks when she'll be 2 months old. 

Post-Pregnancy Me:

Well I'm ashamed to say that I didn't make it to the gym at all this week. My excuse every day was the same, I didn't have any milk pumped and I wouldn't leave her with my mom without an emergency bottle. So, Monday morning first thing I did was pump a bottle, so now I have no excuse and yet I haven't made it....curious. We have gone every day for at least an hour long walk with Ellie in her sling which has been awesome. I especially like going for walks now because of the beautiful fall weather. Next week I'm definitely getting my membership though! 

Life Happenings:

Our evenings have been pretty laid back due to the fact that Elliotte is essentially attached to my body but we have managed to get out a bit. I pumped a bottle for her on her 6 week birthday so Ben and I managed to go on our first date sans baby. The date only lasted about 1 1/2 hours because she drank her bottle and was immediately hungry again, but it was just good to leave her and know that she was safe. I was surprised how safe I felt leaving her with my parents. I was also shocked at how much I missed the little one after only about an hour.

 In the evenings we like to go for walks, mostly because being in the Maya wrap is basically the only way that Ellie will sleep. I have loved having my Maya wrap, I'm not a big fan of strollers, I hate the idea of her being strapped down for so much time, and I love having her so close to my body when she's in the wrap, i can even nurse her while she's in there! I love looking down at her beautiful face and lightly patting her little bum as she gently sways back and forth along with my steps.

Ellie and I have continued to frequent the breastfeeding cafe here in the city and it's something that I look forward to each week. This week we talked about parenting, in specific, things that our parents did that we do and do not appreciate. It was good to actually think about things that that we would like to take from our parents parenting styles and things that we can learn from and do differently.

Weekly Highlight:
Honestly my highlight was probably waking up Saturday morning to a baby who was NOT crying and who appeared to have snapped out of her consistent crying. I was SOO worried that she had developed colic and to see that pass in only a couple days was such a relief. Getting my little girl to smile is probably my daily highlight. It's neat how the little things give me so much joy these days.

She melts my heart...

Little girl, big bed.

6 Weeks.

6 weeks is a bit of a milestone. I can't believe my little moose is 6 weeks old today! We had our FINAL midwife appointment today and I was kind of sad to say goodbye. Now it's back to our regular doctor of whom I have nothing positive to say what-so-ever....hmm maybe it's time to find a new doctor...suggestions?

Last night Elliotte slept from 11PM-5:30AM! Our night was completely glorious! She also slept in her bassinet for most of that time, and believe me that is amazing! I think the key to our success was that when I woke up at 12:30 I fed her while she slept. It was amazing, she actually managed to eat in her sleep! I've read a little bit about 'dream feeding' and since I was awake and she (amazingly) wasn't, I thought it was worth a try. Anyways, the only hitch was that once she woke up at 5:30 she wanted to be up for the day. It took me a good 2 hours of playing and interacting with her before she would go back to sleep. Sometimes I feel a bit like a parental failure since we aren't into a routine yet at 6 weeks, but I'm hoping this is the start of something good. 

Elliotte's Size:

At Ellie's appointment today she weighed 9 pounds 10 ounces. She gained 4.5 ounces this week which is on the low end of normal. She is now measuring 22 3/4in long, and her head circumference is 37cm. As far as percentile's go she is in the 90th for length and the 25th for weight. She is one long skinny girl! Ben and I both have tall and skinny people in our families, so maybe Ellie will take after her aunt or great-grandpa instead of her short parents. 

Post-Pregnancy Me:

Well, today is the day. I'm planning on heading out to the gym later on tonight or possibly tomorrow morning depending on the extent of my laziness. I am SOOO ready to get in shape and I'm ready to start eating healthy. I've been having some pretty major dental issues in the last few months so eating has been next to impossible. I basically eat soft carbs when I do manage to eat and it has been seriously difficult. Hopefully this is all about to change as I've made an appointment for October 1st with my Uncle. I cannot wait to have these dental problems behind me, trust me having two teeth that CONSTANTLY cause pain is not fun. I've even given in on the odd occasion and taken a tylenol which is NOT something that I like to do. 

Life Happenings:

Life is great! Now that Elliotte seems to be sleeping better I feel like a new person. We have been trying to get out lots. We went to a group that meets here in Saskatoon called 'the breastfeeding cafe', the name is misleading seeing as we don't actually just sit around talking about breastfeeding. It's a nifty idea, every week there is a different topic and an expert on that topic comes in to present. It's a great place to discuss your questions and concerns, there are women of all different opinions and stances and it has really helped me in my quest for the type of mother I want to be. 

