Motherhood

Oh how Motherhood can change a girl!

Today I found myself walking around the neighborhood wearing a cotton maternity sundress, tennis shoes and a ponytail cocked sideways from sleeping! Worst part...it didn't bother me!

• Will there be a day when I care about my looks again?
• Will I get to shower on a regular basis?
• Will I ever choose to tan in the sun over taking a nap?

Until that day comes I will be happy that...

• I have curly hair and it is pretty forgiving when it comes to style...I've probably snuck a dirty hair day by you once or twice without you noticing.
• I don't know anyone in our neighborhood.
• Oh yes...and I have a BEAUTIFUL daughter who will one day soon smile at me and make it all worthwhile! I say that only because we have been battling tears in our waking hours. It seems that when she is awake she is on the verge of crying. I don't think it is colic as she IS consolable. I think she is just so SMART that she gets board easily and therefore is constantly telling us we need to challenge her more:)

Tell me your stories...was there a moment when you realized your priorities had changed? Let's laugh together!

By the way, sleeping is improving. She has been sleeping in 4 hour stretches this week and she easily goes down after her 10pm and 2am feedings! Actually last night she slept for a 5 hour stretch and a 4 hour stretch. That is awesome and I am thrilled with her progress.

I took a video of Summer waking up from her nap yesterday and she was so happy BUT of course something happened with my video upload and I can't share it. However, I was able to take a snapshop from the video (a new tool I am starting to use) of a SMILE.

FYI - I figured out the formating of the picture uploads. When I browse to upload the photos there is an option on the pop up window for indent and the size of the picture. That was just a natural step that I wasn't even looking at the settings.

Weigh In

Yesterday Summer and I went to our new Mom's support group class and I was able to weigh her and she tipped the scales at a whopping 8 lb 3 oz!!! Last week I said she weighed 7 lb 2 oz BUT I was wrong...it was 7 lb 15 oz. The nurse said she should be gaining 4-8 oz per week so she is on the bottom end of the chart which makes sense as she was small to begin with.

I asked the moms and nurses about holding her too much and creating a baby that must be held to be content and I got a mixed response. I think the result that we are going to go with, at the moment, is to meet her need but not exceed it. If she cries in her crib we will go check on her; talk and touch her and if necessary pick her up but once she is content we will put her back down. I can just tell this is going to be pointless as just when we think we have it down she will be over this phase...she is two steps ahead of us.

If Summer had it her way she would be held like this ALL the time.












This is what Summer looks like at 8 lb 3 oz. Today she made great progress. Summer was content looking around in her bounce seat for 25 minutes, wahoo!












I want to announce the newest member to the Savage family...Sadie (middle name tbd) Savage!
Jay and Jen got Sadie on Memorial Day and she has had an adventurous life so far. She has swam for the first time in the lake and she goes on boat rides...I am jealous. The funniest thing is that in the first few weeks of her life she slept in a casserole dish as it was secure and cool but as you can see she is quickly outgrowing her casserole dish. Too funny!












I also want to congratulate my sweet cousin Tiffany on the news that Baby Reece Dubose is a BOY! He will have the best two big sisters, Ella Katherine and Emma, who will be able to help take care of him. We are very excited for you and can't wait to meet the newest Bama fan!

Summer - 5 weeks

Summer is 5 weeks old today!

I was taking her 1 month old picture and tried to get her positioned on her own BUT...she needs my assistance to sit up straight!

She slept in the Miracle Blanket last night for the first time and it was a MIRACLE! She slept for 4 hour stretches and I was thrilled with that. I can only imagine that with a bit of time she will extend to 6+ hours like the website states. The blanket didn't move at all in the night which is good as her regular blankets sometimes are all over the place by the time she wakes up.

I would show a picture however there isn't a chance that I am going to wake her with the flash once she is wrapped and ready for bed.

At 5 weeks old, Summer loves for her Mommy and Daddy to hold her. She would prefer that we do this 24/7 however we are trying to set her down at times. It is a debated question whether you can hold too much or not at this age. At this time, I am going to hold her for a few minutes then put her down...meeting her need but trying not to exceed it. I will ask the other moms in my Thursday class how they handle this.

We are still waiting for her to smile at us intentionally. There may have been a smirk here and there but not a full blown I love you smile. Weeks 3 & 4 were especially hard for us as she began to communicate (cry) with us. We are seeing some improvement and hope that our second month of life gets sweeter.

