Can someone return my baby?

Claire has been kidnapped & replaced with a grumpy, crabby, crying, baby that refuses to eat or sleep. Our house is not a fun place to be at the moment. I about had a mental breakdown earlier today before hubby got home from work.

I'm almost positive it is a combination of teething & the dreaded 4 month wakeful period. Seriously, she did a complete 180 since being home from our trip. She's rarely happy/content anymore (just like when she was a newborn). She only falls asleep if I'm holding/rocking her (just like when she was a newborn). And she's all of the sudden protesting against eating. Poor girl is just plain miserable.

I got the O.K. from her doctor to give her generic Tylenol & baby Orajel. So I just got home from Walgreens after an emergency run there.

We finally got her down after a good 30mins of screaming & refusing to eat. We will see how long that lasts.

I know this is typical in a 4 month old & this too shall pass, but I just want my baby back.

Annnd we're home!

Well. I hope you all had a fabulous holiday week! I feel like it's been forever since I've updated & feel like so much has happened!

Our little family of 3 celebrated Christmas on Saturday the 18th, since we were going to be out of town for the actual day. Like I stated in a previous post, I didn't go all out by any means for Christmas. My husband, however? Spoiled me. I felt so bad that I had all of these presents underneath the tree & all I had to give him was cologne & a toothbrush.

Claire had no clue was was going on that morning.

Yes, my hubby is wearing Oscar the Grouch jams

She got all of these awesome little toys, yet all she wanted to do was chew on my scarf! Silly girl.
Santa brought her the Rainforest Jumperoo. She likes it O.K. her feet aren't even close to touching the ground, so we put a pillow underneath her. She mainly just sits in there & chews on her hand. I hope she warms up to it soon!!

Claire & mommy before the family Christmas party last week.

We left for St. Louis bright & early Wednesday morning. I had to wake Claire at 3:30am. She was non too pleased. I fed her in the car on the way to the airport & she was a DREAM on the flight there. She slept the first leg of the trip & played the second. That made for one happy momma!

She also did great sleeping in the pack n' play in the hotel. Seriously. She acted like it was no different from her crib.

One thing we did figure out is that she's JUST like me, in the sense that she thrives off routine & isn't fond of large crowds.

She threw up & farted the entire time in the airport! It's like she was so overwhelmed, she just let everything out! Poor, poor girl.

Her routine was shot while we were out of town & that did not make her happy. Normally we have her in bed by 7pm at the latest. The earliest we had her to bed on vacation was 8pm. The last two nights we were there, she refused to eat. She just cried when we tried to feed her. I ended up giving her her paci & she fell right asleep. Needless to say, she was worn out.

I ended up pumping twice on the flight there & back. It wasn't as bad as anticipated. I had my cover & sat by the window. No one even knew!

Two new things Claire started while we were on vacation: trying to grab everything & constantly chewing on her hands. Teething, perhaps?

We had a really good time, but I am so glad we are home! Bring on the new year!

I will leave you with a few pictures from our trip:

My little sister & I

Eyeing my dad's cell phone. She was looking at a picture of herself.

My sister & Claire.

My brother & Claire.

She is obsessed with hair, I tell you!

Grab, grab, grab!

My Grandma & her great granddaughter!

Our little family.

Christmas Day.

My Grandpa & his two great-grandchilden. Priceless.

Playing on the flight home.

Did I mention we got her ears pierced a few weeks back?? Oops. I forgot to mention that little detail!

December 23, 2009

A year ago (on Thursday, but I will be out of town), I was house/dog sitting for my parents. I woke up anxious, bright & early at 5:30 to test. My boobs were sore & I was uncharacteristically hungry. We had been trying, but I wasn't very optimistic as I had seen so many "negatives" in the past.

I unwrapped the test, peed & set it on the edge of the bathtub. Washed my hands, brushed my teeth, all while my heart was pounding. Peaked at the test before the 3 minutes were up & had to look twice. There it was. The faintest second pink line I had ever seen. But it was there. I was PREGNANT. I was shaking, crying & laughing all at the same time. I couldn't believe it.

