Organized Chaos

I guess the more I blog, the more it becomes less about my letters to our sweet Stella and more about our experiences together. After all, she is here now and doing very "experience like" things such as; trying to eat her own diapers, crawling like she is a gangster, and making Momma get a FAKE Christmas tree so she won't be covered in sap. I can already tell that she is about to ROCK our world with this whole "being mobile" thing.

I'm not one of those Moms that feels the need to rush her child's development. Maybe it's the lazy in me that likes the fact that the baby can't crawl to random foreign objects and immediately stick them in her mouth. Or perhaps it's just the fact that I'm a first time Mom and I hate to see my baby become a toddler and then a child...and then a teenager...and then an adult. Holy Moly now I need a glass of wine. Anyway, back to the subject. I guess I just feel like the sooner she crawls, the sooner she walks, the sooner she can talk, the sooner she can talk back, the sooner we are mother and daughter who can't agree on anything. Then I will definitely miss those times when I cuddled her as I gave her a bottle and she would play with my hair.

Being a Mom has definitely made my life more chaotic and less organized. I currently have a large wall in my living room with 15 splotches of different colored paint because I ATTEMPTED to patch the holes a few weeks ago and haven't gotten around to painting it back.

I have 3 gym memberships because I can't find the time to cancel the ones I don't use.

I've needed to order a bank card because I lost mine about a month ago. 

My husbands shirts have been at the cleaners so long they may have auctioned them.

CHAOS.

However, my husband informed me last night that he loves this goofiness about me. Apparently I need to learn to chill out and learn to make fun of myself a little bit. I think having a baby definitely makes you a different person. I'm no longer organized, but organized chaos. Stella doesn't know the difference. As long as she is fed, played with, and has a clean diaper she is good. Now, if I can teach her that my Christmas decor is in fact not food, I'll feel like I've mastered something. 

How Momma Got New Carpet

A few weeks ago my precious, squishy, little bunny did a massive number two on our already disgusting carpet. If I would have been the caretaker at the moment, it would have been a scrubbing marathon to quietly clean it before the Dad got home. Because the Dad was the caretaker at the moment, it was the reason Mommy got new carpet and a very graphic picture of the destruction. 

You see, I've been begging the Dad for new carpet for quite some time, always a different excuse. "Our carpet is nasty." "Stella is going to cut herself on the tack strip." "I'm pretty positive we have spider eggs in our carpet." OK--so maybe I even exaggerated a little bit. But the Dad was no where near ready to purchase new carpet UNTIL his precious little bean fell face first into the not so soft carpet and burnt her face. Then he says "Get a quote." So I did and NOW I have new comfy and clean carpet.

I have a feeling our lives may be like this for awhile. I'm not the princess anymore. But whatever Stella needs, Stella gets. I'm OK with it I guess, as long as we can figure out how to make it Stellas idea that Mommy needs a new pair of shoes. :) 

By the way, that new carpet came in handy. The babe crawled a week later and I swear I heard her whisper, "Thanks for the new digs Mom".  

 

Happy Half Birthday

Dear Bunny,

You are 6 Months old today! I seriously can't believe it and I've seriously been slacking on my posts to you. I apologize to future you who may be reading this. You've just been SO much fun to play with that I haven't had time to write about you. But here goes...

At 6 Months you weigh 19 lbs and are pushing 27 inches long. You are SUPER busy. You can't  crawl yet, although you may have started by the time I finish this post. I'm serious, you're that close. You've learned that since you can't crawl to things you want, you just roll. You are constantly moving your arms like you are swimming and kicking your legs like you are running. I wish I was half as active as you are.

Here are some facts about you:

You cry hysterically whenever someone yawns near you. It scares the bejeezus out of you. We can't quite figure it out but it's quite hysterical.

You get so excited when Daddy gets home from work, you smile, giggle, and YELL.

You would rather sit and play with your toys than be held. You are VERY independent.

You roll yourself to sleep in your crib at night.

You STILL love Barney. Yuck.

You suffered your first sickness this month, a yucky ear infection. Poppie caught it by seeing you tugging at your ear. Minus taking the yucky medicine, you have taken it like a champ.

