Back at Work

Well I've been back at work for 2 days and I miss my love bug like crazy. It's been so hard to leave her in the morning and I can't wait to get home to her. Pretty sure she's in the middle of a growth spurt because she was cluster feeding over the weekend and waking every 2-3 hours at night. It is making for one tired working mama!! On top of lack of sleep and the stress of going back to work I'm sick. I felt like my head was going to explode yesterday and I'm so congested today. It's terrible!! I would get sick the week I go back.

The days are hard to get through, though luckily daddy is sending me lots of updates and pictures! It sure makes me smile and helps get through the day!

She's so happy to be vacuuming with daddy. Doesn't she look thrilled? We got the baby bjorn as a hand me down from a friend. We don't use it often because we have the ergo and I've read that the ergo is better for her hip development. She likes to face outward sometimes so we use the baby bjorn on occasion around the house. What baby carrier do you use?

I'm on the look out for some quick new recipes for dinner. It's only me in the evenings so anything fast and healthy would be awesome!! Please share away! Tonight we are having a white chicken chili that I found on Pinterest. Gotta love Pinterest!

Hope everyone is having a good week. I wish I could say tomorrow I've made it through half of the week but my work decided to be so nice to let me work my first Saturday back. Hope you caught that sarcasm. Actually it made me pretty upset.

One more picture because she is just too cute! 

She loves the bumbo. I swear she will sit up before she rolls over. Crazy little girl! 

Weekend Fun

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. I go back to work tomorrow and to be honest I'm dreading it. I'm so very sad about it! I really hope it's not so bad! I'm trying to remain as positive as possible but it's gonna be hard leaving my love bug! I think it will be good for both of us though I'd love to be a stay at home mom some day. Maybe after number 2 :)

Friday night Kinley and I just hung out while daddy worked. I enjoyed a nice glass of wine with a side of baby snuggles. They sure are the best!!



Saturday I hung out with my family and loved every minute of it! I found a great salad mix at Harris teeter. Thanks peas and crayons for the suggestion. It's so yummy!!

I suggest trying it out if you have Harris teeter. I even bought more today at the store! The weather was beautiful this weekend so we enjoyed some walks with the pup. I need to get my butt in gear and start running again! We enjoyed a trip to SAMs club for some goodies! Kinley was cracking me up with the faces she was making at me. Gosh I'm going to miss her tomorrow!!

Today we all hung out again and I actually got a little nap in. Kinley is in the middle of her 12 week growth spurt and it's kicking my butt! She is feeding constantly and up much more often at night. Sure makes for one tired mama!! Well I hope everyone had a good weekend. I'm off to finishing preparing for tomorrow and probably shed a few tears. Night everyone!

Aww I just love her! 

A Day in the Life...

A Day in the Life with a 12 week old!


Oh my gosh Kinley is 12 weeks old as of yesterday! Why is time going so fast! It needs to slow down! I can't believe how fast she is growing and changing everyday. She is so fun right now. I love how she pays such close attention when I talk and play with her. This is the only picture I took of her yesterday until bath and bedtime which is crazy! I am usually taking 10-20 pictures a day. I thought I would do a day in the life with a 12 week old. Of course every day changes as we don't have a set schedule yet and I have to go back to work on Monday but you get an idea.

3:00-4:00 am : I wake up to pump then feed Kinley. I like to wake up before her so when she is done eating I can go back to sleep. There have been a few times she has slept through this feed but I still have to get up and pump or my boobs hurt! Like hurt so bad I can no longer lay on my side because they are so full. I would really like to get rid of this pumping session especially with going back to work soon but I am not sure that will happen until she stops waking up in the middle of the night to feed.

8:06 am : Kinley is up for the day. I feed her and change her diaper along with getting her dressed for the day. I am exhausted from flying all day Tuesday and really want to go back to sleep. No time for that!


8:40 am : Turn the Kuerig on and brew coffee. Make some oatmeal with chia seeds.


8:46 am : Put Kinley on her play mat and we sing songs and play with her toys. She LOVES Jacque the peacock, though we call him Petti :). I try so hard to put her on her tummy but she doesn't last long. So I usually stick her on her boppy on the floor.

9:02 am : Swaddle Kinley up and rock her a little before nap. She goes down.

9:13 am : Take a shower and get ready for the day. Pull the sheets off the bed and throw in a load of laundry.