The past few weeks I've done quite a bit of research into attachment parenting and all that goes along with it. This is a type of parenting that has really appealed to me since it seems to focus so much on the bond between mother and baby. On the other hand I felt kind of like it would be impossible for me to live up to the standards that are set by this model of parenting, i.e. never putting your child down, co-sleeping, exclusively breastfeeding etc, etc, etc.... I want the option of putting Ellie down so that I can shower, I love sleeping with my baby but honestly I'm terrified of smushing her in my sleep, I want to be able to go on a date with Ben, which would require pumping etc, etc, etc... Anyways, as all of this was causing me to stress out I realized something. I don't HAVE to adhere to every 'rule' of attachment parenting to be a good parent who is attached to her child. I can pump a bottle for my baby, leave her with my parents for two hours and STILL be a good parent (actually this might actually help me be a BETTER parent). Realizing that there is no hard-set rules to parenting has really helped me relax.

  Ok, end rant.

Ellie is still quite the fuss-pott in the evenings which makes group gatherings kind of tricky. I'm hoping as the weeks progress she'll settle down a little as well as us becoming more in tune to what's bothering her. Usually it's just hunger and I'm assuming she's cluster feeding so that she can last those longer stretches at night, if that's it than bring it on! I welcome anything that helps her sleep longer at night.

Weekly Highlight:

This past Sunday a few of my dear friends threw Ellie and I a beautiful shower. It was Dr. Seuss themed and they went above and beyond in decorations, food and games. Elliotte got so many cute clothes and books, I can't wait to put her in them. The only downside is that we now have a room that is literally FILLED with things that I have to somehow organize, good thing I have a year at home to do it! 

Peeking in at Elliotte while she swings around in her sling.

Loving this girl's smile!

5 Weeks.

So sorry that our update is pretty late this week but better late than never, right?! As I sit here typing, Elliotte is eating away so I figure if I can master the art of typing while breastfeeding I may end up being WAY more diligent with posting.

These are glorious days! I feel like Elliotte and I are in a bit of a babymoon. This first month reminds me of what it was like falling in love with Ben, I never tire of staring at her, kissing her, holding her all day long and although she sometimes cries for no apparent reason I love her, I have never felt so 100% obsessed with someone (Ben is a close second). I just can't get over the fact that Ben and I made this little person. I grew her inside of me without even having to think about it! I never shared on the blog and it's just a little too personal to get into details here but she truly is a miracle baby in every sense of the word and I'm baffled at how she came to be. I thank God for her every day, she truly is a gift from him.

Elliotte's Size:
As of Monday (4 weeks 5 days old) Ellie weighed 9 pounds 5.5 ounces, up 7 ounces from the week before. I find it so crazy to think that some people actually give birth to babies already this size. She seems so big to me and I guess compared to her birth weight she is, even though compared to some she's still quite small.

Post-Pregnancy Me:
Well, only a few more days till I throw myself into getting on track with my health. I have been thinking about how I'd like to be eating now that I'm no longer pregnant and even though I don't have to watch my blood sugar as closely I do want to be very conscientious of what I eat since I'm breastfeeding. I also want to get in shape not to mention live a long healthy life...more on this later! As far as fitness goes I plan on getting a gym membership next Wednesday. We'll see how often i can get away, I'm really looking forward to just a couple hours here and there for exercise, it has been too long.

Life Happenings:
Elliotte and I have been getting out and about almost every day. I think it's important for me to get out of the house to keep me sane. I'm lucky that we have a girl who likes her carseat. In the evenings we like to stay home and relax mainly because evenings aren't so great for Ellie, she seems to just be fussy all evening and it's difficult to know what she needs, as soon as she starts to shriek we go through the checklist of what's bothering her and typically she just wants to be rocked.

Weekly Highlight:
Last Sunday my sister-in-law and a couple of my aunties threw Ellie and I a shower. It was so beautiful and we felt so incredibly loved and blessed by all the gifts. Elliotte has pretty much an entire room filled to the brim with clothes, books, blankets and stuffed animals. I'm really looking forward to when she's more interactive. I'm trying to remind myself to enjoy every minute of who she is right now. They really do grow up too fast.

A picture of my sleeping beauty.

And here is Elliotte wide eyed and staring. She's really becoming her own little person these days.

4 Weeks.

After 28 days of being a mom and I would say that we're starting to get into a routine. Spending my days with Elliotte is pretty great I would have to say, however there is one thing that has been kind of difficult, it appears that little Elliotte has a good ol' fashioned case of colic. For the last 2 weeks she's been really fussy and cranky from about midnight to 5AM. This is one thing that I wished she hadn't gotten from me (I was colicky for the first 4 months of my life) but I guess it's something that we will power through, it's just so hard to see her cry and cry without being able to do much to help her. 

In other more exciting news, Elliotte has a middle name and is officially registered as a Canadian citizen. Her name is..... Elliotte Rose Chamagne. We have liked Rose as a middle name since we picked her first name however since Rose is the name of our dog we didn't think we could subject our baby to the same name. After 4 weeks of trying to find another name we decided that Rose was the perfect fit and hey, the dog won't live forever!

In even more exciting news Elliotte smiled this last week! Her first official smile was when she was 3 weeks and 1 day old and it was at her dad. Her whole face lit up and since then we've gotten smiles from her on a regular basis, it's the most beautiful thing that I've ever seen! 

