Friday, March 2, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
7 Months Old
Wow, I can't believe that baby girl is 7 months old today. Happy birth-iversary Elliott!
She sure is getting a personality on her. She's talking a lot more, even though we don't know what she's saying. She is starting to rock back and forth on her bottom, anticipating that there is going to be a crawl sometime in the near future. She is able to scoot on her bottom about 1-2 feet across the floor. Which is hilarious. And she's got 4 teeth...and a HUGE gap between the two top teeth :B
We got about 30...yes 30 inches of snow this past week, so here's a picture for you. I'm in need of
some new ideas for the blog. Once she get's older, I am sure that she will be a lot more interesting.
But she's cute none the less...
She sure is getting a personality on her. She's talking a lot more, even though we don't know what she's saying. She is starting to rock back and forth on her bottom, anticipating that there is going to be a crawl sometime in the near future. She is able to scoot on her bottom about 1-2 feet across the floor. Which is hilarious. And she's got 4 teeth...and a HUGE gap between the two top teeth :B
some new ideas for the blog. Once she get's older, I am sure that she will be a lot more interesting.
But she's cute none the less...
Monday, January 30, 2012
66 Minutes
Day 1 - 66 minutes of straight crying.
Day 2 - 5 minutes of straight crying.
We're getting there.
So, one of my friends at work said that you can break any habit in 3 days. 3 long days. 3 grueling days. She gave me the idea of 5 minute increments. First, go in after 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, then 15 minutes...and so on and so forth. The first night, we lasted into the 25 minute increment and had 19 minutes to spare. After 2 minutes of silence, I walked in to her room, where she was lying on her belly (she NEVER sleeps on her belly) and huffling and sniffling her way to sleep. That broke my heart. After that, she slept until about 600am. Meanwhile, I cleaned up my pillows and comforter I had outside of her door so I could pretend that she was thinking I'm still a good mother while I let her lay there in misery.
This morning, she woke up at 4am, cried for 5 minutes, we went in, turned on her friends, and she went back to sleep until 630am.
She's getting there. Any suggestions to send our way, you know where to find us.
I will let you know how this third day goes.
Day 2 - 5 minutes of straight crying.
We're getting there.
So, one of my friends at work said that you can break any habit in 3 days. 3 long days. 3 grueling days. She gave me the idea of 5 minute increments. First, go in after 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, then 15 minutes...and so on and so forth. The first night, we lasted into the 25 minute increment and had 19 minutes to spare. After 2 minutes of silence, I walked in to her room, where she was lying on her belly (she NEVER sleeps on her belly) and huffling and sniffling her way to sleep. That broke my heart. After that, she slept until about 600am. Meanwhile, I cleaned up my pillows and comforter I had outside of her door so I could pretend that she was thinking I'm still a good mother while I let her lay there in misery.
This morning, she woke up at 4am, cried for 5 minutes, we went in, turned on her friends, and she went back to sleep until 630am.
She's getting there. Any suggestions to send our way, you know where to find us.
I will let you know how this third day goes.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
6 Month Checkup
Well, Baby Girl is officially 6 months. The doctor was shocked to hear that she had 3, yes 3 teeth! She is growing fast and is weighing in at 16lbs, 10oz and is 26-1/2 inches long. Overall, she's in the 80th percentile. And here's the big shocker...her head circumference (44-1/2cm) is the 98th percentile. Not really a shocker.
So far, she's is sitting up on her own when put in that position but she's not quite there with pushing herself up into sitting. Mom, the PT, is still working on this. She's starting to solve problems on her own and is beginning to LOVE her doggies. It's a good thing they like their ears tugged. Her favorite food has to be green beans or sweet potatoes and I can't get her to eat fruit even if I pay her. The doctor gave us the go-ahead for letting her "cry it out" at night, since she is still waking up at night and taking food. I think this is because she's soon to cut her next tooth, but he thinks it might be behavioral. We shall see Dr. Frand.
I bought her some blocks today because she did so well with her shots. At least it made me feel better.
So far, she's is sitting up on her own when put in that position but she's not quite there with pushing herself up into sitting. Mom, the PT, is still working on this. She's starting to solve problems on her own and is beginning to LOVE her doggies. It's a good thing they like their ears tugged. Her favorite food has to be green beans or sweet potatoes and I can't get her to eat fruit even if I pay her. The doctor gave us the go-ahead for letting her "cry it out" at night, since she is still waking up at night and taking food. I think this is because she's soon to cut her next tooth, but he thinks it might be behavioral. We shall see Dr. Frand.
I bought her some blocks today because she did so well with her shots. At least it made me feel better.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Happy New Year!
I'm getting really lazy about posting on the blog these days. A near 6 month old is taking all of my time as is my soon to be 33 year old.
The holiday season was very good to us and we were very fortunate to share it in our first home together. We were surrounded by a good portion of our family (my family was still in Wisconsin) and it was the first Christmas in 12 years that I did not travel. I know that they say that home is where your heart is, but I can't help but admit that there's a bit of my heart in Wisconsin. Here is a picture of us at our tree, complete with the angel that I've had on my tree ever since I was Elliott's age.
