Charlie Pie is 9 Weeks Old!

Posted on September 18, 2014 by playinghousewi

I mean, really! How have 9 weeks flown by already? It’s so crazy to see the changes. She went from this little cute and delicate and precious little eating/sleeping/pooping machine to this special and perfect little person. It’s so amazing to see her personality coming through. Oy. I just love her more than I could have ever imagined.

Besides just becoming more and more lovely, our girl has also started to get on a good schedule in the day. I was hoping to post about napping separately, but the short version is that sweetie pie is napping in her crib!! Yay! Other than that, she continues to get more and more neck strength and head control. She’s the smiliest thing ever. She’s becoming way more vocal and is an expert spit bubbler. Oh, and a master drooler.

This week we’ve also been practicing rolling over. Maybe I’ll take a video one of these days. It’s kind of silly.

And here’s the fun part… Her sweet pictures (taken one day late):

Charlotte’s Terrible Two Month Appointment

Posted on September 18, 2014 by playinghousewi

As much as I love selfies, I have to actually post, too. Yesterday we had Sweet Charlotte’s 2 month check up. It started out well… Baby Boo is no 12.5 lbs and 23.5″ long. That puts her in the 85th percentile for weight and 85th-95th for height.

Look at her cute “I’m going to the doc” outfit…

Cutie pie 🙂

Unfortunately, the appointment went downhill in three pokes. The sweetie pie had three vaccinations via shot and one orally. Those shots were terrible. I had the sucky job of holding the babe while she got poked and it was just terrible. I was literally crying inside and the princess was crying… so loudly.

Oy.

Sweetie pie settled enough for a trip to Kohl’s, but as soon as she woke up from her nap, the tears were flowing. It was so sad. She cried (and screamed) for at least an hour. I literally have not heard her cry for more than 5 minutes, so the whole thing felt pretty intense. Thankfully after an hour and some baby tylenol, she settled down and went to bed… and this momma had a glass of wine. This morning it was like none of it ever happened. She was back to being our happy little munchkin.

What shots?

I know, the selfies are getting old…

Posted on September 14, 2014 by playinghousewi

But not to me 🙂

A More Successful (And Abbreviated) Trip to the Store

Posted on September 12, 2014 by playinghousewi

Charlie and I finally made it back to the store. I was a little apprehensive because of our last experience, but it was actually quite successful. She was a happy little button. I put my groceries in the basket under her stroller, so I would bend down, put the item in and then continue pushing the stroller. She clearly thought we were playing peek-a-boo because every time I popped back up, she laughed. So cute 🙂

We also practiced sitting today…

And snuggled…

And then my sweet sister and her family brought over dinner and the cousins played!

And some other cute pics from the day…

Two Months & Sweet As Can Be

Posted on September 11, 2014 by playinghousewi

Every week I say this, but truly, I can’t believe another week has flown by. How has it already been 8 weeks?

My sweet baby boo is definitely growing up. She’s so much more interactive and one thing is for sure, girlfriend loves to smile. Even when she’s pissed off and fussing, Charlotte will crack a smile. She’s literally so amazing to be around. Now of course, that doesn’t mean that every second she’s an angel… But even when she’s being sassy, she’s still pretty awesome. New this week? Hmm… She continues to get stronger. She has consistently slept through the night (9.5-10.75 per night and then another 1-3 in the morning). She is definitely more vocal. She can follow objects with her eyes and head. She’s a bubble making machine. She loves her daddy. A lot. She’s pooped out of about 4 diapers this week – woooo! Go Charlie!

Anyway, here’s the cutie…

And some mommy / Charlie selfies…

Charlotte’s Tough Afternoon

Posted on September 9, 2014 by playinghousewi

Turns out, our play date was cancelled. So, Charlotte planned a slightly more low key afternoon for us. Oh to be a sweet little baby…

Bad Baby Outing…

Posted on September 9, 2014 by playinghousewi

I’m sure you’ve noticed my optimism lately! Charlotte and I have been on a total rhythm. So this morning I decided to attempt the grocery store… For a full shopping trip.

I put Charlie in my pouch (aka the ring sling) and we were off. Everything was going well. She was adorable, snoozing away the morning. Until, out of nowhere, she starts screaming. Hello nightmare.

I took her out of the pouch and was able to console her enough to grab a couple more items and check out before the meltdown was in full effect. It was pretty much okay, but we definitely didn’t get everything and I must say that pushing a decently full cart with one hand is not easy.

So to the car we went. As soon as we were on the road, the screaming resumed. I decided to stop to feed her in the parking lot of this little boutique I wanted to check for a baby dress for Charlotte to wear to her naming ceremony.

I fed her, went to burp her, and discovered that the poop she had just released mid-feed was a blow out. Perfect. Nothing like a back seat change to add that necessary icing to my morning.

