(2 months 5 days)

REESE SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!

It's not a fluke! She falls asleep around 10:30ish... and gets up between 5:45 - 6:00AM!!! WOO HOO! Though my boobs need to catch on, but not in too much pain when I wake up in the mornings. She's usually ready to be changed (so much pee outta such a little gal!) and famished. And, Scott wanted me to annouce, that she's sleeping in her cradle at night as well! I'm a little sad, but we both are very happy that she's able to still be in our room. LOVE THAT LIL' SWEETPEA!

(2 months 5 days)

Let me see if I can’t remember everything over the past few days…

Well… number ONE thing is that Reese had her 2 month shots Tuesday at 5:50PM. My god when the first Pediatrix shot went in Scott and I both later explained that we have never seen her get that purple, she cried so hard that nothing came out.... I got a little teary eyed because I was the one holding both her arms and kissing her head.

Doctor gave us 2 bottles of Children’s Advil and instructed to give .3 ml every 6 hours to reduce fussiness, but to our surprise she never really got fussy! She was just really tired.

She's currently 13 lb 6 oz, 23 3/4 in long and has a head that's 16 inch round!!! She's in the 95% on everything..."Well proportioned and beautiful!" I love our pediatrician!

Overall, we both did ok... she got a little milk before we left and was out like a light... off for bedtime!

Monday, we took our family photos. They came out so well! I’ll have to post them. Reese of course, was asleep, but that’s ok, because we took them at 7PM! haha We plan on taking her to get her photo with Santa next week, I’ll make sure to post that picture as well!

Wednesday night Scott and I attended a cookie exchange with other local parents! Reese was fantastic, she wasn’t fussy at all! My goodness the cookies were sooooo good that everyone brought! Scott and I made Orange Sugar Cookies and Frosted Molasses/Ginger Cookies! They both were a hit! Scott scarfed down the homemade buckeyes before we got home! hehe

I’ve got a ton of photos to post, will try and get them up ASAP… trying to recuperate from the past 2 days.

Hope everyone is having a good week!

(2 months 1 day)

Scott and I took a couple of photos this weekend. Had to include some of the "miss-prints" hahahahaha Have you ever tried to pose a bouncing off the wall puppy and a hungry baby? Oh well, it was funny... When Scott and I started decorating the tree we whipped Reese outta her clothes and took some photos... she ended up peeing on one of the sheets! but so dug the lights!

First Attempt at Photos Saturday:

What's on my head?


GET IT OFF!!!! GET IT OFF!!!!


Have you tried to take a photo of a bouncing off the wall dog and a hungry baby before? Reese HATES her binky, but guess desperate times called for desperate measures. hahaha

Reese "lost" (more like spit it half way across the couch) the binky... but held the face... Oreo, just wanted more treats!


"Yes darling, I am beautiful in red."

Second Attempt at Photos Sunday while decorating the Xmas Tree:

Bubble lights... OooOoOOo!




Ya know what's crazy... had her in her Christmas outfit, she was howling like crazy, got her nekkid... happy as a clam. Think we have an exhibitionist here!


What's this in my hand?

I was messing around in PSCS and changed em to black and white as well:

(2 months 0 days)

All is well in Whoville

HAPPY 2 MONTH BIRTHDAY REESE!!! And she’s slept for 7+ hours the last 2 nights! 3 more nights and I can officially say she’s “sleeping through the night”… 5 nights like that is considered “a routine” and not a “fluke.” LORD HELP US THAT IT’S NOT A FLUKE… however, I do wake up a little uncomfortable in the morning praying that Reese is awake enough to eat… or I need to go pump ASAP!

Scott is back to his ole self after a bout of food poisoning and Reese seems to have gone through a growth spurt in the last couple of days. She as extremely fussy and eating all the time… but she’s better now. I think I'm coming down with a cold or something... I have't been feeling 100% here as of late. Oh well, might be all this sleep I'm getting my body dosen't know what to do with more than 3 hours at a time!

