Too Hot for a Swim

Blake's reusable swim diaper arrived, we love it!!! He'll be trying out his pool on Wednesday the 4th of July!!!

11 Weeks New

Blake spent his first 8-hour day apart from mommy.  While not nearly as hard as anticipated, Aunt Ali took GREAT care of him!  He's a happy, smiling and cooing baby!!!

Nap #1 while Aunt Ali babysat

Nap #2 while Aunt Ali babysat

Dairy Free

It hasn't been easy, but each day it does get a little better!

We found my butter/margarine replacement yesterday. While it's not butter, it was very tasty on the dairy and soy free French toast that John made me! We discovered a hidden gem of a store in our town. It is called Native Harvest and they had a great assortment of healthy, organic, and some dairy- free foods!

 To top it off they sell Charlie's Soap!!!

Big Boy!

Loves bath time!

Bath time fun

Found toes!

Rockin' the diaper

First time with toy!

10 Weeks New

I can't believe Blake is 10 weeks old already! I love watching him grow and change into a beautiful little boy.

He's sleeping great at night!

We're almost out of 0-3 month clothes. He's one chill little dude.

Dinner out with Mommy and Daddy

More Sleep!

Another great night!

Donation

We had 150 oz. of breastmilk taking up lots of room in our freezer. I've donated it to a family in need and it got picked up today!

Oh Sweet Sleep

Blake started teething this weekend.

Last night he slept, after a dose of Tylenol, from 9pm - 3:30am, ate, then slept 4am - 6:30am. Then napped from 9:40am - 11:15 and 1:30pm - 2:45pm!

Top Baby Items

A little love to the products that have helped us over the past 9-weeks.  There are just that we wouldn't have been able to live without!  And yes, we are HUGE Baby Bjorn fans :-)

1-Month
1). Boppy Nursing Pillow - an all around wonderful item, this is the most used item we have.  Blake uses it for tummy time, to sit on the couch in, and to nurse on.  Pottery Barn Kids have the BEST covers, nice soft chamois.
2). Graco Lovin' Hug Plug-In Swing - the plug-in is key, we would go broke from buying batteries without the electricity option!
3). Contoured Changing Pad - place on top of a dresser so you don't have to buy a separate changing table
4). BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Active
5). Playtex Diaper Genie Elite - crucial if you have pets
6). Lansinoh Lanolin - use EVERY time you nurse for first few weeks.  Nursing will hurt.
7). Lansinoh Nursing Pads - CRUCIAL the day your milk comes in.
8). Carter's Short-Sleeved Bodysuits - we use as PJ's in the summer, new onesie each night after bathtime.
9). Infant Gas Drops - yes, babies are very gassy and they cry when they can't get it out.
10). Gerber Prefold Diapers --> BURP CLOTHES - we have these all over our house, they are the best burp clothes ever.

2-Month
1). BABYBJÖRN BabySitter Balance - we use this a lot.  it travels flat and is easy to maneuver around the house.  The cover is washable, which proved to be important when Blake had a blowout this weekend.
2). BABYBJÖRN BabySitter Wooden Toy - Now that he is getting bigger he stares at this.  He's itching to grab on any day now.
3). Medela Pump in Style Advanced - I had to exclusively pump for 1 week while I removed dairy from my diet.  I couldn't have done it without this beast.  Great pump, well worth the money.
4). Boon Grass Drying Rack - I just wish I would have know there is a larger size, the Lawn.
5). Carter's Short-Sleeved Bodysuits - again, our PJ's since it's so hot.  We go through a lot of these.
6). Summer Infant Slim & Secure Video Monitor - Blake goes to bed at 8:45pm, mom & dad don't.  This lets us keep tabs on him, GREAT nighttime picture and sound.  Use your 20% off at Babies R Us.
7). Lamaze Symphony Motion Gym - Blake has spent COUNTLESS hours on this play mat.  It moves and plays a good tune.  He loves it!
8). Valco Baby Tri-Mode Single Stroller - we bought the adapter bar ($40) to hold our infant seat, this stroller is a dream.  It is the smoothest ride.  Blake and I walk many miles a week with it!  Again, expensive, but in my book, well worth it.

3-Month
To be determined!

Happy FIRST Father's Day

Today is John's first Father's Day as a daddy...This post goes out to you babe!


The last 9 weeks have been a roller coaster for us all...we've learned more about each other while attempting this parenting thing.  John is a great dad, together we make a great team, especially when Blake is screaming continuously.  We were the lucky recipients of an extremely high-maintenance baby.  We love him nonetheless, we are just more tired than most!

John, no one said being a parent was going to be easy.  I feel that there is so much we've been through, in such a short amount of time, that nothing can prepare you for.  As hard as it is right now, I hear it gets better.  We can look back at this post and smile once Blake is able to take daytime naps, sleep through the night, and tell us what he wants and needs.  Being a parent is proving to us both that there is no deeper love.  Blake is the luckiest little boy to have you as his daddy.  I can't wait to watch him grow, with you as his hero.  You and your little protege have many memories to make and I am so excited to be able to watch and document them.  Together we've created the most gorgeous little human.  You two are my world and I can't imagine my life any other way.  Thank you for being the most amazing husband and father.  I Love You!

