One Month Old!

Today we went in for Eleanor's one month check-up. She weighs 10.8 pounds (85th percentile) and she is 23 inches long (80th percentile) and I can't remember what her head is, but it's in the 50th percentile. She is changing so much every day.

Here are some more pictures from this week. I'm still not sure who she looks like...what do you think?












I feel so thankful for her everyday. I am thankful that I get to be a mom and that I have a healthy, happy, little baby. Looking back, I am also grateful for a healthy pregnancy (minus the kidney stone, which by the way was was actually more painful than giving birth) and an easy delivery!

We sure do love our little girl and think she is so cute and so sweet!

3 Weeks old!

So our little munchkin is now 3 weeks old. She is changing so much every day. She's losing some of her hair and it seems to be getting lighter. She's also getting bigger every day...her size 3 month onesies are getting a little snug. I'm curious to see which outfits she fits in, but she tends to get a little frustrated when it's time to get dressed. I guess she's not interested in providing a fashion show for me.

Here's a look at what she's been up to...

She got a new bouncy seat that vibrates. I read somewhere that these help babies with gassiness, a problem that our little Eleanor has. She also takes pretty good naps in this little seat. When she starts to squirm (which would usually wake her up if in her crib) it just bounces her right back to sleep. Woohoo!

She's getting better at using her pacifier-

Sometimes she takes naps in her swing-

She like to do tummy time with dad (notice the milk mustache/beard/goatee)-

The real reason she weighs over 10 pounds-

Don't worry though, she's been working out...doing some leg lifts and bicep curls-

And last but not least, just being really cute-

Congrats to Andrew! (and more baby stuff)

So before I post more baby pictures I thought I'd let Andrew have a second in the spotlight. He got accepted into the business school so now he'll be working on a J.D./MBA degree! I'm so proud of him for working so hard. I'm pretty sure he was one of the first people to turn in his application for next fall. He'll finish his first year of law school and then start incorporating business classes next fall. It will only add one extra year on to the originally planned three years of law school. The joint law/business program is something that he has really been looking forward to doing, so we're really excited and happy for him!

Here he is posing with his acceptance letter. He probably could have done without me taking this picture, but I thought it would be fun to have :)

Way to go Andrew!

Now for a baby update...
Little Eleanor will be 2 weeks old tomorrow! I can't believe how fast time has flown by (although most nights when she wants to eat every two hours it seems to go a little slower). We went to the pediatrician yesterday and the doctor was a little confused after weighing her. He looked at his chart and then at the scale and back at his chart and asked, "is this her 2-week check-up or her 4-week check-up?" I assured him that yes, it was just her 2-week check-up. She's up to 9 pounds and 8.5 ounces! When we left the hospital she was down from her birth weight of 9 pounds, 4 ounces to "just" 8 pounds 12 ounces. The doctor said they like newborns to gain about 30 grams a day, and apparently Eleanor has gained a little over 40 grams a day! I asked if maybe I'm feeding her too much, but he said she is doing just fine. She never spits up and I feed her when she seems to be hungry. So we'll see if her appetite will change in the next few weeks. I'm hoping she'll get better at eating more, less often so I can get a little more sleep.

Over the weekend we dressed her up for game day...
I'm not really sure what she's doing with her hands, but she sure is cute!


Here she is on her blanket that Aunt Emily made for her and a cute little fleur de lis bib my mom got for her. She also really likes being on her belly. Maybe it helps her digest all the food she's eaten, who knows :)


Our friends, Jared and Miranda, came by to visit on Sunday and brought little Ellie Belly a cute little hat that Miranda crocheted...


The last bit of exciting news is that yesterday the rest of her umbilical cord fell off so tonight we got to give her a bath! She didn't cry or freak out at all.

At first she wasn't really sure about it...

But I think she finally warmed up to it (haha no pun intended) and had a fun time...

All done, and nice and clean!

I used a special bedtime baby lotion that is supposed to be soothing. Apparently it has ingredients shown to have calming and relaxing properties. (I'm kind of a sucker for hygiene products, especially ones that are marketed well.) She seemed to go to sleep pretty easily after her bath. We'll see how she does the rest of the night :)

We're Home!