You are eating bananas, sweet potatoes, rice cereal, and butternut squash. Oh and once you ate a sucker. Mommy was hesitant on Halloween to give you any candy but then I felt sorry for you and gave you a sucker. Suckers are DEFINITELY your favorite food. Don't say I never let you do anything fun.

You are the funniest, sweetest, happiest baby your Daddy and I ever had and we are so super happy that God blessed us with you. We love you Bunny.

The Rough Life of a 6 Month Old

 

3 Month-er

Hello my Sweet Stelly Belly,

3 months have already come and gone. Who would have thunk it? Your Dad and I are at a mix of emotions about how old you are. On one hand we feel like it was just yesterday. On the other hand we feel like it has been a lifetime. I don't mean that in a bad way, we just can't picture what our lives were like before you. 

You are a really funny kid. I'm not just saying it. You're a bit of a drama queen. You cry and laugh at the same time because you can't make up your mind. You smile at me every morning when I come to get you out of bed. It's the best part of my day. I have a hard time getting your Daddy to come to bed because he rocks you to sleep at night, he says that's the best part of his day. So as you can tell, we are still smitten. We aren't going to put you back in the womb so you can quit being all cute and stuff.

This month was the best. You've grown out of most of your crankiness and you are really showing your adorable little personality. You love your hands so much that you try to stick them in your mouth all at once. This usually results in you gagging, choking, or spitting up. It's a really awesome game. You weigh 14 pounds. You are LONG. You are already too long for some of your 6 month pajamas. 

We take morning starbucks trips and I suspect you are becoming interested in this thing called espresso. Well, forget it missy. You have to stick to decaf. I kid. But you are eating cereal now. You get so excited when I stick the spoon in your mouth. Maybe one day we will get to actually feed you some meat and Daddy will have to finally quit teasing about it. 

Your smile is seriously contagious and I am so thankful to call you mine.

Some pictures from your third month of life. 

            Holding your baba

Love, 

Momma

Colic Be Gone

Stelly,

Hi sweet baby! Today you are nearing your 10th week at life. You are chubbier, smarter, funnier, cuter, and a little nicer to Mommy. Thank you for that. Man do I enjoy you these days. I'm thinking of the day we just had full of your smiles and your coos. You are constantly trying to hold your head up like a big girl now. We let you sit in your bumbo until you fall over from losing the strength to do it any longer. Then we curl up in the recliner for nap time.

Getting prepared for nap time is like going on vacation because I might be there awhile. I need to make sure I have all the necessities. I bring the remote for my trashy tv habit, my caffeine (coffee or diet mt. dew), my phone, my blanket, gas drops, burp rag, and you of course. I decided that someone should invent a recliner that rocks on its own with a catheter hook up for mommys who need to sleep and pee occasionally. I think it would go over well. 

Life has been much better and I'm praying we are super close to being rid of the colic phase. Every day feels a little more normal. We still don't dine out unless its date night. You are cranky at restaurants. I figure this is ok because you will save us the calories. Your Daddy has lost 12 pounds from this alone! He's even more handsome than before. 

You have also been doing much better on the car ride to Nana's house. Last weekend you slept the entire way there and back. We were super impressed and fortunate to not stop at a creepy gas stations to feed and play with you. 

I still can't believe how much you change every day and I feel so fortunate to be able to spend most of my minutes with you.

Love,

Momma

My big head baby

Stelly,

You are currently taking a much needed, hard fought nap in your Mama-roo so I decided to write a little update while I wait for you to wake. 

At your 2 month check up you were a whopping 12 pounds, 23 inches long, and a head that is in the 98th percentile. Yes my dear baby, you have a big head. Don't worry though, Im sure it's filled with a very large and intelligent brain. 

You are holding that big ol head of yours up so well. You even sat in your bumbo this week. 

I can't believe how big you are getting! I catch myself carrying you on my hip now. Weird! 

You are still my little colic baby but Daddy and I have learned to deal much better. I think we are used to your crying by now. You still love your vacuum noises and we still hate them. You laugh and smile and coo so much more.

