Happy 1 Month Birthday, Berkley!

Today, my precious angel, you are one month old. Trust me, I am taking each and every day in, as I have learned with your big sister that the days just fly by way too quickly!  You are such a sweet baby. You are still sleeping a lot, which I know will soon change :) We sometimes even have to wake you for your bottle. As of yesterday, you are now getting 3 oz. bottles every other feeding and 2 oz. bottles the rest of the time, still every 3 hours during the day, and at night, you usually go 5-6 hours without a bottle. For that, we are very thankful :)

You love to be held :) and I do that every spare second I can.  You don't mind being put in your swing from time to time, but not for too long :)  The only times you fuss are when you are hungry or are wanting someone to pick you up.  You love your little Rain forest Soother and have gotten on your activity mat a time or two, but aren't too fond of it just yet.  We swaddle you at bedtime and you especially like that!  We don't do it during the day, so hopefully when you outgrow your swaddle blanket it won't be too big of an adjustment :)

You are taking Enfamil Gentlease formula.  You started off on the Enfamil Infant formula, but after one whole week, we switched to gentlease.  You made it a week, Kenadie made it 3 before we switched her to that.  You are in Swaddlers stage 1 diapers and they are my ABSOLUTE favorite!  I just wish they made them past stage 2...  A little side note about the upcoming picture... I probably don't have to tell you that ALL of the bath toys were not my idea :)  As a matter of fact, NONE of them were my idea :)  But, that sweet, considerate sister of yours just thought you HAD to have some bath toys to play with :)  She loves you and wants to do everything like we do.  Also, I will note about the upcoming picture, it was one of THOSE baths where your daddy heard me panicly screaming "Aaron, we have an emergency!!!  Get in here quick!!!"  Yes, pumpkin pie, you made one big lovely mess in your bath tub.  And as for ALL of those bath toys your sister brought you to play with... well, let's just say she probably doesn't want them back anymore :) 

I think you are going to be more attached to your pacifier than Kenadie was.  We have already switched that one too :(  My favorite paci and the one you had up until this past Friday are the clear Avent ones.  You are now sporting the lovely colored ones :(  Not that you can't see the clear one, but if you have to have a piece of plastic covering practically your entire pretty little face, well... the clear ones are just not so eye catching... but hey, let's be honest here... it is a pacifier and if it "pacifies" you then maybe I shouldn't care too much about what it looks like :)    

Happy 1 month birthday, sweet girl.  We love you so much!!! 

I just couldn't do it...

What would that be you ask??? Oh, just part with my best friend, my camera for 2 plus weeks... About 3 months ago, when I zoomed to take a vertical picture, my lens started making a funny tissue paper crinkling sound. Trust me, that is EXACTLY what it sounds like :)  Good description, I know!  My pics looked the same as usual, it was just making a funny sound when held vertical and zoomed. When I put my bigger lens on, it doesn't make this sound. In December, I went by Best Buy to see what they had to say, and the guy told me I would need to send it in to Canon. I decided with Christmas coming up and a new baby due in January, then was not the time to part with my camera... seeings how it was still taking pics just the same. I decided then that after Berkley was born, I would send my lens off to be looked at.