Here are some more pictures....
Our last morning in the hospital (Andrew's parents sent us those pretty flowers)

Here's Eleanor and Daddy, all ready to head home


Here's a video of us right before we checked out of the hospital.

Some pictures of our first day at home together...

Luckily Eleanor got here in time so my mom could meet her. My mom flew into town the night Eleanor was born (she had already bought her ticket about 2 weeks ago in hopes that the baby would be here by then), so it was perfect timing. It's been so nice to have my mom here. When we got home from the hospital today she had my favorite homemade vegetable soup on the stove. And I know there are plenty more yummy meals to come!

Cute little yawn...


Our new little family!


Our little Ellie-Belly is so good and sleeps so much and we've barely even heard her cry. She has the cutest little chubby cheeks and we just think she's so beautiful, we absolutely love her!

She's here!!

Our little girl finally made it this morning. She was born at 8:39 AM after about 10 hours of labor. Not bad for a first timer, right? Yesterday I was having some cramps on and off and thought they might be the real deal. I picked Andrew up from school around 5:30 and we headed over to Sam's Club to get a membership. Well we walked around for a good 30 minutes or so and I was feeling some minor contractions. When we got home I finished up some laundry and finished packing my hospital bag. We ate dinner and then I laid down and watched some TV. Around 9:30 or so I knew the contractions were legit but I didn't want to tell Andrew quite yet and get his hopes up and just have it be a false alarm. So for about an hour I just kept an eye on the clock and tried to walk around or sit on my little birthing ball. Around 11:00 PM I told Andrew about the contractions so he went to this little website we found that times your contractions for you and keeps track of them. So for the next hour we kept tabs on them and by midnight they were coming about 4 minutes apart and about 50 seconds long. Andrew called the after hours line at the doctor's office and were told to go into the hospital.

We got to triage around 12:20 AM (Friday, October 24th). They checked me and I was about 3 cm dilated and 75% effaced. They wanted to wait just a little bit longer before admitting us to a labor and delivery room so they said they would come back and check me at 3:00 AM. When they came back to check I was 4 cm and about 80% effaced so they admitted us to labor and delivery...yay! I really was in labor all by myself, no induction necessary! So they got me to my room and started me on an IV and did some blood work so I could get my epidural. I'm not gonna lie, my contractions were very painful and it felt like they were coming really close together. My nurse got me set up for the epidural and the anesthesiologist came in and did his job. It wasn't nearly as bad as I had anticipated. I was a little shaky at first and had some shivering, but they put a ton of blankets on me and I was ok. I was able to rest until about 6 or 6:30 when my midwife, Cathy came in to check me again and found that I was at 10 cm and ready to push! It was kind of a surreal moment. Andrew had conked out pretty good on the couch and when we woke him up a little after 7 to have him help hold me legs while I pushed he seemed to be a little dazed and confused. But I'm really proud of him, he did an awesome job. He tends to be a little queezy when it come to hospitals and the like. I figured he would have to step out of the room quite a bit during the delivery but he was there the whole time and helping out however they needed him.

I pushed for a little over an hour and Eleanor Adaline was born at 8:39 AM on Friday, October 24th! Here's the kicker...she was 9 pounds and 4 ounces!! Everyone couldn't believe how big she was and they were all raving about how great it was that I was able to deliver a baby her size being a first time mom. She is so cute and chubby, we just love her! She had a little meconium scare and we didn't hear her cry for a good minute or so. They had to suck a ton of fluid out of her lungs and she is still a little weezy. They worked on her for about an hour before we got to hold her. Meanwhile, I was busy getting stitched up. I had a little tear -- They said not quite a second degree, but a little worse than a first degree.

Everything is just fine now and we are enjoying having our sweet little girl asleep in her little bassinet next to us in our hospital room. She has such a content little personality and is quick to calm her own fussiness...I hope this lasts! We feel so grateful that things went so smoothly and we've been blessed with a beautiful healthy baby!

Still no baby...

Here I am 2 days after my due date without a baby! I never thought my due date would come and go like that, but oh well. I guess she is just really comfy in there and is in no hurry to come out. Today at my appointment I was bummed to find out I haven't had much progress since 3 weeks ago -- still 2 cm dilated and now 70% effaced. If she doesn't come out on her own I'm scheduled to be induced next Tuesday (I'll be 41 weeks and 2 days). So we'll just have to wait and see what happens. But it is nice to have an end in sight and remember I won't be pregnant forever despite what it feels like sometimes!

