Amelia Sleeps!

Oh happy day... or should I say morning?! Just wanted to let everyone know that Amelia slept through the night. We did have a rough start. Mommy gave Amelia a bath with her rubber ducky and used the lavendar shampoo to help calm her around 8p. Then she fed her, burped her and rocked her. Then she was put down in her crib. But about 4 minutes later she was up again. Then Daddy had a go. Same thing happened. Then Mommy tried again, this time swaddling her arms, feeding her again and then walking and singing to her. At 9:45p, Amelia was passed out in her crib. Mommy woke up at 2:45a and checked on Amelia. Still sleeping soundly, so Mommy pumped for future use then went back to bed. At 6a, Mommy heard Amelia on the monitor. She slept for 8 hours straight! Wowee!


However, there was a downside this morning. After Amelia woke up, Mommy fed her. When she was lifting her to burp her, spit up all over the sheets in bed. Mommy didn't have time to put the burp cloth down in front of her. So Mommy is doing laundry at 7a! Hee hee!


Here are a few pictures! The first is Amelia riding in her stroller sitting up. She likes to sit up and look at the world go by, although you can't tell from this picture! (Click on the picture for a larger view)

Amelia getting her bath last night. She's liking the tub and the water. She was splashing around so much she was getting Mommy all wet. This time Mommy remembered to bring her rubby ducky! (Click on the picture for a larger view)

Amelia meets Poppee!

I don't have to write much... just, "Enjoy."

The Three S's

Thank you to all who helped try and figure out ways to get Amelia to stop crying and sleep. After chatting with my OB about it (she has 3 of her own) she told me about the three S's... swaddle, sway (side to side) and shhh-ing. It worked! So now we swaddle Amelia tightly every night and she's been sleeping up to four hours at a time.

As for my post partum appointment, I'm all healed! Yippee!

More to come...

Oh What a Night!

I'm soliciting for any advice... Last night Amelia cried and cried and cried. She wouldn't go down to sleep. She cried for 2 1/2 hours nearly nonstop. I nursed her, changed her, burped her, sang to her, rocked her, cuddled with her, etc., but nothing would stop the wails from coming out of her mouth. Finally what got her to stop was taking her to bed with me, giving her one last feeding, and then letting her fall asleep on my chest. I don't want this to become a habit, but I just couldn't stand hearing her cry anymore. Are there any suggestions? Remember, she's only 6, almost 7 weeks old. I even let her cry for about 10 minutes, but she still cried. Thanks!

PS She's asleep in her crib right now. I put her down for a nap and she started crying, but then I folded up a blanket and put that under her head. Don't worry... the blanket won't suffocate her. Perhaps she likes to sleep elevated? Maybe it helps the digestion? I guess I'll ask my OB today. I have my Post Partum check up today. Woo hoo!

I'm a growing girl!

Mommy weighed Amelia today on the home scale... and boy has she grown! She weighs a whopping 10 pounds 3 ounces! She's a growing girl! Mommy must be doing something right. Remember, she started our at 6 pounds 8 ounces... and dropped to her lowest weight of 5 pounds 13 ounces... and she's only 6 1/2 weeks old! Wow!

This past weekend Mommy, Daddy and Amelia went to a BBQ and there she met Tiago, Becky and Tony's little boy. He is 3 months old. Here are a few pictures. click on the pics to make them bigger.





This is a picture of Amelia sleeping in her crib with her sleeper on last night. She had just gotten a bath. Oh and she is now enjoying bathtime.

Here is a picture of Amelia wearing a kitty outfit from Barbara and Arthur, our cruise buddies!

Our trip to Florida! (slideshow)

Hooray! We're back from Florida. It was a long trip, but one well worth it. Amelia got to meet her great grandparents and her Great Uncle, second cousin and Great Great Uncle and Aunt. Our days were packed with visits to see great grandpa, Poppee.