You celebrated your first Fourth of July this month. This is Momma's favorite holiday! Daddy took you on your first official pool date. Trust me, he was way more excited than you were.

You are still the little princess and we are so happy to love on that big ol' head of yours.

Love,

Momma

Month 2

Baby Stella,

I can't believe that within the week you will be 2 months old! Yay to you and Yay to Daddy and I for coming up with every trick and trade to get past your colic phase. It's been a long month with a lot of tears, from you and me. At least Daddy hasn't cried.

We found out that you have acid reflux this month. :( I have desperately searched for a way to make you better. With a new medicine and a few adjustments, things are looking up. Mama spent a ton of time on google this month, more time in the pharmacy aisle at Target, and a little more expensive time on Amazon ordering anything I could to make you feel better.

One day I purchased a wubbanub from the Funky Monkey and a Mamaroo from Amazon. I said this exact sentence to your Nana and she thought I was speaking a different language. But hey, you love your wubbanub and I think you are growing pretty fond of your Mamaroo as well. You've already taken 2 naps in it today. AMEN!

A little about you this month...

You fight sleep like nobody's business. I told Nana that you would stay awake all day if you could. You are stubborn like your Daddy for sure. You are holding your head up so well now. You are starting to think about rolling over when we lay you on your back. You are TEETHING! This one still shocks me, you are only 8 weeks old. Quit growing so fast. You HATE to burp. You scream anytime we take your bottle away and put you on our shoulder. We've learned to trick you a little by slipping your paci in. You went for your first ride in your big girl jogging stroller with Mommy the other day. You weren't super thrilled but I think it was because you were getting hungry. All that walking has given you quite the appetite.

Some of the things your Daddy and I have tried during your colic times have been quite humorous. We have taken you on walks at night, car rides, and put you in your carseat on the dryer. We have to have the vacuum running almost constantly. Thankfully, I purchased a white noise cd that allows my dyson to take a break every now and then. However, you are pretty smart and sometimes you notice the difference.

All of the crazy things Daddy and I do are completely worth it to see your sweet little smile. Month 2 wasn't a breeze but we made it!!!

 

Love, 

Momma

The First Month

Baby Stella,

My initial thought for your blog was to quit writing you once you were born. However, I thought our adventures might be more interesting now that you are out of the womb. One day you may become that little girl who is embarrassed by her Mommy and then I will think about quitting, but probably not.

You will be a month old tomorrow and I haven't broken you. I'm pretty proud of that. Before you, I wasn't around a ton of babies. I didn't know much. Let's face it, I was clueless. The one thing I have learned since having you is that no day is going to be the exact same. When you have good days I find myself trying to duplicate everything the next day to make sure you are good the next day. Babies don't work like this. Perhaps I am writing this to my future self for when we decide to give you a baby brother or sister, in the event that you aren't an only child. I kid, I kid. You really are such a sweet baby. We love to love on you, cuddle you, and stare at you. I just told Daddy today that I couldn't believe 4 short weeks ago you were in my belly. Your little booty is getting too snug for your newborn diapers and you wore your first 0-3 outfit this week. Sad mommy moment. It really is true, babies grow too fast.

I'm learning so much about you and my new "mommy self". Currently, I sit on this couch and haven't showered in 2 days because your naps have been short, I've lived on protein bars since you were born, and I have to choose between making myself a drink of water and peeing at times. My time to myself in non existent but I wouldn't want to spend it with anyone else, except maybe that stinky Daddy of yours. I thought I would be the super careful mom while driving. We quickly learned that you like to go fast, so we go fast. I even found myself being that annoying person in the drive through yesterday doing a constant brake check just to keep your car seat moving.

 We've learned that you only like your swing if you are fed, burped, changed, and a little drowsy. You don't fit in Mommy's baby carrier quite yet so we have to let you cry a little when we are in the middle of things. This makes my heart sad but I suspect that it won't kill you. You are ALWAYS good for Nana when she babysits. Sometimes I think she is making things up about how good you are. You have also already enjoyed an evening with Grammie and Poppie while Daddy and Mommy went to wedding festivities. They said you were a good girl also and I predict that you will be a little spoiled on your date nights with them.

