Ella is apparently a "morning girl"--at least at this stage in her life. She is so so so happy in the mornings! She wakes up with a huge grin and just wiggles with delight. I'll then bring her into our bed, where she's very content to just smile and stretch next to my half-asleep husband while I get up and eat breakfast, take a shower, or do whatever else I need to do before feeding her. She really is so sweet in the mornings!
Like many babies, she seems to have a bit of a "fussy time" in the evenings--but she's been improving there as well. It seemed like she always wanted to be held right when it was time to prepare and eat dinner. I tried to plan our meals around when she would be fed and happy, but even then, sometimes she wanted our undivided attention. My husband was great about helping to cook and caring for her. It got to the point in the two weeks or so leading up to Thanksgiving that we would take turns between eating and holding her. I admit that I was looking forward to my parents and brother coming because it meant three more sets of hands in our rotation. But she seemed to turn the corner when they arrived, and sat peacefully in her bouncer through our evening meals (at least long enough for me to quickly stuff my face). And she's continuing to "behave" in the evenings--I was able to finish all of the ironing for the week while she hung out in her bouncer (just as a sidenote--my husband and I use the bouncer as a seat, but we have opted not to use the vibrating function--she, however, can get herself bouncing simply by kicking her legs, which I imagine is great exercise).
Now if only I could convince her that it's not the end of the world to get out of the bath or shower at night... I'm sure it must be a rude shock to go from the warm water to the cool(er) house, but she absolutely hates it! Any suggestions for how to make it a more pleasant transition?
Today's blessing is that my husband gets to go to the Cardinals vs. 49ers game tonight. He's a big 49ers fan, and I'm glad that he'll get some quality guy-time with his friends. They made plans for the game a long time ago--before Ella was born--and he was very sweet about recognizing that he would be leaving me alone with her while he went out and had fun. I'm totally fine with him going, but it was still really sweet that he was concerned. So his mix of excitement and concern is a blessing to me.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Newborn Photo Shoot
As a shower gift, a family friend from back home gave us a newborn photo shoot. She was in town just a week or so after Ella was born to visit her parents, so it worked out perfectly. She then sent the disc of pictures down with my parents for their Thanksgiving visit. Here are some of my favorites*:
Ella was 12 days old in these pictures. She was 8 weeks old yesterday on Thanksgiving. I have so much for which to be thankful. As is customary, we went around and said what we were thankful for. In addition to being thankful for Ella, I shared that I was also thankful for the work that God has done in my life as we waited for Ella. My mom agreed that she has seen a change in me, which makes me happy. I want to be the best mother, daughter, wife, and friend that I can be--and I'm learning so much from loving Ella.
Today's blessing is the chance to buy a Christmas tree. Since we are always traveling to visit one set of parents or the other for Christmas, my husband and I have always skipped on the tree. But since we now have Ella, we want her first Christmas (and all subsequent holidays) to be special, so we're heading into town soon to purchase our first tree as a family.
*The rest of the pictures can be viewed here, then click on "View Your Pictures", then "Kids/Babies", then select the picture of Ella on the scale, and the password is simply "Ella". Special thanks to Georgia Gannon for the beautiful pictures!
Ella was 12 days old in these pictures. She was 8 weeks old yesterday on Thanksgiving. I have so much for which to be thankful. As is customary, we went around and said what we were thankful for. In addition to being thankful for Ella, I shared that I was also thankful for the work that God has done in my life as we waited for Ella. My mom agreed that she has seen a change in me, which makes me happy. I want to be the best mother, daughter, wife, and friend that I can be--and I'm learning so much from loving Ella.
Today's blessing is the chance to buy a Christmas tree. Since we are always traveling to visit one set of parents or the other for Christmas, my husband and I have always skipped on the tree. But since we now have Ella, we want her first Christmas (and all subsequent holidays) to be special, so we're heading into town soon to purchase our first tree as a family.
*The rest of the pictures can be viewed here, then click on "View Your Pictures", then "Kids/Babies", then select the picture of Ella on the scale, and the password is simply "Ella". Special thanks to Georgia Gannon for the beautiful pictures!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
I have so much for which to be thankful! Ella is at the top of my list, but my husband and family and friends are right up there as well. God is so good, and I'm so thankful for all of the blessings in my life. I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends!
Today's blessing--among so many others--is that Ella slept seven hours last night! It's great to feel extra-rested today so that I can thoroughly enjoy the holiday with my family.
