Sunday Schenanigan's with Super Avery

Baby gets a name! 6/8/13

 

June has been a very special month thus far.  Avery received her first Priesthood blessing from Josh which was very sweet!  He did a great job!  What made the day even more special is that we were able to share it with so many family members.  We had Boomhower's, Ackernecht's, Anderson's, Moon's, Ritchies, Hughes', Armstrong's and Nebeker's in the house!  My mom hosted a wonderful dinner after Avery and Sloane were blessed outside on my parents porch.  It was a beautiful day and night and was also so nice to have many different families blended together to celebrate these two beautiful little girls! 

 more photo's to come.....

June....you have been good!

Bumbo trial at 3.5 months!

Baby blessing with Avery's cousin and best friend: 6/8/13

Even LoLo made it out!

 

Mommy Time

Father's Day Eve.....watching the Bruins and staying up late :)

Being cute all day long! Even after first night of Ferberizing!

Babes and beauties together at last!  I got to spend 2 weeks with these awesome chicks!

Bride and babes

My mom hosted a girls night for the Stephenson women.  We are missing three other women, but we had a great time!  Great stories, laughs and food as always!  The babes were sleeping :)

Daddy daughter time

Josh loves to look out the window.....apparently Avery does as well!



Play time!

Avery's favorite game to play as of late!  She often looks so determined to grab onto those rings! Occasionally, a hand slips through and she gets stuck, but she doesn't mind! Gymnast in the making?

Wake Up Smiles

Avery: 12 weeks after a 2 hour and 45 minute nap!
I wonder if in many months, I'll look back and think;
What was I thinking having her wear that sleepsuit/straight jacket (my family calls it)?
What is the white noise all about?
If I am questioning these things, maybe I should look at her face in this video and remember how happy she was waking up from naps!  Must be something magical to magic merlin's sleepsuit?

The well hath runneth dry.....well almost

After about 10 weeks of nursing Avery, she and my boobs have decided to part ways.  Avery went on "strike" and I didn't realize why until I did some pumping and realized that I wasn't producing enough milk for her.  We thought it might have been thrush, a growth spurt, you name it.  However, after many tears, lactation consultation, drinking and eating epic porportions, fenugreek round the clock and lots of pumping, I struggled to produce 10 ounces/day (5-6 pumping sessions).  Josh and I decided that it would have been selffish of me to continue to try to get her to feed from me as it seemed like utter torture to her (and me)!  Forget about tummy time, she was arching her head and back so much, this kid can almost hold her head up now!  Not to mention, that this is when she discovered her total lung capacity!

The fact that breastfeeding is over has been a really tough reality for me as a mother to accept and be "okay" with.  Mainly because I feel that there is an expectation that lactating mothers nurse their babies for 12-18 months, if not longer.  As well as the fact that breastmilk is the most nutritious for babies. 

I never anticipating having this happen to me, but nonetheless, it has.  For a while, she nursed during the nighttime hours, but eventually this faded too.  I really did enjoy those last late night feeds as she was so peaceful and close to me.  However, she just loves her bottle and I can't blame her.  The Hughes/Ackernecht's enjoy food!

In all of this, Avery is much much happier and sleeping better now that she is eating better.  Go figure?!  We have even begun sleep training to include her self soothing for naps and bedtime.  When I was breastfeeding, there was no rhyme or reason to when she would eat and now she is much more predictable.  For what it is worth, we are feeding her the cream of the crop in formula which makes me feel a little better about it. 

I go back and forth about feeling at peace with this change in our relationship.  Some days are better than others and I can easily cry when I think about her not getting the continued health benefits of breastmilk.  But then I remember that it is a blessing that Avery can now have many family members who love her, feed her.  I know that it is helping her create special bonds with other family members.  Perhaps, this was her way of trying to socialize with others and not just mommy.  She just loves too many people to be hogged all by mommy! 

So, I continue to try to pump three times a day and we just see how it goes!  As long as she is happy and healthy, I suppose the source of the nutrition shouldn't get me down.  I am almost there!  I love Avery and want the very best for her....always!  So does daddy!  Plus, Josh gets a huge kick out of feeding her because she has a BM almost every time.  We call her "redbrow" when this happens, no explanation needed.  Josh just laughs and laughs and then he always says, "man, I love this kid!" and kisses her like crazy.  Seeing this happen between father and daughter makes me smile and laugh too, if not cry because it is so sweet.  Then I think......"man, I love this family!"  And isn't that what is most important!?

Sugah pie, honey bunch

Between 10 and 11 weeks for both of these pics

3 months!

