This Unfamiliar Road

August 30, 2012

The Big Move

Well, folks...it happened. I had my first Mommy breakdown. I think it was a lot of things that hit me all at once.

I have spent some time this week cleaning out P's closet and drawers, and I became quite upset as the 'too small' pile grew larger and larger. My tiny newborn is not tiny anymore. She's growing...and wearing 3-6 or 6 month clothes!

This is my last week of maternity leave. I am not ready to go back. Many people have been asking about care for Peyton when I return to work. I am so blessed that Ben will be able to stay at home with her while I am away. In the off-chance that we have a conflict, I know lots of grandparents that will be ready to step in and help out! I am also blessed that I work 3 days a week. They are long days. Really long days. But, I will still be able to spend lots of time with my sweet baby on days I don't work. I am actually looking forward to working again. I don't want to leave my girl, but I am ready to care for new Mommies and babies again. Especially now that I have 'been there', I feel like I can offer so much more to my patients!

Peyton moved into her crib this week. She has been taking her naps in her crib for about a month, but still slept in our room at night. She certainly didn't mind the big move to her crib, but I was quite emotional about it.

Last night with Mommy & Daddy

First morning in my crib! I am always happy when I wake up

Her room is only steps away from ours, but it's still a big move! I don't think a Momma could ever be too emotional about a milestone in her child's life, right?

And, as you can see by the pictures, the swaddle is about to be a thing of the past. She still falls asleep well when swaddled, so I will continue to do it! (And she will continue to break out of it!)

This week, Peyton also got her first picture ID. We rejoined the Y and she had to get a member card!

Her first swim at the Y pool {and my new fave picture!}

I know I can't stop her from growing up, but it would be nice for time to slow down a little!

August 26, 2012

Drinkin' and Paintin'

Andrea 10:23 AM 1 Comments

This month for our family girl's day, I planned an outing to Cork and Canvas to get our creativity flowing. I am no artist. Seriously...I struggle with stick figures. But I love these places because it's so fun to see what I can do with a little guidance (ok, and some wine...)

Tonight's Painting: Colorful Pears

(This was our inspiration piece)

Outline...it's hard to get the right shape!

Coming together!

Although some of our 'pears' look more like ghosts or gourds, we had a great time!

I LOVE seeing everyone's finished painting-it's so interesting to see different interpretations of the same inspiration piece. Mine is hanging in my kitchen.

(P.S. Having a glass of wine for the first time in about a year= fabulous!)

# Family # Weekend

August 23, 2012

A Few of my Favorite Things {Newborn Edition}

Andrea 11:11 AM 1 Comments

Well, now that I am 11 weeks into motherhood, I feel that I have a pretty good grasp on newborn necessities. Here are a few things that have made the newborn period a little easier!

ItzBeen Baby Care Timer What would I do without this thing?! Basically, it's a stopwatch for all things baby: diaper, feeding, sleeping. This has been attached to my hip (literally...it has a clip) since day one. When breastfeeding, it is very important to watch your baby (not a clock) for signs of fullness, but this little gadget has helped me keep up with how long 'it's been' since she ate, and watch as patterns develop. I LOVE IT!

My Brest Friend and Luna Lullaby nursing pillows I received both as gifts and I love them! The Luna Lullaby is great for the newborn stage because it's very supportive and versatile so you can try multiple feeding positions. My Brest Friend stays upstairs for night feedings and I love it! (Note: I am not a big fan of the Boppy Nursing pillows. They don't offer much support, so I always see my patients stuffing pillows underneath them. They are great when baby is a little older/stronger but not in the newborn stage)

Boppy Newborn Lounger Here is one thing that Boppy definitely got right! We use our newborn lounger daily! It sits on the couch next to me so while I am getting ready to feed, or just relaxing, I can always interact with Peyton. It's a great spot for her!

I love my Boppy!

Carseat Stroller Frame This is a great product that we use often. It's basically just a stroller frame for the carseat, so it can't be used once she grows out of her carrier. I bought this at a consignment store, and it has paid for itself many times over! This is great for short trips or small stores when you don't want to lug the bulky stroller around!

Medela Pump in Style As a Mother/Baby nurse, I know that no breast pump compares to Medela. Because I have to return to work, it was important for me to invest in an excellent pump. And that's exactly what it is...an investment. These things aren't cheap (although I used gift cards and my Target debit card and got mine for free!)-but they are worth it.

Fisher Price Rock and Play Sleeper This portable bassinet has been a lifesaver! At first, our little P bug slept in this day & night-I could easily reach it from my bed without getting up! Now, she hangs out in it while I'm getting ready or doing chores. Also, we can bring it along in case she needs to nap while we're at grandma's house!