Today's blessing--among so many others--is that Ella slept seven hours last night! It's great to feel extra-rested today so that I can thoroughly enjoy the holiday with my family.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Happy-Baby-Wisdom
I don't claim to be an expert on parenting, or even on parenting books. Nor do I claim to be a good critic. When it comes to books, I don't think I'm very critical. If someone makes a good argument, I tend to agree and say "sure--that makes sense". Like I said before, I try to take it all with a grain of salt; but for the most part, I'd say that I lean more towards the "agree" side than the "disagree".
So when my mom suggested that I read On Becoming Babywise, I did; and thought "sure--that makes sense". And when my colleague (the one who left who I really appreciate) recommended that I read Happiest Baby on the Block, I did; and thought "sure--that makes sense". And when it comes down to it, I think that they both offer some valuable input...though I wouldn't say that either of them is perfect (I do, however, wish I had read them in reverse order--I think that the techniques in Happiest Baby would have been helpful to learn before Ella arrived, and perhaps now would/could have been the right time to implement Babywise).
And while all of the "expert knowledge" in the books is helpful, I feel like the true wisdom in caring for Ella in the day to day moments has to come from God. There are so many times throughout the day that I pray "God, please give me the wisdom and the patience to care for Ella". Sometimes it's a desperate prayer when she's crying and I'm exhausted; sometimes it's a prayer of admiration when she's sleeping peacefully or smiling at me; but usually it's just a constant I-want-to-do-what's-best-for-her prayer throughout the day.
So I guess when it comes down to it, I've created my own "Happy-Baby-Wisdom" approach to incorporate all three--with an emphasis on relying on God's wisdom to help me know what to take and what to leave from the "experts". So with that, let me share some of the things that I like--and a few that don't work for us--from On Becoming Babywise and Happiest Baby on the Block (and if you have any other parenting books that you've enjoyed, I'd be open to reading them as well!).
Let me start with Happiest Baby on the Block. The book is really about colicky babies, and Ella is definitely not colicky (at least by the rule of threes), but she does get fussy at times (definitely less and less as time goes on, but she's a baby...and she's bound to fuss). Because colic seems to end by around 12 weeks (when babies can sooth themselves), the author argues that babies get colicky because they are missing the "fourth trimester". So he advocates that parents simultaneously use the "5 S's": Swaddling (keeps them tight), Side/Stomach (minimizes Moro Reflex of feeling like she's falling), Shhh-ing (any white noise), Swinging (any quick, little, tight movements), and Sucking (pacifier, boob, finger). He says that parents of fussy babies should recreate a womb experience. He looks at babies from other cultures, throughout history, etc. It was written as a really light and pleasant read, with lots of analogies and parental quotes. I kind of wished that I had read it before Ella arrived because I think I would have been able to better help her through the couple of sad fits that she had (there weren't many, but my heart broke when I couldn't easily console her). By the time I read it, we had either figured out some of the techniques on our own, or Ella had grown out of her fussy-phase, or a combination of both. As for the techniques, we stopped swaddling Ella around three weeks...and she doesn't really rely on a pacifier too much. But we do a lot of Shhh-ing and Swinging, and those seem to work. After looking at the book a bit, my husband developed what he calls the "airplane hold", and now drapes Ella across his arms on her stomach, thus applying the Stomach/Side position...and she absolutely loves it! He had her from almost-fussy to fully-asleep in less than five minutes last night. He's my hero--I'm so proud of him!
As for On Becoming Babywise, I hadn't originally realized just how controversial it can be. If I had to sum up in one word what I liked about Babywise, I would say "routine". I recognize that the book is all about establishing a "schedule", but that doesn't really work for us. Rather, I like that the book suggests a routine of Eat-Play-Sleep. Even though I'm the oldest in my family and did plenty of babysitting through high school, I admit that I was a little bit lost when it came to figuring out what to do with Ella once we brought her home. So the routine of Eat-Play-Sleep really helped us. Even though the author suggests that parents control the schedule, he does advocate for flexibility, so I've taken fully advantage of that freedom. On the other hand, the author does suggest that parents allow babies to "cry it out". We tried a handful of times...and it broke my heart each time. My husband and I said we would give it fifteen minutes...and then we would sit there, just watching the clock, counting down to when we could rescue her. So I don't think that we'll really let her cry herself to sleep much in the future (on the other hand, if she's crying and I have to pee or get something out of the oven, I'm not about to pee my pants or burn the dinner, so I'm not afraid to put her down for a moment to attend to whatever it is I need to do).
