Halloween

Happy Halloween!!

My little Captain America, he might be too young to trick or treat but not to save the world!

 Cutest lil' pumpkin in our patch!

Halloween pajamas from Grandma K 

Hanging with grandma and grandpa

My favorite face!!

Is it mean that I think his pouty face is the funniest most sweetest facial expression ever!?!? I can't help but laugh every time he pouts.

Three Months

Happy 3 Months Madden!!



 It’s been a big month for both of us.

The biggest event that happened this month was mommy going back to work and you starting daycare. You've adjusted like a lil' champ! I ask you every morning if your excited to go to Miss Rachel's and play with your friends and you give me big smiles. We have yet to get a bad report on you (knock on wood). You've been such a good baby for Miss Rachael, I feel completely comfortable dropping you off each morning and know your in good hands. Although after I drop you off I really miss you being in the car with me :( I miss talking to you or singing whatever song is on the radio to you and watching you in the rear view mirror. I look forward to getting off work and home to you each night and especially snuggling you all weekend long!

You continue to become less of a newborn and more of an awake and social little person that is interested in everything I do. You follow me everywhere until you get distracted by a light or ceiling fan or the TV. Your head is constantly turning from side to side.

You recently started noticing the puppies so much more. When they are near you follow them all over the place or sit and stare at them. You've started chatting with your "friends" in your bouncy seat and I just think it's the cutest thing. You sit, stare at them and coo, sigh and squeal at them while moving your arms and legs like crazy.

Smiles are much more easy to come by these days, we don’t have to work quite so hard for them. You give me the biggest smiles every morning when I come in to wake you up, it just lights up your whole face and seriously melts my heart. I usually just let you lay in your crib a bit while I lean over to talk to you so I can get as many smiles as possible. It's the best way to start any ones day!

You love when daddy plays with you. He always is trying to steal your nose, you don't understand that yet but you love interacting with him. You follow him around too! Especially when you hear his deep voice you'll look around to find him. Daddy said he asked you if you liked the Chicago Cubs and you smiled, then he asked you if you likes the St. Louis Cardinals and you filled up you diaper!

You finally got to meet your Auntie Tiffany! She came in town at the beginning of October to meet you. She had the magic touch in getting you to sleep every time you saw her. I call her a little "baby whisperer" since after her first visit you sleep from 8pm - 6am with only waking up once to eat. And ever since you've been able to sleep like this most nights!!

Age: 3 months
Weight:  Update at 4 month appt
Length: Update at 4 month appt
Size: Fitting perfectly in clothes 3 months. A few Carter's pj's are getting pretty snug and wont last much longer! Still wearing some 0-3 months and now into 6 month too. Wearing both size 1 and 2 diapers. For cloth diapers: Pocket diapers smallest setting, Thirsties AIO size 1 on medium setting.
Hair: It's definitely lightened up to a light brown and thinned out a bit.
Teeth: Not yet!
Sleeping: Since starting daycare he's started sleeping like a little champ! Bedtime starts around 7-7:30pm, usually wakes up between 12-2 for a feeding then sleeps till around 6-7am, many times he'll wake up around 4 or 5am but will go back down till I go get him for the day.
Eating: Exclusively breast milk!
Movement: Lifting his head while on his tummy and pushing up with his arms. Able to hold his head up steady when being held or pulling him up to a sitting position. Grasping a rattle with his fingers when held to his hand. Holding his paci with the backs of his hands.
Milestones: Started daycare! Pushing up during tummy time. Hold head up steady. Talking!! Starting to bear weight on legs for a few seconds
Favorite Toys/Activities: Eating. Walks in the stroller. Car rides, he usually always falls asleep in the car but the last week or two he's started staying awake, content. Lights and ceiling fans. The T.V! His activity mat and bouncy seat. Staring at the stripes painted on his wall in the nursery and the hanging lanterns. Bath time with daddy! Chewing on his hands.
Dislikes: Being cold, being taken out of the bath to his towel and from the towel to the changing table for diaper and pj's. Not getting enough sleep but who can blame him no one like that!
Words & Sounds: He's making lots more noises this month. Cooing, sighing, saying ah-goo. Squealing. He's really trying to giggle out loud and will make some noises but not a true laugh just yet.

Hey Muffin Top

"Muffin-top" is a generally pejorative slang term used to describe the phenomenon of overhanging fat when it spills over the waistline of pants or skirts in a manner that resembles the top of a muffin spilling over its paper casing.

Hey Muffin Top,

It's about time we part ways. Here we are, going on 3 months postpartum and you haven't budged one bit practically since giving birth. It's not all your fault, I took full advantage of pregnancy and all of its glory by indulging and giving into all my cravings like big delicious cheeseburgers!

