Thanksgiving with a Full House

We hope you had a happy turkey day!  Todd's family came to Dallas to spend Thanksgiving with us, and we had 5 adults and 2 kids staying with us!  Needless to say, it was a Full House but that's what Thanksgiving is all about - being thankful and spending it with friends and family! We did a lot while everyone was here.  We had family pictures taken, took a group trip with the whole gang (7 adults, 3 kids) to Costco, went out to eat at MiCocina, ate a yummy Thanksgiving meal, some folks participated in Black Friday shopping, watched a lot of football and movies, and celebrated 2 birthdays!  Here is a glimpse of our Thanksgiving adventures.

Todd taught our nephew Mikey how to make cranberry relish!  It was such a fun activity for Mikey and super cute for us to watch.

The men in the kitchen: Todd, Mikey and his dad Joe making cranberry relish

Our meat grinder attachment came in handy!

Tasting the final product - YUM!

Todd's mom and sisters are Black Friday shopping pros!  They definitely have a system down.  We started early on Thanksgiving morning by getting the newspaper (apparently the internet isn't the same!) and started looking through all the ads.  I should clarify... Todd's sisters started the planning.  I really had no part in this.  I was merely an observer.  I have to say... I was pretty impressed by their system.  They went through all the ads to circle what they wanted.  They went to Wal-Mart first because Wal-Mart would price match any item in other stores ads.  Once they get into the store, they split up.  Each person goes a different direction and starts grabbing items they were assigned to get.  Then they all meet up at the checkout line where one person has already been standing in line to claim a spot in the long lines.  I almost wanted to tag along to witness the madness, but I opted out.  The girls woke up early Friday morning to be at Wal-Mart at 5am, and then they hit Best Buy, Toys R Us, Macy's and maybe a couple other stores for a successful Black Friday event.  

Going through the Black Friday ads

We enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast from Honey Baked Ham.  No cooking for me this year!  I did make buckeyes and a pumpkin roll, but that was the end of my cooking.

We were actually able to sit and enjoy a Thanksgiving meal together even with a newborn, a 1 year old and a 3 year old.  It was a blessing!

We had a Princess birthday party for Julia's 1st birthday on Friday with burgers, hot dogs and a bounce house!  Check it out.

I woke up to festive decorations in my house.

The cake and cupcakes were a hit.

The bounce house fit perfectly in our driveway!

Everyone had fun jumping.  Apparently, it was a workout for the adults!

Coco patiently waited for Julia to finish with her smash cake.

We also celebrated Tiffany's birthday on Friday night with a carrot cake.  We had SO much leftover cake from the two birthdays!

Cheers to the birthday girls, Julia and Tiffany!

Thankful.

In addition to being thankful for my family, friends, good health, etc., I am also VERY thankful that I had Ali in the Fall.  This means I can look forward to bundling up for the winter and wearing things like this:

Instead of stressing out about having to fit into something like this:

 

I'm also thankful

...that I can now reach my toes to give myself pedicures

...that I can safely eat deli meat without having to microwave it

...that I can eat sushi with no guilt

...that I can run again if I want to, not that I do 

...that I have an excuse to eat extra calories this holiday season

...that I can enjoy my wine at Thanksgiving

...and most of all, that I have a wonderful husband and healthy beautiful baby girl! 

Miss Personality

Well, Ali has started to develop what I'll call a "personality."  That's my nice way of saying she's starting to cry and fuss a lot more.  What happened to the dream baby I brought home???  The one that would sleep, eat and just be sweet?  Now I have a baby who cries so hard that tears come out of her eyes.  I have a new found respect for all mothers.

When we first brought Ali home, she was a pretty easy baby.  However, she's always shown some high maintenance traits.  Like her mother, she's a super slow eater.  It takes a good 45 minutes to feed her because she either fights it or falls asleep during feedings.  She also won't keep a wet diaper on and will cry until we change it.  Go figure... I guess she is my child.  Payback, huh?

Recently, Ali has decided that she will no longer sleep in her cradle or the newborn napper in her pack and play.  She's moved on to only sleeping in her bouncer on high speed with someone manually bouncing it, but hey we'll do whatever works.  I guess we'll be stocking up on batteries!

Sometimes this child just wants to be carried.  But sometimes I need both of my hands.  The sling has proven to be a good solution.  I wasn't really sure whether I was really going to use it, but the sling has become a lifesaver.

It sure is a good thing I think Ali is cute or I'd be really mad at her sometimes.  Before I had Ali, I always said I would know and acknowledge it if my kid wasn't cute, but I would still love her.  I think I was wrong.  I now think that God makes all parents think their child is cute.  Otherwise, it would be tough to get through this stage. 

Ali's 1 Month Old!

Happy 1 Month Birthday, Ali!  She's definitely becoming more active and alert as she's getting older.  She's  showing some really cute expressions.  I can't believe it's already been 1 month!

For those of you wondering, OF COURSE I will be putting bows on Ali!  We tried to give Daddy a Bow Fashion Show today.  I think we're going to have to start small and work our way up.  Todd wasn't a fan of the big bows yet.  Good thing I have bows of all different sizes!

Big Sister, Little Sister

Several people have asked about how Coco has been adjusting to Ali, so I figured it was time for a Coco post.  I have a friend whom I'll call "A" who does not really like dogs and has specifically said to me that she doesn't want to read about my dog; she wants to read about my baby.  So A, you are warned... stop reading now.