This little lady is 3 months today!  We love her very much and can't believe that so much time has already gone by!  Here are some of the things that we have been working on:

* She loves to do half sit-ups when laying on laps....working on her core at an early age

* She is soooo close to finding her thumb as she is sucking on everything and drooling quite a bit

* She is getting really REALLY good at soothing herself for naps and bed time!  I can just put her down without a pacifier and she is asleep on her own in about 5-10 minutes of squacking

* She smiles like crazy at us when she wakes up from a nap or in the morning

* She is really good at taking a bottle, including her dreamfeed :)

* She is grabbing onto toys with both hands (however, I think she is better with her right hand) and she can hold onto the bottle in midline

* She likes to hold onto our fingers when she takes a bottle

* She loves to have Nana Judy babysit as I returned to work 1 day per week for 4 hours

* She is wide eyed and looking around everywhere when we go for our evening walks as a family.  She is a nosey little lady!

We love this little munch so very much!  We just keep talking about how cute she is and I love her chubby cheeks.....they are kissed very often! 

Way to go Ave's for now becoming an infant and having succeeded in passing through the newborn stage!

Smile:)

Catching a smile at 9 weeks

And again at 10 weeks

Grand, Great, Great Great

Can you believe that Avery has three grandmothers on Josh's side!  Unbelievable!  Gran Nan is 100!  Pretty amazing! 

This kiddo has good genes!

 

Play date with Finn - 7 weeks

My co-worker Lauren had a baby about 1 month after me (he is two weeks old here!).  We have arranged to have a baby-share when she and I return to work part-time.  So I will get to hang out with these two kiddos one day a week!  They look a little leery of one another...haha!  Best buds in the making! 

Lauren and I also enjoy walks together in Arnold Arboretum as we both get the cooped up/stir crazy feeling of being at home with newborns!  She also is planning on joining my new mom's group in Dedham on Tuesdays.  A new mom has to keep busy!

 

It's funny to see Avery dwarf Finn as she is still a peanut to me!

 

Sweet Baby Ave's

 approx. 5 weeks - favorite position...hanging on my shoulder!

 

 again approx. 5 weeks

 

6 weeks

 

 

 7 weeks

Rolling over at 7 weeks!

 

chillin' like a villain at 8 weeks

 



Six weeks

These pics were taken during tummy time. We listened to classical music and she did great for ten minutes! We also love to dance to Al Green "Here I am baby". It's a favorite around here for busting moves!  She loves it! Oh, and she has started to smile more!

What is better than this?

Sloane and Avery

                     Two cousins, two days apart, two peas in a pod!

Things to remember....

Avery is 5 weeks old today.  I want to be able to remember the following:

Highlights
1.  Her little cooing noises when she is falling asleep and her not so little barn animal noises when asleep.  They are loudest dur the 7-9 am hours for some reason.
2.  Sleep smiles before she is out!
3.  Her being a champ at taking her vitamin D drops, letting me put in her eye ointment awake or asleep and using nasal aspirator without much fuss.
4. Watching her snuggle on Josh.  Josh's permanent smile also is great to see!
5.  Her wakefulness, eyes open, just hangin' out without a fuss....for hours.
6.  Cuddling with her, preferably when I have had cumulative of 7-8 hrs of sleep.
7. Passing her around to multiple family members without her batting an eye, meaning totally passed out!
8. Her pursed lips to let me know she is finished feeding.
9. Her many facial expressions; eyebrows up, cheeks puffed double chin, lips pursed, frowning, smiling.  All happen within seconds of one another in no particular order.
10. Her attraction to the light and anything bright.  I don't think she blinks when she is looking into the light, especially out the window where we sit during nursing.
11. Her hands folded and resting on my shoulder when I am burping her (guaranteed 3 little burps, not much spit up - most of the time).
12.  Bath-time with two helpers and smelling her afterwards.
13.  Singing to her in the car to calm her down.  I need to expand my lyrical capabilities, but she loves to hear Hymns and Christmas songs in alto.
14. Going for walks with her in the stroller without a peep.
15. She is not a fan of the BabyErgo yet, but we are still trying
16. Maybe not a highlight, but the challenges and joys of breastfeeding (when it works).  This is a lot of work!  Between pumping and feeding, I am constantly hungry and eating carbs like they are going out of style!  Not sure why she doesn't take from me about 1-2 times a day, but she will take a bottle down in no time.  She requires my full-attention, two hands and much encouragement at times to get in a full feed.  This has been a source of great stress and contentment at the same time.  Having a baby rely on you solely for nourishment is a BIG responsibility!
17. Hearing from her MD that she is growing 2 oz a day which is the max rate of growth that she has seen in newborns!  Go Sweet Baby Aves!  
18. The smallness of our condo which makes it easy for me to manage, however, these walls can get very very confining.  So glad for decent weather that has allowed for outdoor trips!
19. Having her be described as the following on several occasions; 'peaceful', 'calm', 'a good baby', 'pretty', 'precious', 'perfect'.  Makes a mommy proud and very happy!
20.  Having grandparents closeby for socialization and much needed change of scenery.  Wednesdays seem to be our Nana and Papa days to help break up the week.  Now, I can't wait to get up to Maine!
21. Her soft skin, holding her hands, kissing her feet, smelling and kissing her head when burping her. 
22. Watching her slowly losing her hair while maintaining a nice mohawk and mullet. 
23. Being on the brink of switching from our rotation of 5 newborn outfits to a greater variety of 0-3 month wardrobe. 
24. Having a family of three!
25. Getting my first 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep last night as she went from 8 pm to 2 am between feeds!   I don't think that this is the norm yet....here's to hoping!