Apparently one of the many benefits to breastfeeding is suppose to be burning lots of calories. Most mama's have an easy time losing weights by not doing anything besides BF.

I hate them. It's a lie! At least for me anyways. I apparently can't eat whatever I want while breastfeeding and lose any amount of weight.

None of my work pants fit.

All my shirts are too tight.

It’s getting too cold for dresses.

I can only get away with wearing one pair of my yoga pants to work (yes I sneak them!).

I don’t have enough shirts/dresses to wear with leggings for more than two days a week.

I don’t have one pair of non-maternity jeans that fit.

If I do wear said clothes I swear people are looking at you muffin top, sometimes I want to yell at them "I just had a baby!” or wish I had a sign saying that. I know it's most likely all in my head.  

Muffin top I officially hate you (and any mother who was able to fit into their pre-pregnancy clothes within 2 months of giving birth)! Okay hates a bit of an exaggeration, it's just down right jealous.

I said I didn’t care about how much weight I would gain since it took us 3 years to get here and that I wouldn’t keep track... but in the end, at those final weight-ins at the doctor’s office, I did. I gained 41 pounds! After delivery I didn’t get on the scale until two weeks postpartum, I had lost 20 of those pounds no sweat.

But now, 13 weeks later, every one of those remaining 21 pounds have decided they just want to stick around and hang out. I know it took 9 months to put the weight on so it could take 9 months plus to take the weight off. These first few months I haven’t worried much about the weight, of course it has bothered me but I’ve focused on enjoying spending time with my son and adjusting to motherhood.

Now I’m just over it.

I want my body back!

I know it might not ever be the same but I'm ready for something that closely resembles what it use to be and to be able to wear normal clothes comfortably again.

It’s time to start doing something about it so I can start feeling better about myself!

I decided to try something I never have. Something healthier. No more crazy hcg diets. No cleanses like my coworkers do. I want to focus on my diet, the things I actually put into my body! So I can learn to be a healthier person overall for myself and for my son. I want to be a good role model for him when the time comes for him to start eating solids in a few months

Last week I decided to join Weight Watchers along with my friend Tera that I work with. I'm also giving the Couch to 5K another shot. Last time I made it through 5 weeks before I over did it and my knee started acting up. I'm no runner but I would like to get the point someday that I truly enjoy working out. Tera decided to join me in doing the Couch to 5K too, she's never been able to run either so we're a perfect pair to start this out together. We're going to the Y on our lunch breaks 3 times a week during the work week. Doing this with a friend we're able to keep each other accountable for eating healthy and sticking to a workout and also to encourage each other with our success, struggles and stall-outs. 

After one week I've lost 2lbs.

This week we're repeating week one of the C25k since we're both completely out of shape and neither have actually worked out for a very long time (aside from the one time I went to the gym since MJ's arrival). I was sore and tired last week but this week I'm actually starting to feel good about how I'm going on the treadmill.....I hope it continues!

So, so long Muffin Top. I hope to get rid of you fast and never meet you again!



p.s. - Any words of encouragement would me much appreciated along the way. I'll continue to post updates.

Hambone

My little love bug is 12 weeks old!

I thought just taking care of newborn on its own was a lot of work but now being back to work I feel even more busy. I haven't had time to blog at all lately which makes me sad. I've found being back to work I have to be more organized in order to get everything done because I have less time to do them! Once I get home from work all I want to do is hang out with our little man, even though it's only for an hour and half before bedtime and he usually takes short little catnap during this time. Then once little man is in bed for the night I do whatever needs to be done around the house and get ready for the next day. By then I'm so exhausted all I want to do is just go to bed!

I use to look forward to the weekends but now they have a whole new meaning! It's just not to be done working for the week and getting the chance to relax. Now I relish in the extra time I get to spend with my son and all his awesomeness!! Some Sunday's we like to have a family day in bed, which just means we like to be completely lazy. This past Sunday was one of those days. Madden got to play with mommy in daddy in bed, watched a movie, and lots of football. Then him and I took an awesome 2 hour nap and he continued to sleep another hour. Nothing like having your baby sleep on your chest all cuddly and warm!! I know I should probably have him take his naps in his crib but seriously he's not going to be this small for long and I miss him all week. I love that he woke up from his awesome nap all smiley and giggly! :)  

Madden LIVE

I decided taking 20 million photos just wanted enough to preserve everything about my son. They develop so much in the first year and I love watching him grow...realizing the the world around him and beginning to met developmental milestones, so much fun to watch!

Pictures don't fully capture that!

