3 months!

It's been awhile since I have blogged and I have tried really hard to keep up but man it is hard!  Here are a few updates.  I have been back at work for about 3 weeks now.  It is super hard to get myself ready and Aiden ready in the mornings and both of us out of the house.  We are in the process of moving right no so our house is a disaster area filled with baby gear everywhere.  Aiden is high maintenance! Since I am working and the doctors advised against daycare, we have to take him to my mother-in-law's most days!  Thank goodness for her is all I have to say.  This is an extremely busy time for me at work so most of my "free time" is either spent doing work or running errands (grocery ect..) and trying to get things in line for the new house.  I haven't seen that movie "I don't know how she does it" but I can agree with the movie without even seeing it.  Hopefully soon things will seems easier to me and we will get our routine down. 

On Tuesday, October 18th Aiden turned 3 months old.  I couldn't believe it.  Time really does fly.  I never thought I would experience such a joy in my life and there really is no way to describe how you feel when you become a mom.  I find myself thinking alot about my pregnancy and the moment he was born. Then I think about how much he has grown and been through over the past 3 months.  I love to watch him experiencing new things and I wish I knew what was going on in his mind. 

The past couple of weeks have been pretty stressful.  I officially stopped pumping breastmilk right before I went back to work and started giving him Enfamil Gentlease.  I thought everything was great and then he started spitting up really bad and vomiting alot.  Soon he would hardly eat and began losing weight.  I took him to his pediatrician and she thought he probably had a milk allergy and since I don't eat much dairy in my diet, it had never bothered him before.  We put him on pedialyte for 24 hours then switched to Enfamil Prosobee.  Wow, what a difference.  He went from drinking about 2.5oz to 5-6oz. per feeding.  We went back to weigh him a week later and he still weighed 3oz. less? How could this be? In the midst of this chaos, Aiden got his first cold.  I was stressing out the entire time.  The doctors always tell us how hard on him any simple cold could be and all I could think about was him going back in the hospital again.  At this point, we had our apt. with the cardiologist and went through what had been going on.  I guess Aiden looked really sick because Dr. King told us to prepare for surgery in a month if he can't gain weight like he should and he wanted to see us back in a week. 

Well, one week later we have completely changed course.  Aiden recovered from his cold and gained a whopping 10oz. in a week! This is the most he has ever gained.  I was beyond thrilled.  Because of his outstanding progress, there is a chance after our apt. next week we can come back in a month.  I wouldn't know what to do if that happened.  We have been there almost every week for 3 months.  I swear his first word is gonna be "Dr. king." Ahhh god is good! 

Milestones:
-Age: 3 months
-Weight: 11lbs. (25% in weight on growth chart)
-Height: 24 3/4 in. (95% in height on growth chart)
-clothes:still can wear some 0-3 months but the 3-6 months are fitting great in the stride
-5-6 oz. Enfamil Prosobee every 3 hours with sporadic 1-2 oz feedings in between lately
-Sleep Schedule: random naps throughout the day even though we try hard to get him to sleep on a schedule.  Aiden hates sleep and will do anything to stay awake.  He does sleep from at least 9pm-6am
-He coos and smiles alot and is very vocal.  If he doesn't like something you know immediately.  He also pokes his lip out before he starts to cry.  It is the cutest thing ever.  He loves music and books but he's not really into toys.  Baby Einstein is amazing to him (really t.v. in general). He hates tummy time but love to sit in the bumbo.  He has really discovered his hands and doesn't really want to suck on his thumb but instead tries to shove the whole fist in the mouth.  I think he is trying to learn to roll because when he wake ups in the morning, he is completely sideways.  Aiden can really move his head and find you in a room.  Everyday is a new adventure!

                                      I had to throw this one in there.  Hands in the mouth!!

Baby Bargains

Since I really haven't been able to blog about clothes right now, I thought I would comment on some things that I have found life savers or must haves throughout these last few weeks with a newborn.

1. Bottle sterilizer
Just rinse and pop in the microwave for 4 minutes.

2. Nap Nanny
I didn't register for this but had some credit at a store in Monroe that I needed to use so I decided to give it a try.  Aiden's digestive system had a tough time in the beginning and he really liked to sit upright for awhile after feedings so I bought it.  The lady at the store told me I wouldn't regret it and I haven't.  Almost every pic I take of him is while he is chillin' in the nanny.
3.Gowns
Just pull up and change.  No snaps involved. I can barely see at night I'm so sleepy.  The last thing I want to do is fool around with taking pants off and on. I especially love the Magnolia Baby gowns that can be converted into pants if you want.

4. 3 Martha's Burp Cloths

The material is so thick and soft.  Love them appliqued/monogrammed!

5. Little Tummy's Gas Relief Drops

I tasted these drops when some spilled on my finger because you can tell it tastes good by the way he licks his lips.  It did taste like cherries.  The pharmacist at Walgreens told me these were the best gas drops around and they have saved us.

