Happy Friday

Another week down. Where have they gone? If I wasn't taking extended maternity time I would be getting ready to go back to work week after next. Yikes. That is just too soon!

Tommy's first week back went well. He was able to leave early in the mornings so he could get back to help out in the afternoons. Of course, that is when Erin gets cranky. I felt sorry for him. He would get home and she would get to crying. He didn't get much time with the sweet Erin this week.

I was commenting on a schedule and then Little E turns around and kind of puts herself on one. We still eat when we're hungry (anywhere from 2 to 4 hours) but I think we're getting a routine for night time down. She cries until 10:30 or 11:00 then settles down for a little while. I've been giving her a bottle around this time and that seems to last her for a while. I set my alarm for 4 hours after she goes down and I get up and feed her again. Sometimes I have to wake her up, other times she lets me know. I feed her in the middle of the night, pump and go back to bed. We sleep again for a while and do the same thing.

Some days we're able to go back to bed after the 6:00 - 7:00 am feeding, but not everyday. Today I figured out I can get a quick shower in while she sleeps in the morning, if I'm fast. She likes the blow dryer, so that wasn't a problem. I had been waiting for Tommy to get home and showering at night, but she so fussy I feel bad for leaving him with her. I feel like we handle it better as a team during those hours. I just put her in her bouncy chair and looked like Flash Gordon in the shower.

Tomorrow we have a big day. Grandpa and Granny are coming in from the country and then Pawpaw and Grandma are coming over to stay with Erin while we go out to eat and to the movies. They will spend the night as well and help with her during the night.

Sorry, Her Highness beckons again...

Almost One Month...

Tomorrow will be our one month birthday. (You know I'm not getting out much if this is what I have to post about!)

We haven't established a routine yet. We do whatever we can to make it through the nights! We go back to the doctor next week and I'm going to ask about setting up a routine and feeding/sleeping schedule. As a new mom, I'm just not sure what we should and shouldn't be doing right now! It seems the internet and books are all full of contradictory advice. I think we'll see what the doctor says and go with that.

Our goal for this week is an outing in the stroller one evening. Our hiccup is the fact that we still have to wear the long sleeved clothes to pin her arm. I don't want her to get too hot, so I think we'll try it late one evening. I'm pretty sure we won't go far. If she likes it, we might have to make it a regular outing.

Last night we had a party for Grandma. She turned 65 yesterday. Tommy fried fish and shrimp and Amy made a cake. As usual, the food was excellent. Grandma and Pawpaw spent the night so Mommy and Daddy slept like the dead. We were both so tired that it was actually hard to go to sleep! We ended up laying in bed talking for about an hour before we fell asleep.

Erin was a good girl for the old folks. Grandma was able to sleep early in the evening and her and Pawpaw fell asleep in the recliner. Grandma got up to check on them a couple of times and they were both passed out. She's so sweet and such a snuggle bug when she's good and sleepy. And her grandparents NEVER put her down!!

Here's a picture of the real Erin Mize and then here's another picture of her chillin' in her swing.

Another Week Down...

Well, we made it another week. Erin's three week birthday was Tuesday. Tommy and I sang to her. Silly, I know.

Granny came and stayed with us on Tuesday. She got here Tuesday afternoon and stayed until Wednesday afternoon. Erin likes to get cranky around midnight and screams until around 4:00. She was good for Granny though. She fussed some but then relaxed.

This morning we went to our bedroom with her about 4:00 am. While we were sleeping the neighbor's yard man came and cut their grass. Apparently, they kicked up a rock. It hit our front door and shattered the leaded glass insert. Tommy looked at it this morning and told me. I got up and looked, sure enough, it's in a million pieces. It's safety glass, so it held, but they are coming tomorrow to put in a new insert. Crazy!

Roxie slept thru it all. Some guard dog she turned out to be. I think she may have still had her earmuffs on and just didn't hear it shatter.

Grandparents, Thank You!

Jim and Sandy to the rescue. On Tuesday night, Momma and Daddy came over and spent the night to give us a little bit of a break. We headed to bed about 11:00 and they took the night shift. I had to get up to pump every couple of hours but they were more than happy to give her bottles and sit with her all night. We got to rest and it was great to know that she was being so well taken care of.

My poor parents. They didn't get any sleep. Daddy was holding her and nodded off in the recliner. (I should point out that they fight over who gets to hold her!) Mom said she didn't want me to get up and catch him napping so she stayed awake to keep waking Daddy up! She finally crashed about 4:00 or 5:00. I told her later that we both nap in the recliners with her when we can. She's up all night and you have to get sleep when you can get it. They are on their way back over tonight. They are having dinner with us, but not sure if they're spending the night again. If I were them, I would eat and run!

We had our first tinkle accident today. I was sitting on the bed pumping and Tommy and Erin were laying on our bed talking to me and each other. We had just changed her clothes and diaper. Tommy said, "whoa, her back is all wet." We still have no idea how it happened. The diaper was in place and she was laying on her side. But, she christened the bed and had another wardrobe change right after that. We needed to wash those sheets and blankets anyway!

I just sat down at the kitchen table to do this post and noticed Roxie was outside at the door. I'm not sure when Tommy let her out. I let her in and she promptly ran over to him and flipped him off, after she drank water for 10 minutes. Poor dog.

Two Weeks

Well, the three of us have hit the two week mark. I can't say it's been easy. The three of us are getting to know each other and it's been too soon to set up a routine. Maybe next week we'll start on that! A little "normal" would be a welcomed thing.

Colic has set in. It's early by normal standards, but I think we're an over-achiever. Every night just like clock work she cranks up at 10:00. She starts crying and you can see her in pain from the gas. It hurts us to watch her. I've modified my diet and we're giving her the Mylicon, but the doc says we just have to ride it out. Last night I put her in her swing and she was soothed for a little while. We put her in there before and she hated it. Things change. So, for now, the swing is our best friend.

I had a little set back last week. I started running fever and had to call my doctor. They got me in. They took blood and a urine sample. He narrowed it down to a uterine infection, appendicitis or urinary tract infection. He didn't think it was a uterine infection because the fever would come down with Motrin. The appendix was an option, but once I started taking the antibiotics for the UTI, the pain in my abdomen cleared up. So, they think in the end it was a UTI. I'm much better now. Infection was bound to happen with the long labor and stitches. Just glad that was all it was. The other two options would have landed me back in the hospital. They were super nice there, but I have no plans on going back!!

Right now, "Little E" as her Daddy calls her, is sitting in his lap. She looks so sweet and little when she sits there. Just melts my heart.