Coco has done GREAT with Ali.  We have really tried to make a conscious effort to make sure Coco doesn't feel neglected.  We (mostly Todd) take her to the park or on a walk everyday, and sometimes we bring Ali in her stroller.  We actually say that Coco has grown up so much since we brought Ali home.  She used to be so scared of anything that she felt "didn't belong" in our house, especially all the baby gear.  She would bark incessantly at anything out of place, and now she walks right by the swing going full speed without a peep.  She has also calmed down a lot.  I'm not sure if it's because she's actually more calm or if she's exhausted from waking up at night with us every time we get up with Ali.  Coco has definitely gotten a few kisses in, but for the most part, she either sniffs Ali or completely ignores her.  Loud mouth Coco continues to bark frequently, but Ali sleeps right through it.  I'm sure she's used to the sound after hearing it for 9 months in my belly.  I think this relationship will only get more fun as Ali gets older!

Ali hits the Mall!

Getting out of the house with a newborn really feels like a chore!  But I know that I need to get out there and learn to take Ali with me.  Wise moms have told me that I need to adapt Ali into our life and not adapt our life to her.  I completely agree.  That is my goal, but I think it's easier said than done.  Last Thursday, Ali and I met Season and her 7-month old daughter Avery at the mall in honor of Veterans' Day.  We had lunch and did a bit of shopping.  Of course, all of my shopping was for Ali since I still can't fit into regular clothes - bummer.  It was great to get out, but I changed high maintenance Ali's diaper 3 times in 3 hours while Season changed Avery only once!  For our first big outing, it was really nice to be with a pro mom who could show me the ropes such as how to open doors with strollers and where the good bathrooms are located.  For the most part, Ali was a sweetie and slept in the stroller. Check out our sleeping beauties, Ali and Avery!

Wake, Eat, Play, Sleep...

My experienced and knowledgeable friend Katie informed me that I should be trying to get on the Wake, Eat, Play, Sleep schedule with Ali.  Sounds like a rough life for the little kid, huh?  I really had not done a lot of the "play" category with her, so we started to add that in today.

We did some tummy time to help her strengthen her neck.  Ali doesn't mind it, but she definitely doesn't enjoy it.  I tried to change up the locations to keep her from getting bored or too frustrated with it.

 

She was intrigued by her bunny chair.  Not sure if she liked it or if she was scared by it.

She was tuckered out after play time and took a nap in her crib for the very first time.  I think she looks super sweet when she's asleep.

Bath Time!

Some babies love baths.  Some babies hate them.  Ali is mostly indifferent.  I, on the other hand, really enjoy giving her a bath.  I love having a clean baby!  And I think she's precious in her bunny towel.

What is not so cute is that after taking this picture, we put her down while in the bunny towel to get her dressed.  Before we could get a diaper on her, she pooped all over the bunny towel!  Thanks Ali.  Thanks.

Happy 3 Week Birthday, Ali!

Once again, I'm a day late.  Dang it!  Ali's actual weekly birthday is on Wednesdays.  Don't worry, I won't have a birthday post every week.  I'll start doing monthly birthday updates after she hits one month old. 

We went to the pediatrician's office again for a weight check to see if Ali is back to her birth weight of 6lbs, 12oz.  Great news... not only has she surpassed her birth weight, she's up to 7lbs, 6oz!  What this means for me is that I don't have to continue the crazy 2 hour feeding schedule with breastfeeding, pumping and giving her a bottle.  Wahoo!  Now we can be normal and let her eat every three hours during the day without the extra bottle supplement, and we can let her sleep during the night up to 5 hours if she'll do it.  So far, the longest she has slept is 4 hours, but I'll take that.  Hopefully, this also means that the absurd number of diapers she has will also decrease.  We were changing her diaper 18 times per day (normal is 10 dirty diapers per day.)

Look at how our baby has grown!  Compare this to her 1 Week and 2 Week pics.  She's almost as tall as Bunny in the chair!

How We Spend Our Saturdays...

We watch college football.  Ali is already decked out in her Florida gear, even though her dress is too big like most of her clothes.  Go Gators!

Survived...

Whew!  I survived the first week of taking care of Ali by myself while Todd went back to work.  I am so thankful that he works from home and can help out.  We've had so many appointments that he's had to drive me to since I can't drive due to my c-section.  I've been doing the feedings and diaper changing myself, but I definitely need help to go to doctor appointments or run errands.  It would have been much more difficult if Todd actually went into an office and didn't have such a flexible schedule. Todd has been awesome in helping me and helping with Ali.  He's a great husband and dad!

I had my post-op appointment with my doctor today.  Everything looks good with my surgery, and I was cleared to drive.  Wahoo!  It's been 18 days since I have driven, and I was starting to feel really trapped in the house.  I've had to be so dependent on Todd to go anywhere.  So, Ali and I made our first solo trip to run errands.  Like most babies, she LOVES being in the car. 

2 Week Old Update

Yay!  Our little girl has started gaining weight, finally!  At Ali's 2 week appointment, she was up to 6lbs, 9.5oz from 6lbs, 0.5oz.  She's not quite back to her birth weight of 6lbs, 12oz which is what we were hoping for, but 9oz is a good start.  We have to continue weekly weight checks until she gets back to birth weight.  Until then, I'm still on a strict 2 hour feeding schedule which includes breast feeding, bottle feeding and pumping at every feeding.  The whole feeding process takes about an hour so I only have an hour between feedings to do things that I need to get done (i.e. showering, eating, household chores, etc.)  Basically, I am currently a feeding machine and my life completely revolves around feeding this baby.  I hope this eases up soon!

Ali's 2 Week Stats:
Weight: 6lbs, 9.5oz (25th percentile)
Height: 20.75in (75th percentile)
Head: 35cm (25th percentile)
So... we have a long and lean skinny minnie!

Happy 2 Week Birthday, Ali!  (Again, I'm a day late....)