28 years

Holy cow, how did I just turn 28 years old?!

My birthday was a few days ago, and it was wonderful! I got to spend the whole day with my sweet girl, and Mom and Dad took me and Kate to lunch outside on the water. It was fantastic (and so was that pumpkin parfait dessert!)

That night, my parents cooked a great meal for us, Brett's family, & Tanya. It was one of my best birthdays yet - surrounded by good people and so thankful for my baby!

Yes, my mom about burned the house down with 28 candles...

I got lots of goodies, including a video camera and new computer!! Yeahhh! My blogging should get real good (Or it will look just the same. I don't know how to "fancy" up the top or display pics differently. Let me know if you do)!

 Oh my gosh, how do I not have a single picture with my Mom and Dad?! It was a busy night, and my mom was taking the pictures, but STILL! After all, my birthday should be a celebration of my mom too - I just went through natural childbirth. I now know what THAT'S all about, so on my birthday, she deserves an extra cupcake :)

3 months

Big post!

My sweet, sweet babydoll ... you turned 3 months old yesterday!

 I so enjoy my days with you, and although I'm sad to go back to work soon, I know you'll be in great hands with NannyKat. She and PopPop come to visit you every day, so they've learned your quirks and the little things that keep you happy!

You're getting so strong, and love to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!

You will never know how much joy you've brought into all of our lives - many times, I get butterflies and teary eyes just holding you, and you and Daddy light up when you see each other. You are my favorite thing in the world!

It's amazing how much has changed since that perfect day you were born. You are still exclusively breastfed. You definitely prefer to nurse, but you have finally started taking a bottle (sometimes) from someone other than me, and I'm so thankful. I was worried about going back to work with you refusing the bottle - you are so strong willed! Also, you take Zantac and now Prevacid too for your acid reflux (and you're so good at taking your meds). Without them, your sleep is so disrupted, and you would scream when you'd burp, spit up, or even lie down flat. We are so glad to see you more comfortable.

Because of that reflux, you sleep best on an incline. You've been sleeping in the swing or this little Fisher Price yellow rocker inclined bed, but now you're getting too long! Your legs get scrunched at the bottom, so you slept in your crib for the first time 2 nights ago. We wrap you up in the velcro swaddler every night. I've tried to put you to sleep without it, and we were up all night. For now, you'll still be swaddled :) You were sleeping about 6 hours straight at night, but for the past week, you have been waking up 4-5 times. Last night you almost made it 6 hours...I hope it continues!

Your smile is beautiful! You smile most of the time that someone is smiling in your face and talking sweet to you, especially in the mornings on your changing table (my favorite part of the day)! And...you LAUGHED! Last weekend, Daddy was bouncing you and you cracked up with the sweetest giggle! I may have teared up a little ;)

In your precious outfit that Nanny made for you!

Your favorite thing in the world is bathtime! No matter what mood you're in, as soon as we put you in that warm tub, you smile so big. It's the only thing that worked every single time you had a colic episode. Speaking of those, we think your colic is getting better. We're learning what works for you, and you're liking the world a bit more :) You never cry getting out of the bath anymore. We wrap you up in your animal blankets and blow dry you and your hair, which you LOVE. More sweet faces during this time!

I know I said your favorite thing is bathtime, but it's a close tie with BEING OUTSIDE! It also calms down your fussing, and you could spend all day out there if we let you. You enjoy our walks, and you love looking at the trees, leaves, and brick patio. Sometimes when you're mad, I strap you in the Bjorn and just walk laps. It works!

We went on a Breast Cancer fundraiser walk with Daddy and his friends from work. 5 days later, that baby bump was born! Welcome Landon :)

You love the hot tub! We put you in here because you were having an "episode," so I wasn't going to attempt to stuff a screaming baby into a little bathing suit...just clothes off and in you went!

About 2 weeks ago, you weighed 13 lbs, 10 ounces. My growing girl! You have the chubbiest cheeks, perfect for kissing. You still have lots of dark hair, although some has fallen out. Your eyes are getting a tiny bit lighter too. You have mommy's dimple and puffy eyes, and the most perfect lips!

You aren't a huge fan of tummy time, but we do it and you are getting so strong. You always hold your head up and look around at what's going on. You sit in the bumbo seat and your bouncer seat sometimes, and you really like watching anything with lots of colors, sound, and movement. You took the pacifier for about a week but no longer. You're doing lots of drooling and chewing on your fists these days. You've started paying attention to Maggie and Gus too! Those doggies love you, and they can't wait until you can chase them around ;)

You LOVED smiling at Tanya!

Happy Birthday Mimi!

When all else fails, the sound of the waves from the dock will put you to sleep!

This is how we have to hold you and bounce to put you to sleep, although the past few nights, you've fallen asleep on your own in the crib!

You are such a blessing in our lives! I can't wait to watch you grow and learn everyday. I can't say these past 3 months have flown by - there were certainly times I wanted to fast forward to 3 months because everyone told me that's when your colic would go away, but now I'd like time to stop :) I treasure every single second with you, I can't get enough!

I love you so much babydoll!

Happy Fall!

So the weather around here is GORGEOUS and with this recent "cold snap" (highs in the 70s), I'm finally in the mood for fall! I resisted the change, trying to enjoy every last bit of that summer feel, but after way too many days of wind and rain, we're welcoming the change of seasons :) So, we took Kate to a pumpkin patch, my fall candle is burning with all the windows open, and I just enjoyed a pumpkin coffee (decaf - Kate doesn't sleep). 