As you can see, there are elements from each book that we are taking into account in how we care for Ella. Like I said before, I'm open to other approaches as well, so please feel free to make suggestions. We're not perfect--but our favorite pediatrician told us it's okay. He pointed out that we live in an imperfect world, and the best thing that we can do for Ella is model for her how we adjust to imperfections--starting with ourselves. And that's where the wisdom from God comes in. I need to listen to Him everyday in how He guides me to be the best mother I can be.
Thoughts? Reactions? Feedback? I'd be interested in hearing what you think (I'm even open to criticism--just please don't "attack" me if you think I'm doing something wrong).
Today's blessing is that I get to see my parents! They are about an hour away, and I am so excited to see them! This is the first time that they are coming to our place for Thanksgiving, and let's be honest--they are really coming mainly for Ella. But I'll gladly share her with them. Besides, today is my dad's birthday. It really will be such a blessing to celebrate and give thanks with them.
So when my mom suggested that I read On Becoming Babywise, I did; and thought "sure--that makes sense". And when my colleague (the one who left who I really appreciate) recommended that I read Happiest Baby on the Block, I did; and thought "sure--that makes sense". And when it comes down to it, I think that they both offer some valuable input...though I wouldn't say that either of them is perfect (I do, however, wish I had read them in reverse order--I think that the techniques in Happiest Baby would have been helpful to learn before Ella arrived, and perhaps now would/could have been the right time to implement Babywise).
And while all of the "expert knowledge" in the books is helpful, I feel like the true wisdom in caring for Ella in the day to day moments has to come from God. There are so many times throughout the day that I pray "God, please give me the wisdom and the patience to care for Ella". Sometimes it's a desperate prayer when she's crying and I'm exhausted; sometimes it's a prayer of admiration when she's sleeping peacefully or smiling at me; but usually it's just a constant I-want-to-do-what's-best-for-her prayer throughout the day.
So I guess when it comes down to it, I've created my own "Happy-Baby-Wisdom" approach to incorporate all three--with an emphasis on relying on God's wisdom to help me know what to take and what to leave from the "experts". So with that, let me share some of the things that I like--and a few that don't work for us--from On Becoming Babywise and Happiest Baby on the Block (and if you have any other parenting books that you've enjoyed, I'd be open to reading them as well!).
Let me start with Happiest Baby on the Block. The book is really about colicky babies, and Ella is definitely not colicky (at least by the rule of threes), but she does get fussy at times (definitely less and less as time goes on, but she's a baby...and she's bound to fuss). Because colic seems to end by around 12 weeks (when babies can sooth themselves), the author argues that babies get colicky because they are missing the "fourth trimester". So he advocates that parents simultaneously use the "5 S's": Swaddling (keeps them tight), Side/Stomach (minimizes Moro Reflex of feeling like she's falling), Shhh-ing (any white noise), Swinging (any quick, little, tight movements), and Sucking (pacifier, boob, finger). He says that parents of fussy babies should recreate a womb experience. He looks at babies from other cultures, throughout history, etc. It was written as a really light and pleasant read, with lots of analogies and parental quotes. I kind of wished that I had read it before Ella arrived because I think I would have been able to better help her through the couple of sad fits that she had (there weren't many, but my heart broke when I couldn't easily console her). By the time I read it, we had either figured out some of the techniques on our own, or Ella had grown out of her fussy-phase, or a combination of both. As for the techniques, we stopped swaddling Ella around three weeks...and she doesn't really rely on a pacifier too much. But we do a lot of Shhh-ing and Swinging, and those seem to work. After looking at the book a bit, my husband developed what he calls the "airplane hold", and now drapes Ella across his arms on her stomach, thus applying the Stomach/Side position...and she absolutely loves it! He had her from almost-fussy to fully-asleep in less than five minutes last night. He's my hero--I'm so proud of him!