Elliott loved ripping apart the gifts and playing with the paper! It makes you appreciate the fact that it's the little things that make the holiday season. May everyone have a wonderful year and cheers!
The holiday season was very good to us and we were very fortunate to share it in our first home together. We were surrounded by a good portion of our family (my family was still in Wisconsin) and it was the first Christmas in 12 years that I did not travel. I know that they say that home is where your heart is, but I can't help but admit that there's a bit of my heart in Wisconsin. Here is a picture of us at our tree, complete with the angel that I've had on my tree ever since I was Elliott's age.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
All she wants for Christmas
Are her two [bottom] front teeth. Yes ladies and gentlemen, she has her first two teeth. Now, this means a few things:
A) the reason that the Scheider household has not been sleeping has become very clear
B) her consistent warm forehead for the last week now makes sense
C) it's time to seriously consider weaning from breastfeeding
Now, much to my surprise, I actually enjoy nursing baby E (for those of you who knew me pre-pregnancy, remember how I was not very excited about this?) and am kind of disappointed that this happened so soon. There's definitely a difference in the comfort level between no baby teeth to (BAM!) two teeth chomping at the bit. Looks like I'm going to be pumping for the most part, since I'm still producing like a cow - stocking a nuclear bomb shelter for nutrients and food supply. You should see my freezer.
She's growing up so fast! I wish she'd stay still for a picture of the two little gems on her mandible, but alas, we have a squirmy baby. Once the teeth start growing a bit more than the surface, I will try and post a picture. Until then, Happy Holidays - we here at the Scheider house have oodles to be thankful for.
A) the reason that the Scheider household has not been sleeping has become very clear
B) her consistent warm forehead for the last week now makes sense
C) it's time to seriously consider weaning from breastfeeding
Now, much to my surprise, I actually enjoy nursing baby E (for those of you who knew me pre-pregnancy, remember how I was not very excited about this?) and am kind of disappointed that this happened so soon. There's definitely a difference in the comfort level between no baby teeth to (BAM!) two teeth chomping at the bit. Looks like I'm going to be pumping for the most part, since I'm still producing like a cow - stocking a nuclear bomb shelter for nutrients and food supply. You should see my freezer.
She's growing up so fast! I wish she'd stay still for a picture of the two little gems on her mandible, but alas, we have a squirmy baby. Once the teeth start growing a bit more than the surface, I will try and post a picture. Until then, Happy Holidays - we here at the Scheider house have oodles to be thankful for.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Dear Daddy-
Thank you for my ridiculously large, above average sized, but normally shaped head.
Love,
Elliott
Love,
Elliott
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
4 Months Old...and a McDreamy in her future.
I can't believe that baby girl is four months old today! Well, today we went to the doctor (our new doctor, Dr. Frand) and he gave us some updates:
Baby Elliott (who at first, he thought was a boy) weighs 14lbs, 7.5oz, which puts her in the 50-70th percentile (Mama's milk is good to her). She is 25 3/4 inches long, which puts her in the 95th percentile (tall parents...) and her head is 41 3/4cm (16.4 inches) which puts her in the 75-90th percentile (re: Daddy's head). Speaking of her head. Today, I heard the word that no other Mother would want to hear. "Neurosurgeon." Now, I know this was meant to be an uplifting post, but I'm kind of having a hard time with keeping it optimistic. Despite the image that popped into my head (it was that of McDreamy), I knew that the question that I asked regarding the ridges in her occipital bone had sparked something in the pediatrician's brain. Now being the physical therapist that I am, I had been keeping a delicate eye out for plagiocephaly and torticollis (neither of which she has...as of right now). So, the doctor thinks that going to the neurosurgeon will do one of two things. It will either give us peace of mind knowing that she has a ginormous head or she will give us a diagnosis of either Lambdoid Craniosynostosis or Plagiocephaly (which would be the better option of the two). Big words aside, it could mean that her occipital bone suture (Lambdoid) may have closed prematurely and they may have to go in and drill some burr holes and make it all better so her brain can grow and develop like any other kiddo. Or that she gets to be one of those cool kids with a helmet for the first year of her life.
Oh, and by the way, I am mildly disappointed that her McDreamy is a she. Maybe I need to find a new Doctor.
So, lets all hope for the best, say a little prayer and know that she'll be okay eventually. Or maybe she's okay right now and we're just being cautious. Either way, she's a sweet little four month old girl.
Oh, and by the way, I am mildly disappointed that her McDreamy is a she. Maybe I need to find a new Doctor.
So, lets all hope for the best, say a little prayer and know that she'll be okay eventually. Or maybe she's okay right now and we're just being cautious. Either way, she's a sweet little four month old girl.
See, I told you. Sweet Baby Girl.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
3 Months Old
Dear Sweet Baby Girl-
My goodness, I can't believe that 3 whole months have gone by since you have made your grand entrance into this wonderful world. You have warmed our hearts and enlightened our minds and reminded Daddy and I about the innocence of a child. You've made our lives important and meaningful in a sense you can't even imagine until you have a child of your own. You've made us better people and you've made us want to be even better. You are our world.