Well, today was going to be the day! We had celebrated Christmas and the birth of Berkley, so now was the perfect day to part with it. Kenadie and I were on our way to a birthday party, and I decided to drop off my lens before the party. Now, mind you, I am fully thinking I am ONLY going to drop off my lens and leave on my merry way with my camera, and while my lens is off away at camp :) I will just use my bigger lens to get by in the meantime. I should add here that my camera is like my third arm and I use it EVERY SINGLE day! I walk into Best Buy where the nice greeter sends me to the "Geek Squad" counter where I begin telling the guy of my lens troubles. Again, ONLY lens troubles folks, because my bigger lens doesn't make this sound. When I purchased the camera almost 2 years ago, I also bought the extended warranty, which is good for another 2 years. Okay, so you probably see where I am going with this... The nice guy says "Let me check, but we may have to send off your camera as well." WHAT??? He, at that moment, probably noticed me become flush and my face looking like that of a deer caught in headlights. I try to do what any normal person would do and just utter out the word "okay." Sure enough, nice guy comes back over and tells me the camera has to go back too because they were both under warranty as a set.  I, with much anxiety, take the form to fill out for sending off my camera and begin to write my last name in the first space provided. Do you know how far I made it into writing my last name before I put the pen down because I just knew I wasn't about to part with my camera for 2+ weeks? "Zum", yes, that's as far as I got, only 3 letters! I know, I know... you all are probably thinking this girl is WAY too attached to her camera, she may have a problem! And maybe I do, but I just COULD NOT do it! I called the nice guy back over and told him I had changed my mind about sending it off, to which he was probably thinking this lady IS crazy! Why does she love her camera so much??? Well... below are just a tiny few of the reasons why I just CAN'T part with my camera...

There will probably never be a good time for me to part with my camera, and yes, I do have my old point and shoot camera I could use in the meantime... however, that one just doesn't quite compare :(  So Aaron... you probably see where I am now going with this story... not only would I like that new lens I've been telling you about... but could you get me an additional back-up camera just like the one I have while you're at it... you know, just in case something happens to my good camera, I will still have a good one as a back-up too ;) 

Days 46 - 54

Here are our past 9 days.  I am posting these pics larger than I usually do for this so that you can see the pictures better.  A little picture just wouldn't do some of these justice :)

First up, day 46, Berkley meets Aunt Joy!  So glad to have Joy, Hayden & Henry visiting for two weeks!  Yay for cousins being reunited!!

47.  With a new baby, I guess you see what your 3 year old really CAN do that I typically do for her, just because I think "I'm needed."  Today not only did I discover that Kenadie can open a juice box unassisted, and be pretty proud of herself I might add, but she can also play some of the computer games on this website without ANY help from Mom :(  If you can't tell, I like to be "needed."  I'm the one who got all emotional the day Kenadie learned to hold her bottle all by herself...

48. And this, my friends, is where I am struggling the most.  Mom, if you are like me and enjoy the feeling of being "needed"... come right on over and we can fix that :)

49.  Not all "highlight" pics are necessarily happy times and exciting.  Day 49 of 2011 which was February 18th, marked a very sad day for our family, but for me especially.  My little Molly of 12 years "went to heaven to get better and play with other dogs" as I had to tell Kenadie as she drew her last little breath :(  This is the last picture I took of her, Christmas day 2010.

50.  Sweet baby yawns...

51.  I've got one happy husband whose super glad baseball season is here!  He actually likes baseball season better than football.  I personally think it's because there are about 100 times more baseball games than football :)  He went to his first game today of the season and I will document that we won :)

52.  I'm just going to say that apparently a member of the cat family had the stomach virus...  I sure hope no one else gets it :)

53.  Yes, that is a tent that my child is surfing on.  Isn't that what all children use their princess tents for???

54.  Hold your breath people, our house smells atrocious...  Rule #2,749--Under NO circumstances should you EVER cook a Pop Tart for 5 minutes in the microwave!!!!!  Ironically that is the same amount of time it takes to sterilize bottles...  All I can say is thank goodness I was coherent enough to take it out after it had only been in there for 3 minutes, and I think the box says 3 seconds!  3 minutes, 3 seconds... what's the difference?!? :)  We will be paying for the damage I caused today as we attempt to fumigate a smoke infested house! 

2 Week Check-up

On Monday, we spent our Valentine's Day taking you to your 2 week check-up. Kay Kay went with us and D was so sweet to offer to keep Kenadie. Just to give you a heads up, your big sister DOES NOT LIKE appointments of ANY sort, not even hair appointments... We just knew she would be a basket case if she had gone with us :( You, on the other hand, don't quite know any better yet. I'm sure your time is coming when you too will have it all figured out. I'm just hoping a tiny bit that you might be a little bit less dramatic/pitiful than Kenadie for your appointments. But, if not, that's okay too. Girls ARE dramatic... I'm one too! I feel your pain :) We will just all 3 be dramatic girls together :) However, when you get to be my age, regardless of how dramatic you were as a baby/child, you CANNOT cry when you get the flu shot! The end :)

There's the frame behind us that has now completed her nursery.  I LOVE it!!!

