Double the damage!

I got another phone call at working saying how leah spiked a fever.... this time it was more than teething...

To the dr we went.... you know its our favorite place to visit.... every week or so! ....

Double ear infections!! Poor thing....

Back on antibiotics and back to the doc in 2 weeks.....

I have to brag!

Yes... I gained 52 lbs with my pregnancy.... looking back... the things I ate when I was pregnant.... donuts almost daily, cosmic brownies, oreos.... how did I not gain more!? ...

When I came home from the hospital, I was only down about 25 lbs....

BUT............ I am now at my prebaby weight! .. and Leah is 4 months.....

I am pretty proud! I know plenty of mamas that have little ones much older than Leah and are still sporting about 10 lbs of their baby weight... They say that last 10 lbs is the hardest... and it did take a while... but it is gone!

... and I admit... my body/stomach looks NOTHING like it did in that picture when I was 5 weeks pregnant.... my pants are fitting differently.... but I am OK with this.... I had a baby gosh darn it! My body changed DRAMATICALLY to create and house a little 9lb 6 oz being! (pregnancy is amazing by the way)....I understand if things dont go back completely to what they used to be...

... I just had to brag.

They're coming!!

And we have major teething going on!!!

We think this is culprit..... Leah will just be a miserable teether!!

The power of a phone call!

Daycare called to let me know that Leah has a fever of 102!
It was already 3, and I will be there by 430, so they are letting her stay the rest of the day....
Since hearing the news I cant work... I cant think.... I just want to go and get my baby girl and make sure she is ok!
I called the doctor... just to ask if I should bring her in right away... watch her thru the night... bring her in the morning? ... just advice... Im waiting for that phone call.
Daycare said she doesnt have too many other symptoms... she is cranky and sleeping more than her usual but that doesnt mean much since she rarely naps now and was up from 345-5 last night... she is a tired girl! ... she is not patting her ears or anything either... is it just teething?
We did feel a tooth coming in.... we think.... but isnt 102 a little high for a teething temperature?!
26 more minutes... I cant wait to get her!!!

now that we got that out of the way!

First bite of cereal... "What on earth was that!?"

"more?!?!"

... She eventually started loving it and was eager to eat more!

She didnt fully get the swallowing thing though....

and by the way... I bought the sheets I spoke of a while back.... having them makes me want to get the rest of the set even more! ... Maybe if everyone donates a few dollars to the "Leah needs new bedding fund" Brian cant get mad at me for buying it! ... But I really think I will end up buying it atleast by the time she is older and can use the comforter!

We did it!!

Success!!!
It almost didnt happen... but we were destined to sleep unswaddled!
Leah was pretty crabby, and I was already feeling tired, so we went to Target to buy a swaddler. I was thinking maybe we can just get back to sleeping through the night, I can be a little more rested, Brian can be home, and we can try to conqure the swaddling another time...
But after staying up to 9 oclock (This is the latest she has been up in a long time! She was just enjoying her Grandma K and Aunt Jessica way too much) and drinking 7 oz (whoa girl!) she was exhausted. I tried to put her in our new swaddler (a different brand than our trusty one) and she was too big for it!!!! At first I thought to myself "crap! Its going to be a long night!" but then I thought "No its a sign... we can do this, and I can just get some red bulls tomorrrow!"
And she did it! ... She stayed unswaddled the entire night and she didnt wake up 800 times like I thought she would... she actually woke up only once at 245 for a bottle. (There were plenty of whimpers, talking in her sleep, and sucking on her imaginary binky through out the night, which kept me up most of the night, but I wont count them. I cannot sleep in the same room as her!)
I am so proud of my girl!! Lets hope tonight is another success!!
Back to the girls night.... it was wonderful. ... my dad is also out of town for business.... our poor boys!
My mom picked her up on her way home from work, while I did a little shopping. (I got Leah an adorable swimsuit, swim hat, jacket for the fall, and shoes! Pictures soon I am sure!) We all met at my parents' and just played with Leah and chatted. Jessica got home from practice a little after 6 and we headed to get ice cream at Culvers and then on to Target where we mostly just walked around the baby isles and admired the adorable summer clothes for Leah. (Lucky for Brian every outfit we loved was out of Leah's size!) and then it was back home where we lounged in my moms bed while passing Leah around and trying to make her giggle. My mom left this morning to take Leah to daycare, while I got to take a morning shower (wonderful! I usually take them at night just so I dont have to get up as early) and I got to help my sister do her hair for school today. :) I admit it, if I didnt have Brian I am pretty positive I would still be living at home with my family and thinking how I never want to leave!
Ive said it before, I love my girl time... I really hope Leah will have a sister someday so we can make the same memories that I have with my mom and sister!
Alright... back to my red bull and work....