9:34 am : Pump


10:11 am : Kinley wakes up. She likes to take short cat naps! Makes it tough to get anything done. Feed her and change her.


10:33 am : Grab a granola bar for a snack and sit on the floor to play with Kinley. She is pretty happy for only sleeping an hour.


11:00 am : She starts getting fussy so I walk around the house with her changing the laundry and doing a few household chores. Feed her and change her diaper.


12:11 pm : Woo Hoo it's the afternoon! Swaddle Kinley up and get her down for another nap. This time it is a little tougher. She fights sleep so well! She must have gotten that from her mama!


12:49 pm : Heat up left over pizza for lunch and pump. Sorry took a bite before I remembered to take a picture.

2:20 pm: Kinley wakes up. Feed her and change her. Matt leaves for work.

2:47 pm : Put her in her car seat. We are going to Target! I really want to find Baby Einstein's. She seems to enjoy watching tv while I have it on so I would like something a little more educational for her. Though I did find a nice watch for work.


3:04 pm: We walk around Target and I pick up a few groceries so I don't have to go to the grocery store as well. No luck with Baby Einstein's :( BOOO!! Anyone know where I can get this from? I could spend forever in Target...Kinley not so much!

3:58 pm : She is being so good and it is beautiful out I thought we would go for a walk. Put the leash on the dog and a hat on her and we are out the door. I decided on the long route since the weather was so nice.

4:44 pm : Feed Kinley and change her. I'm starving at this point so I grab a string cheese and some almonds. Kinley is so tired and she is coughing more and sneezing lots. I think she is catching Daddy's cold. :( I put her in her swing and put chicken in the oven for dinner.


5:30 pm : Matt comes home for a break. He takes Kinley while I finish dinner.


6:15 pm : Kinley falls asleep in my arms so I rock her a little more and enjoy the snuggles then put her in her swing so we can eat dinner.


6:34 pm : Eat dinner. Chicken, bbq beans and green beans. I was still a little hungry but Kinley was waking up from another cat nap. Matt takes her while I finish the dishes and clean up the kitchen.




6:41 pm : Matt kisses us both and goes back to work.


7:01 pm : Bath Time!! Kinley's favorite time of the day. Whenever she is super fussy I put her in the bath because she loves it so much! we splash and splash until she is over it and then it's lotion time! Not every night does she get lotion because sometimes she doesn't is over it. She sure will let you know when she is over something!

7:38 pm : Feed Kinley and swaddle her up. She usually doesn't go to bed this early but she is so tired having a hard time eating. Poor baby!! I think a combination of traveling and her catching a cold is doing a number on her.

8:32 pm : Attempt to put Kinley down but she is screaming. If only babies understood if they closed their eyes life would be so much easier.

8:50 pm : Kinley is still fighting sleep. She keeps spitting her bink out and then wakes up.

9:32 pm : Kinley is finally down.


10:02 pm : Transfer pumped milk from the day into freezer bags and was bottles.

10:18 pm : Pump while watching the Olympics.

10:49 pm : Brush teeth, wash face and get ready for bed. I'm pretty beat but it always takes awhile for me to fall asleep. And yeah the hubby is home from work!


Goodnight All!! 

Goodbye Colorado

Up early this morning! Kinley got up at 4 to eat so I pumped after then gathered our things to head to the airport. I'm not sure how I'm wide awake since I didn't sleep one bit last night. Lots of things going through my head. More on that later. Starbucks and a blueberry muffin before 530 check! Breastfeeding through the night makes for one starving mamma when I get up. 

       

Sorry for the bad picture. Sitting in the car plus it being dark out still doesn't make for good pictures! 

I hate more than anything saying goodbye to my sister and nephew! It never gets easier! I miss them so much. The distance is hard on all of us! Though I am thankful for the quality time we all got to spend together. Hopefully it won't be long before I see then again! Goodbye Colorado! We will miss you! 

I go back to work on Monday and I'm kind of freaking out about it :(. Hence why I haven't been sleeping well. I'm so so sad about leaving Kinley. Though she will be home with daddy for 95% of the day it's not making it any easier. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to sleep all week. His mom will watch her for about 30 mins before I get home but still she's not with me! So very sad! Matt works nights so it works but we will miss him for bedtime stories. If anyone has any tips on making the transition back to work easier please share! 