Today I was able to go over to my friend's house and finally finish the little sleeper I had started. I'm really surprised I was able to do it...It has a zipper on it and cuffs and a collar, which were all pretty tricky. It's nothing fancy, but I'm still pretty proud of it. Here's a picture...

Maybe the baby was just waiting for me to finish her sleeper...maybe now that I've finished it she'll be ready to come! I sure hope so!

Hiram, Ohio

So earlier last week as I was reading the Priesthood/Relief Society lesson for yesterday, I decided we should make a trip over to Hiram, Ohio and visit the John Johnson home. This is where Joseph Smith received revelation regarding the three degrees of glory. (Doctrine and Covenants Section 76). It was also the Church Headquarters during the year that Joseph Smith lived there. I love being so close to these Church History sites. It has been so nice to visit them and feel the spirit there and be reminded of the faith of the early Saints. This was the Johnson's "dream home" that they had built, but yet they were willing to share it with the Prophet and other church members. They even sold over 200 acres of their farmland and gave the proceeds to the church to help purchase land for the temple in Kirtland.

It is also very humbling to be in the room where Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father appeared to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon. I love verses 22-24 in section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants: "And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God." I love that! Such a powerful testimony of the Savior! I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and that he restored the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth!

The John Johnson Home was in such a cute little town. And it was especially beautiful this time of year! There were pumpkin patches all through the town and the leaves on the trees were all changing color...so beautiful!

One last thing...our countdown until baby is here is in the single digits now! I never thought this day would come. We are getting really excited and anxious to have her here! The crib is set up, the car seat is installed, and all the onesies are washed. We are definitely ready! Any guesses on when she'll make her debut?? We'll keep you posted!

Ode to Circle K

Here's something you might not know about me...I love Circle K. They never fail in being the cheapest gas around (well, where we live). Today I got gas for $2.69/gallon. Awesome, right? I can't remember the last time I've seen gas that cheap!

Another thing I love about Circle K is their Polar Pop! You can get any size fountain drink for $0.59! Maybe even more awesome than cheap gas, right? My drink of choice is Diet Coke with a shot or two of Cherry Coke in it. Oh, you think it can't get better than that? Oh, well it does! They have your choice of crushed or cubed ice. I always opt for crushed.

(And, yes, it really "stays cold longer" as advertised)
So if there's a Circle K near you, I suggest you check it out!

19 days to go!

I'm about 37 weeks now which means I'm full term, so hypothetically this baby could come any day now. But everyone reminds me that most first babies come late rather than early! So I most likely have a few more weeks. I went to the doctor this morning and I'm dilated about 2 cm so that's good news that at least my body is getting ready! Here's a picture of me and my big baby belly...

I remember when we were younger and we would whine to my mom that we we're bored, she would just reply with, "yeah, doesn't it feel so good!" But with 19 days to go until our little one is due, I find myself getting a little bored. I'm sure once she is here there will be times when I will want these "boring" days back and I'll really know what my mom meant when she would say that it feels so good to be bored.

To occupy some of my time I've started on another baby quilt. The last one I made was more neutral colors, so I thought I would make another one that is a little more girly. Also in our ward there are like 6 or 7 other girls that are either about to have a baby or just had a baby so we're all working on making little baby sleepers together. I'm afraid a sleeper might not be as forgiving as a little quilt. But we'll see. I'll be sure to post some pictures once I've finished. I've also been going to a water aerobics class at the student recreation center which is actually really fun. It sure does help that you're only a tenth of your weight while in water!

Also I had some over ripe bananas I didn't want to throw out so I tried a new Banana Bread recipe. I don't have loaf pans and I didn't feel like making a trip to the store for just muffin papers so I made it in a Bundt pan and it turned out really good! Here's the recipe if you wanna give it a try...

3 ripe bananas
1 c. sour cream

1/4 c. margarine
1 1/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. walnuts (or however many you like)

In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, bananas, and sour cream. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; stir into the banana mixture. Stir in walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.

I guess that's about all I've been up to. Let me know if you have any ideas of things I can do to stay busy for the next couple of weeks...