I picked up my phone & dialed my husband's number. He was at our house, while I stayed at my parent's. "Hello?" he mumbled. "Are you ready to be a daddy?" I asked him. "NO WAY!, It's positive???!" He asked. "YES! The second line is sooo faint, but it's there. We're going to have a baby!!!" I exclaimed.

It's truly amazing to me that in one year, things can go from this:

To this... 8 weeks Pregnant

To this... 25 Weeks Pregnant

To this...39 Weeks Pregnant

To this... a few minutes old: 8/30/10

To now...3 Months Old!

And as I sit here with chills & my little girl playing & cooing next to me, I am still amazed that it all started with those two pink lines.

p.s. We leave for St. Louis tomorrow at 6am. May the force be with us. I'm terrified.

$60.00

That's how much I have spent on Christmas this year for my husband & our families.

Call me cheap, call me mean, call me whatever you want; but we are doing a small scale Christmas. Times are tough & honestly? I don't think things tell a person how much they are loved. And I know our families will understand that. We did get Claire a jumperoo & a few little toys, but that's all. A couple of pictures in frames for families & that's that!

So today, I did all of my Christmas shopping at Kohl's, The Dollar Tree, Walgreens & Target.

The Dollar Tree is my new Bff. Did you know you could buy brand name dish soap & carpet cleaner there??! I didn't! HA!

Even though we aren't going all out this year because of money,this is the first time in a long time that I feel richer than ever. Not money wise, of course; but the fact that I feel like my heart & soul are fuller than ever before. Now that Claire is here & she's healthy, honestly what more could I ask for? Sure, a new pair of boots would be nice. But I sure as hell don't need them to make me any more happy than I am now.

Since we are going to St. Louis on Wednesday, hubby, Claire & I are celebrating Christmas on Saturday. I'm so excited for Claire's first Christmas!! :)

I think I'm due for a whiney post

because I haven't done one since I was pregnant & I'm feeling especially whiney today.

So here's my random complaint list, because everyone has one every once in a while, right? RIGHT?!

*This damn cold I have will not go away. I am constantly coughing & hacking up a long.
*I really hope my baby doesn't catch it
*I'm a walking zombie today. But not because of Claire. Because I was coughing all. night. long.
*My hair is greasy & needs to be colored
*I don't really have the extra cash for it though
*I miss my baby & don't want to be at work today
*I'm stressing about traveling with Claire next week. Even though I know it will be ok.
*My breath stinks & tastes like cough syrup.
*I'm starving
*I miss my baby
*I wish there was such thing as women's Viagra. I'd so try it. My sex drive needs to return to how it was when I was 16...STAT
*My house is a disaster but have no desire to clean it
*I miss my baby
*The medical bills from Claire's birth have been sitting on my counter since October & I have yet to set up a payment plan for them. Responsible much?
*I'm listening to Christmas music but feel like Scrooge today
*My eyebrows need to be waxed. Bad.
*I found out one of my "best friends" was engaged via Facebook this weekend. Niiiice.
*I miss my baby
*I wish I had the money to buy my family Christmas presents this year
*I wish I had the money to buy Claire the world for Christmas. A jumperoo will suffice.
*I wish my parents weren't financially struggling so badly. Breaks my heart.
*I wish I weren't such a NEGATIVE NELLIE TODAY!

Phew, I feel a lot better actually. Thanks for letting me vent. Now I shall go channel my inner Positive Polly while I eat a Lean Cuisine & tell myself that my life really is GOOD.

Did I mention that I miss my baby? Didn't think so ;)

Runny...throat??

Around this time of year, you see blog posts about how everyone's little one's are getting colds & have runny noses & congestion.

Well my baby is no exception. We in the Davis household are battling colds. Boo. Except, Claire doesn't have a runny or stuffy nose & boogies. She has a runny....throat. Yep, it's as gross as it sounds.

Because of the cleft in her soft pallet, there is nothing that separates her nose from her throat. So anything that is in her nose, goes straight into her throat- making for a lovely mucus filled mouth. Poor baby!! So instead of me sucking boogies out of her nose with the aspirator, I am constantly sticking it in her mouth & sucking out gobs of nasties {sorry is you're eating lunch while reading this :/}

It takes my poor girl forever to eat a bottle because we have to take breaks & suck stuff out of her throat. At least she's a major trooper about it!

