Sunday, June 17, 2012

Father's Day & 4 Months

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!!

Mitch is such an amazing father to Stella. I guess I didn't know what to expect when he became a dad only because he's never been around many children. All I can say is he's doing a great job!!!


My dad is pretty awesome as well...although he does makes Stella cry EVERY time he holds her these days. I told her she'd like him better if he didn't have whiskers. Maybe he'll take the hint and say good riddance to the stache.



Here's what's going on in June so far...

Happy 4 Months to Stella Kate!!!


Stella goes swimming for the 3rd time...she hates it! I guess she's just too young to like the pool. But don't think I wasn't willing her into loving it (and I'm not giving up).


As of late...
Stella is rolling from back to front...and not just when she's on the floor.


She loves her exersaucer.



She can make some pretty funny faces (and mine are just ridiculous).



Saturday we're leaving for St. Pete!!! I can't wait!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Anniversary

I'm only writing so I don't get behind...

Monday Mitch & I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary! We've been together for 12 years and technically known each other for 15. Isn't that insane?!?! We celebrated Saturday with a family trip to the Arboretum...Mitch hasn't been although I go routinely. We had a picnic breakfast and saw the new Chihuly Exhibit.







Being pushed around in a stroller is exhausting!!!

Then we went to dinner and a movie at the iPic Theater in Allen. I suppose it would have been worth it if the flick we saw was longer. An hour and 10 minutes just doesn't cut it. If I'm paying that much money to see a movie in a big comfy chair, then I want to get my monies/money's worth. (which is it???) So by 7:30 we were out of the theater and had A LOT of time to kill. We didn't know what to do!! Oh how life has changed. I would have been fine with turning in early to catch a few zzzz's, but what's the fun in that? So we had a few drinks and went home after we knew Stella would be asleep. 


I'm looking forward to the rest of the month. Swimming with friends, book club, knocking out my "To Do" list and Mitch finishing boards.

*A postpartum sidenote - my hair is falling out in droves!!! I got ready Saturday afternoon and all of the sudden I had two bald patches on either side of my forehead. I tried not to panic, but did. Now my hair is coming out in the shower, when I brush my hair, and when I blow-dry it. I'm completely freaked out.  I read a bunch of postpartum articles  and they say you can start shedding hair around 3-4 months after giving birth...I am so NOT down with this much hair-loss. This isn't normal shedding (I don't think). And of course my hair stylist said not to stress because it'll only get worse if I do. HOW do you NOT stress over bald spots!!! I'm having to part my hair in the middle - GAG!!! Going to the doctor Friday.

Maybe I'm being a little vain, but pray that my hair grows back quickly and there's nothing major going on. Thanks :)

May 2012

How can I keep up? I'll just do a month by month playback I guess.

My darling darling girl!
I swear she has more than one headband...
I just find myself putting this one on a lot
Wow! Stella Kate is almost 4 months old already & weighs 15lbs. My little sack of potatoes. School just ended so I'm out for the summer. I'm not sure about this whole stay-at-home-mom thing. Don't get me wrong, I love my daughter more than life itself, but phew. She's a pistol. Maybe I have a low tolerance for crying?  After four days, we've settled into a routine...although she was on the same routine before I was home all day - it's just that the nanny was here instead of me. I was convinced until yesterday that the nanny was a miracle worker and I just didn't get my kid. But we've worked out our issues. I even took her to the pediatrician who said she was perfectly fine and I quote "I just don't have any ingenious advice to give you. It sounds like your doing everything right." She could've lied or written me a script for a few Xanax. Oh well...

So it sounds like Stella cries a lot, but she actually doesn't. She's super happy most of the time and her smile just melts my heart. She "talks" a ton and loves pretty much everything. Here's a recap of May.

Cinco de Mayo
1st Crawfish Boil
They took me to brunch for Mother's Day
Happy 3 Month Birthday - All children wanted to be included
My Little Ray of Sunshine!!

Mommyhood Likes
-smiling & cooing baby
-the most precious thing to see in the morning...she's all smiles when we walk in
-routine
-heart warming snuggles
-reading books before bed
-SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT...since 9 weeks!!!
-everyone telling me how perfect she is...like I didn't already know ;)

Mommyhood Dislikes
-drool - it's just gross and you won't convince me otherwise
-crying - anything past 4 minutes requires some serious deep breathing to relax
-not having time to get ready the way I want to - even if I do shower, I usually don't look like it
-can't just run out of the house to go do something without packing a lifetime supply of necessities

Other than that my new life is completely filled with joy.

Chihuly Nights at the Arboretum
1st Evening Concert at the Arboretum
with Auntie Cristina & Mommy
1st Time to go Swimming
at BeBe's in Austin
on to the Miracle Blanket apparently...this girl is an escape artist

About life right now...
I hate politics...I used to love them...I usually don't discuss them, but I'm frustrated with all aspects of it right now. It's really hard to be socially liberal and fiscally conservative. And how do you do deal with it all? No one represents me, so I'm feeling like our government is a complete failure.