We've ran into a few speed bumps this month but nothing we didn't make it through. You have slept 5 hours in a row the last two nights. Mommy still doesn't sleep much. You are a very noisy sleeper and I wake up when I hear even the slightest peep come out of your mouth. It's amazing how in tune I am with you.
Daddy has been very helpful. He takes a late night feed so Mommy can get at least 3 hours of sleep in a row. He loves this time with you. He will cuddle you up in his rocking chair and rock away. Then he lays you in your bed next to Mommy and I swear we don't even breathe for the first 30 seconds to make sure you are completely asleep. Sleep becomes very precious when you have a newborn and we don't want to take the risk of waking you. You have definitely made Daddy get over his fear of poopy diapers. You caused quite a bit of chaos when Nana and I left you in the care of Daddy and Papa. Let's just say EVERYTHING had to get washed. Including you. This made Mommy giggle a little. But at least he isn't gun shy anymore.

We are having so much fun getting to know our new little roommate and can't wait for all the amazing things yet to come.

All smiles after your first month of life :)

 

 

Love,

Momma

Labor of Love

Baby Stella,

The day you were born was the day our whole lives changed. For the better. But I knew that your little stubborn self wouldn't come out easy, you made me wait 20 hours. Here's the story of how you made your arrival.

Wednesday 5PM May 1st:

Daddy and I checked into the hospital for the night and a round of cervadil to get the process cooking. This is when, you, my little brownie would start to fluff to the perfect gooey chocolate mess that I love. The plan was that you would be ready to pop out of the oven the next day. You had your own plan. The doc didn't expect the cervadil to put me into active labor, just prep. Again, you had your own plan. I started having off the chart contractions a minute and a half apart only 2 hours after the medicine. I was scared, Daddy was worried about me, and your grandparents decided to leave at this point because things were getting uncomfortable and I knew it would be a long night.

Our nurse for the night was awesome. The first thing she said to me was "I'm in the business of having babies before my shift ends and the shift ends at 7 am, so let's get this going". She snuck me graham crackers and water the rest of the night so I wouldn't feel like I was going to pass out. I was determined not to take any pain medicine other than the epidural but after intense contractions for a few hours, I was practically begging for it. I remember looking at Daddy and being in the worst pain I could possibly imagine and all of a sudden a warm fuzzy feeling came over me. I felt better. It was actually kind of fun at this point. I said a few funny things to your Daddy, almost fell over in the bathroom and actually got some rest. I was going to sleep through this. Well, some of it.

A couple of hours with the medicine seemed to be pleasant but then the pain came back and I was begging for the epidural. Your daddy was such a trooper. He held my hand, watched me sleep when I could, and walked me and my trusty IV to the bathroom about a million times. When things were progressing faster than we had planned, I began to text and call your grandparents because we thought you might make your arrival by early morning.

Again, you had other plans. The progress came to a halt as soon as everyone arrived and then we played the waiting game. It wasn't until 12:30 that I began to feel a strong urge to push. My nurse must have thought I was crazy because I was only at 7 centimeters. So she did her regular check and I was still a 7. 30 minutes later I was certain she was wrong again and I made her check a second time. I was a 9 1/2. This was it. This was what I had been waiting for. I was about to push. Except, I got really scared and began to cry. I wanted you here more than anything in the world but I was terrified to push. Your Daddy was a nervous wreck. Right before I began pushing he actually asked "Do you think we have everything we need at home?" I told him he would need to quit talking at this point. Ha.

With your Nana and Grammie behind me and your Daddy beside me, I began the longest 40 minutes of my life. Your heart rate kept dropping and I became nervous and scared. With every ounce of me, I just wanted you out. I will never forget that last push. The staff practically threw you on my stomach and I began to sob. You were the most precious thing I had ever laid my eyes on and our lives were changed forever, for the better.

We welcomed you, all 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and 20.5 inches of you.

 

 

 

 

 

Love,

 

Momma