She is growing everyday. This week Chad and I noticed that her baby hairs around her forehead have disappeared within a 24 hour timeframe. Seeing that kind of change is truly amazing! Her sweet hands and feet are gigantic (as you can see in the car seat picture below). Her fingers are long and stretch apart like mine do.

Here is a comparison of Summer in her car seat; week 1 vs. week 5.

Oh and this is a cute car seat picture from our Mommy class last Thursday.

Happy Father's Day

This Father's Day is extra special this year as we are celebrating Chad as a NEW dad! Summer is in love with her Daddy as you can see in the picture below. She looks at him with adoring eyes and feels secure when he holds her, feeds her and especially when he changes her diaper! At one month old, she loves to rest on his broad shoulder and stay as long as possible.

In addition to being a great Daddy, Chad is also a supportive husband. He is sensitive to my changing hormones (understatement) and willing to take the load off me when I have that look on my face. Plus he can do 40 push ups in a row without stopping to rest, impressive right!

We are thrilled to have Chad's dad, Grandad, spending the weekend with us. It is great for Chad to spend his first Father's Day with his new daughter and dad. It is obvious where Chad gets his Baby Whisperer skills...Doug can soothe Miss Summer right to sleep.











Here is a great video of Doug telling us how he does it.

Best of Intentions...Dad, Larry and all you graduates, I have been intending to mail these gifts to you all week. As you can see they are still on my kitchen counter. This in no way is a reflection of how much I care for you or how important you are in our lives. Actually, it has taken me 3 outings to get to this point. Hopefully it will be worth the wait. You should receive your package sometime later this week. Thanks for loving me enough to understand:)

Summer - 4 weeks

Summer is now 4 weeks (2 days late) old. She and I went to the New Mommy Support Group at the Hospital today and she weighed in at 7 lb 15 oz. She has gained about 1 pound per week since her 2 week appointment. I learned that she should be eating her weight times 2.5 or 2.7 if she is under weight, which she is. So we are about on track with our feedings. She is eating a little less than 4 oz per bottle. I also learned that the times when we fed her 4 oz then she acted hungry again and we fed her ANOTHER 4 oz that we were misinterpreting her needs. The nurse said she does not need to eat 8 oz at one time that it will stretch her tummy out, rather she needs to suck on a pacifier. So we will try that next time.
Speaking of sucking here is a video of Summer chillin' and trying to find her thumb.

Summer was good during the class. She slept in my arms. There were about 20 moms with babies there and it was neat to see and hear their different concerns and perspectives. I realized that my feelings and concerns are normal. Overall it was good and I will try to go every week. Surprisingly getting to the hospital by 10am was harder than I thought...and I didn't even shower! It is almost a guarantee that I will be a little late just about everywhere I go these days. I mean, I have always struggled with being on time so adding a "good reason" to the mix only makes it more likely for me to be late...fyi.

We took this video yesterday. Hopefully our weather is improving for Father's Day weekend as it has rained just about everyday for the past 3 weeks. I didn't realize how windy it was until after I watched the clip. Sorry Summer if you felt blasted.

Back to Jana

Life with a newborn will surely stop you in your tracks.
I am S-L-O-W-L-Y regaining some of what my life was like before Summer arrived.
Today I was able to get outside and pull some weeds and cut a fresh, beautiful rose from our front yard.








In addition, I was able to get crafty today! I wrapped Chad's FIRST FATHER'S DAY gift using a cut up brown paper bag and some recycled ribbon (from Melissa's bday gift to me). I think it turned out so "boutique!"
P.S. - I risked waking sweet Summer during her nap so that I could take this photo with her green gingham sheets as the background...what is wrong with me???








This is all due to the fact that I have been taking a nap everyday and getting some energy. Yesterday Summer and I napped together, so sweet.








This picture is for Nicole. She was asking about our swaddling technique and wondered how tight we had Summer wrapped up as an earlier picture looked loose. Here you go.
P.S. - I risked waking sweet Summer with the flash so that I could prove to Nicole I swaddle her right. Good thing she is turning out to be a sound sleeper!












We are back on the EASY program from the Baby Whisperer. Last night, Summer slept 4.5 hours straight. Praise God! We said a prayer for some good rest before bedtime and the big guy was listening. In the daytime I am waking her every 3 hours to feed and I can see some improvement.
Video of me waking her up yesterday.

You Rock!