OH NO!!

It looks like I will be working on breaking Leah of her swaddler tonight bc I FORGOT it at home!!!!

UGG... I am tired already!

Maybe I can talk my mom into letting Leah stay in her room tonight and my mom taking care of her tonight!? ha!

Just kidding... I can do it.... I will just need the red bull tomorrow!

not quite a success....

I was weak... and I gave in....
She did great for about 6 hours! ... but at midnight (yes she went to bed at 6... her shots just put her to sleep! I cant help it!), she woke up for a bottle and bc her arms were out loose... she wanted to grab on to everything and anything possible...eating her blanket, smiling away at me... and thought it was play time!!
I was way too tired to play this game of trying to get her to go back to sleep so in the swaddle she went (loose). She knows the swaddle means its bed time, so within 2 minutes, she was back in her bed fast asleep... until 345...when she woke up with her arms out again....
I hope I can be strong sometime and get through this!
And I have to admit.... last night.... I sat Leah on the couch, propped up by the pillows to play with her babydoll (which she loves now) while I walked into the kitchen... and "boom" Leah not only fell off the couch, she flipped! She had to of flipped off of it because how she was laying when she fell was impossible unless she did crazy acrobatics mid air! Of course she let me have it... she screamed and screamed.... and I learned my lesson... we are one step closer to mobility and she can only be left unattended in her crib, swing, or bouncer.....
I feel horrible about her falling off the couch.. but I know its like a "mom right of passage"... and it happens to everyone... Right!?!

Keep your fingers crossed!!

Leah is currently asleep in her crib unswaddled!!

Ah the power of shots!!

Now will she sleep thru the night??

Boo!!

Oh no!!!  Thumb sucking!!

Yep a giant....

The 4 month stats are in....

15 lbs 13 oz - about 85th percentile
26 3/4 inches - well over 95th percentile.
Head - 50th percentile

She has been released to start rice cearal for a week or 2 and then moving on the step 1 veggies and then fruit... she said to be sure to do veggies before fruit bc fruit of course is much yummier and if start with fruits they will never eat the veggies. We will do her first feeding Saturday when brian is home to help/laugh.

I also asked about her napping and swaddling.... she agrees the swaddling is not helping her take longer naps... but she should start napping longer on her own soon... maybe I need to just let her cry it out a few times and see what happens. As for the swaddling I can either stop her cold turkey and fight thru a few rough nights... or slowly wrap her looser and looser... with maybe one arm out, then another arm....

I think I need to wait for brian to get home so I won't be the one getting up 800 times a night.... after all he is getting a week free of baby cries!

Tomorrow we are having a sleepover at my parents house! I can't wait!! Girl time with my mom and sister, a 3 mile drive to work and my mom taking leah to daycare!!

Nap training

I think my well rested self is finally willing to tackle Leah's sleeping/napping.

Problem 1. Cat naps.... she rarely takes nap longer than 30 minutes if she not in her swing.

Problem 2. Swaddling.... she's 4 months.... I want to break the habit now... I don't want to be swaddling a 7 month old!

Usually on the weekend, I try to get her to nap in her crib, but 20 min later when she wakes up, I move her to the swing just so I can get a break.... but today I have been patient.  She has only napped in her crib, and of course for only 20-30 min at a time.... she is currently crabby, but I think she is finally tired enough that this might be a longer one!!

I'm not fully sure how to break her of the swaddling(only at night) ... do we do it cold turkey? I plan to ask the dr Tuesday... I'm not yet sure I am rested enough to try no swaddling tonight.... but hey, she's barely napped all day, maybe she will just pass out eventually right?

And she's up..... just another cat nap! Darn it!

Babyless

Leah has her first sleep over last night at Grandma and Grandpa Gilmores.

Brian and I knew we needed a night away... I was just becoming more and more exhausted, both physically and emotionally, while Brian had been fighting the same sickness for 2 weeks and was definitely needing to get better.

We dropped her off at 4:00 yesterday...

Its 10:15 currently... and Leah is still not home. Brian's parents will be bringing her back between 11-12... I guess its a good thing that they are not quick to get rid of her right?!

The 10 hrs of sleep we got was definitely amazing! I was thinking, I hadnt slept that good in well over 6 months... Its been 4 months of waking up to a crying baby rather than an alarm clock, or waking up naturally, and for a few months before having Leah I was getting crappy sleep from being so pregnant!

