Success!

For the past 4 weeks or so Elle has been sleeping all night in a bed next to us. Yesterday, I finally hooked up the baby monitor, an older video monitor I bought at a garage sale for $25, it's not a fancy new one but seeing the $200 price on them, I'm happy with ours. Matt is calling it Elle-evisioin. When we were getting ready to put her to bed in her crib, I was expecting a long period of crying. To our surprise, she only cried for a few seconds, and went to sleep quickly and slept all night. She made a 90 degree turn in the middle of the night so I moved her blanket out of the crib. I didn't sleep very well and spent a lot of the night watching her. I'm optimistic for tonight.

War Eagle Mill

Corn Maze with an unhappy baby

As the World Turns.

As the World Turns, the dog moves to keep up with sun. Remy's favorite place to hang out on a nice sunny day is the floor in Elle's room. I watched him one day and he moved with the sun, all day. The first picture is the morning, almost as soon as the sun hits the floor, then mid-day, Elle's in that one playing, and finally, he's soaking up what little sun is left before it sets for the day.




I bought a Lysol automatic sprayer for Elle's room. When I first brought it home, I just set it in the window. Remy checked it out and when it sprayed he ran away. I have it hanging on the wall above the closet now. He was laying in the floor sunbathing this morning and it sprayed, just jumped up and ran out of the room. He's such a chicken for such a large dog.

Stuff Matt says

Seriously, I could have had our own tv show just following Matt around and making notes of things he says. Yesterday we were looking at the video that Matt took on his phone right after Elle was born and she was getting cleaned up and diapered. She looked so lost in the video since the lights were so bright and the room was so cold. Matt commented that she wasn't cold, she was under heat lamps, just like a burger.

One less dog

If you've ever met Abby you would know that she has the most energy of any dog I have ever met She is the sweetest dog and gets along with everyone but she was just too hyper to be around the Elle. She could leap over the sofa from a standing position and not ever touch it, it was truly amazing. She was the best to cuddle with. But, with things changing so much in our house, we decided to turn her back into the weimeraner rescue, where we got her from 4 years ago. They will find her a good home, one that will give her the exercise she needs.

As protected as Elle is right now, in her crib or carrier, I was thinking about what we would do when she started walking or crawling. I knew that Abby's chances of knocking her down or even into a piece of furniture were very high, so we contacted the rescue and since we got her there, they took her back. They even have a family coming next weekend to look at the rescue dogs and thought Abby might be a good fit for them! I hope so!

Remy is much more calm and I think he loves Elle. He'll sniff her, lick both her feet and then go on about his day.

We'll miss Abby greatly. I'll be glad when I not so sad and it doesn't hurt quite so much.

Just like mom

Have you been doing something and suddenly realize that you have become your mother? I think I first had that thought when I was in college. I wish I remember what I was doing on that occasion that made me think that, but my most recent thing is right after Elle was born I was cleaning the house before Matt's mom came to clean the house. I remember my mom pre-cleaning the house before the housekeeper came when I was a kid. Maybe my mom wasn't so much as pre-cleaning as just putting things away, but as a child, that was cleaning to me and I thought it was very odd. I had to stop myself from cleaning the kitchen before Nan arrived, that was one thing she was here to do and in my eyes, I had become my mother. Not that it's a bad thing.

In case you missed them on Facebook....

Here's the studio photos we took at my dad's yesterday. Chill out Google, I own the copyrights to them.

Some snap shots...

Remy, Elle's great protector.

Sleeping on Dad

One month old!

Cute shoes that Tiffany made.

The real reason people have kids.

Well, Hello Sam Adams....

Our goal with Elle was for me to only nurse her, but that isn't working out so well, I was just not producing enough milk. We have visited a lactation consultant and she told me to take some herbal supplements, which only helped a little. We went to the pediatrician this week and he suggested Brewer's Yeast tablets, we had heard that drinking a beer also helps (also wine). He agreed, and suggested 2 beers a day or 1 glass of wine. I hate the smell of beer and really hate the taste, but willing to give it a shot. It could be the yeast that helps or it could be relaxing, whatever it is, it seems to be working a little more. I was getting pretty desperate, Matt is trying to convince me to trying Veggiemite, but I'm not quite that desperate....yet.

Abby is scared of Elle. I had Elle in her bouncer in the bathroom with me when I was getting ready last week and Abby came in to smell her and check her out. As soon as Abby got close, Elle sneezed and Abby coward down, back away and left the room. Wow, the times I wished I had that on video!

I have decided to keep a journal for Elle telling her all the things that Matt and I did or tried while we were trying to raise her. Like the beer and taking her to the liquor store. Remember the scene from Sweet Home Alabama..."Look at you, you have a baby... In a bar." That's kinda what it reminded me of. So, I hope to fill up the journal and give it to her when she is expecting her first baby.

Elle was a month old yesterday. I can't believe how quickly time is passing now. It really seems like yesterday that she was born, I wonder if it will always seem that way. I still cry every time I go by the hospital too, I hope that stops soon, I feel pretty stupid.

9 days old. This is my favorite photo.

Thanks for the NASA hat Aunt Becky and Phoebe!

A couple of photos from my dad's studio. Don't worry Google, I own the copyright to them.

38weeks 4 days, this is what we both look like. We had to have another ultrasound that day, the doctor said I was measuring small but the fluid level was okay and they estimated that Elle weighed 6lbs and 15 oz, not 15lbs that I thought she weighed since I've gained so much. I think I've probably gained at least a few pounds with all the Tums I've had, they aren't calorie free.

Baby Shower by KPC ladies

Sajo made the cute cake.

The wonderful hostesses, who are all very small making me look very large.

My mom, Matt's mom and both my grandmas

Matt and I. He's wearing his Rock/Paper/Scissors/Lizard/Spock shirt, in case you were wondering what that was.

Baby Shower at my Grandma's

33 weeks.

Updates...

Remy hiding behind the glider in the nursery. You can't even see him!

Artwork I made for Elle's room.

Remy isn't sure about this pillow, it moves sometimes.

31 weeks.

Matt Graduated!

We had a small party for him at my mom's house over memorial day weekend...Online school is darn expensive but graduating with NO STUDENT LOANS is priceless!

What's been going on....

This is the Baby Shower that Mekelle gave me. 28 weeks above.

Matt's aunt and grandmother

We were blessed with some really cute gifts.

And Mekelle made us a diaper cake out of Seventh Generation diapers.
And she made everyone lunch.

25 1/2 weeks.

The nursery so far. What infant doesn't need a crystal chandelier. I stood on a ladder for a couple of hours getting all those little crystals on there. Also, I'm working on a piece of artwork for one of the walls and my dad is building us a dresser/changing table and a nightstand.

Matt putting together the crib with Remy and Abby as his assistants.

19 Weeks, right before we found out it was a girl.