You're growing like a weed (in fact, you got up 3 times last night to feed - aside from your previous 11 hours of consistent sleep for the last few weeks) and your eyes are turning a delicate shade of blue. Your smile lights up the room. Your toes and fingers curl around ours, but you know that we are wrapped around yours. You've almost rolled over onto your belly. You make everything okay with your laughter and silly faces. You don't get very grumpy often, but when you do, you are like a little banshee. But we secretly love that little banshee noise and when we pick you up and you nuzzle next to us, we are quick to forgive you for waking us up and it makes us know that you love us.
You're the sweetest thing that could have ever graced us in this lifetime.
Love you,
Mommy...and Daddy too
My goodness, I can't believe that 3 whole months have gone by since you have made your grand entrance into this wonderful world. You have warmed our hearts and enlightened our minds and reminded Daddy and I about the innocence of a child. You've made our lives important and meaningful in a sense you can't even imagine until you have a child of your own. You've made us better people and you've made us want to be even better. You are our world.
You're growing like a weed (in fact, you got up 3 times last night to feed - aside from your previous 11 hours of consistent sleep for the last few weeks) and your eyes are turning a delicate shade of blue. Your smile lights up the room. Your toes and fingers curl around ours, but you know that we are wrapped around yours. You've almost rolled over onto your belly. You make everything okay with your laughter and silly faces. You don't get very grumpy often, but when you do, you are like a little banshee. But we secretly love that little banshee noise and when we pick you up and you nuzzle next to us, we are quick to forgive you for waking us up and it makes us know that you love us.
You're the sweetest thing that could have ever graced us in this lifetime.
Love you,
Mommy...and Daddy too
Happy 3 Months, Elliott!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Three
Three is a great number. It's the number of people in my family (excluding doggies), Baby E has now been on three plane rides since she has been born and we have three weeks until a big move. For some people, they don't even go on three plane rides in their life time. Yes, three. Why three you ask? One of the plane flights was a one-way ticket to our new home, Denver, Colorado. Yes, we have moved. It's pretty nice to have weather that is half the temperature of that in the last place that you lived (it's a blustery 57 degrees outside, where as in Phoenix, it was 114).
Currently we are living with Scott's parents in their basement (insert jealous glares here) and waiting to close on a house. We did have a house before we came, but things fell through and now, we have just accepted a counteroffer on a different house (one we both like better, so it worked out).
So, three weeks until we move into our new house. I will post some pictures of our new adventures when I get a chance as myhouse basement room is in shambles.
Currently we are living with Scott's parents in their basement (insert jealous glares here) and waiting to close on a house. We did have a house before we came, but things fell through and now, we have just accepted a counteroffer on a different house (one we both like better, so it worked out).
So, three weeks until we move into our new house. I will post some pictures of our new adventures when I get a chance as my
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Dear Lady in 3C:
Yes, you unfortunately are the one that is "stuck" with the baby on the plane, despite being catty-corner behind me. I'd like to point out the obvious fact that there are 4 toddlers between the ages of 1 and 3 that are already screaming on the plane. You have to point out to me that I have brought an infant on the plane. Thank you for making me self conscious about it. I hope the toddler behinds you screams in your ear and pulls your hair, forcing you to apologize to the innocent baby in my sling. I also appreciate the advice that you gave me to "stick a pacifier in her mouth to quiet her down" upon the initial descent into the Milwaukee area. I'd like to stick a pacifier in your mouth to quiet you down. XoXo, Shari and Elliott
Yes, I was that jerk, the jerk that brought a baby (yes, a 5 week old baby) on a plane. Baby E had her first official long distance adventure. Really, it was an adventure for me. It was a gift to my Mother for her 60th birthday. The adventure started as I attempted to use a public restroom with baby E in her sling (I used the My Baby Nest, which was awesome) - this turned out OK, seeing as though I hadn't yet been in an airplane bathroom, which is 1/4 of the size of the one I got to use on the ground. Needless to say, I have a new appreciation for public restrooms.
So, how do you prepare to take a baby on the plane? I had done some research that advised me to bring a bottle and feed her as we started to take off and as we started to land. Now, for a baby that has not flown before, I would assume that there is some degree of overstimulation within the environment. So, I had packed two bottles with cold breastmilk and I was ready to go. With baby E, she does not like cold bottles, in fact, she hates them. I choose to ignore this fact and I paid the price. As we were taking off, I started to feed her and she went bananas. So, I quickly hustled the bottle away and whipped out a fresh nipple. After she realized that there was indeed too much stuff going on, she threw up. Everywhere. There were three and a half hours left on this flight. I burped her and she promptly returned to feeding and she was quiet the remainder of inflight. Now we get to my thank you letter above. You can imagine the degree of fumes that are coming out of my ears as I experienced 3C's comments first hand. I simply minded my P's and Q's and ignored her comments and for the record, I was already armed with pacifier in hand.