As for the flights... Amelia certainly earned her wings. On the Portland Houston run, she got her own seat, which meant I could bring the carseat on board. On the second flight, Houston Ft. Lauderdale, we were seated in the very last row right next to the bathrooms. Ugh! But it was fine. Amelia was a good girl and ate when we took off and landed and slept in between. The only time she was fussy was when we were changing planes and she cried. But that was all. On our trip back, Grandma was with us. The flight from Ft. Lauderdale Houston was fine. Grandma sat by the window and Amelia and I sat on the aisle with a little girl in between us. Then we had lunch in the airport followed by a train ride to the next concourse for our next flight. We even got a ride on one of those electric carts! However, Amelia didn't like it... because it didn't vibrate. Oh well, we can't win 'em all. The Houston Phoenix run was bumpy and it was on a regional jet (50 passengers) and Amelia was a tad bit fussy on that flight. She didn't want to eat during take off and landing... opting to eat before take off and landing. That made for a longer flight. Then we overnighted in Phoenix with Grandma. Poor Amelia was so hot, as it was 110* there. So when we got to the hotel, Amelia only wore her diaper. Needless to say, she felt so much better. :)

While we were in Florida, our days were filled with trips to see Poppee at Lifecare, trips to the doctors, the grocery store, Costco and to see relatives. It was a fast trip, but a trip that needed to be made. We hope to get back down there, this time with Daddy in tow. It's not easy flying alone!

I've attached a slide show of some of the best photos. If the stupid photobucket thing doesn't load, then click on the link that says "View all images"

Amelia is doing fine now. We're trying to get back onto our schedule. She's a bit congested, but I think it's because the air in the airplane cabins are so dry. So we've been taking her in the shower with us because the humidity helps. Her nose seems to be clearing up and she's breathing just fine now. Other than that, everything is going well on our end!

Enjoy the day!

PS If you have any questions about traveling with a small child... feel free to ask. I feel like I'm a pro now! Hee hee hee!

We're Home!

Just wanted to let you know after a wonderful trip to see the Great Grandparents and Grandma, Amelia and I are home. We made it home safely earlier today. Since the hour is late, I will update later. I will also have photos to post... lots of them. And... Amelia is 6weeks old today! She's growing up so fast!

What a visit... so far!

Amelia and I are still in Florida. But every day we have been keeping busy. On Saturday, we saw Uncle Ronny. On Sunday, Poppee came home for a brief visit and Amelia got to meet her cousin Gabe. Today we had our 4 generation picture taken. It looks fantastic. I'll share when we get them back... in a few weeks. Tomorrow we see Holly's Great Aunt and Uncle... Amelia's Great Great Aunt Shirley and Uncle Stanley. Then on Wednesday, Poppee will be coming back home... maybe... for another short visit. On Thursday it's our last day here. :( But we're keeping busy and I am taking LOADS of pictures!

Thanks for keeping up and checking in!

We're here!

Just wanted to let everyone know that Amelia and I made it to Florida in one piece and mommy still has her sanity! The trip went without a hitch and Amelia woke up only to feed during take off and landing. In addition, the only time she was fussy was when we were going from gate to gate in Houston. But other than that, she was a perfect passenger. The passengers were falling for her and one of the flight attendants held her while I rearranged her diaper bag. Amelia even got her own seat on the flight from Portland to Houston which was nice because that was the longer leg of the flight. I must admit, I was nervous because I wasn't certain if Amelia was going to be fussy. I just nursed her during take off and landing and she was good to go. She was changed twice on the trip but I brought along a dozen diapers just in case something happened along the way. Woo hoo! On our flight home, grandma will be flying back with us. We're flying from Ft. Lauderdale to Houston and then to Phoenix. Amelia and I will lay over in Phoenix with grandma and then fly out the next morning. Then grandma will drive home. Exciting times. But over all, I think Amelia earned her wings! :)

Amelia enjoyed meeting her Jejja (great g-ma). And she made it out to see Poppee (great g-pa). In fact Poppee didn't want to stop touching and holding her. It was a great sight to see Poppee smiling and interacting with Amelia. He stayed awake for the whole visit. I took lots of pictures and also took video with the camera. So once I get home, I will be doing a lot of posting... so stay tuned.

The weather here is sunny... and humid. We've got plans to visit other relatives while we're here. But keep watching the blog... I'll be posting.

