Flight Suits and Fairytales: September 2009

A Day in the Life

Elliana's days are still pretty much dominated by sleeping, eating, and pooping. Oh, she's going to hate me if she ever reads this!! She'll be 4 weeks old tomorrow, and we're already seeing so many changes in her. We bought her some newborn onesies the day after we brought her home b/c she was too tiny to fit into anything that we had. Well, she's now almost too big for all of them!! It's sad to think that I'm already going to have to start putting some of her things away. I just can't believe that we're already to that point!

We're still having some issues with her sleeping habits. I was asking her the other day how her mommy & daddy's love of sleep was not somehow passed down to her. She didn't really have an answer, though I think I caught a glimpse of a mischievous smile :) So, here's how a typical day goes for our little munchkin...

6ish AM ~ Eat

6:30-7:30ish AM ~ Kick feet, look around, grunt (A LOT!)

7:30-9ish AM ~ Sleep

9ish ~ Eat

Repeat all throughout the day, bringing us to...

6:30ish PM ~ Bath, Lotion/Massage, Story, Prayers

7ish PM ~ Eat

7:30-9:35 or so PM ~ Sleep, put in crib, wake up, cry, get soothed, suck on pacifier, spit out pacifier, cry, get soothed, put in crib, suck on pacifier, spit out pacifier, cry...you get the idea :)

9:35ish - 10 PM ~ Sleep

10 PM ~ Eat

10:30 PM ~ See above 7:30-9:35 PM :)

So, you see, we haven't quite gotten the hang of the nighttime routine yet...but I'm still hoping that our sweet girl will get it by the time she's a toddler! No, I really am just kidding (not about her schedule b/c that is oh-so-true!), but about her getting it. I realize she's still an infant and it's pretty hard to get frustrated w/ her when she's just so darn cute!

Speaking of cute...here are some new pics of our sweet-ums from the past 2 weeks.

Elli in her crib...I think she likes Mrs. Bear!

Our little family before Chris & I's first post-baby date night!!

Elliana & Grandad Mike

Elli LOVES her bouncy chair! Thanks Miss Meagan!!

Snuggle Bug

In case you can't read it, her little hat says "Snuggle Bug". And she is!!!

We're Famous!!

Well, we're not really "famous", but we DID make our photographers blog!!

Check out Elliana's newborn pics here:

Elli's Pics

You have to scroll down just a little bit b/c she's posted several things after us. I LOVE the way the pictures turned out. And I'm super excited about the announcement that she's making for us too. I can't wait to get the finished product.

Happy 2 Week Birthday!!

Again, I am astonished at how quickly time seems to be passing by! Two weeks ago, at this very moment, I was completely loopy from pain medicine & anxiously awaiting the birth of our little girl. Now, I'm completely loopy from lack of sleep, and so in love with our precious daughter that I can hardly stand it! I'll take the loopy-ness any day!

Elli had her first pediatrician's visit this week, and though she did GREAT, I was none-to-impressed w/ the doctor. First of all, our appt. was at 9:20, and we weren't seen until 11:30! Don't pediatricians know that babies have to eat?! Don't they also know that while keeping their offices at a cool 60 degrees might be nice for them, it is TERRIBLE for sweet babies who have to take their clothes off to get examined?! I felt so sorry for Elli, even though she handled it all like a pro.

STATS: Gained 3 oz (7 lbs, 8 oz now!), 19 inches (seems she's shrunk 3 inches!)

Thanks for all of the advice about getting her on a schedule. Thanks to all of you, she's doing so much better! We've used bits and pieces of all of your suggestions, and we've found a little routine that seems to be working really well for her. Our biggest problem was that she did NOT want to go to sleep after her last late night feeding. Now that we've incorporated some of your tips, she actually seems to want to fall asleep! Hooray!! I have to admit that my stress about "not doing it right" probably wasn't helping things either, so my goal for this week is to just enjoy the moment (Thanks Jen, for that wonderful advice!). It's already flying by, and I don't want to miss anything because I'm worried about whether or not she's on a schedule :)

Here are some pics from this week...enjoy!

I love this picture! My friend Tara inspired it, so I thought I'd try my hand at it too.

Going to the Dr!! Gotta look cute :)

Elli got her first piece of mail this week!! Thanks, Joy!

Genius, I tell you!!

I've been wondering why Elli hates bath time, and diaper changing time so much. Well, I know why she hates diaper changing time, but bath time...really? We've tried several different techniques, and nothing really seemed to be working. I had just about given up when we discovered that the solution is simple, it's genius really!

The other day, when our photographer came to take Elli's newborn pictures she brought something in with her equipment that seemed a little odd. It was a space heater. Now, that might be normal in England, but here in Mississippi where it is still 90 degrees and SUPER humid, a space heater isn't something that I would just carry around in the back of my car just in case. But that photographer has been around the block I guess, and that thing worked like a charm! Elli loved it! She was mellow, and happy (well, right up until the end when she was no longer having the whole "naked pictures are cute" thing).

