3 Months Old

Getting Bigger

Hailey is almost 3 months - July 30th - I can not believe she is this big already. I was thinking the other day when we first brought her home and she would sleep in our arms for hours just scrunched up, legs up, nice and cozy. Now I feel like she's a stiff board most of the time when I hold her...apparently this is something she gets from her mother :) She loves to look around and likes to just watch everything and everyone. She is always arching her back off of me so she can get a look. I read to her every day, she loves her numbers book, she just lights up when I open it up and her legs go like crazy. She's starting to laugh a little more frequent now but she still makes me work for it.

The 8-13 pound diapers are so tight on her so she's graduated to the next size. I can't believe how much she is growing! She's found her hands...well almost, she seems to see them but can't control them yet. She knows to place her thumb or finger into her mouth and suck or chew on it an

d she rubs her eyes now but she won't follow her hands yet. It's so cute to see, some times she just has this look on her face as if she's in awe of her own fingers. She's so cute! I love watching her progress like this. She has graduated from cooing to making this weird screeching sound that sometimes sounds like a yell or laugh or cry.

She is still sleeping through the night but randomly waking up at 3:30 in the morning whining. I almost went into her room to feed her because it had been at least 4-5 hours since her last feeding but I stopped myself. I really don't want to start up middle of the night feedings again. She is capable of making it through the night so I let her whine for a little while and she fell back asleep until 7:0

0ish. Thank goodness I didn't get her, that was the first time I've ever been tempted to go in and feed her because I was soooo tired I just wanted to sleep but I waited and it paid off. She's been doing this the past few nights but I'm told by other mommies that this will pass.

I was telling Brad how blessed / lucky I am that I am able to stay home with her. I would miss so much if I wasn't able to be around her as much as I am. She's such a joy to be around and always makes me smile. There is no greater feeling then when she realizes I'm smiling and talking to her and she breaks out into a big smile, showing off that dimple of hers.

I decided to step on the scale the other day so I prepped myself, telling myself I may have put on weight and to be mentally prepared for a weight gain. But to my surprise I've lost a few more!! I am so excited that I only have 2-3 pounds left to be at my start weight. I've been running a little, playing basketball once a week and trying to do strength training 2 times a

week so I have been working hard. Not being able to eat dairy and soy also help too! Just shows me how hard it is to take the weight off so it helps me be more disciplined when it comes to eating. I've learned to actually look at a label before I pop something in my mouth and not to just eat to eat (what I did while I was pregnant some times). Not sure if this new found discipline will last when I am done nursing but we'll see.

Brad is continuing to be an amazing dad and husband. He always wants me to make sure I have time to myself and takes Hailey while I run errands or go work out. I'm so lucky to have him!

Time in Crib

Oh Ms Hailey...

I'm learning not to get too arrogant with this whole parenting business. I was feeling pretty good, Hailey has been sleeping through the night between 6-9 hours a night, nursing has been going well we had a rough patch but we're good now and she's been great during the day. Then Tuesday happened.

Probably one of the most frustrating, stressful, challenging days that I've had since I've changed my diet. She was fussy the whole time Br

ad was at work until about 5:00. Then the tears began to flow and the cries started to get louder and last longer. My night was filled with her volume on full blast screaming and crying in my ear. I did everything I knew how to do and nothing worked. I sang, rocked, swayed, begged...I tried the bouncer, with and without a blanket, music and that wonderful vibrator. She did NOT like that. So let's try the swing...nope...ok maybe she just wants to be held...nope....ok so I'll put her down. That only made her worse. I was so frustrated I just put her in her bed, closed the door and had a little cry myself in our bedroom begging God to grant me patience and strength to get through the night until Brad would come home. I thought I could handle it but I kept watching the clock and I could have swore time was not moving. How can my precious little angel scream so loudly for no apparent reason!! She cried so much she made herself hoarse. I felt so terrible that I couldn't comfort her and help her calm down.