I’ve been extremely busy this week, sorry for the lack of updates. I need to upload some 9 week photos, hope to have them up and going by Monday.

On Tuesday The View had a segment dedicated to Breastfeeding. They were, well, what I would have to say, pretty negative about it whether you BF or you don’t… if you had to make a decision based solely on their comments, you wouldn’t give it a second thought. Thank GOODNESS that they had an AWESOME Lactation Consultant come on and shed some light on the subject. After the segment was over, I received the best phone call. My mother-in-law, Linda, called me to congratulate me on such a wonderful job I was doing with breastfeeding Reese and pumping!!! I was so very touched by this gesture because she never did BF and she’s learning the pros and cons along with me. But it was just so very touching to know that people see how hard I’ve worked to get to the point we are… and happy to announce, I have 170 ounces of milk stored! HOLY CRAP RIGHT?! Yeah, I’d say the same thing…. And this I WITH using 3 bags a week… I’m a “Reiter Milk Truck” I even made a blinkie to say so: (Please don’t copy and paste it for your siggies for those that use blinkies for posts, save it to your own server).

I remember Donna, our LC at WRH, telling Scott and I that no matter how “exclusive” we are with breastfeeding… i.e. only breast milk, no bottles, no supplementing and everything else, you will not get a trophy, a badge or any thing else that says “Good for you”… it’s more of a choice than a “goal” with something to expect at the end. I never thought of it in those terms, but I know that some people are so passionate about this subject that suggesting anything otherwise will get you flamed. I just made up my mind that I wanted to BF for the good of Reese… not for glory of breastfeeding, trust me ladies, it’s NOT glorified until about week 6. That’s when your nipples are over being sore all the time, your boobs are not 24/7 engorged, you aren’t cracked and your baby has a good idea of what a “good latch” is and when to eat. The positive of it all is seeing clear pee and TONS of yellow/seedy poop in diapers, content/happy and sleepy babies. But the best part of all is when you got the doctor’s or weigh your baby yourself and see that he/she is growing like mad. That’s where I get my “pat on the back”, however phone calls like the one from Linda and emails from Barbara (my midwife) congratulating me on how well I’ve done as well as Reese it just makes it 300% worth all the tough stuff I went through the first 2 weeks. So if you do choose, or don’t choose to breastfeed it’s up to you… 300% up to you, it should be enjoyable for you and your baby… not something that you dread every 3 – 4 hours, they say that breast milk is always best, but from something I read “as long as you are feeding your baby with love, it doesn’t matter how they eat.”

I’ll now step down off my soapbox…

But then it now brings me to another controversial subject “Attachment Parenting.” Though this is mostly attached with “crunchy” mom’s.. I’d consider myself a “soggy-crunchy mom”…. And yes, I’d say that Scott and I attachment parent, and NO it’s NOT a bad thing. It’s just a TYPE of parenting. Like I breastfeed, I carry her in her Bjorn, co-slept for the first few weeks (she’s starting to sleep more and more in her cradle, BESIDE our bed)… Scott freaked when I tried to put her in her crib. It was SO cute! “She’s in THAT BED?! It’s too far away! She’s 2 rooms away… it’s too much of a shock for her!” My heart smiled and I asked “Is it too much of a shock for her or you?” He just smiled and said “Does it matter?” I lovingly said “No it doesn’t.” And he brought her back into our room where she fell asleep nursing and he then moved her to her cradle where she slept for 7 hours. I LOVE MY HUSBAND!

So if you think that Scott and I are too mushy, oh well… if you think that we aren’t tough enough… so be it. I have to relay what Scott tells me all the time “No matter what people say, I read on the internet or sent via mail or email, she’s our daughter and our responsibility to screw up.” Again, LOVE MY HUSBAND!

We are decorating this weekend… so I’ll have to post photos ASAP!

Have a great weekend all!!

(1 month 4 weeks)

8 week photos uploaded!!