Blake and I wanted this to be a special fathers day for John.  We jumped into a small project, which involved a trip to Jo Ann Fabrics, some wood letters and spray paint, Blake in a good mood, some good lighting and photography.  Here is the completed project...

John's first Father's Day card

Here are some more father and son shots.

9 Weeks New

Two Months

Home from 2-month visit. Blake took his shots like a man and is now busy playing! It was worse for me than him.

Here are his most recent stats.

• Weight: 11lb., 3.5oz. (birth weight 6lb., 14oz.) 50th-percentile
• Length: 23.25 inches (birth length 20.5 inches) 70th-percentile

2-Month Photos

2-Month Well Visit

Waiting with daddy on Dr. Werner to come in

Poor little left thigh

Out cold, post immunizations

SLEEP!

We've started a sleep routine last night...and happy to share it was a very good night here!  Mom and dad were both able to sleep in their own bed together and Blake in his own crib.  We've started a strict bedtime routine, which includes a bath between 8:30-9:00pm, then a lotion massage with the lights low while we prepare for bed.  Next is his night time feed while being rocked, followed by a book read, diaper change, then down (while still awake) on his tummy.  Yes, Blake is a tummy sleeper.  Could be why we haven't gotten much more than a couple hours of sleep out of him at a time on his back (or in his Boppy).

First night of this routine, Blake managed to sleep from 9:30pm - 2:15am.  When he woke he had a bottle and then nursed for a few minutes.  He was put down again in his crib where he squirmed around on his back.  I then placed him on his tummy where he fell to sleep immediately.  He slept form 2:30am - 6:00am that stretch!

Since his 6:30am feed Blake has been playing, smiling, cooing and being a gorgeous little baby!!!  Needless to say, we're all a little more rested this morning!

8 Weeks New!

Holy moly!

First time in Bumbo seat

All dapper in his onesie that Auntie Ali made

Chilling on the changing table

More changing table time.  He loves to lay here

Tummy Time

Our first no-screaming tummy time session!

Pictures

Just some recent "happy Blake" photos from my iPhone.  He is such a happy baby now :-)  Happy Baby = Happy Parents!

With a happy Daddy!

One of my absolute favorites of him.

Sleeping Baby

And sleep he does!

Same sleeping pose as Mommy...at least one hand has to be up over head!

I Cry

And I mean I cried like a baby, just watching my baby...because for the first time in 7 weeks, Blake is sitting on the couch and not screaming.  He is cooing, smiling and moving his little arms all around.  He is HAPPY.  This child has been transformed in the past 2 days to a baby who I can't wait to snuggle.

I am in utter joy and disbelief at how different he is.  I LOVE HIM.  

I can't even tell you how trying these past 5-6 weeks have been.  It's amazing that by cutting out dairy I have a perfect little man, with a chill demeanor and awesome little personality! 

A Positive Light

With all the pumping I've had to do to keep my supply up while Blake is on formula, we've accumulated quite a freezer full.  I decided to look into donating my milk to someone who is in need of it.  I joined a Facebook group called 'Human Milk 4 Human Babies' and located a mother or premature twins who is in dire need of breast milk for her babies.  I have promised her my stash and also promised her next weeks pumping as well.

As terrible as this time has been, at least I am helping someone else out :-)

Dairy/Soy Free

After 6 weeks of this, we reached a point yesterday when we realized something just isn't right with our  beautiful baby boy. He wakes up crying in pain, doesn't nap during the day, doesn't sleep longer than 2 hours at night, he's SUPER gassy all.the.time, and screams in pain regularly.  Between Friday and Saturday he had to of cried for almost 20 hours.  This was the most heartbreaking, terrible thing to watch.  We had to take action now.

After receiving information from at least four other moms that went through the same thing, the drastic decision to start him on Nutramigen formula was made. He will not be nursing for up to 3 weeks while I clean my diet up and clear the dairy and soy from myself. It's heartbreaking to not be able to nurse right now, I actually miss this time with him.  I am looking forward to nursing again in a few weeks!

Blake is on a hypoallergenic formula called Nutramigen by Enfamil, the big guns for dairy and soy protein allergies.  It's the most foul smelling formula EVER.  It's so bad and strong.  It makes him smell.  It makes his poop smell so terrible.  It stains his clothes.  I miss breastfeeding more than I ever thought possible.  This stuff runs $23/can and we'll go through 2 cans a week.  Enfamil coupons/rebates/checks are accepted :-)  Wow, I need to get into the formula business.

The worst smelling thing EVER.  Our saving grace.

7 Weeks New!

First family dinner out! To Pancho Villa's...where we ate the night I went into labor!!!