You weighed 8lbs. 7oz. and were 20 5/8" long. Your head circumference was 13 7/8 inches. I looked back at Kenadie's two week check-up, and she was 2 inches longer and only weighed 4 oz. more. At two weeks old, you are getting 2 oz. bottles every 3 hours. At night, you usually sleep anywhere from 4-6 hours between bottles, and then go right back to sleep. This is perfectly fine by me, as I was getting approximately an hour of sleep a night the last three months of my pregnancy with you. Yes, you read that right, 1 hour, and there were some nights that I got NOT EVEN A MINUTE of sleep. That pesky little rash that came over me at 15 weeks is who we will thank for the lack of sleep. The rash hasn't completely gone away, but I'll take what I can get and try to be happy about it :)

You really like to be swaddled to sleep and when we hold you, which is A LOT :) you like to be held upright. At this point, you seem to like being held more than Kenadie. I realize you will only be 3 weeks tomorrow and that most babies at this point like to be held, but something is different about you and Kenadie and your contentment when being held. You have just started to notice the mobile going around on your swing and are so cute to watch, watching it go around :) You love bath time, and up until this point, always have. You are not a fan of changing clothes just yet, but it's mainly just when I put something over your head. When I need to get some work done, and you need to be held, you are super content in the Snugli to work with me :) Just wish that thing didn't hurt my back so bad...

We love you so much precious angel! Happy 3 week birthday tomorrow :) We have a big day planned with Aunt Joy, Hayden and Henry :) Not to worry... they are coming to our house to play. I wouldn't dare get you out just yet, however, you did tag along with Kenadie and I to dance this week and you did great! You slept the whole way going, got a bottle when we got there and then slept the whole way going home. Last little point about you... you are not a fan of your car seat when you are awake. Soooo, this can either make a car ride perfectly pleasant or totally treacherous.

Days 37 - 45

Originally I liked the idea of taking one picture a day as the "highlight" of our day. I thought it would be neat to look back on at the end of the year. I have now decided it makes me sad to do my 9 days post. It seems like every time I turn around it has already been 9 days :( Time, can you please slow down a little??? I am going to try to stick with it because it will make for great record keeping, however; I hate to see that another 9 days has come and gone :( Again, we will nickname me "Sentimental Suzy"... surely I'm not the only one out there? or am I?

(Left to Right) 37. Our halftime entertainment... enough said :) 38. Welcome home Daddy! This was Aaron's first day back to work since Berkley was born. We sure did enjoy having him for the week he took off.  39. Berkley's first photo shoot  40. Welcome Kay Kay! When Aaron went back to work, in moved Kay Kay. Thank goodness for her and all of her cooking, cleaning, carting around, baby holding and Kenadie playing. I love you Mom and couldn't have made it without you! Tomorrow is sure going to be interesting when I attempt this 2 kid thing, unassisted!!! Did I mention we have dance at 9 a.m. and it's a 45 minute drive to get there??? 41. Sweet Sisters 42. Berkley has decided she likes to be swaddled and has been known to sleep 6 consecutive hours at night from time to time if done so :) 43. This is Kenadie, with much emphasis on, "All of my babies are sooo sick!" That's about 5 stuffed animals all tucked in her bed because they are "soo" sick and her "working" beside them. Right now, she is VERY big on doing her "work" and that's what she calls it, her work! Her "work" station follows us around ALL over the house! Her work station being her ironing board, baby doll high chair, little wooden table and baby crib :) 44. Our Valentine cookies that Kenadie helped me decorate 45. My two little valentines :)

Our Precious Angel

Click here for a precious video of our sweet baby girl :)

Thanks so much Lee! I am super pleased!!!

You know you have a newborn in your house when...