And a couple of my favorites:

Just for comparison, left, 8 weeks... right, 3 days old! Glad to see nothing has changed!

Love her silly faces!

(1 month 3 weeks 4 days)

HAPPY BELATED TURKEY DAY!! and it SNOWED on Thanksgiving Day!

What a whirlwind time since I’ve posted last. Reese is such a wonderful little gal. She got to meet her Great Aunt Pat for the first time. She flew up from New Orleans for the week of Turkey Day (due to a ticket change from all the hurricanes in Florida). It was the third Thanksgiving we have spent in a row together! I actually found a doubloon in my winter coat on the way to Linda’s and Tom’s house for our feast. She loved Reese and Reese LOVED her. Reese has gotten SUPER talkative lately, and she and Pat had good conversations.

I spent Monday afternoon (after work) and pretty much all evening at the IL’s chatting with Pat and ended up chowing down on some great kidney baked beans!! Reese of course slept through the whole thing, but that was fine, was wonderful to actually have a meal using BOTH hands and sitting at the dinner table!

Tuesday, we relaxed, pretty much putzed around the house, ran some errands and watched movies. I was extremely tired, think from all the excitement from the night before.

Wednesday, all the “ladies” came over to Linda’s for their lunch date and of course, to meet Reese. I was told she was really really good with all of them, and had a nice long conversation with Bev. I’m sure it was the cutest thing ever! I picked Reese up after work and headed out to run bazillion errands, one of which included picking up my pants from the cleaners…. What a great deal! But not enough money to cover the price of the meal that Friday’s still charged us! So I gotta call them and ask for a gift certificate and I came home to whip the house into some sort of shape for Pat to see the house for the first time (just not in photos). Scott was a doll, when he came home we watched over Reese while I finished hanging up some miscellaneous items (no, not dirty underwear Pat! ). Pat really liked our house and we all sat around chatting, watching Reese smile and chat it up before they head out to dinner before they fell asleep on the couch! Scott and I started to watch Terminal, but I had to watch CSI: NY, so we opted to watch it in the next few days…. We all three passed out to prepare for the next day’s festivities!

Thanksgiving was great! Especially since it was the first snow of the year!! As well as Reese’s first snow! And there were TONS of people at the IL’s and more food than you could shake a stick at. Wanna ask Reese how she spent ¾’s of her Thanksgiving?

She slept in this joker from 1:30 until around 5! My cousin and I moved her from the living room to the kitchen, IN the swing while she was STILL snoring! Notice the socks We've gotten so many compliments on the Mary Jane's! I LOVE THEM!

Kitchen shot, we tried to move her back, but she kept wanting to stay forward, so as long as she wasn't screaming, guess she was comfortable!

Leaving for my IL's house. Scott was obviously driving.

(1 month 2 weeks 5 days)

I was asked over the weekend when we were going to start on rice cereal/solid foods. Scott and I decided during our breastfeeding class, advice from our pediatrician and midwife to not think about it until around 4 - 6 months. A few reasons why are, Breast milk or infant formula supplies all of your baby's nutritional needs for at least the first 4 to 6 months of life, so we don't have to be in a rush to start solid baby foods. Starting solids too early can cause Reese to develop food allergies. Reese's intestinal tract is not as fully developed during the first few months and introducing solids at this time can be too much to handle

Another reason for not giving solid foods earlier than 4 to 6 months is unintentional overfeeding, since younger babies can not offer us signals when they are full, such as turning away or showing disinterest.

A third reason for holding off on solids is Reese's inability to swallow solids correctly before 4 to 6 months of age and this can potentially cause choking. And contrary to the popular myth, starting solids early will not help her sleep through the night, it's all a developmental issue.

From Riley Hospital for Children:

Child Rearing Myth
Adding rice cereal to your baby’s diet will help your baby sleep through the night.