Yesterday we went to build a bear and my sister made Kinley her first bear. So adorable and she loves it. 

        

        

I also need to share I found someone to donate my pumped breast milk too through Human Milk 4 Human Babies. I was so excited and it felt great to help another mamma and baby out! I had to keep pumping while we where in Colorado and I did not want to just toss all that liquid gold! It was very easy. I just posted on their Facebook page that I had milk to donate and would meet someone for the drop off. Someone replied and I gave them milk. Woo hoo!! 51 ounces of liquid gold to help another baby! 

Well off for airport fun...NOT!!! See you all back in Virginia Beach. We have a long day of flying! Let's hope Kinley does as well this time! Wish us luck! 

Weekend Recap

Happy Monday everyone! Sorry I've been a little mia the past few days. We have been in Colorado visiting family. Today is out last day here. We head back to Virginia Beach in the morning. Let's pray Kinley does well on the flights! She was really touch and go lately. I think she has a sensitive stomach so I tried gripe water for her. If you haven't tried it and think your little one has gas try it. It's made a world of difference for her! She's a completely different baby!

We've been so busy since we've been in Colorado. Go go go is hard with a baby! We've done a lot of hanging out with family and enjoying everyone's company! We visited the Columbine Memorial which was awesome! It brought back so many memories from that day, April 20, 1999.
 

 

What an amazing memorial to remember all the victims and anyone affected by that day. 

Later that day we went to Merle's for lunch. It was so georgeous outside. We say on the patio and I enjoyed a blue moon. So yummy!! 

 

We also visited the Coors Brewery in Golden. The best part about the brewery tour is it's all free. You get 3 free samples at the end of the tour as well. I highly suggest it! Lots of fun and free beer! Can't complain! 



Well I am off to spend the rest of the day with the family before I have to pack up the mess we've made at my dads! Hope everyone is having a fun Monday!

Hump Day

Blogging from the hair salon :) let me just say  We made it to Denver safe and sound. Kinley did great on the plane. The car ride from the airport to my dads. Not so much! She really hates her car seat and the car. I don't know why. She screams I mean screams in the car! It's so so sad. Breaks my heart! 

I'm enjoying some quite time at the salon while my sister does my hair. I love being able to get my hair done by the best and for a discount. Double bonus. If you are ever in the Denver area check her out! Julianne at Salon Foushee and Spa. She does an amazing job and the scalp massage will put you to sleep! 

We have a busy day planned ahead for us. Denver just got a VooDoo Donuts so we will be visiting there. Yummmm. I'm sure this vacation we will indulge in many unhealthy treats. Oh well! That's what vacations are for :). Then I think a trip to Build a Bear to make valentine bears for the kiddos will be fun. 

Off topic but I need some input friends! I have a dilemma. I need to pump to keep my supply up while we are on vacation. I'm not sure what to do with all the breast milk I will need to pump while I'm here. Does anyone have any ideas? I've thought about freezing it and transporting it back home back then it might unfreeze. Traveling from Denver to Virginia Beach is no quick trip. Any tips are welcome! 

Hope everyone has a happy hump day! I'm off to enjoy my new do and spend some time with family. 

Weekend Recap

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I can't complain about ours. Pretty mellow but I am always of fan of those! We are traveling to Colorado to see family tomorrow so a relaxing weekend was what we needed. Friday I received my shipment of supplies to make headbands! I love making headbands for Kinley and all her little friends. They turned out so cute. This might become an obsession...EEKKK!!

 Friday night Matt worked so Kinley and I hung out and watched the opening ceremonies of the games. I love the Olympics so much! Summer games are my favorite because I was a gymnast for MANY years but I really enjoy the snowboarding and ice skating. I love my one on one time with my girl. Her smiles just melt my heart! Kinely and I were busy crafting Daddy's valentine day present. I'm in love with it and I think he will love it too!

Saturday we didn't do much besides clean the house and enjoy some family time. We had dinner over at the in laws. Kinley has been really touch and go lately with being out in public. This makes me even more nervous for traveling tomorrow. She didn't last long at Nanny and Pappy's but I think she was just tired because she didn't have her afternoon nap. I am living for the day we can get on somewhat of a schedule, for her sake and mine!