As for On Becoming Babywise, I hadn't originally realized just how controversial it can be. If I had to sum up in one word what I liked about Babywise, I would say "routine". I recognize that the book is all about establishing a "schedule", but that doesn't really work for us. Rather, I like that the book suggests a routine of Eat-Play-Sleep. Even though I'm the oldest in my family and did plenty of babysitting through high school, I admit that I was a little bit lost when it came to figuring out what to do with Ella once we brought her home. So the routine of Eat-Play-Sleep really helped us. Even though the author suggests that parents control the schedule, he does advocate for flexibility, so I've taken fully advantage of that freedom. On the other hand, the author does suggest that parents allow babies to "cry it out". We tried a handful of times...and it broke my heart each time. My husband and I said we would give it fifteen minutes...and then we would sit there, just watching the clock, counting down to when we could rescue her. So I don't think that we'll really let her cry herself to sleep much in the future (on the other hand, if she's crying and I have to pee or get something out of the oven, I'm not about to pee my pants or burn the dinner, so I'm not afraid to put her down for a moment to attend to whatever it is I need to do).
As you can see, there are elements from each book that we are taking into account in how we care for Ella. Like I said before, I'm open to other approaches as well, so please feel free to make suggestions. We're not perfect--but our favorite pediatrician told us it's okay. He pointed out that we live in an imperfect world, and the best thing that we can do for Ella is model for her how we adjust to imperfections--starting with ourselves. And that's where the wisdom from God comes in. I need to listen to Him everyday in how He guides me to be the best mother I can be.
Thoughts? Reactions? Feedback? I'd be interested in hearing what you think (I'm even open to criticism--just please don't "attack" me if you think I'm doing something wrong).
Today's blessing is that I get to see my parents! They are about an hour away, and I am so excited to see them! This is the first time that they are coming to our place for Thanksgiving, and let's be honest--they are really coming mainly for Ella. But I'll gladly share her with them. Besides, today is my dad's birthday. It really will be such a blessing to celebrate and give thanks with them.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Prayers for a Friend
Please keep my friend Nina in your prayers in the weeks to come. She is pregnant with her second child--a little boy they will name Lukas. She will be induced on Tuesday, November 23rd (unless he comes before then).
Halfway through her pregnancy or so, Nina noticed a lump on her thyroid. When she had it checked out, the doctors determined that the growth was cancerous, and that her entire thyroid would need to be removed shortly after the baby was born. So she will be induced this week, and will then have the surgery to remove the thyroid on December 9th.
Once the thyroid and the cancer is removed, the prognosis is pretty good. She and the baby have been monitored, and it does not sound like this has hurt Lukas at all. But I can imagine that it would be rather overwhelming to know that you're going to face surgery just over two weeks after giving birth. And it's always concerning to hear the words "cancer" and "surgery"--even if the prognosis is good.
Nina has been a great friend and support to me through our journey. Having faced some similar struggles, she has been really understanding. She has a great husband, and a beautiful three-year old little girl. Please keep their little family in your prayers in these next couple weeks as she gives birth, prepares for surgery, and then recovers.
Today's blessing is my brothers. As I mentioned yesterday, today is both of their birthdays. I love them both very dearly, and I'm so glad that they are part of my life. I admit that I was a rather bossy big sister when we were growing up, but I do pray that God has helped me to become a better sister in the last couple of years as I began to appreciate my family more and more.
Halfway through her pregnancy or so, Nina noticed a lump on her thyroid. When she had it checked out, the doctors determined that the growth was cancerous, and that her entire thyroid would need to be removed shortly after the baby was born. So she will be induced this week, and will then have the surgery to remove the thyroid on December 9th.
Once the thyroid and the cancer is removed, the prognosis is pretty good. She and the baby have been monitored, and it does not sound like this has hurt Lukas at all. But I can imagine that it would be rather overwhelming to know that you're going to face surgery just over two weeks after giving birth. And it's always concerning to hear the words "cancer" and "surgery"--even if the prognosis is good.
Nina has been a great friend and support to me through our journey. Having faced some similar struggles, she has been really understanding. She has a great husband, and a beautiful three-year old little girl. Please keep their little family in your prayers in these next couple weeks as she gives birth, prepares for surgery, and then recovers.
Today's blessing is my brothers. As I mentioned yesterday, today is both of their birthdays. I love them both very dearly, and I'm so glad that they are part of my life. I admit that I was a rather bossy big sister when we were growing up, but I do pray that God has helped me to become a better sister in the last couple of years as I began to appreciate my family more and more.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Birthday Celebrations
Yesterday was my Boppy's (my grandpa's) birthday. Today is my Sister-in-Law's birthday. Tomorrow is both of my brothers' birthdays (yes, they have the same birthday...no, they are not twins). And Wednesday is my Dad's (now Ella's "Boppy") birthday.
