Weekend Rewind~An Early Valentine's

We had a pretty wonderful weekend with plenty of time to get refreshed after my first week back at work. I almost think that working 3 days made me more tired than taking care of Elyse full time! ha!

Friday Hubby & I were both at work so the evening was incredibly low-key. We had leftover enchiladas for dinner, I made a quick trip to Walmart while Elyse napped and we finished off the night with a Redbox movie...I Don't Know How She Does It with Sarah Jessica Parker. A cute movie that was definitely applicable to our lives right now! We also were able to use Facetime and let Hubby's parents watch Elyse open her Valentine's day boxes...so fun for them to be able to see her even though they are 12 hours away. Can't wait for them to move back to Missouri!

Elyse's Valentine's Day boxes from Mamaw & Pappy

Facetiming with the Grandparents!

Momma & her Houndstooth baby

Saturday morning we had some family snuggle/nap time in bed and literally didn't get up until close to 10:00am...with an 8 week old this was quite the accomplishment! We spent the rest of the morning and afternoon lounging around the house. Saturday night Hubby & I left Elyse with my parents & we went off to enjoy an early Valentine's Day dinner. We headed to Springfield to run a few errands and make a few returns before going to Branson for dinner at Level 2 Steakhouse. We had a fabulous relaxing meal together with just the 2 of us. Unfortunately I failed to take any photos of us...guess that goes to show how our priorities have changed! ha!

We made it home just in time for Elyse's last feeding of the night and in time to put her to bed. She slept through the night again...which just as a note, does NOT always mean that Momma sleeps through the night. She was quite restless between 3-4 am, but finally settled back down and we all enjoyed the good night's sleep!

After church on Sunday we came home & while I would have loved to just veg all afternoon, we were in charge of dinner for Small Group so I whipped a few things thanks to Pinterest and then worked around the house a bit. I also managed to get in a quick photo shoot with our baby girl! Elyse & her Valentine's Day monkey from Hallmark

Elyse & Daddy

Our best attempt at a family photo...someone is getting a wee bit tired!

We also had some play-time in the floor with her new playmat from Mamaw & Pappy. She loves it! and tummy time is much more enjoyable for everyone since her head is elevated off the floor!

Just hanging out...

Momma are we done with pictures yet?!?

Raspberries on my stomach & some lovin' from daddy!

We finished off the weekend with small group & then we all came home & crashed. I was exhausted and headed to bed as soon as we fed Elyse for the last time. She didn't sleep completely through the night, but I did manage to have solid sleep from 10:00-4:30, which I'll take!

A Few of Elyse's Favorite Things

So I do promise that eventually I will get back to writing some posts that are not solely baby related, but let's be honest. This is the season of life I'm in and it's also the season of life that a ton of my favorite blog friends & real life friends are in...so really no apologies for writing about all things baby-related!

Elyse is 8 weeks old this week! yikes! She is growing so fast! In the past 8 weeks we have definitely discovered some things that are working wonderfully & others that she doesn't really care about...babies are certainly all completely different & you never know what will work for one baby over another, but here are just a few of Elyse's favorite things and also a few of my momma must-haves!

The Halo Sleep Sacks--seriously these things are like magic! Elyse loves to be swaddled! We originally swaddled her arms up at her chin with her elbows bent because that's how it seemed she was in the womb; however once she got a bit older she would get her arms out and then startle herself awake while she was dreaming. Once we started swaddling her arms down she slept so much more soundly and for much longer periods of time! We have 4 of these that are on constant rotation!

Halo Sleep Sack

With a December baby & the fact that Hubby & I like to get out of the house, we knew we needed something to keep Elyse cozy in her carseat. I found this JJ Cole Urban Bundle Me at one of our local specialty stores, but it's also available at Babies R Us. This is such a wonderful thing. It's stretched onto the carseat & zips at the bottom. The top part just kind of flops over making it easy to leave on when she's in the car. We just flop back the top part and she can still see out! Kind of hard to explain, but a fabulous purchase!