I am feeling refreshed and productive today! I have already studied for an hour and a half and went grocery shopping!

So... Who wants to watch her next weekend!? ... Just Kidding.... I am really missing my little girl! I am ready for her to get home!

Im a nerd...

I think I decided that a good stress reliever for me is going math problems.... sick huh?

I just finished up doing a little studying and I realized that calls, puts, exchange rates, distribution tables, order of operation, the quadratic equation... was all I was thinking about.... not about how Leah still has a cough, I'm exhausted, Brian is still sick, Brian is leaving next week for the ENTIRE week for work, I need to renew the licences on my car, I hate work right now, blah blah blah....


Well I guess this will give me a little more motivation to study for my test that is only 8 weeks away......

Why do I do these things to myself!?

Progress!

Leah is no longer a fist sucker... she has found her fingers! .... and she loves them so much that she frequently puts her entire finger(s) into her mouth and then gags on them!

And her stage of putting everything into her mouth has grown to a point that if you are holding her hands (ex: assisting in her standing up) she will dive head first, with her mouth open wide of course, at your hand in an attempt to get it into her mouth.

She is also getting SO close to finding her feet! All night last night she would pull her legs up and kept grabbing her knees... she stares at her feet but its like she is unsure how to bend her legs so that she can reach them!

On the opposite side of progress, Leah has yet to sleep through the night in about 6 weeks! May I also mention that she has been sick off and on for the past 6 weeks as well! Ugg! She typically is getting up once or twice right now.... sometimes to eat, sometimes she is just in the need of her binky.... but is it horrible of me to hope that her getting her 4 month shots next week will make her sleepy enough to sleep thru the night and then kick start the habit again? Her first night sleeping thru the night originally was after her 2 month shots!

Which by the way... Holy Cow! Leah will be 4 months on Thursday. I broke out the high chair this weekend to have her practice sitting in! I dont think her being allowed to eat solids can come soon enough! She is a HORRIBLE drinker! Her latest habit is having the need to hold on to the actual nipple while she drinks, so that her hand is also in her mouth.... It takes forever to get a bottle down, and she gets milk all over the place! Sometimes she is to the point where she is holding the front of the nipple and the milk is just going into her hand rather than her mouth! ... but maybe once she eats solids she will be quick to wanting to be in control of the spoon as well! ....

ideas!?

We are one sick household.... Leah is finally beginning to act a little better, but now Brian and I are both miserable. We BOTH have ear infections and are taking amoxicillion! ... and add miserable colds on top of that!! As long as Brian and I have known each other... I can only remember Brian being really sick once, and me being sick maybe ones of twice as well.... our immune systems seem to be as sensitive as Leah's at the moment! We are getting everything that she is bringing home from daycare! Ugg!

This weekend was definitely a lazy one... we all just wanted to lay around and watch movies.
Leah watched her first Disney movie.. Up. Although she slept through the first part, she definitely paid attention to the end. She is fascinated by the TV. I know, I know.. she is too young to be loving TV, but I figure she will be spending most of her young life in daycare, so she will never get the chance to watch sesame street or the other popular kids shows...

And I am desperately in the need of a hobby/stress reliever. I feel so high-strung lately, that I think I am frequently taking my stress out on Brian. I need something that will help me calm down some and relax! .... but something that doesnt cost alot of money to do....(shopping is my usual stress reliever).

I want to try and pick up some bubble bath stuff so that I can try to take a hot bath at night to calm down... Brian thinks I need alot more than a bath to calm me down! .... but what!?! (Am I turning into my mom!? Always on the go, with a million things on my mind!?)

Hopefully with this time change, Leah and I can start regular walks in the evening... but I feel like I need to do things without Leah to fully calm down...

My parents took Leah Saturday morning from 10:30-1:30. I got a nice long nap and hot shower in... the time alone definitely was nice. I know I need that little time away from Leah more... I need to remind myself to take a little "Me" time more often.

So... any ideas?!!

Our little angel!

Leah's 3 month pictures taken at daycare. 

Is it not the greatest picture? I love her big smile!!!!

Ouch!!!

Leah woke up at 1145 tonight for a bottle.... I woke up in incredible pain!!! My right ear is killing me!!! I am in so much pain that it is 230 now and I am still awake!

I think its an ear infection.  When I was 20 I had one and it was horrible pain.  This feels the same way!  It hurts to swallow, it hurts to yawn it hurts to lay on my side.... I was even driven to take some of my left over pain meds from having Leah bc it hurt so bad. Its more bareable now but still there.... and yes I know its bad to take left over pain meds on your own.....I always thought ear infections were a kid thing, which makes me really sad bc I don't wish this pain on any kid!!  I don't remember them being this painful, but maybe kids have a higher pain tolerance when it comes to them!!