**BUD ALERT: THE CONTENTS OF THIS POST MAY BE TOO MUCH INFO FOR BUD**
This post is dedicated to the products that I think ROCK, in no particular order.
Hands Free Pumping Bustier (http://www.pumpstation.com/) - oh bustier, you provide me with sanity and the ability to hold Summer and pump at the same time which saves me time, especially needed in the middle of the night when I am ready to go back to bed.
Medela Swing Breast Pump - although the women who commented on this pump online said they never used the neckstrap because "who would walk around and pump"...they were sorely mistaken. I love that you take batteries and give me the freedom to sweep, cook and even dye my hair while pumping at the same time. If only I could go outside...fences aren't high enough, shucks!
Lansinoh Baby Wipes - I apologize to sweet Summer's hiney for not using these from the start. For at least the first month my baby girl needs something soft on her delicate skin and these baby wipes are the best!
Lansinoh Boob Pads - I feel that I am pushing it on the Bud Content here...but these are nice and soft and a 24 hour requirement
Sleep Sheep - (http://www.potterybarnkids.com/) There are 4 different sounds but I prefer the ocean waves crashing. In the daytime, Summer can be put in her crib awake and she will be fine with the Sleep Sheep on...nightime is a different story.

Without the narrative, I also feel the following are necessities:

• sleeping bra
• long sleeve onesies (even though it is warm outside)
• swaddling/receiving blankets (soft fluffy ones are great but don't swaddle)
• pink blush (amazing how refreshed you look with a pop on your cheeks)
• fun earings (in combo with the blush these can make you feel pretty - thanks Lisa)
• good husband

This is what I know at 3 1/2 weeks. As I learn more I will update you.
Oh and by the way Lansinoh has paid me to say these things, my blog is sponsored!
Just kidding, but that would be nice Lansinoh execs:)

Now I need some advice from you...

1. When uploading video to the blog from FlipShare it takes almost 30 minutes. Is this the normal timeframe?
2. Since Summer was born all of my photos I have inserted into posts have been right indented and the format seems to be off. Is there something different about the settings on my camera or is there something I need to do in blogger?
3. Summer goes down easily during the daytime but at night she tends to cry and therefore I spend 2 hours trying to soothe her back to la la land. Any suggestions?

Saturday Smile

Waiting for this SMILE is what makes it all worth while!

Video!!

I'll start this blog with some video to peak your interest.

First is a quickie of Summer awake in her bounce seat looking cute.

Next was of Summer on her tummy lifting her head and turning it to the other side however my upload messed up twice. Sorry.

I mentioned this week that we were charting every ounce she drank and minute she slept. Well after realizing that the charting was interfering with my common sense I decided to stop charting. The Baby Whisperer only recommended I do that for 4 days not 3 weeks! I do appreciate and prefer a routine but I think I took it over the top. I am not recording anything now and we are living in the moment. Hopefully those moments include sleep...as I had a breakdown of sleep deprivation today. Last night was the sleepiest I have ever been to my knowledge. I have been running on empty now for 3 weeks and 2 days. I had these expectations that with every day she got older it would be easier. However, in reality, with everyday she gets older I get more tired. Good news, I have realized this and I am lowering the bar for what I expect of myself immediately. And I am on a mandatory one glass of wine per night until further notice!

Here is the long awaited photo of Lisa and Summer. It only took me 3 visits to remember to capture the moment. Lisa is one of Summer's best friends.

Also shown, Annisa and Summer and Daddy and Summer.

Summer - 3 Weeks

The other night, I had been asleep for 2 hours when I began to hear Summer cooing. Luckily she is a slow waker like her mother and she will coo for a few minutes before any action is required. In my sleep deprived state of mind...I grab the monitor and begin caressing it in bed AS IF me rubbing the monitor was soothing her in some way! As you can imagine, the caressing of the monitor didn't make the noise stop and eventually I realized that I wasn't holding a baby in bed with me and that I needed to get up. Later in the morning, when normal people are awake, I remembered this and thought it was hilarious! In fact, I think a lot of things I do these days are hilarious. Like the projectile poop at 3am...hilarious, right?

Summer is 3 weeks old today. She lost her umbilical cord yesterday, yeah! She is drinking 3.5 ounces per feeding and sleeps approximately 3 hours per nap. Daddy is the master feeder. She drinks the most when daddy is feeding her the bottle. He also is the master burper and can change a diaper at lightening speed. Mommy just gave birth to her and gets up with her in the crazy hours, no biggy!