Note to self and lesson learned: Feed 1 hour prior to boarding and use a pacifier with cabin pressure changes. Oh, and try to have the seat next to you empty.
Well, needless to say that Grandma was surprised and my entire family got to meet little baby E. We even got to take a four generation picture since baby E was officially a girl. All in all, it was an amazing trip. I'm glad to be home, but it's good to know that you can always go home, even if it's just for five short days.
Yes, I was that jerk, the jerk that brought a baby (yes, a 5 week old baby) on a plane. Baby E had her first official long distance adventure. Really, it was an adventure for me. It was a gift to my Mother for her 60th birthday. The adventure started as I attempted to use a public restroom with baby E in her sling (I used the My Baby Nest, which was awesome) - this turned out OK, seeing as though I hadn't yet been in an airplane bathroom, which is 1/4 of the size of the one I got to use on the ground. Needless to say, I have a new appreciation for public restrooms.
So, how do you prepare to take a baby on the plane? I had done some research that advised me to bring a bottle and feed her as we started to take off and as we started to land. Now, for a baby that has not flown before, I would assume that there is some degree of overstimulation within the environment. So, I had packed two bottles with cold breastmilk and I was ready to go. With baby E, she does not like cold bottles, in fact, she hates them. I choose to ignore this fact and I paid the price. As we were taking off, I started to feed her and she went bananas. So, I quickly hustled the bottle away and whipped out a fresh nipple. After she realized that there was indeed too much stuff going on, she threw up. Everywhere. There were three and a half hours left on this flight. I burped her and she promptly returned to feeding and she was quiet the remainder of inflight. Now we get to my thank you letter above. You can imagine the degree of fumes that are coming out of my ears as I experienced 3C's comments first hand. I simply minded my P's and Q's and ignored her comments and for the record, I was already armed with pacifier in hand.
Note to self and lesson learned: Feed 1 hour prior to boarding and use a pacifier with cabin pressure changes. Oh, and try to have the seat next to you empty.
Well, needless to say that Grandma was surprised and my entire family got to meet little baby E. We even got to take a four generation picture since baby E was officially a girl. All in all, it was an amazing trip. I'm glad to be home, but it's good to know that you can always go home, even if it's just for five short days.
Friday, August 12, 2011
5 Weeks
Oh my stars, I can't believe my little girl is 5 weeks old today. She's growing like a weed! She's already about 10lbs (on my scale - which lies all the time, so accuracy is not guaranteed) and 24 inches long. She's already 2 feet tall. My goodness.
So, things are going well, Operation: Keep Ellie Awake All Day is slowly getting underway. My problem is - I love watching her sleep, and I love watching her sleep on me. She's so adorable, I know that I am impartial since it's my child...but seriously...adorable. Things to help keep her awake include:
Her squishy elephant
Anything that makes noise
Her reflection in the mirror
Dad singing
Toddlers and Tiaras
Doggie kisses
Mom yelling at the dogs
Things that put her to sleep:
The SOOTHIE pacifier (which she only takes if she's nearly full and fussy and there's no other solution - she refuses any other brand)
Uncle Joe's Blanket
Keeping up with the Kardashians (puts me to sleep too)
Rocking in the chair
Her Carseat
She sleeps for about 1-2 hour naps during the day (we try this at least) and then 5-6 hour stretches still with our routine (woohoo!). I can't tell how the doggies feel about her yet, she just kinda lies there and Sarge will be the curious one and Tank wants nothing to do with her (however, when I got up to get some cereal this morning, I returned to the couch to find them both lying next to her). Either way, they are overall handling the adjustment pretty well, except for their significantly louder barking. She's a sound sleeper and she could sleep through a Mack truck coming through the living room wall if she's in this position:
Now if only I can get her to do it for 7 hours straight...I told you, adorable.
So, things are going well, Operation: Keep Ellie Awake All Day is slowly getting underway. My problem is - I love watching her sleep, and I love watching her sleep on me. She's so adorable, I know that I am impartial since it's my child...but seriously...adorable. Things to help keep her awake include:
Her squishy elephant
Anything that makes noise
Her reflection in the mirror
Dad singing
Toddlers and Tiaras
Doggie kisses
Mom yelling at the dogs
Things that put her to sleep:
The SOOTHIE pacifier (which she only takes if she's nearly full and fussy and there's no other solution - she refuses any other brand)
Uncle Joe's Blanket
Keeping up with the Kardashians (puts me to sleep too)
Rocking in the chair
Her Carseat
She sleeps for about 1-2 hour naps during the day (we try this at least) and then 5-6 hour stretches still with our routine (woohoo!). I can't tell how the doggies feel about her yet, she just kinda lies there and Sarge will be the curious one and Tank wants nothing to do with her (however, when I got up to get some cereal this morning, I returned to the couch to find them both lying next to her). Either way, they are overall handling the adjustment pretty well, except for their significantly louder barking. She's a sound sleeper and she could sleep through a Mack truck coming through the living room wall if she's in this position:
Now if only I can get her to do it for 7 hours straight...I told you, adorable.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Sleep Deprivation
When Baby E arrived, I doubted everyone that told me and warned me about sleep deprivation. I said, I refuse for that to be us and my child will sleep through the night. End. Of. Story.
