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.