Child Rearing Fact
Hunger is not waking your baby, and rice cereal does not help your baby sleep through the night. Your baby is a light sleeper and once awakened, can’t get back to sleep without help. When your baby develops a mature sleep pattern and learns to self-comfort when awake but not hungry, you’ll get a good night’s sleep.

Here's the solid food model we are going to follow:

When should my baby start solid foods?
A: The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests introducing solid foods when your baby is 4 to 6 months old. If you introduce solid foods too early, your baby may be more likely to have allergic reactions. Babies can’t properly chew and swallow solid foods before 4 to 6 months of age. And what you can’t see is that your baby’s digestive system isn’t developed enough to handle these new foods before this age. Not all babies, however, are ready to eat solid foods at the same time, so rely on your baby rather than a calendar to let you know when it is time.

How will I know when my baby is ready to start solid foods?
A: Before you introduce solid foods, ask yourself these questions:

• Has Baby doubled his birth weight?

• Does Baby consume 32 ounces or more of breastmilk or formula each day?

• Can Baby sit up with little support and turn his head when he’s full?

• Can Baby move a dab of thinned baby cereal to the back of his tongue and swallow it? This is a signal that Baby’s extrusion reflex—thrusting his tongue forward and seeming to spit out food—has disappeared and he now has the ability to swallow non-liquid foods.

• Does Baby frequently put things in his mouth?

• Does Baby watch with interest as you eat, perhaps even opening his mouth and leaning forward as if to ask for a bite?

If you can answer yes to these questions, your baby may be ready to start solid foods. Be sure to check with your baby’s doctor before starting to introduce solid foods. And remember, until your baby is about a year old, his main source of nutrition should be breastmilk or iron-fortified formula.

Is there anything I can do to get my baby ready for solid foods?
A: For best results, ease baby into a routine. A few days before you plan to introduce solid foods, let your baby become comfortable at the table with your family. Hold him in your lap, place him in a bouncy baby chair nearby, or let him sit in the high chair. This tells him mealtime is special.

Before you prepare the meal or sit down at the table, first breastfeed your baby or give him a bottle so he won’t be fussy at the table. (Don’t reduce the time you spend nursing or the ounces of breastmilk or formula you offer.) This assures you that your baby is still getting adequate nourishment for growth, regardless of how much—and which—solid foods he eats.

For those first attempts, you’ll want to pick a time of day when your baby is in good spirits, wide awake, and mildly hungry. Pick a time when your baby is most willing to eat slowly. Also, pick a time of day that works for you. Perhaps a quiet weekend is best so you don’t need to worry about rushing somewhere. If you’re breastfeeding, select the time of day when you sense that your milk supply is at its lowest level.

Is there a particular schedule I should follow as I introduce my baby to solid foods?
A: Doctors usually suggest that you begin by offering solid food at one feeding a day. Stick with this routine, until your baby eats several tablespoonfuls of solid food. Then, add another feeding each day of the same food. As you introduce each new food, offer just a spoonful or two at first, then gradually increase the amount you serve.

Allow at least five days after each new food before introducing another so you can pinpoint the cause of any allergies or other problems. If your baby has no problems with individual foods, then you can alternate or combine foods. If your baby rejects certain foods, don’t force them. But try them again later. By the time your baby is a year old, he’ll probably be eating a variety of solid foods at meals and at snack times each day.

Which solid foods should I try first?
A: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting with iron-fortified rice cereal because it’s easy to digest and provides the iron your baby needs. Another reason to start with rice cereal is because at 4 to 6 months of age your baby’s digestive system is still developing and is better able to tolerate plain rice cereal, making an allergic reaction less likely.

When your baby eats a total of about 6 tablespoons of rice cereal at a feeding, it’s time to introduce another cereal (such as oat or barley). Before too long, your baby will be ready for pureed vegetables, then fruit and combinations of cereals with fruit and vegetables. When your baby is about 9 months old and has developed front teeth, you may introduce finely chopped cooked meats.