6. Moms on Call
About a month before Aiden was born one of my mom's best friends told her about this.  Her daughter lives in Atlanta and had used this program with her first child.  It was created by 3 moms who are all R.N.'s and take call throughout the night to new mommy's who have newborn questions.  It is similar to Baby Wise from what I've been told.  We started it when he was 2-3 weeks old and immediately had him sleeping 5 hours when we put him down.  Now Aiden is sleeping on average 7-8 hours a night.  We are so blessed but I am also a big believer in Moms on Call.  You can take an online course or buy the DVD.  Apparently they have courses all the way up to toddler age as well.

7. Sleep Sheep-Giraffe by cloud b
Aiden loves music or noise period and part of the Moms on Call routine involved white noise.  The giraffe has slightly different sounds than the sheep, white noise being one of the options.  My mom does has the sheep and it has the heartbeat which is very similar and still seems to help him sleep.  Set the timer to 45 minutes and you are good to go.

8. Bottle Warmer
I just got one of these 2 weeks ago.  What was I thinking? Seriously, do you know how many minutes of my life I wasted standing by the sink waiting for the bottle to get warm.  These things are amazing.  I wasn't sure they actually worked and since I was planning on nursing I didn't think I needed one.  When Aiden got put into PICU, I had to quit nursing and pump exclusively.  This means everything had to be measured out and put into bottle form. I would encourage everyone to get one even if you don't think you will need it.  You never know!

What have been some of your favorite "must-have?"  Am I missing anything I need to get?

Aiden in the Nap Nanny

2 Months

Today my baby boy is 2 months.  I can't believe how fast time has flown.  This week will be my last on maternity leave and I don't know how I am going to leave him everyday.  I feel like everyday I'm with him I get to witness new milestones and I can't just don't want to miss anything.  I have to admit though, I have so much more respect now for stay at home moms than I ever did before.  It is a hard job.  I have double respect for working moms and moms with multiple kids.  To be able to juggle everything is a huge task.  I can see why women and the child bearers.  Men would give up.  It's way to difficult for them.  Even my husband admits it.  Not too long ago I left him with Aiden for a day and he was truly exhausted by the time I got home.  He said he could get nothing done while he was in charge of watching him.  Well, welcome to our world.

                                    Height and Weight: Unknown.  We go to the doctor on Tuesday.  Last weight   check 2 weeks ago was 9 lbs. 8oz. and 23 1/2 inches long. 
                                   Milestones:  Aiden has definitely found his voice.  He loves to coo and hear himself talk.  He can almost roll completely over. When he get to his side, he can't quite figure out how to get his arm out from underneath him.  His eyes are really focusing on things and he will turn his head to try and find you when he hears my voice.  He also loves to smile.
                                  Sleep Schedule: Around 7-8 hours a night.
                                  Clothing Size: Some 3 month outfits fit but we are still wearing our 0-3 month outfits quite well.  A couple we have grown out of because of length.
                                  Feedings: Have switched from 4 oz. of expressed breast milk to Enfamil Gentleease every 3-4 hours.  We are still adding a healthy teaspoon of neosure per bottle and teaspoon of rice to the bottle twice a day.  We have increased our Lasik medication from 0.3 to 0.4ml b.i.d. and Digoxin from 0.6 to 0.7ml b.i.d. because of your weight gain.

What are you Watching?

I love the fall because it's when all the new and old shows debut and there is no longer nothing to watch on TV.  Plus, the days are getting shorter so you can't stay out as long and need some entertainment.  Here is what I'll be watching.  What are you looking forward to?

Up All Night
Premiers tonight! Since I am a new mommy, the previews look hilarious to me.  Most of their lines are exactly how I feel!

Rachel Zoe Project
If you read my blog you know I love me some Zoe.  The show features her pregnant this season. And can she ever look chic with a belly!

Project Runway
Although this is the same ole stuff, I DVR then fast forward to the runway show if I don't feel like watching the whole thing.

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
I am a huge reality junkie and can watch anything.  I watch all of the housewives series but love this one.  I think their reality is so far from my comprehension and that's why it intrigues me.

Grey's Anatomy
I don't think the show will be the same with Patrick Dempsey leaving.  ER was never the same when George Clooney left but I will still watch.

Desperate Housewives
I've followed from the beginning.  Heard a rumour this could be their last season. 

The Sing-Off
If you love singing competitions or appreciate music this is the show for you.  You truly have to be talented to put on an acapella performance and create your own background music.  It's phenomenal.

The X Factor
If Simon Cowell created it, it should be good.

Newborn Pics

It seems like yesterday and forever at the same time that we took Aiden's newborn pics.  He was 10 days old at the time and it is crazy how much he has changed. For one, he had more hair then than he does now.  We are losing our hair at a rapid rate.  Hopefully, it will still be the same color when the new hair grows back. Secondly, he looks chunkier there than he is now.  He was 8lbs 12 oz there and today weighs 9 lbs 8oz but has grown 2 and 1/2 inches.  Still, I think he was and is the most precious thing ever.  I am partially bias though. 