Just hangin' out!

Fisher Price Piano Gym Peyton loves this playmat! I think the secret is the mirror that hangs from it. She is pretty mesmerized by her reflection. And with feet that never stop, I get a musical treat!

Future Musician :)

Muslin Swaddle Blanket These blankets are our favorite! They are a bit pricey, but well worth it! The light material is perfect for these summer months and the size allows for a perfect swaddle! (A necessity for good newborn sleep!)

Sound Machine Another necessity for good newborn sleep. This one is great because it has multiple sound options. We use the white noise while P sleeps and the classical music while we are playing or doing baby massage.

OK, I must stop-this list is pretty extensive!

I will be back for an 'Infant Edition' in a few months.

# Products

August 22, 2012

Peyton Goes Swimming!

Andrea 9:13 AM 0 Comments

Our little P Bug loves her bath so much that I have been dying to get her into a pool. We had to wait until she was at least 2 months old so she could better regulate her temperature. Then, I was concerned about all of the germs in our neighborhood pool. So, we asked my Mom's neighbor if we could use their backyard pool.

Got my bathing suit on (yes...those are anchors!)

"What is going on Daddy?"

This is ok...

We went in the late afternoon, hoping that the water temperature would be warmer. However, with lots of rain and a few days of 80 degree weather, the water was a little cooler than I liked. Peyton did great-but she was pretty indifferent. She didn't splash around like she does in the bathtub, but she didn't cry...until Daddy got her head wet :(

Cold, Wet, and Ready to be done!

Feeling better in my cover up :)

The worst part about the whole thing is that I had to wear a bathing suit! Yikes!

We are really hoping to get Peyton into swim lessons this year-The YMCA starts them at 6 months. I think she will love them!

# Milestones # Peyton

August 21, 2012

Chattanooga or Bust

Andrea 9:08 PM 0 Comments

We took our first road trip with Peyton this weekend! We got to celebrate Mac and Paisley's first birthday. Although we just went to Chattanooga for the day, we learned that travelling with a baby is a lot of work. We made a few rookie mistakes...

1. Departure- We planned to leave at 10am, which was the beginning of nap time. This would put us in Chattanooga at 12pm, which was feeding time. Great!
Well, we had some success...we did indeed leave at 10am, but we had several stops to make (gas, dropping of Rowen, etc) so by the time we actually got on the interstate, it was 11:30. We made it a half hour before we had to stop so I could feed Peyton. Oops. Our usual 1.5-2 hr trip turned into 3 hours!

2. Clothing- When we left the house, Peyton was all ready to go in her party dress! My thought was that when we arrived in Chattanooga, she would already be dressed and we wouldn't have to change. OK, I can't even believe I made this rookie mistake. I know very well that babies always have blowouts when travelling (usually at 30,000 feet and you get to change them in a tiny airplane bathroom!). My redemption? I packed an equally cute backup outfit, so I guess we did meet our goal of arriving in Chattanooga dressed & cute!

3. Clothing- Wait...didn't I just cover that? Remember, there are 3 people involved here. With the previously mentioned blowout, we had a near miss with my outfit...and I did NOT bring a backup! Let's just say that the diaper change involved a McDonald's parking lot, a squished backseat...oh, and it was raining. Fabulous.

4. Supplies-I wouldn't necessarily call this a mistake, but we waaay over packed for just a day trip. It is so hard to know what to bring, and I didn't want to be without our usual comforts of home. I don't think I will change this for our next trip.

Overall, I think Ben and I did pretty good for our first trip away from home with a baby. Peyton? Well, she took the whole thing in stride. She ate in the car, napped in the Moby, and spent most of her day sitting in the carseat-her whole routine was totally out of order! She did great though, and only fussed when she was hungry.

It's hard to believe that my favorite twins are already one year old. It wasn't long ago that we were praying for Ashley while she was on bed rest, then welcoming two healthy babies into the world!

Gorgeous Table!

FUN!!

Ashley & Me (and Peyton!)

Paisley and Peyton-future BFF's

I think Paisley was trying to climb in!

I won't even apologize about my lack of pictures...you should know by now that I am bad at remembering to take them.

Wanna see pictures of the birthday babies? Visit Ashley!

# Friends # Parties

August 20, 2012

Sparkles and Glitter!

Andrea 7:02 PM 0 Comments

My baby sister, Laurel is super girly. She loves glitter in her hair, playing with makeup, fashion and being pretty :)
For her birthday, I got her a gift certificate to have a pedicure! On Saturday, I joined her for a girly day.

My little LaLa is grown!