And I don't even know how many people read this, but for those of you who have been sending happy bottle thoughts our way, THANKS - we're almost there. After trying just about every different bottle and nipple out there, we found the old fashioned playtex drop-ins with the soft brown nipple were the winner. She still isn't a perfect bottler - she'll only take it if she takes a good nap and wakes up hungry, but at least it's a step. Practice makes perfect, right?!
I started this post yesterday, and this morning, she finished a whole bottle for my mom! Wahooo!

Here are pumpkin patch pictures of my babydoll! 

She always has her hands in her mouth and lots of drool these days, but no signs of teeth yet!

I promise she smiles, it's just hard to catch!

Our loot. Let the carving begin!

Happy fall yall!

Hiatus

We are still losing the bottle battle. Let me remind you its been 7 days of attempting a bottle at pretty much every feed, everyday. It goes something like this...

Kate starts to stir, so I rush to get the bottle in the warmer. If she's too upset, she definitely won't take it, so we HURRY. Then (if Brett's at work and my mom isn't already at my house) I text my mom "she's up." We live across the street from my parents, and my mother is WAITING on that text because she is bound and determined to get this baby to take a bottle again. In a few short weeks, I head back to work :( and Mom's a little nervous about watching Kate all day if she won't take a bottle. Understandable, because Kate screams when she's "hungry." Babydoll, your rolls and chub prove you aren't starving. Mom comes right over, and the bottle is never warm yet.

 It takes 5 minutes to heat, but inevitably, every time, I check it at 3 minutes...just to see. Nope, not ready. 

When it's finally warm (and yes, we've tried this with cold and room temp breastmilk) Mom calmly picks Kate up, talks and sings to her, gets her to smile....

and then offers the bottle.

And usually, within 5-10 minutes baby girl is screaming and has maybe taken 1/2 ounce, which has really only happened because it drips in her mouth as she cries and she swallows as a reflex. How's that sound for meal time?! 

Then Mom heads outside, because that always calms Kate down. So she spends another 30 minutes or so walking around the yard, singing "take the bottle" songs to Kate and bouncing her to keep her calm. The whole time, I can't even be in the same room, or God forbid, speak, because as soon as I do, that's it. Game over. Kate knows, no joke.

So now it's been about 45 minutes, Kate is hungry and exhausted, and the bottle is still full.

So we're taking a haitus. I need it. 

I don't mind a baby's crying, but when she's screaming for her mama to nurse, that's tough for me. Call me a softy (my dad does everyday)! I kind of feel like we "fail" when I end up nursing her, and it sure as heck shouldn't be that way. All that this past week has accomplished is a screaming baby, headaches, frustrated family, and a hot knife slicing clogged milk duct. I've done lots of reading and I've talked to lots of people, and the general consensus is that she'll only take the bottle when she wants and currently, she hates the whole experience. We'll try again Wednesday, and I really hope I have good news to report. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, Kate Elizabeth continues to steal our hearts!

 Whatever, Alabama. Gator babies are still cuter ;)

I love you more than anything in this world!!

I know you can do it! Santa's watching :)

Kate's Baptism...and our current battle.

On September 25, Kate was baptized at St. Joseph's, the same church where Brett and I were married back on that sweet May day in 2009! It's the church we've been attending since moving to Stuart, and the pastor who married us has watched my belly grow when we'd see him on Sundays. Although he didn't actually do the baptism, he finally got to meet our Kate that day!

 As if this day wasn't special enough, Kate wore the dress that I was christened in 27 years ago and that my mom wore at her baptism as an infant!

Kate took a quick cat nap during the preceding mass, and then was a PERFECT angel during the baptism service! We were worried that she would just scream the whole time (because she's pretty good at doing that), but she proved us all wrong!

L to R: Kacey (godmother), Brett, me with Kate, and Scotty (godfather)

 Our special altar with our baby doll

 My beautiful girl. Not only did Kate not cry the whole time, she smiled so much afterwards!!

 My family

 Brett's family

More of Brett's family :)

It was a wonderful day! Afterwards, we had a yummy Italian feast back at our house while Kate slept for about 3.5 hours straight! Kate is so blessed with such wonderful family.

Now on to our current battle... the bottle. 

At about 3.5 weeks, we introduced a bottle with my milk and Kate took it like a champ. My mom or Brett would give her one every now and then, and she did just fine. 

Then....

something changed about 2 weeks ago. She absolutely is REFUSING the bottle. Like screaming, crying, arching, gagging...you'd think we were trying to feed her something gross. It's still my breastmilk, it's the same Tommee Tippee bottles, but now that I'm going back to work in about 3 weeks and we really need her to take a bottle, SHE WON'T. 

She is the strongest-willed baby in the world. I've never seen anything like it. 

We've tried everything we can think of.... with me nowhere around, different people, different positions, different places, walking inside, walking and dancing and singing outside, in the bouncer, in the bathtub (yes, we tried. No, it didn't work...), in the morning, daytime, nighttime, middle of the night. Yesterday, she went more than 5 hours without eating (she usually only makes it 3) and she STILL wouldn't take the bottle. You name it, we've probably tried it. PLEASE leave a comment if you have any ideas or suggestions! We are desperate :) 

Here's a picture of today's battle: Kate vs. the bottle 

with my mom and dad. 

Kate won.