I really can't wait to get this problem fixed! We had a follow-up appointment on Monday with the doctor that will be doing her surgery. His main concern back in October at her first appointment, was that she wasn't gaining an adequate amount of weight. At the time, she only weighed 7lbs. 5oz. And she was 6 weeks old! That was when i was still breastfeeding her & she wasn't getting enough :( Well on Monday, she weighed in at 10lbs 14oz!! That's about 3 & 1/2 pounds she has put on in 6 weeks! YAY BABY GIRL!! So we went ahead & scheduled her surgery for March 11th. She has to be at least 6 months old before the doctor will do the surgery. It is an in-patient procedure where she will stay overnight.

As much as I am dreading seeing my girl undergo surgery, I am so excited to not have her suffer anymore with this stupid cleft!! She will be able to eat & breathe normally & I can't wait.

Another problem with clefts is that it is raises the risk of ear infections. So it got me wondering, how do you know if your baby has an ear infection? She had a low-grade fever yesterday & today, the outside of her right ear is red. Just curious. I hope she doesn't have one. She hasn't been any fussier than normal!

Well, Happy Thursday!! :)

Better get back to work! Did I mention I get to work from home a few days a week? That's a whole other post!

Things that make me happy: Momma Edition

* A helpful/supportive husband

* A flexible /supportive job & co-workers

* An understanding, patient pediatrician

* Claire's bath time

* A temperature less than 100.4

* Baby burps

* Monthly dates with my husband

*Diaper coupons

*Helpful, loving parents.

*Carter's Mix n' Match outfits

* Insurance

* Hot showers

* An easy hair style

* Poopy diapers

* Bobby Brown creamy concealer

* A good deodorant (for days I don't get to shower)

* Fischer Price Lamb Swing

* Baby coo's

* A freezer full of breast milk

* Diapers that don't leak

* The way my husband loves my daughter

* The way my daughter loves my husband

* "What to Expect the First Year" Book. aka. My Bible

* Johnson's Baby Lotion

*Christmas music on a snowy day

*Starbucks Venti Iced Lattes

* Anti- Depressants (duh).

* Nuk Paci's

* Naps

* A glass (or 2) of chardonnay at the end of a long day

* Frozen Dinners

* Pumping (not the actual act, the results)

But most of all, my baby. My baby makes me happy. My baby fills my heart with joy, love & happiness. Whether I get a shower that day or not. Whether I get my coffee fix or not. Whether she doesn't nap or not. Whether she's fussy & grumpy or not.

My, how my list has changed since I've become a parent. Who would have thought poopy diapers & coupons & milk from my boobs would have ever made me clap & jump up & down for joy??

Not me.

What as a parent makes you happy/makes your life easier?

Also, thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your advice on my last post. I am no longer losing sleep over traveling with a 4 month old. I will definitely use all of your advice!!

So, I need your help.

In two weeks, we are packing up our little family & flying across the country to visit my extended family in St. Louis for Christmas. While I am beyond excited to introduce Claire to everyone, I'm also freaking out & losing sleep over it. Call me dramatic, but I've never traveled with an infant before & I am so nervous.

Anyone that travels with children (baby or not), knows that packing takes a lot of time & planning. I have been reading the travel section in my "What to Expect the First Year" trying to prepare myself for what I need to pack. Basically, I need everything but the kitchen sink in my suitcase.

Claire will be almost 4 months old when we leave, and we will be gone 4 days.
Ladies who have traveled with young kids, here's where I need your help, give me advice on ANYTHING you can to help calm me the F down!:

Packing:
*What do I really need to pack?? I don't want to bring a bunch of crap I don't need!
*Should I just pack her entire closet? We will have access to a washer/dryer, but I still don't know how many outfits to bring.
*Do you pack diapers? Or just buy them once you reach your destination?

Airport/Plane Ride
* Does TSA allow you to bring bottles on the plane? If not, I'm screwed!
*Do I check her stroller AND car seat? Or can I bring her car seat on the plane? (I doubt it)
*What can I expect on the plane ride?
*Should I feed her when we take off & when we land so that her ears don't pop?
*Where do you change their diapers? Just on the seat?
*Suggestions of toys to bring to keep her occupied? She hates sitting still for too long, so that should be interesting!