So we've now incorporated the space heater into our bath time & diaper changing time routine, and it seems to be working! It's Genius, I tell you!!

Funniest thing EVER!!!

After many google searches, and a desperate plea for help on the Spouse's Yahoo website, we finally found a photographer that we liked. I guess having an awesome photographer as a friend has made me a little picky :) Oh, by the way, you can check out my awesome friend's stuff here . Anywho...we found a photographer and I was really impressed with her. I can't wait to see the finished product...don't worry, I'll keep you posted on it!!

So, what's the funniest thing ever you ask?? Well, before the pictures we got Elliana all dressed up in her tutu & bow (quite the feat, I might add!), and we were ready to rock. Just as I was about to pick her up, she really DID rock...her diaper, that is!! It was the loudest, funniest thing I have ever heard. Chris captured the moment, and I hope you laugh half as much as I did!

Wow, Elli...that was impressive!!

She was not impressed w/ her outfit, but VERY interested in eating the flower that adorned it!

Someone Needs a Watch!!

I've been trying to get Elli on a schedule. Trying is the operative word! I'm learning that babies don't quite embrace plans the way that I do :) It's definitely been a learning experience. I'm trying to let go of that controlling side of myself (hey, the first step is admitting that there is a problem!) and going with the flow a lot more these days. But I was talking with Chris 2 nights ago about how I wish that I could tweak her sleep pattern, just a little bit, so that I could sleep for more than 1.5 hours at a time. He listened sweetly, and said he totally understood my request. And then he said, "Honey, I think it's great that you want her on a more accomodating schedule for you, but unfortunately she didn't come with a watch".

I just hate it when he's clever :)

Elli's First Week

Has it been a week already? It seems like only yesterday that we were walking around the park near our house, just willing Elli to make an early appearance! Time really does fly!

Miss Elliana had a VERY exciting 1st week in the world. We got to leave the hospital on Thursday, and we spent the afternoon and evening just letting Elli get used to her new home. Luckily we had a few grandparents here to help us get acclimated to our new "family of three" status. I don't know what we would have done without them!! The rest of the week was spent learning all kinds of new things, and attempting a lot of the "firsts" of babyhood :)

People don't always tell you what to expect with a baby. Sure, they let you know that you won't be sleeping for the first few months, and that you might feel overwhelmed at times, but somehow the details seem to fall through the cracks. Here a couple of the minor "crisis's" that we've faced this week...

1. Jaundice ~ Ummm, what the heck?? She looked perfect to me, why are people telling me that she has a slight yellow tint to her face? I just don't see it :) Well, really I did, but I was in denial. The thing that turned this minor issue into a crisis (in my eyes) is that it can cause brain damage if it gets out of hand. What?? How come nobody ever informed me of this?? Of course, she quickly got over her very minor case so there was no need to worry; however, I wish I had known about it.

2. Brick Dust ~ So, Chris & I change Elli's diaper for the first time at home, and we see a little bit of red in her urine. PANIC!! Chris quickly runs to find the number for the hospital hotline while the grandparents quickly run to Google! Well, come to find out, that red stuff is called Brick Dust and it happens to baby girls sometimes in the first few days of breast feeding if they aren't getting enough milk (colostrum). Hmmm, good to know. Let me just pick myself up off the floor now and resume my Mommy duties!

Luckily, I realize that these issues are practically nothing in the grand scheme of things, but it just goes to show you how much we really have to learn about being parents. I'm so looking forward to next week...and the next, and the next. What will we learn? What will we do? How will she change? So many fun things to look forward to!

Home from the hospital and worn OUT!!

Elli's not a big fan of bath time. This was Chris's attempt at calming her down :)

There's my sweet girl!! She's happy now that she's being held :)

Chris, GG & Elli...just chillin'.

Nana & Elli

1st Outing to the Penny Grocery :)

We got to use our new stroller & everything!!

Happy Birthday Elli!!!

Elliana Grace Duncan

September 1, 2009 at 1:58pm

7lbs 5 oz

22 inches

I always knew that I wanted to be a mother. I love children, and my heart has always longed to have some of my own. It was a very real desire, one that I thought I knew all about...until Tuesday. It was on that day, when our daughter was born, that I realized that I really had no idea how it would feel to actually be a mom. It was overwhelming, exciting, a little scary, and absolutely wonderful all at the same time. It was surreal to see my child for the first time; to know that the Lord formed her perfectly in my womb, and to know that Chris & I had just embarked on the most amazing adventure of our lifetime. We are filled to the brim with joy. She is an angel with her light hair, blue eyes, and perfect little face...oh, I'm not biased at all!! If you don't believe me, just ask her grandparents!

Thank you all, so very much, for your thoughts and prayers. Believe me when I say that we felt them all while we were waiting for our little bundle to arrive.

I'll definitely write more soon, but for now I thought I'd just share some pictures of our sweet girl, Elli, on her "Birth" Day!!