When should I introduce finger foods to my baby?
A: By about 9 months, your baby will have the motor skills to grasp small objects and get them to his mouth. This is the time for finger foods. The following foods are nutritious and easy to eat: crackers, round toasted oat cereal, small pieces of rice cakes, tiny cheese cubes, small pieces of fruit (such as ripe banana or pear), cooked vegetables (such as halved peas or finely chopped squash, potatoes, or carrots), well-cooked pasta bits, and cooked rice.

The information here comes from: Very Best Baby the same information can be seen at Baby Center.

(1 month 2 weeks 4 days)

From her 7 week email update:

Your baby's head is fairly steady now and she's able to exercise more motor control over her feet and hands instead of just swinging them wildly. To see this new skill in action, hold a toy or rattle up in front of your baby and watch her grab for it. Don't forget to cheer her when she gets it. She'll thrive on your encouragement for the rest of her life!

Head's up!
Your baby's neck muscles are getting stronger, which allows him to hold up his head for short periods. He can hold it up for a few moments while lying on his stomach, for example, and he may even be able to turn it from side to side. He may be able to hold it up when he's in a car seat or front carrier, especially if he has lots of support and you use special baby headrests designed to help him in those situations.

Exploring extremities
At birth, your baby had no idea his arms and legs were attached to him. That's all changing now as he starts exploring his body. The parts he'll discover first are his hands and feet. You can 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.

Learning to soothe himself
Babies love to suck. They need to suck. In fact, you may have discovered that a pacifier works wonders in helping your baby calm himself now. And when his binky's not around, he may even be able to find his thumb or fingers to pacify himself.

Look who's baby-talking now
Your 1-month-old may gurgle, coo, grunt, and hum to express his feelings now. A few babies also begin squealing and laughing. Be sure to coo and gurgle back, and talk to him face-to-face. He'll enjoy holding your gaze now. If you have things to do, though, he'll still enjoy hearing your voice from across the room.

Even though your baby has been able to recognize you since he was just a few days old, by the end of this month he may be able to show it. About half of all babies this age begin to exhibit an obvious recognition of their parents. (They react differently to mom and dad than they do to strangers.) Your baby may quiet down and make eye contact with you, or he may smile when he sees you.

Music appreciation
Now that your baby is awake for longer periods during the day, you can use these times to stimulate his sensory development. Try singing your favorite lullabies or playing tapes or discs of childsong troubadours such as Raffi, Linda Rondstadt, and Peter, Paul, and Mary. But you needn't restrict his listening fare to children's' songs. Fill the house with the sounds of music — from Talking Heads to Mozart — and watch as waves of pleasure (expressed in coos, lip smacks, and spasmodic movements of arms and legs) pass through your child. The sound of wind chimes or a ticking clock will also amuse your baby. The more varied the offerings, the richer the impact. Inevitably, you'll see your child react more pleasurably to one selection over another as he begins to develop preferences.

Eyes can track objects now
With both eyes now able to focus, your baby can track a moving object, something he may have been able to do for only brief periods since birth. The stores are packed with developmental toys, but you'll do just as well with everyday objects. Pass a rattle or a bright plastic ladle from side to side in front of him. Then try moving it up and down. This should attract your baby's attention, though he probably won't be able to smoothly follow vertical motion for about three months. You can also play eyes-to-eyes by moving very close to his face and slowly nodding your head from side to side. Often his eyes will lock onto yours.

Is my baby developing normally?
Remember, each baby is unique and meets cognitive milestones at his own pace. These are simply guidelines to what your baby has the potential to accomplish — if not right now, then shortly.

If your baby was born prematurely, keep in mind that he'll almost always need a bit more time before he can do the same things as other children his chronological age. That's why most preemies are given two ages by their pediatricians — their chronological age (calculated from their birthday) and their adjusted age (calculated from their due date). Doctors generally assess a preterm child's development from the time he should have been born and evaluate his skills accordingly.