In other news.... some ladies I know have started our own biggest loser competition.  We are all putting money in, weighting every week, and keeping track of our % of weight lost.  At the end of 10 weeks whoever lost the largest % gets 100 dollars and 2nd place gets 60.  I am pretty competetive so I am excited to do this! Too bad it wasn't 6 weeks ago when I joined weight watchers and was 14 lbs heavier!... yep I've lost 14 lbs! I'm still 3 lbs from my pre Leah weight, but I'm 11 lbs from my wedding weight, which I would like to get back to of course.

The cats are going crazy right now!! We have been keeping them out at night for about the past week. They are still annoying, like attacking us in our sleep or deciding to fight each other while in the bed with us... I do love them though... maybe crazy weather is about to occur or something? Before we had the earthquake a few years ago Baxter went crazy and woke us up.

Leah and I are surviving without Brian... but we miss him like crazy! You don't realize how much you love someone until your apart for a while.  I am excited for him to get home tomorrow (or today) night. He won't get home till late though and I'm sure leah will be asleep already....and he will have to get to bed so he can work Saturday so we won't have any family time for a while.... boooo! Again, I hate his job!

Sorry for the randomness... but I can't sleep! And sorry for any typos.... I am on my phone. Our computer has been acting funny and I'm too lazy to get out of bed...

Refreshed

Its funny how after the past 2 rough nights, Leah wakes up only twice last night (10:45 pm and 3:15am) and I feel like I got 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep!

Just a little bit better sleep and I feel like a new woman!!

I believe her better sleep is a result of her getting a little better. Her face wasnt as crust this morning and she was in a MUCH better mood! ... but she is still not eating great... poor thing!

Brian is currently on his way to Pittsburgh, so hopefully by the time he comes back friday night Leah will be back to her happy and healthy self!

... which by the way... I am extremely sad that Brian is going out of town. Maybe I am just way over emotional right now, or I just love my husband way too much, but I currently HATE his job! I HATE that they take him away from me and Leah, I HATE that he doesnt get home until 730 and if he is lucky Leah is still awake, and I HATE that he has to work Saturdays and doesnt get to spend time with us!! .... He knew I HATED tax season before he took this job... and he knew I was not a strong supporter of this new job.... but he insists it is for the best in the long run.... UGGG!

.... which by the way again.... my complete sleep deprivation and sadness over my sick baby girl and not being able to be with her made me want to get up and walk out on my job, say screw our goals of moving to Fenton and a bigger house, and just be a stay at home mom.... but I guess some common sense came back to me because here I am... still at work instead of enjoying this beautiful day with my beautiful daughter.....

Ok... now I am sad and depressed.....

sleep please!

How many times did Leah get up last night, you ask?

A better question is how many times did I get to sleep for longer than an hour?

umm I think the answer is 1.... from 4-530 am. ... there could have been another, but I am honestly too tired to remember.

I will be skipping the coffee today and going straight for the red bull!

update

Last night she spiked a fever, and was up practically every 30 minutes.... and the crusty eyes is what made me take her back to the doctor today...

But Leah has a new virus... just a cold... and I think colds suck on little babies!

(The Dr thinks the eye crust is associated with the cold... not pink eye, but if it still crusty and she needs drops, she will give us some)

She cant take any nyquil or dayquil like us lucky adults get to take to feel a little ebtter... all she gets is tylenol.

... so we all have to suck it up, try* to get some sleep at night, and hope she is doing better by Wed. or Thurs.

She was just starting to sleep better again.... waking up only once, at 2:45 or 3:00 every morning, for about 10 minutes.... Lets hope tonight she sleeps alot better! All three of us need it!

Oh and did I tell you Brian is going out of town for work Wed.... I really hope she is feeling better by then because I am going to be pretending to be a single parent for a few days and nights, and a happy/healthy baby would make it a little easier!

it has returned!

Leah is sick AGAIN!

She finished her antibiotics this past Thursday and everything has returned!

And I think she has pink eye in both eyes now!!!!

I am waiting for 8 oclock to roll around so I can call and make her appointment... but I dont know what Dr Mayer will do for her! Give her more meds, just so it can all come back again in 2 weeks?

I am so tired of having a sick girl! What is going on with her? The poor thing, its bee over a month since this all first started!

A year ago...

A year ago today Brian and I found out our lives would change forever! ... We found out I was pregnant!