Well, that's not the end of the story. Not by far. If you remember me posting about 3 weeks ago how Elliott slept through the night for 6 hours, that has since gone away. We had a rough patch where she was waking up and feeding nearly every hour, on the hour, demanding (with this blood curdling cry) that she be fed. She's just like her Mom. My life gave new meaning to the words "Sleep Deprivation." The words had new definitions in my dictionary that were sure to include things such as "you will run into walls when walking," "you will try and breastfeed your husband," "you will stand up and realize that she's not even crying," "you will put a diaper on your dog," and my favorite "you will breakdown, crying and not know what to do at 2:45am."
About week 2 1/2, I started to look for a solution. You may think to yourself - "Really?!? a solution to a crying newborn? This chick is delusional." Yep, a solution. So started my quest to find a fix to not getting ANY sleep. This past Sunday, I think I found one.
No, it's not replacing milk for wine, vodka or spirits.
Elliott and I started a routine. Step 1: wear out Elliott, keep her awake for as much of the day as I can. Step 2: Around her 8 or 9pm feeding, I take her into the bedroom, lay her down (while she is crying....yes, I'm a terrible parent), get ready for bed myself, turn down all the lights so there is just a glimmer coming from the closet and feed her until she could suckle no more. I imagine that God will forgive her for being so gluttonous. I cuddle with her for 30 minutes to make sure she doesn't aspirate and lay her down in her bassinet.
She sleeps for 5 hours straight.
See above paragraph, repeat. Another 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep for the last 4 days...each. From 9pm-2am, 5 glorious hours of glorious, beautiful sleep.
Ahhhh.
Well, that's not the end of the story. Not by far. If you remember me posting about 3 weeks ago how Elliott slept through the night for 6 hours, that has since gone away. We had a rough patch where she was waking up and feeding nearly every hour, on the hour, demanding (with this blood curdling cry) that she be fed. She's just like her Mom. My life gave new meaning to the words "Sleep Deprivation." The words had new definitions in my dictionary that were sure to include things such as "you will run into walls when walking," "you will try and breastfeed your husband," "you will stand up and realize that she's not even crying," "you will put a diaper on your dog," and my favorite "you will breakdown, crying and not know what to do at 2:45am."
About week 2 1/2, I started to look for a solution. You may think to yourself - "Really?!? a solution to a crying newborn? This chick is delusional." Yep, a solution. So started my quest to find a fix to not getting ANY sleep. This past Sunday, I think I found one.
No, it's not replacing milk for wine, vodka or spirits.
Elliott and I started a routine. Step 1: wear out Elliott, keep her awake for as much of the day as I can. Step 2: Around her 8 or 9pm feeding, I take her into the bedroom, lay her down (while she is crying....yes, I'm a terrible parent), get ready for bed myself, turn down all the lights so there is just a glimmer coming from the closet and feed her until she could suckle no more. I imagine that God will forgive her for being so gluttonous. I cuddle with her for 30 minutes to make sure she doesn't aspirate and lay her down in her bassinet.
She sleeps for 5 hours straight.
See above paragraph, repeat. Another 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep for the last 4 days...each. From 9pm-2am, 5 glorious hours of glorious, beautiful sleep.
Ahhhh.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Things I Know
Time sure flies, there's no doubt about that. Now, baby Elliott is nearing her 3rd week in this world, and I am absolutely amazed. I can't believe she is getting so big and so personable. She looks at me now, and her Daddy with utter amusement, smiling here and there, not to mention she smiles when she poops and you're holding her. I've been lucky enough to catch some of the smiles on camera and lucky enough to not catch any poop on my clothes. I have, however, been peed on and thrown up on, both of which are likely not stopping anytime soon. I can only hope that Scott gets to experience this as some point.
I took my chance at taking newborn photos by myself - would I do it again, yes...I suppose I would, considering I think they turned out pretty darn good. Note to self, if you want pictures of your newborn outside, don't have a baby in Arizona in July. Here's one of my favorite shots (after which she peed all over the blanket):
I have some super awesome editing software that makes the photo look semi-professional, it's all a matter of catching the right smile. I think I may look into a photography class sometime in the near future to occupy my time as a stay at home mom. If you like what you see - check out www.paintthemoon.net/blog to see how you can get your own.
There are some things that I've noticed about baby E in her first few weeks of life:
-She hates her pacifier, except when there's nothing else to do but hold her and try and keep her calm, even then, she spits it out. This is a good thing, since I hate pacifiers too.
-Her witching hour(s) last about 2 hours total and usually occurs at or around 10pm. After which, she sleeps about 4-5 hours. The witching hour(s) is(are) not a myth. It does exist.
-She has her Daddy's feet.
-And his tree trunk legs.
-She has my lips.
-She is a perfect mix of the both of us, she has a very calm temperament and she is one of the easiest babies to take care of.