Thankfully, with a little milk, a clean diaper and a fresh outfit, she was happy as a clam! Now, we’re home. Groceries are put away and a special little someone is enjoying a snack.

Me? Well, I’m already exhausted and regretting my serial play dating schedule. We have a meeting at noon and then it’s off to our second play date of the week, then home to make dinner and give the little one a bath. I’ll relax eventually…

Our morning album…

(Play) Dating

Posted on September 9, 2014 by playinghousewi

I think I’ve mentioned this, but I’ve been a bit of a homebody since Charlotte’s arrival. I think it stems from my severe desire to control everything. Obviously, control is just nonexistent with a newborn. There is no anticipating when they will cry, need to eat, want to sleep but can’t, fuss, need to be held, scream bloody murder, poop all over everything, etc.

Now, I will say, we have been super lucky with our Charlie. She has SUCH a good temperament, so we have less of the bloody murder cries… But, she is just a baby. So, I’ve been sticking to home… Or places where it’s easy to breastfeed. Or only going places with Mark or my mom.

Anyway, I’ve totally digressed. My point with all this is that I’ve been thinking a lot about my hermit status and that in combination with our girl getting into much more of a routine (which does not include eating for hours on end), has led me to the notion that it’s time to start dating… Play dating.

I mean, I want Charlotte to have friends. It’s not fair for me to keep her locked up inside just because it’s easier for me.

So, with that in mind, I’ve been reaching out to my mommy friends and have four “play dates” planned for this week and am planning to go to a mommy group at the end of the month.

Go big or go home, right?

Note that play dates is in quotes because I recognize that Sweet Charlotte is too little to really interact with others for more than mere minutes at a time. But one day she will and I’ll have already begun developing our mommy/baby network.

Anyway, It’s good for me to force myself out there. And really, two of my four mommy dates are not really out of the box… One with my sister and her fam and today’s with my good friend Jenna. BUT, I’m getting out of my bubble.

So, today was our first play date and it was a lot of fun! Thanks, Jenna and little Jacob for a delicious lunch (and dessert) and for allowing us to hang for the day!

Getting the hang of it all

Posted on September 5, 2014 by playinghousewi

I’m the first to admit that I’ve been quite nervous about going out since the arrival of the sweetest child ever. I think my anxiety is centered around breastfeeding… Will she need to eat? Will she demand to eat nonstop? Will it be in an awkward place to whip out a boob? Etc.

BUT, thankfully, I feel like we’ve really gotten a rhythm down and are doing so well together. This morning we met my friend Jenna to help her pick out glasses. Charlotte was a little fussy in the car, so I put her in my maya ring sling (my FAVORITE baby item) and she was perfect. Didn’t make a peep the whole time. Just watched the ladies shop and then sucked on her mini hand until she fell asleep.

After seeing Jenna, I transferred Charlotte to her car seat (she stayed sleeping) and we walked to a different store to pick up a gift for a friend. She woke up in the store… After I ran the stroller into a display… And was perfection. She just sat in her stroller, desperately reaching for her toes and smiling the whole time (see picture below).

When we got back to the car, I could tell she was getting hungry, so I fed her in the parking lot… A quick 15 minute nurse. Easy peasy!

I love days that make me feel like I’ve got this whole mom thing down. I’m sure she’ll projectile poop in my face tomorrow… But today was awesome.

7 Weeks Old & She Slept Through the Night

Posted on September 3, 2014 by playinghousewi

Seven weeks ago, we met our sweet little girl! It’s amazing that it’s already been seven weeks and at the same time, pretty crazy that’s it’s only been seven weeks.

Our girl has changed quite a bit this past week. In fact, last night, Charlotte slept through the night… In her crib!! 10.5 hours all the way through! Her nighttime routine is awesomely regular and getting even more regular. She cluster feeds leading up to bed and then we swaddle her and I feed her one last time before putting her in her crib around 8:30. I’m guessing her bed time is going to get even earlier as the weeks go on.

Besides being a champion sleeper, she has started actually crying this week. Up until now, she mostly just whine cries. But, at the beginning of the week, she started crying the second she woke up from a nap (I attribute this to her not knowing where she is/not fully waking up). Not every nap, but now and again. It’s such a silly, nasally cry. I love it. It makes me smile. Is that mean?

Her other cry is not so sweet. Again, it’s after a sleep, but takes place on the changing table. This one is blood curdling. Thankfully, we’ve only heard it a few times.

With the crying has come SO many smiles! She is the smiliest little thing ever… I love it!

She’s also getting even stronger and holding her head up really well. She stands when we hold her up and have been practicing sitting with her. She totally wants to move.

She’s also in the process of discovering her feet… (See below)