JJ Cole Urban Bundle Me

We started putting Elyse in her crib in her own room less than 2 weeks after we came home. No one was sleeping very soundly including Elyse! One night after her last feeding and when she was practically asleep I swaddled her up, placed her in her crib, and turned on her Sleep Sheep. We all slept much better that night and we've never looked back. We start the "whales" on her sheep every night before she goes to bed and I use it most days for her nap as well. This sheep isn't necessarily magic, but I would definitely recommend some sort of noise maker.

Cloud B Sleep Sheep

I had always hoped to be able to breastfeed and I knew that inevitably I would have to feed Elyse either while in the car or somewhere that wasn't in the comfort of my own home. And of course that happened only a few days after coming home when we were at one of my family Christmas celebrations. I wouldn't consider myself a crazy modest person, but I also wasn't about to just breastfeed Elyse out in the open. I decided to buy a stylish nursing cover/apron and it was the perfect solution. It's definitely made those otherwise very awkward feeding times much more comfortable for everyone!

Bebe Au Lait Nursing Cover

When deciding on a swing/bouncy seat for Elyse, we had originally planned on getting the Fisher Price Snugabunny series. However, Hubby found the Mamaroo at our local baby store & fell in love. With our fairly small living room the Mamaroo took up so much less space & we decided that it could serve both purposes....a swing & a bouncy seat in one. For Elyse it has worked just fine and she enjoys being in the Mamaroo when I'm fixing dinner or folding laundry. My mom does have the Fisher Price bouncy seat & Elyse seems to love that too, of course every baby is different & has their own preference.

4Moms Mamaroo

This probably goes without saying, but every mom should have a Boppy or something similar. My mom made a Boppy cover from a pattern she found at a local fabric store & we used the fabric from Elyse's nursery to make it a little more fun! The Boppy is great for nursing, but also wonderful for when your arms are just tired or when you need to sit your baby down for a bit and want them to be able to sit up just slightly on their own.

Boppy

During our hospital stay, Elyse seemed to have these mid-afternoon breakdowns and we knew it wasn't because she was hungry or dirty...she was just unhappy. Hubby & I had decided that we hoped to keep Elyse from being a thumb-sucker so we made the decision to try and give her a pacifier to soothe her. She took to it right away and it instantly seemed to calm her. I realize that some moms are completely against a pacifier & are concerned with nipple confusion; however, I didn't ever experience any confusion problems & the pacifier seems to make her happy when nothing else will. A happy baby definitely makes for a happy momma...so a pacifier it is! We eventually switched from the hospital issued Soothies to a Nuk just because she can keep it in her mouth easier.

Nuk Pacifier

I'm sure there will be other things that become favorites as time passes, but for now these are the things that are must-haves for our family!

Weekend Rewind~Birthday Celebration!

All I can say is that my first birthday weekend as a momma was absolutely fantastic!

Friday night we headed out with Elyse & some friends for dinner at Houlihan's. She was perfect during dinner of course we might be a little partial...probably thanks to her little nap she took beforehand...

Taking a peek at momma...or sleeping with one eye open & one eye closed!

Saturday (my actual birthday) Hubby, Elyse & I lounged around the house for the entire day. We still woke up early so I could feed Elyse & of course open LOTS of presents, but we seriously spent most of the day watching tv & relaxing.

My birthday box from the mother-in-law...complete with 29 "lit" candles!

My baby girl and my stack of gifts from Hubby...practically a brand new wardrobe from Banana Republic! And almost every single thing fit perfectly!

Saturday evening we went out to dinner with my parents & had a great meal. I was seriously SO ridiculously stuffed after crab wonton appetizers, caesar salad, sushi, pan seared sea bass, and chocolate souffle for dessert! Yummmm!!!

Elyse took a quick cat nap before heading out to dinner...check out those crossed ankles! She's a lady already!
Our precious family of 3!

Sunday we headed to church and then went on down to my parents' house to help with the Super Bowl/Birthday party preparations.