-She is growing like a weed and is an eating machine.
-She loves Mom's milk and she's getting plenty of it. I should have named her Chunk, she does a pretty darn good Truffle Shuffle after she eats.
-She now weighs well over 8lbs and has grown over an inch since she was born.
Things that I've noticed about myself:
-I can function on 2 hours of sleep.
-I can produce enough milk to feed a cow, and my Mom should have named me Bessie.
-I hope that she has Daddy's eyes, since I melt each time I look into his, it would be better to see them on her too.
-I'm sad that Elliott won't be my little girl for very much longer.
-My heart melts every time she grabs my hand.
-We have one sweet baby girl.
I took my chance at taking newborn photos by myself - would I do it again, yes...I suppose I would, considering I think they turned out pretty darn good. Note to self, if you want pictures of your newborn outside, don't have a baby in Arizona in July. Here's one of my favorite shots (after which she peed all over the blanket):
I have some super awesome editing software that makes the photo look semi-professional, it's all a matter of catching the right smile. I think I may look into a photography class sometime in the near future to occupy my time as a stay at home mom. If you like what you see - check out www.paintthemoon.net/blog to see how you can get your own.
There are some things that I've noticed about baby E in her first few weeks of life:
-She hates her pacifier, except when there's nothing else to do but hold her and try and keep her calm, even then, she spits it out. This is a good thing, since I hate pacifiers too.
-Her witching hour(s) last about 2 hours total and usually occurs at or around 10pm. After which, she sleeps about 4-5 hours. The witching hour(s) is(are) not a myth. It does exist.
-She has her Daddy's feet.
-And his tree trunk legs.
-She has my lips.
-She is a perfect mix of the both of us, she has a very calm temperament and she is one of the easiest babies to take care of.
-She is growing like a weed and is an eating machine.
-She loves Mom's milk and she's getting plenty of it. I should have named her Chunk, she does a pretty darn good Truffle Shuffle after she eats.
-She now weighs well over 8lbs and has grown over an inch since she was born.
Things that I've noticed about myself:
-I can function on 2 hours of sleep.
-I can produce enough milk to feed a cow, and my Mom should have named me Bessie.
-I hope that she has Daddy's eyes, since I melt each time I look into his, it would be better to see them on her too.
-I'm sad that Elliott won't be my little girl for very much longer.
-My heart melts every time she grabs my hand.
-We have one sweet baby girl.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Week 1
Wow.
Those three little letters sum up the slew of emotions that I've had over the last 8 days. Really, these last 8 days have gone by so fast and I don't even know where time has gone. Baby Elliott Mae Scheider was born last Friday, July 8th at 12:34pm, weighing in 1 week early at a whopping 8lbs, 20inches. Needless to say, Maternal Instinct won out in the end. Even to the minute of delivery, when my Doctor asked as she was pulling her out "Dad, what did you say?" and he replied eagerly "BOY!" and then she asked me and said "Mom, what did you say?" and I replied sternly, "GIRL." She then said, "Well, Mom wins." That's when Scott and I lost it. I saw the tears well up in his eyes and I thought that the Doctor was lying to me. I simply said "Really?" and Scott simply said, "She's perfect." And our lives changed forever.
I should have listened to my friend's advice regarding recovery from a C-section. Take. It. Slow. (Thanks, Robyn), but alas, I did not and hindered my recovery a few days by working myself and my body into pure exhaustion. But, oh well. Needless to say, I am now off a clear liquid diet, keeping down my meals, eating a nice, balanced diet so I can provide for the little one (which could be a whole other blog entry in itself!). I won't go into the details of the delivery, or the narcotics that were needed the first 4 days. In the end, Scott and I were blessed with a perfect little bundle.
She sleeps about 4-5 hours at a time (I know, right?) and is growing like a weed. I can't wait to work up the energy to take some pictures to share with you....but for now, I will leave you with this one. It's my favorite so far.
Enjoy the new blog and the adventures of the first few weeks/months/years!
Those three little letters sum up the slew of emotions that I've had over the last 8 days. Really, these last 8 days have gone by so fast and I don't even know where time has gone. Baby Elliott Mae Scheider was born last Friday, July 8th at 12:34pm, weighing in 1 week early at a whopping 8lbs, 20inches. Needless to say, Maternal Instinct won out in the end. Even to the minute of delivery, when my Doctor asked as she was pulling her out "Dad, what did you say?" and he replied eagerly "BOY!" and then she asked me and said "Mom, what did you say?" and I replied sternly, "GIRL." She then said, "Well, Mom wins." That's when Scott and I lost it. I saw the tears well up in his eyes and I thought that the Doctor was lying to me. I simply said "Really?" and Scott simply said, "She's perfect." And our lives changed forever.
I should have listened to my friend's advice regarding recovery from a C-section. Take. It. Slow. (Thanks, Robyn), but alas, I did not and hindered my recovery a few days by working myself and my body into pure exhaustion. But, oh well. Needless to say, I am now off a clear liquid diet, keeping down my meals, eating a nice, balanced diet so I can provide for the little one (which could be a whole other blog entry in itself!). I won't go into the details of the delivery, or the narcotics that were needed the first 4 days. In the end, Scott and I were blessed with a perfect little bundle.