Hotel Stay:
* I called the hotel & they provide Pack n' Plays for babies & claim they thoroughly clean them after each use. I was just going to bring my own sheets. Should I trust the hotel or should I bring my own pack n' play?
* Since I exclusively pump, what am I supposed to do with the breast milk. The rooms don't have fridges. Do I just buy a mini cooler to store it?
*How did your kids sleep while out of town? Were they out of sorts the first little while due to time changes & environment changes?
*Where the heck am I supposed to bathe her? I can't pack her bathtub, obvi. Just in the sink?
*Claire goes to sleep at 7 every night. How do we plan around this? Do we keep out passed her bedtime until WE are ready to go to bed? Because we obviously don't go to sleep at 7, also.

I would SO appreciate your opinions/advice on any of this! If you can think of anything else I should know, please tell me! I am so anxious that this is going to be a disaster!

Thanks in advance!!

11-30-10

It's been 3 months.

3 months since my (not so wee) baby has come into this world.

I could go on & on about how much I can't believe she has grown & how quickly time has passed, but you all know that! Time speeds up once you have kids. I feel like 3 months of having my baby here is nothing compared to 3

months of pregnancy.

Claire is a completely different baby since the day we brought her home from the hospital. She's so much more than the "lifeless blob" that just slept & ate all day. Now she coos & laughs (even though her version of laughing is coughing, haha!) & smiles & is just the sweetest thing ever. I could have never imagined loving a living thing as much as I love this little girl. It's simply amazing.

At 3 months, Claire:

* Sleeps from 7pm-7am (give or take) in her crib! The transition from swing to crib was a breeze. So much easier than anticipated.

*Wears size 1 diapers.

* Doesn't really enjoy her Bumbo. She prefers to lay on her back flailing those long limbs, rather than being confined.

* Can lift her head like a champ

* Does sit ups if she's sitting on an incline. She hates being still!

* Hates being on her tummy.

*Has rolled from back to tummy & tummy to back, only one day. Last week. And not since then.

* Responds to our voices

*"Talks & tells stories" constantly

* Suddenly enjoys chewing on her hands &blankets

*Only takes a paci when I lay her down for a nap & then spits it out once she's asleep. Fine by me!

*Weighs approx. 10-11lbs. That's just my guestimate. I haven't had her weighed for about 2 weeks & as of then, she weighed 9.8lbs! YAY for baby girl growing!

* Wears 0-3mo clothing, but most of it is baggy on her, but newborn clothing is a bit too snug. Hmph

*Eats 4-5 oz of breast milk every 3hrs through a bottle.

*Takes Baby Prevacid once a day for her reflux. Poor babe.

*Takes 3-4 cat naps throughout the day. She rarely sleeps for more than an

hour at a time. Sometimes she'll be a crank, I'll put her in her swing & she will surprise me with a 2 hr nap. But considering she is sleeping so great during the night, I'll take it!

*Is a creature of habit & routine. Just like Momma.

*Only naps in her swing or car seat (when we are driving/moving of course).

*LOVES her play gym. Seriously, she could lay under that thing & swat at her toys for hours

*LOVES bath time, still. And is very messy while in there at that. Splashes water everywhere!

* LOVES music & t.v. (she's mainly just enthralled with all the different colors & noises of it).

* Her Nana just discovered she loves books. I always thought she was still too young to enjoy them, but my mom read her the 2 books we do have while I was a work yesterday & she said Claire was very content & loved looking at the pictures. Looks like books are on her Christmas list. Anyone know where I can get fun books for cheap?? :)

Hmm.. I think that about covers Little Miss Claire.

How am I, you ask?

Well, at 3 months post partum, I:

*Have lost all 30lbs of baby weight, plus some (yay for pumping:))

*Am exclusively pumping 4oz. every 3 hours. Such a pain, especially at work,but so worth it for me & her!

*Still sleep with my Snoogle. I can't rid myself of that thing. Trust me. I've tried!

*Have a pretty darn good freezer stash of breast milk.

*Can fit back into most of my jeans with the occasional muffin top.

*Still have my stretch marks, but they have faded somewhat.