Oh how your life changes in a year!

small world

The day that we left the hospital with Leah, so did 30 other mom and babies.... Out of all of those babies, how many nurses do you think work at one time?

What I am trying to say is ... pretty many....

We saw ALOT of nurses during our 5 day stay at the hospital considering at all times I had a nurse completely separate from Leah's nurse and they would change multple times thru-out the day... well there was one nurse that happened to be my nurse one day and Leah's the next... this nurse also happened to be one of our favorites ...

And she lives 7 houses down from us... and is good friends with our next door neighbor.

Small world huh!?

When Leah and I got back from our walk, Stacey(our neighbor), Shawna (the nurse) and Jill (another neighborhood mom) were outside, so we stopped by and visited.

Supposedly they figured it out bc Stacey was saying how excited she was to meet the new baby born next door... she said how she was born at St. John's and was there over the weekend, when Shawna works.... Shawna asked for her name, and actually remembered Leah Gilmore! She said she remembered her being a cute, big baby! ... She has been excited to see us again because she thinks its pretty cool that she gets to see Leah later on after leaving the hospital...

Anyways... the 3 housewives all have boys the same age.... but now that I am a mom... do I get to join their group? ha! We did talk about how we hope we hang out more this summer.... We will see!

Proof

This was right before bed time.... so she gets cranky at the end.... she is currently so easy to put to bed.... I know it wont be like this forever.... but now, she just crabs a little and starts rubbing her eyes.... I just have to put wrap her up, give her a binkie, and rock her for about 30 seconds and shes down!

where was this a year ago?

I have a bone to pick....

Almost as soon as I found out I was pregnant I decided I wanted an "Under the Sea" themed nursery.... I had the hardest time finding anything to go with that theme.... but I managed and think Leah and future baby Gilmores have a pretty cute room....

But then I was in Babies R Us this past weekend, and received their advertisement in the mail.... Fisher Price has come out with their "Ocean Wonders" line. I think I could have easily purchased this whole line! Part of me wants to use a 20% off coupon and go buy it all up!.... But.... I will be a good wife, because I know Brian would shoot me if he came home to a whole new room for Leah! ... I think I will atleast be buying the sheets though! They are just too darn cute!!

Ok.... Now for some pictures of our Leah Bear! 15 weeks and cute as a button!

Newest "Tricks"

Leah is seriously getting cuter by the day! I love seeing her personality come out!!!

Her newest "tricks" include:

- Screaming. My friend Lauren stopped by the house to see Leah ... we were sitting on the couch having a conversation while I held Leah in my lap... all of a sudden she just started screaming at the top of her lungs... but she was smiling the entire time! She just thought it was the greatest thing! I think she was trying to be part of the conversation and wanted the attention on her. Should I be worried if she is already demanding attention!? .... She also woke Brian up this morning with her high pitched squeals!

- Sucking in her lips. Brian thinks this is the ugliest face, but I think it is the funniest face! I cant help to laugh at her when she is doing it... any somehow she turned doing this into making a farting noise. I have no idea how she does it, but she does! Its too cute!

- When I hold her in the mirror and she sees her self, she smiles really big and then turns her head into me and squeals. Its kind of hard to explain, but its adorable! Its like she is saying "AH!! Mommy save me!" I just love how she cuddles into my chest or neck. She is such a mama's girl and I love it! :)

- I also think I got a giggle out of her the other day... she did it and then I kept saying "Was that a giggle!?!" and she looked at me like "What are you talking about Mom? I have no idea what I just did." Hopefully she will start giggling fully in the next few weeks!! I cant wait!!!

And we are less than 3 week away from starting solid foods!!!!! Holy Cow!!

Gosh just thinking of these things is making me tear up! I just love her so much! Nothing has ever brought such joy to me life! I cant wait to get home and see her!

so happy I could cry!

Tonight when I walked into daycare Leah was swinging quietly in the swing.... when I stepped in front of her she started squeeling and smiling!! Seeing her recognize me and being so happy to see me just made me want to cry! It was a great feeling!!!

She is becoming such a joy! I think Brian said it perfectly...

Kim: Can you remember what life was like before Leah came?
Brian:Yes... you were alot less crabby! (I try to ignore this comment, but I know its true) but its alot more fun now!

In other news I only lost 1/2 a lb this past week... but I find that to be quite the accomplishment since our share of Girl Scout cookies arrived and I had pizza 3 times last week!! ... Brian has lost 5 lbs too! :) Yeah us!

Chatty Cathy

Leah has definitely found her voice!  She is one noisey little girl now!  Sometimes its hard to tell if she is happy or upset....