Leaving on a Jet Plane!

Tonight is the big night! Amelia and I are flying to see Great Grandma & Grandpa in Florida. Should be an interesting trip. We fly out at 12:35a and arrive in Florida at 10:50am with a stop over (short stopover) in Houston. We're all packed and ready to go. Just have to throw a couple of things in the bag still. But we wanted to let everyone know that pictures may be scarce for a week or so... but we'll try to update the blog (text wise) from sunny, humid Florida.


Here's a picture that you might enjoy... my future Husky in the making! (Thanks Sam & Anne!)

I'm Four Weeks Old!

Amelia did really well on the Fourth of July. We kept her indoors for fear that she'd freak out with the firecrackers going off across the street. Emmy did really well, too. We made sure to keep the TV up really loud.

Well, the Munchkin is officially 4 weeks old. On Monday she'll be one month old. My how time flies! I can't believe how quickly she is growing up. I am certainly savoring these moments with her. She doesn't even look like a newborn anymore. I'm so sad! Here's what her development is this week:
Playing with your newborn is a perfect way to gently guide him into his new — and unfamiliar — world. Mobiles with high-contrast patterns and books with photos of babies' faces will captivate him.A play gym full of compelling toys to look at, swipe at, and listen to will give your baby practice with arm, hand, and finger coordination skills — and make lying down more interesting! Although your baby can grab with gusto now, he doesn't yet have the hand-eye coordination to reach for an object you pass in front of him. That skill will develop at about 4 months of age. In the meantime, you'll have to place toys in his hand — your pinky may be an unexpected favorite. At birth, your baby had no idea that his arms and legs were attached to him. That's all changing now as he starts exploring his body. The parts he's discovering first are his hands and feet.Encourage his interest by holding his arms above his head and asking "How big is baby?" or by reciting "This Little Piggy" and counting his toes. Try moving his hands in front of his face so he can see and feel them at the same time.Babies have trouble regulating their body temperature, and their circulation isn't perfect just yet. Keep in mind that some of your baby's body heat escapes through his hands and feet. Make sure little toes and fingers are covered on cold days, particularly when the two of you go outside. Your baby may gurgle, coo, grunt, and hum to express his feelings. A few babies also begin squealing and laughing. Be sure to coo and gurgle back, and talk to your baby face to face. He'll enjoy holding your gaze now.If you have things to do, your baby will still enjoy hearing your voice from across the room. And don't feel silly about talking Motherese or baby talk — babies are particularly attuned to this high-pitched, drawn-out way of communicating that can actually teach your baby about the structure and function of language.Narrate your day to your baby. He'll enjoy your conversation and may even start to chime in with his own comments.

Here's a picture that Eugene took of Amelia... click on it for a larger version.

Happy 4th of July!

Amelia is sound asleep in her crib right now... so I have some time to update the blog with new pictures! Today Eugene came over and took some photos of Amelia. They look really good on the small screen (the camera LCD)! While not the perfect model, Amelia did really well. She nursed once and a wet back drop twice, but she other than that, she was terrific. Thank goodness it was at the very end when the "dam broke". Now I've got to take the curtain to the dry cleaner!

Here's a picture of my little "SUV" asleep at the pump!

And here she is wide awake and sitting up!

Here's my "Little Firecracker". She got the onsie from Jack and Nancy. On the sleeve it says My First Fourth. However, this Little Firecracker looks a bit tired.

We'll see later on how she does with the loud firecrackers tonight. She woke up a few nights ago to the loud thunder, so, I am not too sure how tonight is going to be.

Ranger Girl!

Amelia spent some quality time with Daddy last night. She was helping Daddy cheer on the Texas Rangers in her gear! It was a good game because the Rangers won over the Yankees! Woo hoo!

Here's Amelia after a long day of shopping with Grandma and Grandpa Rake from Saturday.

And here's Amelia sleeping during what should be her tummy time!

Also of note... Amelia gets to go on her first post-utero trip. Next week Mommy and Amelia are travelling to Florida so we can visit Great Grandma and Great Grandpa. We'll be there for a little over a week. Should be in interesting flight. More to come on that later!