Your 3 year old has gotten really good at changing her baby's diapers...

That same sweet 3 year old in the above picture says things like "Mommy, can you wobble over here please?"

Your kitchen table might look like this for a while, just so your sweet girl has plenty to keep her entertained... and your okay with it :)  even if you do have sweet company coming over :)

She tells you "Mommy, I'm trying to burp Lily"...

That same little girl who noticed you "wobbling" around and even used it in her sentence as how to tell you to get to her :)  well, she was pretty convinced and concerned that her baby sister DID NOT have a belly button and was dead serious when she told me that "I don't poo poo out of my belly button like Berkley does."!!!!  That one was almost too much for me!!!

And this is what you call a "birthday party crib!" :)  Again, if it keeps her entertained and happy, it's good enough for me :)  Also noting here, with a newborn, you everyone stays in their pajamas A LOT!

You've quickly figured out that THIS is EXACTLY how your little angel likes to sit...

And lastly, you DEFINITELY know you have a newborn in your house when you walk in your den to see this and it completely melts your heart...

That's Kenadie showing Berkley her "work", which later turned into her "reading" her a story and singing Amazing Grace to her :)

And yes, that is a dish towel covering her. Even though laundry may get a little behind with a newborn, we DO have clean blankets around here :) That was someone elses idea and I just went with it :)

Days 28 - 36

Wow! Has it already been 9 days since I last did this??? These days have flown by :( Here is a little of what we have been up to.

(From left to right) 28. Welcome precious Berkley 29. Hospital fun! Kenadie brings her doctor kit and all 30. Going home from the hospital 31. Berkley's 1st bath 32. Berkley's 1st outing. We went to the Pediatric Clinic for her weight check and then to FGH for bilirubin level check. 33. Our last "ready to go" bottle 34. Sweet baby feet 35. Berkley's new and improved belly button :) 36. Kenadie doing a great job learning how to write her name

Happy "Birth" Day Berkley!

At this exact time last week, 7:20 a.m., I was prepped for surgery and on my way to the operating room to meet our new baby girl. Aaron and I arrived at the hospital at 5:15 a.m. for a scheduled c-section. I remember I kept telling him "I'm not nervous, why am I not nervous?" I think I was just too excited to meet our little angel that I didn't think about being nervous. I wanted to blog about Berkley's birth day while it is still fresh on my mind. This may be lengthy, so just bare with me :)

So, here is how our day went. We were instructed to be at FGH at 5:15, therefore I was up and getting ready around 3 a.m., and NO I don't think I slept a wink that night. I got completely ready, head to toe, making sure not a hair was out of place. Ya know, I KNEW I would be having my picture taken, so I just HAD to look my best :) Noting here that I had rolled my hair and pulled it half up secured in place with about 6 bobby pins :) Remember bobby pins for later :)

Once we arrived, there was no time to spare. Everything just started clicking right along and before I knew it, it was 7:20 and we were about to head back.

These are the things I remember pre-surgery: SUPER nice nurses taking care of me, you start out in recovery before surgery and then return post surgery... there was one other couple there when we were and I remember thinking Aaron and I were having way too much fun/laughing/excited etc. and they were way too quiet/no smiles... so we were probably getting on their last nerves :) I remember, or maybe I should say, I WILL NEVER FORGET THE AWFUL, TERRIBLE, DISGUSTING SIP OF SOME SORT OF NASTY MEDICINE I HAD TO DRINK BEFORE SURGERY THAT CAME IN A BROWN CUP! If you find yourself about to have surgery, BEWARE of the little brown cup of terribleness. Every medicine in a little brown cup is NOT the horrible stuff though because once I was in postpartum, my nurse brought me some more medicine in a "little brown cup" and I almost fell out thinking I was going to have to drink that stuff again. Turns out, it was another medicine that wasn't terrible. That's about all I remember before going into the operating room.