I admit that I've been so caught up in caring for Ella that I neglected to send cards or gifts. I will get to see my Dad and one of my brothers over Thanksgiving when they came to visit, and I sent my Sister-in-Law a text-picture of Ella with a sign that said "Happy Birthday Aunt Heidi". Oh well...I'm sure that they understand.
Today's blessing was watching my husband really step it up today in caring for Ella. He loves playing with her when she's happy...but he tries to hand her off to me when she gets fussy. Sure, I could "rescue" him each time...but I need him to be the care-giver that I know that he can be. So I gave him some pointers entrusted her to his care. Sure enough, he stepped it up big time, and even exceeded my expectations! He also effortlessly introduced a bottle to her for the first time! He was so proud of her, which makes me so proud of him. I really am blessed with this partner that God has given me, and Ella is equally blessed to have him as her Daddy.
I admit that I've been so caught up in caring for Ella that I neglected to send cards or gifts. I will get to see my Dad and one of my brothers over Thanksgiving when they came to visit, and I sent my Sister-in-Law a text-picture of Ella with a sign that said "Happy Birthday Aunt Heidi". Oh well...I'm sure that they understand.
Today's blessing was watching my husband really step it up today in caring for Ella. He loves playing with her when she's happy...but he tries to hand her off to me when she gets fussy. Sure, I could "rescue" him each time...but I need him to be the care-giver that I know that he can be. So I gave him some pointers entrusted her to his care. Sure enough, he stepped it up big time, and even exceeded my expectations! He also effortlessly introduced a bottle to her for the first time! He was so proud of her, which makes me so proud of him. I really am blessed with this partner that God has given me, and Ella is equally blessed to have him as her Daddy.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Office Visit
I brought Ella into my office for the first time yesterday. Aside from her little announcement that she was hungry about halfway through our visit, she was fabulous. It took her a moment to warm up to having so many people want to see her, and I'm sure that the florescent lights probably didn't help either. But soon enough, she was smiling and cooing for everyone. While they IT guy updated my computer, she was perfectly content to just happily squirm on a blanket on the floor in my office, much to my delight. Many people commented on how happy and content she was, which made me really proud of her (and myself).
The main purpose behind going in to the office was to attend a going-away party for a colleague who I really admire and respect, and will deeply miss when I return. She has been with our college for 12 years, and is quite popular, so plenty of people were in attendance to wish her farewell and good luck. I put Ella in the Baby Bjorn (which this colleague actually handed down to us, along with so many other helpful and thoughtful baby items), and she conked out and slept through most of the commotion. She woke up--happy--when everyone quieted down for the "good-bye" part of the party, but patiently waited till it was time to head out. Again, I was really proud of her for being so well behaved! I was a little worried that she might have a meltdown and ruin the party, but all my worrying was for naught.
It really was nice to visit with all of my colleagues again. I know that I'm good at my job, so I do feel like I am contributing to society (or at least the university) through my work with my students...but like I said previously, I'm still dreading leaving Ella and going back to work. At least it's nice to know that I'm missed and they will appreciate having me back when I do return in January.
It was such a blessing to attend the party and celebrate the 12 years that this colleague has contributed to our college. She brought so much joy and energy to our office, and she will really be missed. But she is leaving to pursue her dream of being a nurse, and I couldn't be more proud of her for listening to her heart. I know that she will be wonderful in her new role.
The main purpose behind going in to the office was to attend a going-away party for a colleague who I really admire and respect, and will deeply miss when I return. She has been with our college for 12 years, and is quite popular, so plenty of people were in attendance to wish her farewell and good luck. I put Ella in the Baby Bjorn (which this colleague actually handed down to us, along with so many other helpful and thoughtful baby items), and she conked out and slept through most of the commotion. She woke up--happy--when everyone quieted down for the "good-bye" part of the party, but patiently waited till it was time to head out. Again, I was really proud of her for being so well behaved! I was a little worried that she might have a meltdown and ruin the party, but all my worrying was for naught.
It really was nice to visit with all of my colleagues again. I know that I'm good at my job, so I do feel like I am contributing to society (or at least the university) through my work with my students...but like I said previously, I'm still dreading leaving Ella and going back to work. At least it's nice to know that I'm missed and they will appreciate having me back when I do return in January.
It was such a blessing to attend the party and celebrate the 12 years that this colleague has contributed to our college. She brought so much joy and energy to our office, and she will really be missed. But she is leaving to pursue her dream of being a nurse, and I couldn't be more proud of her for listening to her heart. I know that she will be wonderful in her new role.
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