Elyse lounging around in Papa's arms! I'm loving her in the green...I may have to stock up on that color!
Elyse & her piano activity station...she's still a little small to enjoy all the features, but she'll be loving it so soon!

Passed out in the Boppy...but still cheering on her team the Dallas Cowboys, even if they didn't make it to the Superbowl!

Mini-cupcakes...chocolate, strawberry, white & red velvet cake! Mmmm...

The birthday girl...with funfetti blondies!

Making a wish...for a year that just comes close to as good as 28 was!

And time for another mani/pedi from Aunt Millie & Uncle Nick! The polish is definitely growing on me!

I'm back at work this morning...I dropped our baby girl off this morning & managed to only break down twice. She's in great hands, and it wouldn't work any other way! I am so unbelieveably thankful that Gigi is able & willing to watch our baby girl 3 days a week!

29 Years Old

Today is my 29th birthday! I'm normally a crazy person when it comes to my birthday, and while I'm certainly excited about all the presents & food & celebration that will come along this weekend...a precious little girl has captured my attention this year.

I can't even imagine how my 29th year could top my 28th year. With finding out we were expecting much sooner than we had imagined, to our Babymoon in Hawaii, to preparing for our baby girl and finally welcoming her into this world...my 28th year was pretty incredible.

I'm so excited to see what 29 will bring...in my life, in Hubby's life, and in Elyse's life. It's sure to be a wonderful year full of lots of love, laughter, & joy!

just when you think...

...you have it all figured out and you've settled into some sort of normalcy, everything changes again.

Today is a cloudy, rainy, windy Friday which I guess is more than appropriate because today is a bittersweet day for me. It's the perfect day to cuddle up with my baby girl and do nothing but enjoy her & all her precious little features. The perfect day to sit on the couch and hold her while she stares up at me with those big blue eyes and the perfect day to get down in the floor and play with her as she kicks her tiny legs and tries so desperately to communicate with me. The perfect day to try and catch just a little snooze as she takes what is supposed to be her LONG afternoon nap, but sometimes I think she wakes up early just because she wants to cuddle with momma.

Today is what I would call my last official day of maternity leave. Now before I convince you to feel TOO sorry for me, remember that I do work FOR my parents and work WITH my husband and my MOM will be the one watching Elyse and I am ONLY working 3 days a week. And let's not forget that even on the days I work, I'll be seeing Elyse every day over lunch. However, these last almost 8 weeks have absolutely flown by and I honestly can't believe how much she's changed and just how much I absolutely LOVE this little girl that God brought into our lives. I have just managed to start figuring out Elyse's complex, changing every day schedule; only to have to start back to work a few days a week.

If someone had asked me a few years ago if I saw myself as a full-time stay at home mom, my standard, typical answer was probably not. I just couldn't really imagine myself staying at home all day every day with our children. And then if someone asked me 9 months ago if I was going to stay at home full time my standard response was...I don't know, we'll figure it out. Working with family certainly offers a lot of flexibility that I wouldn't have otherwise, so it wasn't a decision that we had to make immediately. And today, if someone asked me today if I would ever be a full-time stay at home mom my response will still be...I don't know, we're going to figure it out. Right now our plans are for me to work 3 days a week and be home with Elyse the other 2; however, I'm not naive enough to think that those plans might have to change yet again. Nick & I will be making those decisions based on what's best for Elyse, and our current set-up certainly isn't set in stone.

While I'm going to miss being around the house & catering to Elyse's every need, there are certainly things I'm looking forward to as I prepare to go back to work. I'm looking forward to being back in a job that I really did enjoy. I'm looking forward to accomplishing something on Mondays, Tuesdays, & Fridays that is completely different from what I will be accomplishing the other four days of the week. I'm looking forward to some adult conversation that doesn't necessarily involve dirty diapers, breastfeeding, or sleep schedule (of course in a small office I'm sure there'll still be plenty of that). I'm looking forward to having a reason to get dressed up and wear more than just sweats & t-shirts. And I'm looking forward to being with Nick more, working beside him, and continuing to navigate our new roles as parents & co-workers.