I'm learning that each day is different, I can't expect her to act a certain way or react the same way that she did before. I am trying to create a routine in the morning and mornings are normally her best part of the day. Overall I know that we are so lucky to have her sleeping through the night already and each night that I get more then 5 hours uninterrupted I consider a blessing and don't take for granted.

My brain still isn't functioning at full capacity that's for sure but these last few weeks have been wonderful to get so much sleep.

It's so hard not to feel like a failure when I can't help her. When ever she cries I always think...what did I eat, is this my fault? What am I doing wrong??? But I am learning what cries mean what, what positions she likes to be held in, although I think this is changing. She's just started to figure out how to laugh and I LOVE to hear her precious little voice every chance I get. Even Kosmo is doing great with her. One point I had her in her crib, she was crying - I was trying the 'self soothing' idea and he pushed the door open and barked. He always comes running when she starts crying if she's alone, so amazing.

I am so thankful for every day that I get with her and I don't take my being at home with her for granted. Being a mom is such an honor and a blessing. Even when she screams all night for me, when I go into her room in the morning and start talking to her, as soon as she sees me she has a big smile across her face, some days it's hard not to start crying just looking at her. I am so thankful that the Lord has blessed us with her.

I've learnt that I can get ready for church in under 30 min. I have the fastest showers now even when I'm "taking my time", I am always moving as fast as I can just in case she needs me. My sister in law said you'll wonder what you did with all of that free time...she was right :)

Brad and I have become much more mobile. We are trying to take her every where and Hailey has already spent a lot of time in the gym. She doesn't even flinch when a buzzer goes off or when a basketball is bounced near her, oh are little gym rat in the making.

Hangin' out with mom - 2 months

Two Month Doctor Appointment

I actually had to set my alarm for the first time in two months. When it went off I was so tempted to just turn it off and go back to sleep, thinking to myself I can just sleep for ten more minutes I'll be able to wake myself up then...no chance of that happening so I pulled myself out of bed to go check on our little girl. Hailey was wide awake...sideways in her bed. Brad has gone in one morning and found her

grabbing a hold of the rails. We aren't sure how she's managed to do this consistently but there she is...every morning...sideways. Sleep seems to go by so quickly...didn't I just go to bed and now I'm up again already??? It seems the more I get the more my body craves.

It was all my fault, I was the on e who made the doctors appointment at 8:30 am Monday! I wanted Brad to be there because it was her two month appointment and that meant she was to get all of her shots. I just sweat thinking about getting shots for myself so I knew I could not handle being in the room when she got hers.

So our little girl is now two months weighing in at 12 lbs 15 oz. her length is 24 inches and her head is 39 cm. She has gained almost two pounds in one month and grew about 2 inches as well.

I thought that I would forget my questions for the doctor but they all came flooding into my head and then some. I'm sure she gets asked this silly questions by worried-over protective first time mommies like myself but I just couldn't help myself. I was worried Hailey had a cold...but she sounds great, looks great and had a great check up.

I am to stay on my soy free, dairy free diet until she is 4-6 months old. About 4 months I will begin to phase in soy but I am so reluctant to do so. I do miss my DQ but it's more then worth it to have a happy baby.

So the time came for the shots and I just grabbed the bag and bee-lined it for the door, I didn't want to be around for that. I can't even handle it when Kosmo gets his needles. Brad stayed in there with her, he is such a great husband. I am so blessed and I appreciate him more and more each day, I just love to see him interact with his daughter - so precious.

Brad said she handled it like a champ and probably only cried because her arms and legs were pinned down and not because of the shots. That is one thing I've learned about our little girl, she is a mover and doesn't like people holding her down. When I feed her I try to pin her arm down so she doesn't grab and scratch what she shouldn't :) but she HATES it. Our little head strong girl...what fun we'll have in the future :) I'm sure I can just ask my own mother about this.

So the appointment went great and I am so thankful the dreaded shots are over with. She's handled them so well, I expected a very fussy baby today but she's been great even now she is passed out on the couch, arms above her head sleeping. I was supposed to feed her an hour ago but she is sleeping like it's Sunday afternoon (...that's definitely from her father).

Just talking with daddy