She sleeps about 4-5 hours at a time (I know, right?) and is growing like a weed. I can't wait to work up the energy to take some pictures to share with you....but for now, I will leave you with this one. It's my favorite so far.
Enjoy the new blog and the adventures of the first few weeks/months/years!
Friday, July 8, 2011
5 Hours
I can't believe the day is here (for the most part I don't think this little one has turned) and in 5 hours, I'll be in surgery to give birth to the true Wonder of this blog. Whether it's a boy or a girl, I'll love it either way and I will keep the promise that I gave on day 1 that I will love it unconditionally for the rest of it's life, no matter what happens. For those of you who continuously ask me if I'm excited, I think I can finally answer yes to this question. I'm excited to see the little munchkin for the first time and hear it sigh as it rests on my chest after leaving my womb. I'm excited to nuzzle it, I'm excited to see it's baby blue eyes and I'm excited to see Scott melt when he holds them for the first time. I'm excited to put a face and a name to the cause for my pelvic pain, hourly trips to the bathroom, cheeseburger cravings, and rib pain. I'm excited to be a Mom and to start a new chapter in our blog. I hope you continue to read as our lives expand and I experience Motherhood for the first time.
I guess it wouldn't be fair if I didn't end this part of our blog journey, especially since Scott has determined that I've officially swayed the pool for it to be a girl. But, he's wrong. I'm just saving the last few for him so now, he can relish in the fact that the old hags think that I'm having a boy. So - at the baby shower, we did quite a few OWTs, I just haven't posted them to throw off Scott. All but one of them said we'r e having a boy. I've already explained about the napkin and the key, so I'll list the other ones so there are no "discrepancies" in the blog. So, here goes -
If you tie a string to Mom's wedding ring and place it over her belly and you see it go head to toe in a line, you're having a GIRL and if you see it go hip to hip, you are having a BOY. This one went to the GIRL.
If you place 2 pillows on chairs, one with a fork and one with a spoon underneath it and you have Mom sit on one of the pillows. If Mom sits on the pillow with the Spoon, she is having a BOY and if she sits on the pillow with the Fork, she is having a GIRL. My Mom always said the baby would have a silver spoon up it's you know what and she was right...his one went to the BOY.
If you shake salt in Mom's hair, according to Romanian folklore, you will see Mom start to itch. If she itches her nose, it's a BOY and if she itches her lip, it's a GIRL. I went straight for the nose. BOY.
GIRL - 19
BOY - 19
I'll throw in a tie breaker. Since we didn't open presents at the shower and we waited until we came home, only a few people saw this one happen. I'm a pretty impatient person, so when it comes to opening gifts, I just can't wait - which is the tell tale sign that I'm having a BOY. If the Mom takes her time, it's a GIRL. So, no tie here...
GIRL - 19
BOY - 20
Popular vote - BOY
GIRL - 19
BOY - 21
Maternal instinct - GIRL
GIRL - 20
BOY - 21
Thanks to all who had a part in this blog and have enjoyed reading so far...I've enjoyed sharing this part of my life and this wonder with you all and I can't believe the day is finally here. Lots of love and thank you for all of your prayers and support. Scott and I appreciate it and we are so blessed that you will all be a part of little baby Scheider's life.
I guess it wouldn't be fair if I didn't end this part of our blog journey, especially since Scott has determined that I've officially swayed the pool for it to be a girl. But, he's wrong. I'm just saving the last few for him so now, he can relish in the fact that the old hags think that I'm having a boy. So - at the baby shower, we did quite a few OWTs, I just haven't posted them to throw off Scott. All but one of them said we'r e having a boy. I've already explained about the napkin and the key, so I'll list the other ones so there are no "discrepancies" in the blog. So, here goes -
If you tie a string to Mom's wedding ring and place it over her belly and you see it go head to toe in a line, you're having a GIRL and if you see it go hip to hip, you are having a BOY. This one went to the GIRL.
If you place 2 pillows on chairs, one with a fork and one with a spoon underneath it and you have Mom sit on one of the pillows. If Mom sits on the pillow with the Spoon, she is having a BOY and if she sits on the pillow with the Fork, she is having a GIRL. My Mom always said the baby would have a silver spoon up it's you know what and she was right...his one went to the BOY.
If you shake salt in Mom's hair, according to Romanian folklore, you will see Mom start to itch. If she itches her nose, it's a BOY and if she itches her lip, it's a GIRL. I went straight for the nose. BOY.
GIRL - 19
BOY - 19
I'll throw in a tie breaker. Since we didn't open presents at the shower and we waited until we came home, only a few people saw this one happen. I'm a pretty impatient person, so when it comes to opening gifts, I just can't wait - which is the tell tale sign that I'm having a BOY. If the Mom takes her time, it's a GIRL. So, no tie here...