Updates Time:

Elliotte's Size:
Surprisingly, Elliotte only gained 4 ounces this week, weighing in at 8 pounds 14 ounce. It looks like she didn't have her growth spurt this week so I'm thinking she might have had it one week early which would explain the 10 ounce gain last week. I'm trying not to obsess over all these little things since there is such wide range of normal. I have to remind myself of this about 15 times a day.

Post-Pregnancy Symptoms:
I think this is my last week with this update since I don't really have any symptoms anymore. I went on a 1.5 hour walk the other day and was kind of sore after so I guess I'm either not fully healed or just really out of shape. Only 2 more weeks till I go back to the gym.

Life Happenings:
Elliotte and I have had lots of outings this last week. We have been going out for coffee, walks and shopping with friends. I'm trying to make sure we get out lots. The thought of spending all day every day at home alone scares me but I think I'm going to have to slow down a bit.

Weekly Highlight:
Ellie and I hung out with our friend Meagan this week. We put Ellie in her sling walked the bridges, she slept the whole walk despite the rain, it was absolutely perfect!


I love just sitting and staring at her while she sleeps, my little angel!

I bought the cutest baby book ever, I can't wait to fill it out.

One more for good measure.

3 Weeks.

Happy 3 Week Birthday Elliotte! 

Well, our little babe is 3 weeks old and still has no middle name... I'm starting to actually feel kind of anxious about the whole thing. By next week, if we haven't come up with one then the first person to suggest one can name her!

I can't believe how cute this little girl is getting, well I think so at least. She is such a good little baby and I can't believe how much I enjoy taking care of her. Before she was born I was so worried that I would hate being tied down by a baby but so far I feel privileged to be her mom, and although we have had moments where we have both been crying from frustration I can't imagine being anywhere else than with her, taking care of her every need. 

Now for the updates:

Ellie's Size:

So our little peanut isn't so little anymore. At 19 days old she was weighing 8lb's 10oz. She gained 10oz in a week. I had been kind of concerned that she was getting enough milk, apparently she is. At 3 weeks babies apparently hit a growth spurt so I'm excited to see what she'll weigh next week. A part of me wants her to grow and I'm excited for all her little developments and a part of me wants her to stay the same size she was when she was born.

Post-Pregnancy Symptoms:

Well, it's been 3 weeks and I'm feeling back to normal. I'm actually really looking forward to being able to exercise again. Elliotte and I like to go for walks but I'm really excited to get back into something more intense like weight training and running. 

Life Happenings:

I can't say life is terribly different from last week. One new development is that in the last 3 nights I haven't gotten any sleep before 5AM because Elliotte doesn't seem to want to sleep. It isn't too bad, it just means we sleep during the morning. She really is an amazing sleeper during the day, which makes being up all night not as bad. 

Weekly Highlight:

I started going to a mother and baby group this week. It was really nice to meet with other women who have similar things going on in their lives. I look forward to going every week, it's always nice to get out of the house for a few hours here and there.

And now for the best part...pictures! 

3 Weeks old.

She's getting so chubby and alert! 

2 Weeks

I can hardly believe that it's been 2 weeks since little Ellie was born. I have been amazed at how our life was transformed overnight. We went from only having to worry about ourselves to only caring about her, all in an instant. I care so much about her. I constantly wonder if she's comfortable, if she's getting enough milk, if she has gas, the list goes on...I can't believe the responsibility that was just handed to us  when she was born, it is our job to make sure she's safe, she is ours and honestly it kind of scares me. 

The first week was pretty easy actually. Ellie slept pretty much 20 hours a day and only woke up to eat. The second week has been a little harder. I developed a plugged duct which brought with it a fever and pretty much all other flu symptoms and to make matters worse Ellie was fussy and barely slept at all for two days. Luckily things seem to be getting better now. I feel 80% better and Ellie seems to be back to sleeping and is no longer in constant pain.  

Now for some updates:

Ellie's Size:

Ellie weighed 8lbs and 1/2oz at 12 days. It looks like she has gained exactly 1lb since birth! She is definitely filling out, I swear she grew a double chin over night. I suppose her constant eating is working.

Post-Pregnancy Symptoms:

Well, as much as I enjoyed being pregnant it sure feels good to NOT be pregnant. Every day I feel more like my old self. I was a little surprised that after giving birth your body is a bit of a mess. I don't know why I didn't expect it, but boy was I in for a treat...Luckily after 2 weeks I'm feeling more or less like my old self again.

Life Happenings:

Oh you know, feeding, changing diapers, burping, the occasional cat nap, eating when I remember to, and quite honestly not much more. 

Weekly Highlight:

Over the weekend we went up to Emma Lake with all of Ben's coworkers. I was really nervous about going with a week and a half old baby but my fear was all in vain because everything worked out great! Ellie did amazingly and it was really nice to make new friends not to mention not having to cook for 3 days.

Here's my little 2 week old.