Overall, Avery is a joy to have in my life.  Josh and I are in heaven and are so happy that she is here with us!  Avery is a great baby and we feel very lucky!  
  
   

Just a few more favorites....in no particular order

Avery's Photo-op 3/15/13 (her actual due date)
9 days old....more to come!

Em + 15 Grandview Rescue

I would be lying if I said that the initial three days home after the hospital were peachy.  Josh and I basically arrived home with approximately 3 hours of sleep under our belts and my milk hadn't come in yet so we were dealing with a very hungry baby! We just didn't know it!

Em came down one day to help out which was awesome!  She helped us get her to sleep and shed light on the fact that our little one was not getting enough to eat.  One hospital grade breast pump and many exhausted tears later, Josh and I were convinced by my parents to come home for some additional help!  We were running on fumes and were torched, you could say.

My mom arranged for a NICU RN friend from church to come over and help me with nursing and halt any potential engorgement (we thought I was on the brink).  Kim Peterson will forever be considered as a saving grace in my book.  She came over at 9 pm and helped me with nursing and taught me so many good tricks.  Luckily, my milk had just come (day 4 post delivery) in that very moment it seemed and Avery was able to latch and eat well.

The next day, Avery and I were guided again by Kim Peterson during her first bath.  It was so nice to have an expert assisting me and teaching me how to take care of my very tiny lady (6.2 at this point).  Avery loved the bath and was beginning to get into the groove of nursing.  So was I!

But, boy!  No one can really quite prepare you for the healing process that takes place post-delivery.  The magical 2 week mark did seem to be my turn around time. But until that time. I was a hurting cowgirl!  Riding a horse would have been much better for the wear!

15 Grandview was excellent!  My mom helped put Avery down one night and I got some much needed sleep.  Josh slept above the garage and got plenty of sleep!  Avery, got mostly good sleep!  I will never underestimate the value of sleep again!

Overall, Josh, my family and Kim Peterson saved my life, sanity and helped buoy me up during what I call, "my darkest days".  Soooooo glad that is behind us!

 Here are pics from that visit:

 

 

First bath: 4 days old

Avery has arrived!

3/6/13 10:27am

6 lbs 10 oz 19 inches long

Here are a few details that I don't want to forget (or maybe should) about this eventful delivery!  On the eve of the 5th at 11 pm, my water broke.  Josh and I woke up in a daze after about 2 hours of sleep and quickly pulled our things together and headed to the hospital.  For those who are wondering how to expedite the process of baby delivery, ask your OB/GYN to strip your membranes as my water broke about 48 hrs afterwards!

Once we arrived to the hospital, some nice janitors escorted us clear across the hospital as we parked in the wrong lot, me in a wheelchair with soaking wet pants.  Once we got to the triage, I immediately asked for an epidural.  Long story short, I had to be poked 3 times.  First epidural attempt, numbness on only my right side and could feel everything on the left.  Second spinal attempt, similar results even with stronger meds.  Third attempt via non-medical resident anethesiologist, worked like a charm!  However, given the above 3 trials of pain meds, I basically had full-blown labor contractions from 11-7am. Lesson learned: don't have medical resident perform epidural!  Also, the meds made me extremely itchy and I had to take off the gown because the presence of it on my skin was intolerable.

The medical team allowed me to rest for about an hour before pushing.  Josh slept on a cot and I yelled at him to get me a basin as I threw up 3 times.  She came out after 2 hours and was delivered by a soft-spoken Asian doctor, don't know his name, nor ever met him previously.  I remember the heartburn being really really bad when pushing, but the pain of labor was tolerable as the final epidural kicked in!  Thank goodness!  Josh was fantastic holding my leg and encouraging me.  I was expecting to swear and be really really mean, but luckily this was not the case and we made it out both crying as we held our little girl.  I initially couldn't see her because of my tears, but Josh took some great shots and here they are!  I'll get to the aftershock in my next post.....some dark days ensued.