GIRL - 19
BOY - 20
Popular vote - BOY
GIRL - 19
BOY - 21
Maternal instinct - GIRL
GIRL - 20
BOY - 21
Thanks to all who had a part in this blog and have enjoyed reading so far...I've enjoyed sharing this part of my life and this wonder with you all and I can't believe the day is finally here. Lots of love and thank you for all of your prayers and support. Scott and I appreciate it and we are so blessed that you will all be a part of little baby Scheider's life.
Friday, July 1, 2011
7 Days
I'm better now. I'm officially off duty at the hospital since the MD and I don't want to go into premature labor and have early rupture of all the goodness that's going to explode out next friday...in one week. We'd like to prevent any chance of an emergency C-section if at all possible. However, I'm still teaching and some of my friends think I'm crazy, but...it keeps my mind off of how our lives are going to change in 7 days. It's amazing, people keep asking me..."aren't you hot?" "Aren't you ready?" "Aren't you glad that you aren't going to be pregnant for the rest of the summer?" I simply reply - "yes, I'm hot, aren't you, it's 117 degrees outside." "No, I'm prepared - I don't think you can ever be ready for something like this." and finally, "yes." I can't say that I want my pregnancy to be over at this point, I think that despite how uncomfortable it is to have a 7lb baby swinging from your ribcage on a minutely basis, I'm going to miss it. I'm going to miss the comfort of knowing that this little one is safe inside my belly and nothing can harm it, even if I'm overheating to a core temperature of 150degrees. I'm going to miss the hiccups and the monumental movements that make me shutter and wake in the middle of the night. I may even miss the hourly trips to the bathroom. Probably not. I don't think I'm ready for this, but what's even sweeter to know, is that I don't think that the world is ready for the next Scheider. Watch out world, it's on the way and it's a mere 7 days away.
7 days from now, I will be packing a bag and going to the hospital. 7 days from now, I will be holding my husband's hand while the doctor tries to get that stubborn little baby out, butt first. 7 days from now, I will be holding my future. It's a pretty radical thought if you ask me. But ask me again in 6 days...and we'll see how excited I am...or nervous for this life changing event.
I can't wait to snuggle the little one though and melt when I look into their eyes.
7 days from now, I will be packing a bag and going to the hospital. 7 days from now, I will be holding my husband's hand while the doctor tries to get that stubborn little baby out, butt first. 7 days from now, I will be holding my future. It's a pretty radical thought if you ask me. But ask me again in 6 days...and we'll see how excited I am...or nervous for this life changing event.
I can't wait to snuggle the little one though and melt when I look into their eyes.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
38 Weeks
I'm exhausted. I'm in pain. This morning, Scott and I got up at 4am (yes, 4am) to go to the hospital. Now, this visit was scheduled, not a surprise. Since last week, the baby had not turned back around on its own so we went in to the hospital to have some ECV (External Cepahlic Versions) done ... aka... WWF. Needless to say, at the quote of a very good friend of ours, the baby is going to be exiting into the world with a championship belt in its hands. Now for those of you who don't know what this is or how it's done, feel free to Youtube it - now remember, there are different videos out there and per Scott's report, It looked like the Doctor was picking up my uterus and trying to turn it around in my abdomen, like she was Heismanning it like a football. What I felt (thank goodness I was sedated to a point), was the doctor reaching into my bowels and picking out my different organs to sell on the black market - and she was just moving the baby out of the way to get to them, it wasn't painful, just very awkward and uncomfortable. Since the baby is so high on my ribcage and my abdomen is so tiny, the baby moved maybe 3 hours on a clock, from 11 -> 2. She wanted it to move from 11 -> 6 so it could go head down and I could try for a vaginal birth. No such luck. Upon 20 minutes (the longest our Doctor said she's ever done these movements), she gave up. The baby was NOT going to move and it was plenty comfortable laying in my abdomen as if it were laying on the outside of my belly, prone. Stubborn little child, I wonder where it gets that from...
Now, the doctor gave us the option of returning at 39 weeks to have the ECV movements done again and I politely declined. If I'm supposed to have this baby vaginally, it will turn in the next 10 days and if not, it will be born into this world, kicking and screaming from my lower abdomen. Something tells me that the Doctor will win this fight and Scott and I will be parents next Friday, July 8th, 2011.
I'm going to go back to sleep now so I can try and get some rest to go to work tomorrow. I'm sorry that there is no OWT for you and you'll hear from me sometime next week pre-Ceasarian. Thanks for all the well wishes and positive thoughts! 10 days!
Now, the doctor gave us the option of returning at 39 weeks to have the ECV movements done again and I politely declined. If I'm supposed to have this baby vaginally, it will turn in the next 10 days and if not, it will be born into this world, kicking and screaming from my lower abdomen. Something tells me that the Doctor will win this fight and Scott and I will be parents next Friday, July 8th, 2011.
I'm going to go back to sleep now so I can try and get some rest to go to work tomorrow. I'm sorry that there is no OWT for you and you'll hear from me sometime next week pre-Ceasarian. Thanks for all the well wishes and positive thoughts! 10 days!
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