I was wheeled just across the hall to the operating room and remember thinking that "operating rooms" should be somewhere farther away from where I just was. Once in there, I thought THIS is where my baby will be born??? I thought it looked cluttered and messy in there. What if they couldn't find the right tool/equipment if they needed it??? Oh, I almost forgot... remember the "bobby pins"... umm... well yeah, my nurse who was actually my nurse with Kenadie :), she made me take those out :( and I was disappointed :( I had worked hard on my "do". It was all for the best though. It was only for my safety :) So thank you nurse Dana for not letting me get my head caught on fire because of some measly bobby pins :) I then was sporting the "just took my hair down from being hair sprayed really good" and tried to shake it out just before putting it in a fashionable hair net :)

Now, let's talk about what I actually remember once inside the operating room. I remember not feeling too wonderful, a little bit faintish and very sleepy. I wanted to lay down and just go to sleep. I got my spinal and I remember the anesthesiologist telling me how good I was doing and that I had a small vertebrae for her to get the needle in to. Should she have REALLY told me that bit of info? I think not, but I didn't seem to care all that much in the moment :) They layed me down on the tiny little table that I felt too big for and the next thing I knew Aaron was coming in. I knew from friends that once Aaron entered the picture, it would only take about 3-5 minutes and we would be meeting our newest little girl :) I remember everything, but I was in somewhat of a fog and SUPER sleepy. I don't know how normal it was for me to feel so groggy and sleepy... no one had told me they felt that way, but I did. I will also note here that I had heard of spinals going too high and maybe you felt like you couldn't breath all that well... Well, that happened to me, but I didn't panic. I just kept telling myself only 3'ish more minutes of this and Berkley will be here and then they will give me something to lightly put me out while they finished up everything. It was so weird how I knew everything that was going on, but yet I couldn't have been more in a fog. The next thing I hear is the sound of my precious baby girl crying her head off :) That's what you want, so I was super happy that everything was sounding the way it should.

And remember the baby that I just KNEW was going to weigh 9.5 lbs... well she didn't. 8lbs. even and 19 3/4 inches long.

The next thing I know, I am waking up in recovery, talking up a storm and repeating myself like crazy!!! Yes family, I DO remember doing that, but for some reason I just couldn't help it :) A chatterbox for sure! I mainly remember repeatedly saying how nice the anesthesiologist was... over and over and over again! And she was :) I remember I kept saying "I'm not saying anything inappropriate am I?" The nurse told my mom that it is common for someone to be doing a lot of talking like I was, but she hadn't quite heard anyone talk as much as I was :)

Not too sure why I was so worried about my hair looking good... I look a little rough in this next picture, but it was our first picture with Berkley :)

Kenadie meets Berkley :) She says she thinks she smells good and she is cute :)

We came home from the hospital on Sunday and are so glad to be home as a family of four :) Berkley fits in perfectly, we can't imagine life without her. Kenadie is doing really good with her and loves her baby sister. We are so very blessed.

Berkley's First Outing

Berkley had her first little outing this morning, not that it was anything to brag about... but need to document all these little firsts :) Mom and I took her to the Pediatric Clinic for her two day weight check. And, just in case you are wondering where Aaron is today, he is playing Mr. Mom and doing a fabulous job as I have received several updates on how things are going :) Mom and I had to leave my house at 7:20 a.m. to be at the clinic at 8:00, therefore Aaron had to not only take Kenadie to dance at 9:00, he also had to get her dressed in "tights and a tu tu" :) As if taking her to dance wasn't enough, she then had a 12:45 appointment in Jackson with her dermatologist! And that appointment right there is what will do them in :) I think they have lunch and ice cream plans following the appointment :) Big day for Daddy and Kenadie to say the least! Oh, I almost forgot... remember the frame I have been waiting on to complete Berkley's nursery for just about three months now... Mr. Mom is going to pick that up as well in Jackson! Yay!

She weighed 7.11. Thinking our outing was almost over, the nurse thought she looked a tiny bit yellow, so she sent us to FGH to have her bilirubin levels checked. She was such a little trooper, didn't even flinch when her foot was pricked, that wasn't the case with Kenadie. I have already heard from the clinic and all was well.