I have to sing the praise of the photographer.  The adorable and talented Brandi Smyth came to our house and took the pics.  It was great to have Aiden in a comfortable environment so I think she is a genious for setting the shoots up this way.  You can take your time and everyone feels more at ease.  She also has an assistant that is also fabulous.  She can just take those babies and mold them into the most amazing positions.  They never even wake up!  Check out Brandi's website here.  She truly does incredible work and it's all with natural lighting.  I wish I could post all the pics.  However, I tried just to pick a few of my favorites.  If your in the market for some family pics or even special ocassion pics, she is your girl.  Enjoy and everyone have a safe, happy labor day.

Are you ready for some Football?

I cannot believe that football is here.  Seems like just yesterday I was talking about high school baseball and caught up in spring fever.  Maybe I just can't believe it because it's still 100 degrees outside. Literally.  Football weather is crisp and cool.  But ready or not it is here.  My husband participated in a jamboree with 8 teams yesterday (congrats on the win).  Below is a pic of their new uniforms they got.  How fine are these?  If you are gonna play ball you need to look good too! Do you love the white helmets?

                                        Cedar Creek vs. Homer at Jam at the Joe (W 22-0)

                       The Hubby coaching-Not sure what he's doing her but it looks intense.

                     Aiden wasn't able to attend but we still dressed up to show our support!

More importantly, there are 6 days until perhaps the best non-conference game of the year kicks off (Well, let's hope it lives up to the hype).   It is #3 vs. #4 in a showdown in Cowboys Stadium.  Unless you live underneath a rock, you are well aware of the trouble that LSU Quarterback Jordan Jefferson has gotten into.  He has been suspended from the team indefinitely and Jared Lee has been named the starter.  I am very disturbed by this and think it's purely selfish to not be thinking about how this will affect your team when you choose to go out to a bar.  On top of that, Russell Shepperd will also not be on the field as he is suspended for the first game.  This game could be a total disaster or Jared Lee will be named some kind of hero for carrying his team to victory.  He will be sporting a slimmer frame this season and let's hope his confidence and accuracy have also improved during the off season.   Unfortunately, I won't be there but I will be watching and probably praying we pull out a victory.  Let's hope good ole Les pulls out some tricks from that hat of his.  Geaux Tigers!!

Oh, and the jokes have already started.  My husband received one on Friday: 2 LSU football players are riding in a car.  Who's driving?  Baton Rouge P.D.-LOL. This is only the beginning I'm sure.

Aiden's Room and 1 Month

I have been so busy and so behind that I have forgotten to post pics of the nursery.  It has definitely been a work in progress but finally has come together.  For some reason, I knew from the get go that I was having a boy.  So there were a few things that I had picked out from market before I officially found out the sex.  I did delay in ordering it but in my mind I had a picture of how I wanted to nursery to look.  I love elegant nurseries and wanted something just very soothing. Even though babies respond to colors early on I couldn't help myself from leaning toward soothing blues and taupe's.  So here are a few pics. There are still a few things I would like to do eventually but I haven't found the right accessories.  The nursery will just have to develop as he does.

 The bedding was custom made from HauteBaby in Dallas and the glider/recliner by Best chairs (storytime series) is one of the most comfortable chairs I've ever sat in. Up close, it is upholstered in a paisley to match the bumper pads. My personal favorite part of the room is the chandelier. Not exactly masculine but he's a baby. The rug, safari animals and rug were all ordered by my mom.

How adorable is this painting by Rachel of The Peek-A-Bootique? She made it to match my bedding.  I got the hooks from Hobby Lobby and hung them myself underneath the canvas.  I just couldn't resist taking a pic of Aiden to show ya'll how he sleeps (and no I do not lay my child down to sleep in a crib with the pads in.  This was strictly while I took the pics)

The crib is by Bratt for Restoration Hardware and I love this ceramic pacifier holder my aunt gave me.

The dresser was Ben's grandmother's that I had made into a changing table.  And how adorable are these shoes my mom gave me?

On a separate note today Aiden is 1month old! I can hardly believe it.  I guess time really does fly when you are running around like a crazy person trying to get a newborn on a schedule.  Some days, I don't know where my mind goes.  Like yesterday, I was so tired and wanted to make peanut butter brownies for our monthly Supper Club.  I forgot the peanut butter mix that makes the brownies rise.  So I made peanut butter fudge instead (and then I chose to leave it at home)!  I look forward to seeing my baby boy grow.

Weight: 9lbs.

Height: 22 inches

Milestones: On Aug. 17th he actually looked at me and smiled and knew who I was.

Started 1 tsp of rice formula on Aug. 16 to help gain weight.

Feeds every 3-4 hours during the day.

Sleeping 5-6 hours when we put him down at night.

Clothing Size: 0-3 month/Newborn (we haven't grown out of any outfits yet)