Mitch is ridiculously busy with work. He had to implement some new system (courtesy of big brother) that requires doctors to write a report of the patient's visit and hand it over to them before they walk out the door. PLEASE tell me how this is effective in time management!!! Oh, it's not? That's what I figured.
So, needless to say, he basically hates his job right now. I hate it too...It just gives him less time to work on his charts, which means less time at home with us. Mitch also has is Board Certification for both forefoot & rearfoot coming up in a few weeks in Chicago. He's not worried about it, but since I hate exams, I am worried about it. I'll be happy when that's over with.

Stella and I are going to Florida in a few weeks with my mom and sister to visit our aunts!! Eight days of relaxation. Okay six. Two of the eight are travel days and I'm not sure how Little Miss Sunshine will do on an airplane. Praying for the best on that one.

~Ciao from the mommy who gets to sleep at night!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Easter 2012

Stella's 1st Easter
We went to Fort Worth to my grandmothers. We didn't make it to church. Stella doesn't do so well with really long days yet (filled with excursions) so we chose to hang out with family for a few hours. It was a great day!!

What do you get a newborn for Easter?
Swaddles & a college fund account...Thanks NeNe
(represented by pink bunny piggy bank)
Seriously...she never cooperates when I want her to...
and headbands are cute, but they don't last a minute
Stella Kate talking to her BeBe & Aunt Kitty
All smiles here!
Hmmmm...thinking about who knows what?!
Mom...I'm going to eat my hand if you don't feed me right now!
4 Generations
Aunt Kitty loves that baby girl
Trying to get a word in on our convo with her


So a quick low-down on SK...

She really really hates her crib & the pack 'n play
She will only sleep in her swing
I really thought I would never give in...I was adamant that she would never sleep anywhere but her crib...I really really thought I could be strong enough to make this happen...
But SERIOUSLY...a girl's gotta sleep...and I'm talking about both of us!

And how come they never tell you how hard breastfeeding is going to be?!?! When your child doesn't see your boobs religiously until out of the hospital, she's a little confused.  By week 6 we got it figured out. I could probably write an entire blog about this, but I imagine the whole world doesn't need the 411 on my boobs & Stella's eating habits.

Other than that...I'm loving this precious gift more and more everyday. Her personality is just coming alive and I know it's only going to get better! I can't believe she'll be 2 months old next Sunday...wow how time flies. 

From the Beginning

How in the world am I going to sum this up? I've completely fallen off the blog-wagon!!
There is soooo much I want to say, but there's just no way to catch up.
So here's a glimpse of the last 7 weeks.
Sarah Todd - How do you do it?!?!

February 14th
We checked into the hospital that evening to start induction hoping meds would work and I'd deliver early sometime the next day. I was totally opposed to induction until my last week of pregnancy.
I stopped working about a week before I was due. I completely had the intention of working until she arrived!!
Before we left for the hospital.
Usually I'm a little more discrete...but this is what I was dealing with!!
 I couldn't take it anymore.
Happy Valentine's Day

February 15th
My labor & delivery - that's an entire blog...so moving on...

Stella Kate makes her arrival at 9:11 p.m.
8lbs. 3oz.  20.5in
(sunny-side up & unable to breath well)
Rushed to the NICU scaring us to death. I don't see her until just after midnight!

Week 1
Stella stays in the NICU on IV/antibiotics/etc. b/c she aspirated and swallowed all she could on the way out. She looked like her and Mike Tyson had it out on her way into the world. Poor baby girl. We are so incredibly thankful for the Presby Dallas NICU & Special Care Unit. Their doctors and nurses are wonderful. There was never a doubt in my mind that she wasn't in good hands. This too could be an entire blog - but I'm too behind to go into detail now.

Mommy held Stella for the first time 2 days after she was born
(a brief moment when there weren't any tubes)

Week 2
Stella moved to the Special Care Unit, a step down from NICU where they prep baby to go home. 
Stella worked on eating while there.
Stripes - Like Jail - They won't let me out!!
Going Home Day
February 26th

Week 3


Week 4


Week 5
Daddy multi-tasking

Week 6
North Texas Foot & Ankle Sip & See
Showing off his baby girl at the office 
1st Trip to the Dallas Arboretum
1st Trip to Fort Worth for NeNe's Birthday (great grandmother)

Week 7
Of course we took Bluebonnet pics...
She hated every minute of it!!
She was okay when daddy was holding her :)

STELLA KATE
Likes: baths, her swing, being rocked to sleep, 
riding in the car, walking in the neighborhood

Dislikes: putting clothes on, her crib, the pack 'n  play, 
sleeping (seriously I think she thinks she's going to miss something)



All I can say to sum it up: We've been blessed!!