Sunday was another mellow day. We did some grocery shopping and went to the mall to get Kinley the cutest Valentines shirt. We had some guacamole in the fridge we needed to use so we made a southwest chicken wrap. It was pretty tasty! I love trying different things for dinner. I feel we are always eating chicken and veggies. Seems to be my go to. It's easy and healthy but it gets boring. If anyone has any great recipes feel free to share! 

Daddy's finished valentines day gift. Hope he loves it! 

Well off to finish packing and triple checking to make sure I have everything! Have a great rest of your Monday! 

FRIDAY!!

Is everyone ready for the weekend?? We are over here! It's been a rough week. Kinley got her 2 month shots combined with no day time naps makes for a very cranky baby and a mom that has no hair at the end of the day. No seriously my hair is falling out so much! I have read this is normal after pregnancy but geez it's annoying! On a brighter note we got Kinley's Valentine pictures done this past weekend! Oh my are they cute!!

This girl just loves her daddy!! It's so adorable! He sure is in for it when she gets a little older :) 

We are traveling to Colorado on Tuesday! I have to be honest I'm a little nervous to fly with a 10 week old! I have started packing for her and let me tell you she needs her own suitcase with all the things she needs. Let's hope and pray sleeps the whole way or is at least happy!

I go back to work in 2 weeks and I am so very sad about it! It has been so nice being home and getting things done while watching Ellen and hanging out with Kinley. Though seriously I have gotten a few things done while at home. I have taken up making headbands for Kinley and her cute girl friends. So much fun and they are adorable! She might have 1 or 4 for every outfit :)

Well that's all for now friends! Hope everyone has a great weekend! I am very excited for the weekend as Daddy will be home to help share baby duties! Awww help with bedtime! Thank goodness!

10 Must Haves for Months 1 and 2

Where has the time gone! I can't believe our baby girl is already 2 months old! It has flown by! I am a little behind on this post, she will be 10 weeks tomorrow but hey we will go with it!

When I was pregnant I searched blogs to find must haves for newborns and as they grow. Being a first time mom with so many options it was overwhelming! I didn't want to buy everything but wanted to have what we needed for success. Below are my must haves for month one and two.

1. California Baby Shampoo and Body Wash: I love this body wash and shampoo. I had such trouble deciding what body wash to use for Kinley. Matt has very sensitive skin so I was picky with what I choose. We love the California Baby line and it smells good :)

2. Boppy: This has been a savior many times! It has helped me so much with nursing and Daddy also loves it for bottle feeding. If I had all the money in the world I would have two so I didn't have to bring it up and down every night and day.

3. Rock and Play: We've been using this since she was a few weeks old. I love the incline and the vibration mode. I also like the idea she feels snug in it. She sleeps in the rock and play for night sleep and naps. Who am I kidding this kid doesn't nap. I also love the fact it's pretty small and fits right next to our bed. I'm not sure how long she will sleep in this. We are just going with the flow.

4. Pampers Swaddler Diapers: Again many choices when it comes to diapers. I have never had a problem with rash or irritation with the pampers. I like how the swaddlers fit and the blue line that tells you the diaper is wet is a super bonus!

5. Lanolin Gel: My nipples KILLED me the first few 5 weeks of nursing. I wanted to quit breastfeeding many times. It was so painful. Lanolin was my best friend and might be the reason I got through the first 5 weeks.

6. Lamaze Peacock: We started using "Petti" the peacock when she was only a few weeks old. She loves the black and white contrast and the colors on the other side. It also has a lot of different textures that she is starting to enjoy more as she gets older.

7. Medela Freestyle Pump: There are many pump options out there but since my insurance reimbursed for any pump and pump parts I decided to go with one of the more pricier ones. I love that I can carry it around it me and not be plugged into a wall or battery pack.

8. Halo Swaddle Sleep Sacks: Kinley loves to be swaddled at night and it helps tremendously with allowing her to sleep through the night. She startles herself very easily when not swaddled so she wakes up easily.

9. Ergo: My go to MANY times when I have a fussy baby. I left home one time without it and will never make that mistake again. We also used the infant insert when she was smaller and she loved it because she was wrapped up like a little baby burrito. It is very helpful to get things done around the house when all she wants to do is be held.

10. Nursing Tank: I have lived in my nursing tanks while on maternity leave. They are so convenient for under shirts and to sleep in.

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Share some of your must have's in the comments. I would love to hear!