I am a detail oriented person and Chad is a data kind of person. Together we have put Summer's every move into an Excel spreadsheet and we have graphed out her eating and sleeping cycles to analyze how they coorelate. The graph is in its final tweaking stage then I will post for your viewing pleasure. I guess that gives it away that we are first time parents. I doubt people do this for their second child.

Summer is beginning to have more awake time periods. At 3 weeks she has one good awake time per day lasting approximately 2 hours. I have been a little confused as to what to do during these times as I feel more confident when she is sleeping. However, we go for a walk, sit outside for a few minutes, do a few minutes of tummy time or sit in the bounce seat and stare at the mobile.

Summer and Jim

I did a photo shoot with Summer this week and took over 80 photos trying to get a few good ones to blow up and frame and to use for her birth announcements. I ended up with some great ones. However, until I send out the announcements I will not be sharing the jackpot photo. Sorry, but here are some great ones that didn't make the cut.

Mommy, The Watch Dog

Hurray, last night Summer slept exactly how we want her to (for this age). She slept for 3 hour stretches only waking at 12 and 3. She easily went back to sleep after being fed.
Perfect, now let's repeat that for the next 30 days.
This morning after being fed she was wide awake so we decided to try tummy time again. This can be a little tricky in the living room as we have our dogs plus Maya and they are very curious about this little human that smells so good.

Waiting for a smile

It is hard to catch Summer smiling (don't hold your breath you won't see one in this post) but nonetheless we will film and photo in hopes.

I purchased a baby bjorn carrier today and so far Summer seems to like it. I feel free with two hands. I was able to cut potatoes and carry her at the same time:)

You can have the head support up or folded down (as shown).

Backyard Outing

Ok, I understand I am a posting fool these days BUT there is just so much I want to share.
Here is a video of Summer and me on a make believe trip to the zoo!

Drumroll Please...

Originally weighing in at 5lb 9oz, Miss Summer Marie Martin dropped to a mere 5lb 2oz only to regain her strength last week to pull off a 2 oz gain...BUT with the help of Mommy & Daddy seeing that she fed like clockwork the angel has plumped up to a whopping - now for the dramatic pause - 6lb 4oz, applause!! She also grew 1/2 inch to 18 1/2 inches long. Her doctor was thrilled. She has gained the maximum per day that they recommend. Yeah. We can now chill out a bit and let her sleep as long as she wants in the night (hopefully 4+ hours at a time).

Of course I made a BIG deal out of this weigh in and took pictures.

And tonight we tested our Tummy Time playmat for the first time. It was tolerable for about 5 minutes. Too cute!

I Surrender

I surrender to not being perfect.

Sounds silly but perfection was holding me hostage. In particular, I surrender to the breast pump and bottle. My natural abilities don't stand a chance against the convinience of technology. I will focus my energy on being the best mom to Summer and not get hung up on whether the breastmilk is from the source or pumped into a bottle. I will not beat myself up for not trying longer as sometimes in life quitting is the better decision. I am writing this as an affirmation to myself as much as information to you.

And now for some cute pictures...

Thanks Mimi

Mimi left yesterday and we just wanted to say what a BIG help she was while she was here. We will survive without her but she sure made life a whole lot easier these first 2 weeks. Thanks for being such a loving mother and grandmother.

I think Summer actually got jealous of the delicious meals we were eating...

Here is Summer and Mimi on their last day together.

Now Mimi is back to her real world where she is the best school teacher ever!

The little things

12 tidbits of info in the past 12 days of Summer's life...

1. Summer has lost her jaundice...and still has a beautiful coloring.
2. I am thrilled to be sleeping on my back again.
3. Chad is thrilled that I only require 1 pillow (I maxed out at 4 during my last few pregnant days)
4. A stranger has made a pregnant comment to me at Walmart (saying I was eating for 2)...actually in 12 days I have lost 22 pounds (only 13 more to go). My feelings are not hurt BUT I thought I looked good that day???
5. I have only had 1 emotional meltdown.
6. We have changed 72 diapers since we have been home. Learning curve is quick on this one.
7. I have frozen 60 ounces of breastmilk.
8. I burp once EVERY time I am trying to burp Summer...its like our bodies are still connected!
9. I am back on coffee and loving it.
10. Summer has begun to enjoy bathtime...no crying during bathtime today.
11. Daddy has gone on 2 mtn bike rides, maintaining his sanity.
12. Mommy has made 2 outings by herself and can shop at record speeds now.