I love looking at pictures of him but I want to be able to look back and remember what he was like in these early months.

The cute little hiccups he gets ALL THE TIME!

His adorable sneezes.

His melt my heart open mouth smile.

The way he first started trying to "talk" to us.

Giggles!

I can go on.....

So I decided to start taking more videos of him! And because I'm obsessed with all the adorableness that is my son :)

I'm no video pro and I currently don't have that great of phone to record him on so most of them are pretty shaky. Oh and you will most likely hear me in the majority of them, please ignore me at all costs. You've been warned!

Madden's cute little hiccups.

At around 8 weeks old Madden started to make these sighing noises. He has such a sweet little voice I just can't stand it.

Just this past weekend I tried to film him all smiley first thing in the morning but he got distracted by daddy running in to talk to him and then he avoided looking at me all together because of the camera light.

Dave never realized I was recording this, he just thought I was taking pictures but I love that I got to capture the way to talks to Madden and how Madden is just in awe and so attentive at his daddy!

Last one, I swear!

Recently Madden has started becoming a bit more content when he wakes up. He doesn't immediately cry as soon a he starts waking up, he does just kinda cry out once or twice every few minutes for a while. Then once I come into his room, turn on the light and say good morning to him, he opens those beautiful eyes and gives me the biggest most infectious smile!

We made it.

After 10 weeks off on maternity leave I officially went back to work this week. I had mixed feeling about it, spending just 10 weeks with your new baby just doesn’t seem long enough, plus he’s just so little to start dropping off at some strangers house for 8 hours a day. Then again, mama needs some time out of the house, interaction with adults, bringing home a full paycheck, and a schedule again. What I most was looking forward to was getting back into a routine and trying to get Madden into one as well.

Week one is complete and I can officially say, we made it. And it went awesome!

Ready for my 1st day of daycare (hating the camera flash, he really is awake!)



I of course was sad dropping him off Monday morning, as well as every other day this week. But I was ready. I know he really is in good hands with Miss Rachel. I’m looking forward to him being able to start interacting with other babies and younger kids now that he is starting to realize the world around him. The most amazing part is that he’s starting to sleep!!! I was a bit nervous as Sunday night he refused to go to sleep. I thought it was in protest for the week ahead of us! He was overtired which was our fault, he didn’t get a good evening nap in and then grandpa and grandma stopped by to see him. It took 3.5 hours to get him to sleep, he just constantly cried. As soon as we would get him settled and almost asleep in our arms we would then lay him down and either immediately or within 15 minutes he would be awake screaming. Finally by 10:30pm I just let him cry for a bit since that’s what he seemed to want to do, he cried for 20 minutes and was then was fast asleep.

I have a post I’ve been writing the last month or so on MJ’s nighttime sleeping once I tried starting sleep training that I will get published soon. I think my efforts for that have helped but I think daycare has been the big game changer. He is one tired little boy once I get home from work! I nurse him shortly after getting home and then we hang out for a short bit before he needs a little evening nap while I make dinner and we quickly eat. Then we try to start our bedtime routine between 7-7:30pm with a bath on most nights, followed by pajamas, nursing, a little bit of rocking and then I try to put him to bed drowsy but awake. This is how our first week went:

• Monday night he had just a few minutes of tired cries about 10 minutes after I laid him down then was out. He was asleep by 8pm and only up twice, at 11:30pm then 2am and up for the morning just after 6:00am.
• Tuesday he fell asleep on his own by 8pm, woke up twice at 1am then 4am. Then he woke up around 5:30 so I sent Dave in to settle him and he fell back to sleep while I got ready for work, I had to wake him up for the day at 6:30am.
• Wednesday evening we had a visitor, my best friend Tiffany was in town to meet Madden so he took a longer evening nap in her arms. Then we did bath time, nursed and he fell asleep on his own by 8:30pm only waking up once at 2am to eat! I had to wake him up at 6:30am for the day!!
• Thursday evening he only catnapped for about 20 minutes so he was still very tired. I’m on my own Thursday nights so I gave him a bath, fed him and put him to bed. He cried and fussed for about 20 minutes since I think he was a bit overtired but then fell asleep on his own only waking up once at 1am to eat then woke up at 5:45am. Dave settled him a bit before leaving for work while I jumped in the shower. He didn’t go back to sleep so I got him up and he just hung out staring at the bedroom light until I was done drying my hair.

Of course now the weekend is here. The weekends are where scheduled get thrown off so we’ll see how things go. I’m going to try my hardest to stay on a schedule during the weekends so Monday’s are so hard on everyone. I guess we’ll see how it goes….

Hanging at daycare!