*Still have zero sex drive. Poor husband.

*& no, AF has not returned. Thank God.

So, ya. Probably more information that you care to know; but I felt like I needed to write that all out mainly for my record.

In a blogging rut

& I don't know how to get out of it! I haven't really had the urge to blog lately, and I hate that because I love reading ya'lls (always wanted to say that considering I'm not from the south) blogs!

It's not that I don't have anything to say. It's quite possible that I have too much to say. I just don't have the patience to sit down & type a sensible post. I swear that having a baby has made me totally A.D.D. I constantly have a trillion and one thoughts running through my head & I can never focus on just one thing. Same goes for blogging & carrying on a conversation. I'm constantly thinking about what I'm going to say/do or write next to put together a logical sentence. It actually concerns me. HA!

So here is my attempt at getting out of this rut. I'm going to try & put together posts that actually make sense & that are interesting.

Because, do people even read my posts anyway anymore? Eh, even if you don't, I want to be able to document my daughter's life & this blog is a perfect way to do that!

I will try my darndest to be back tomorrow with a re-cap of our Thanksgiving & Claire's 3 month post. OHMYGAHH!!

Wanna see somethin' cute??

::dies::

She loves her new monkey hat!

Wow, some people...

If you're going to copy & paste MY work/blog post to your blog & use it as your own, try a little bit harder to be conspicuous & make sure I'm not following your blog as well. I'm going to see it, durrr.

Seriously, if you want 50 free Christmas cards, write your own damn blog post. You're a grown woman. I think you can handle that.

Thanks.

Vent over.

(sorry, I'm fuming right now. I realllly don't like cheaters & don't believe in letting them get away with it.)

Free Christmas cards for BLOGGING?!

Count me in!!

I've read on a couple of blogs that I follow that Shutterfly is doing a promotion that if you blog about their site, you receive 50 FREE Christmas cards! & we all love FREE, right?!

I have to be honest, I have never been into sending out Christmas cards because, well; I'm lazy. I had always been under the impression that it's such a hassle to send out cards. First you have to go get your pictures taken & that costs money. Then you have to go get cards made & sent out & that also costs money & time. Well, then I discovered how Shutterfly works & they are the epitome of hassle-free! I LOVE it! You just pick the card you want & add your picture in there & bam, you're done! Cool, right?

Here are a few of my fave's:

i LOVE this one. So precious & since we didn't do birth announcements, I thought this would be perfect to do a "2-in-1" type deal.

This one is just fun.

I love this one, too. It's classic & would also be perfect to put a picture of Claire on.

Those are just a couple that I love. But I spent at least 2 hours on their site trying to narrow it down to just a few!

Shutterfly not only specializes in cards, but calendars, mugs, books, home decor; you name it. I don't know why I hadn't discovered this site earlier!

If you have a blog, hope on over to their site & register your blog to get 50 Christmas cards for free! How can you pass this deal up?!

Somebody tell me it will all be O.K.

Today is my last day of maternity leave. I go back to work on Monday at 9a.m. I seriously don't even want to think about it, but I know if I don't; Monday will be even more hellish than what I am anticipating. I need to mentally prepare myself for it. I'm not ready. I can't do this. No, really, I don't think I can....someone tell me it will be o.k!!

The past 2 months have been the most rewarding, exhausting, exhilarating, fun, emotional months of my life. I think back to the very first day we brought Claire home & all that we've been through in 8 short weeks. There were days where I wanted to just get up & go back to work because I wanted to escape motherhood for a few hours. And now? Now I want nothing more than to be a SAHM. I never thought I would say that or want that. I always thought I would want my adult interaction time a few days a week, but I don't. I just want to spend all day, everyday with my baby girl.

I'm crying right now as I type this. I don't want this time with my baby to end. I feel so close with her & am so afraid she will forget who I am when I return back to work. Granted I'm only going back part time & the grandma's will be watching her (which I am SOOOO grateful for), but still; I'm going to miss her so much. I know I'm definitely not the only one that goes through this. But it totally feels like it.

I don't think I am going to get any sleep come Sunday night & will probably have swollen, red eyes come Monday morning.

Ok. I have to stop thinking about this. I'm going to go watch my baby sleep. & then cry & feel sorry for myself.