The discussion of working mom vs. stay-at-home mom will always exist and I honestly can't say which is better...because it's not about which is better overall, but which is the best decision for our family. Right now I feel like I'm about to experience the best of both worlds. Because while I'm looking forward to all those things about job, I know that each week I'll be aching for Wednesday & Thursday when I get to spend two whole days at home with our baby girl...cuddling and singing and going for walks and doing whatever else we want.

I'll be longing for those two Mom Days each week when we can just be mother & daughter hanging out in our jammies.

Our Newborn Christmas Baby

So I realize Elyse is 7 1/2 weeks old...but I can't help but share her precious newborn photos. I can't hardly believe she was ever this tiny, but here's the photos to prove it!

All photos courtesy of Turner Creative Photography.

Weekend Rewind ~ Springtime in January?

I know that so many parts of the country have been experiencing some crazy winter weather...not heavy snows & frigid temps, but abnormally warm & windy days that makes it feel more like Spring than January aka the month when we normally receive the most snowfall. I have mixed feelings about it...I certainly love a beautiful winter snowfall but I'm also quite glad we haven't had to deal with sub-zero temps with Elyse--I have a feeling we'd be staying home a lot more if we had normal winter weather!

We had a pretty fabulous weekend, low-key but fabulous anyway! Friday night we took advantage of a gift card we received after Elyse was born and treated ourselves to dinner at McAlister's. We also had a little bit of a sad night as one of our favorite shows had it's series finale.

Hubby & I have been Chuck fans since it first aired several years ago and we're so sad that it's over. It was a fun, family-friendly show that still had many of those spy/action movie aspects...but without all the crazy blood, gore, violence and language. Shows come to an end all the time, but this is one that we'll really miss! Elyse wasn't too excited about Chuck, she passed out early in Daddy's lap!

Saturday we spent most of the morning lounging in bed with our baby girl. We had a quick dinner before heading out to run a few errands and then going to a Missouri State basketball game. It was a "maroon-out" but Elyse doesn't have much maroon so we dressed her to the nines in her Missouri State gear!

Starting her out right with jeggings & pink Uggs!

Our sweet family minus a happy baby~she wasn't too excited about the hat!

Thankfully the game had a great outcome and Elyse was a very good girl the entire game! It helps when she sleeps for at least half of the game, but even when she's awake she was a happy girl! I'm so glad the noise doesn't bother her...we love going to the games!

After the game we sent Elyse off with her Papa, Gigi, & Uncle Nick and Hubby & I took advantage of a Groupon to a local fondue place. We hadn't made any other plans so we were home LONG before we needed to be for Elyse's last nightly feeding, but we had a good time and it was nice to have a fun evening out together. I'm so glad that we're making this a priority! Not that we don't absolutely LOVE being with Elyse, but maintaining our relationship is so important as we walk through this parenthood adventure!

Yesterday we headed to church where we heard a fabulous sermon on finances, we grabbed a quick lunch and then came home to relax for the afternoon. We just spent the day hanging out and trying to get a few things done around the house. It's amazing how fast times flies when you're at home trying to take care of the baby to-do list!

We did find time for a manicure...

...but Mommy & Daddy really aren't sure how they feel about it, it makes her look like such a big girl!

We headed back out last night to witness a very special time for one of our great friends. Andrea was baptized last night in the pool at our local YMCA; she's been a believer for a long time but had never been formally "dunked." It was so great that we were able to be there to support her for this special moment!

We love you girl...and are so happy for you!

It's a little bit of a bitter-sweet week for me. More about it later on this week, but with our present plans this is my last week when I'll be home with Elyse. Next Monday I go back to work part-time for 3 days a week. My mom will be keeping Elyse and I'll still see her every day at lunchtime, but it will definitely be an adjustment after I've spent the last 7 weeks with her practically all day everyday!