Our toes :)

I love spending time one on one with my sisters. It's a great time for me to learn more about their lives. I hope that I am always that person they can go to when they don't want to tell my Mom something.

Happy Birthday Laurel!

# Family

August 12, 2012

First Laugh

Andrea 11:26 AM 0 Comments

Peyton laughed for the first time and I actually caught it on video! Can you believe it?!

**Side note: I have been thinking about how much technology will affect Peyton's childhood-in good ways and bad. When I was growing up, my parents were lucky to catch a cute moment, after powering up the video camera and hoisting it onto their shoulder! With my trusty iPhone always nearby, I have captured so much of this little girl's life already. I just hope that technology will continue to enrich our lives rather than distract us from it.

Anyway, on to the cuteness. Because I was filming this solo, I wasn't paying attention to the screen, so half of her face is cut off. Sorry, but you get the idea!

Ohhhh...it makes my sleepless nights worth it :)

# Milestones # Peyton

August 10, 2012

R&J

Andrea 2:33 PM 1 Comments

Rowen's brother, Jack, came over for a visit while my family was on vacation. He is so sweet to have around, and Rowen just loves having a playmate!

Jack loves babies (& puppies!)

They are sweet together

We had a few toy casualties-Ben had to sew them back together

They wore each other out

Ben says Ro needs a permanent playmate. I say-Give Peyton a couple of years and she'll have one! ;)

# Pets

August 09, 2012

Hot Dog!

Andrea 11:27 AM 0 Comments

A couple of weeks ago, Ben suggested we have a few people over to visit. "Ya know...very casual. We'll just throw some hot dogs on the grill."
Well, when a few people turned into 15-20, I knew I couldn't serve our guests boring hot dogs. So, I decided to fancy it up a bit and have a gourmet hot dog bar! It was a great way to host a party without breaking the bank!

Our toppings included:

-chili

-cheddar & pepper jack cheese

-sauerkraut

-bacon bits

-homemade relish

-white & purple raw onion

-coleslaw

-roasted bell peppers & onions

-jalapenos

-fresh chopped tomatoes

-banana peppers

-homemade salsa

-ketchup, mustard, spicy mustard

There are so many more options that I would love to try if we host this party again (avocado slices, anyone?!). We also offered hoagie rolls and potato buns. YUM!

Setting up

Yummy toppings

Sweet Tea & Mason jars...a must!

Well, based on the pictures I took, it seems as if Ben and I just threw this party and ate all the food by ourselves! I am thinking about hiring someone to photograph my life because I am clearly not doing a very good job! I promise...there were lots of people there.

Friends managed to capture a few of Miss P

She is mighty cute!

Ben and I have really come to love entertaining...we are already planning our next party!

# Food # Friends

August 08, 2012

Two Months

Andrea 5:04 PM 0 Comments

Here I am...broken record: It's hard to believe two months have passed since our Peyton was born. I certainly can't remember life without her!

Our 2 month old!

I had to do a comparison picture!

Eating: About every 3 hours during the day and usually one 5-6 hour stretch at night

Sleeping: Well, naps used to be 2 hours long but Miss P has been waking up after 30 minutes and I'm finding it impossible to get her back to sleep. It's something we are working on. At night, Peyton sleeps 6 hour stretches! Hoping that 8-10 hour stretches will be soon!

Favorite Toy: The Fisher Price Piano Gym for sure! Peyton loves kicking at those piano keys and it can keep her entertained for a long time!

Favorite Thing to Do: Take a bath! Peyton loves bathtime still, and it has become a great part of our bedtime routine.

Unhappy Times: P cries only when she's hungry, sleepy, or getting out of the bath!

Stats: (As of her 2 month checkup on Tuesday)- Weight: 11 lbs, 13 oz/ Height: 24 in

(This puts her over the 95% for height and in 75% for weight)

Wiped out after her shots :(

Proof that she does cry

(Although I think I cried about the shots more than she did)

Sweet Peyton Caroline,

Your Daddy and I feel so blessed to be your parents. Every day is a learning experience for us and we thank you for being patient as we try to figure you out. You are the best thing that has happened to our family and we are so in love with you!

There's my smiley baby :)

# Milestones # Peyton

This Unfamiliar Road

August 30, 2012

The Big Move

August 26, 2012

Drinkin' and Paintin'

August 23, 2012

A Few of my Favorite Things {Newborn Edition}

August 22, 2012

Peyton Goes Swimming!

August 21, 2012

Chattanooga or Bust

August 20, 2012

Sparkles and Glitter!

August 12, 2012

First Laugh

August 10, 2012

R&J

August 09, 2012

Hot Dog!

August 08, 2012

Two Months

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