2 MONTHS!!

Well, besides the fact that I have a very high maintenance little lady to attend to 24/7, I really have no excuse as to why I have have been M.I.A.

But let's get to the real reason for this post... MY BABY GIRL IS 2 MONTHS OLD (as of Saturday)!!

How in the world did this happen?? I swear the first month of her life was the longest month of my life. Everyday felt like an eternity, simply because we were getting used to each other. I had no clue what I was doing & was still in the process of feeling like myself again.

But this month? It has flown. I cannot believe it's November & my little babe has been on this earth for 2 months. I fall in love with this little human being more & more each day & still can't believe that my husband & I created her. Cheesy, but true.

We just got back from her 2 month appointment & here are her stats:

Weight- 8lbs 14oz: 10th percentile (a.k.a. teeny girl)

Height- 22": 50th percentile

*Still in all newborn clothes & diapers. The only clothes that fit her well are Carters. All other newborn clothes fit her weird. She's such a petite little thing.

*Absolutely loves bath time, her play gym, t.v. (uh oh) and her daddy.

*Coos & smiles when you talk to her

*Loathes nap-time. Unless she is in our arms. This needs to change

*Doesn't mind tummy time but has no interest in trying to roll over

*Sleeps from 9pm (ish)- 6am (ish) every night. In her swing. Yes, I got lectured by her pediatrician today & will be transitioning to her crib tonight. Should be fun.

She did absolutely spectacular with her shots. I was preparing myself for hours of blood curdling screams but she cried for literally 5 seconds & was perfectly fine afterwards. What a tough little girl! I was more of a boob than she was!

Now let me explain that we have had some serious issues with her weight since she was born. Because she has a cleft in her soft pallet, it makes it very difficult for her to suck while she eats which also makes her more tired faster because she has to work so hard to suck. This is why I had to stop breast feeding.

In her first few weeks of life, she was always fussy & cried allll the time. We had no clue why. We were doing everything right. Changed? check. Fed? check. Burped? check. Napped? check. Little did we know that she was not getting enough milk because of her condition. At her 1 month heck-up, she had barely gained a pound from her birth weight. Obviously this was a concern. The doctor suggested we start supplementing with formula as well as breast milk to help baby girl pack on the pounds.

We've been doing this for the past 3 weeks & has been working great! I am now exclusively pumping (which is a pain the the butt, but so worth it) & supplementing with formula when I don't produce enough for her, which is usually at her nighttime feeding. She takes 4-5oz each feeding & has gained a little over a pound since we began the new system. YAY! We met with a specialist & Claire will get surgery to fix her cleft when she is 6 months old. Seems like forever away, but I know it will come quickly. I just want my baby to eat without having to put so much effort into it & for her not to spit milk out her nose when she spits up!

In a way, I feel like a failure for not being able to breastfeed her for very long, but I know it's ultimately not something I could have controlled. Her little condition simply prevented her from getting the nutrients she needs & the bottle is just so much better for her.

It has been like night & day since we started the new feeding system. Claire is such a happier, smiley baby now! She has so much more "content time" rather than crying all waking hours of the day. Poor baby was miserable her first few weeks because she was always hungry! We just didn't know it :(

Sorry this post is so long! I just wanted to get all of the updates in one big post!

I will leave you with lots of pictures from this past month! Enjoy!

In the Bumbo for the first time.

Not quite sure what to think!

Happy girl with momma!

2 month photo shoot

Sleepy babe

She loves her bath time

Silly girl & her tongue.

Punkin' Patch!!

Can I just tell you how incredibly excited I had been to take Claire to the pumpkin patch this year? It's pretty much all I've been looking forward to since she was born! I knew it would be a little adventure to remember, for her mom & dad at least.

I got her dressed up in her little Halloween outfit & we headed out yesterday afternoon to our local pumpkin patch.

It was so fun! I had a blast propping her up against pumpkins & snapping her picture! Haha!

She was having a just as much fun as me.

Can't you tell? hehe.

Momma & baby

Getting ready for the pumpkin patch!

...and just because I love this picture

I'll hopefully be back on Monday with my girl's 2 MONTH post. OMG. Time is going wayyyy too fast.