Monday, September 30, 2013

6 Week Party Girl

Julia is getting more active and animated every day.  She turned 6 weeks on Sept 28th and we celebrated with a yummy lunch at Red Robin with Guido.  She slept through the whole lunch even though the restruant was VERY loud.  We have had the beginnings of beautiful fall weather (which means temps in the mid-80s instead of 90s) so we decided to stroll Downtown Winter Garden.

Daddy has a convertible ZL1 Camero as his company car for a while.  While a very hot car, its not designed for car seats and I wish we had a picture of me sitting with my knees touching the dash so Julia's seat had enough room in the back!  Honestly it was easier to put the top down to get her in and out that through the door...  After a diaper change on the trunk lid we had a lovely time window shopping while Daddy carried Julia in a mei tai (carrier).







Another 6 week note is that her hair is getting longer and curlier every week!  Its a medium brown, not super dark but definitely curly!





The faces she makes are hilarious and she is starting to interact while we talk and make faces at her.  She is ready for her screen debut.  Anyone know a good agent?  :)
Uh oh, I think they're on to me. We better scram...

Who? Little ol' me...?

hee hee, that was fun!

I'm not happy with this story line...

Mommy, you are so silly...

Party on!  Girl power!



Sunday, September 22, 2013

Beer and Lighthouses - St Augustine

 For Daddy's birthday (32 again :) we decided to undertake our most ambitious baby-adventure yet... 

Chad wanted to hear a world respected brewmaster speak at a reception in St Augustine.  Something about ancient beer archeology...  Our friend Forrest wanted to go too so we decided to make a day of it.  We toured the St. Augustine lighthouse and grounds and learned about how they are discovering and preserving shipwreck artifacts found in 'The Nations Oldest Port'.  Then the beer reception started at 5 and proved to be a good time for all... except for Julia... 

After the 2 hour drive and 3 hours touring the grounds she was hot, tired, and DONE!  although we were prepared to meet all of her (admittedly simple needs) we didn't account for her basic annoyance at being hot and generally disgruntled with her lack of familiar surroundings.  She and I decided to skip the reception and just wandered around killing time and waiting for the boys to finish.  Not a roaring success but not too shabby for her 5 week birthday and Chad had a great time so it was worth it. 


A few interesting tidbits from the past week: 

  • She coughed for the first time.  She has always sneezed to clear her airway but coughing is new and so cute!
  • She is playing on her playmat and holding her head up for many minutes at a time.  When she is done though she is quick to let you know.
  • She is sleeping 2-3 hours during the day and 4-6 at a stretch at night.  There are some mornings I am pretty groggy but if I get one 6 hour stretch I feel great. I am very lucky in the sleeping department, I have friends who are up every 2-3 hours all night long.  I pray she doesn't regress from here.
 
  
Mama and Julia at 5 weeks





Friday, September 13, 2013

Visit with Oma

We have had the best week with my Mom (Oma)!  Julia loves having Oma around to hold her and give her bottles. Since Chad was in Miami for work for some of the week it was wonderful having her here so I can get a few things done around the house and actually shower! The biggest struggle I am having right now is needing to pump 8 times a day.  Its impossible when I am home alone with Julia to get it done because once I feed her, play with her, and put her down for a nap I have no time left to pump.  Oma really helps me relax and not feel like I will go crazy trying to cram everything in and Julia get extra love and snuggles - we both win!

Since it takes an act of Congress to get Julia and I fed, dressed, and out of the house we spend a lot of time at home which can get pretty boring.  With Oma here we were able to get out more and plan some stuff around town. 

Tuesday we went to a Le Leche meeting to help me work on Julia's nursing.  She seems to latch and nurse well it just doesn't seem like she is transferring much so we are still going to visit the oral motor specialist for more help.  I really want to eliminate having to pump and feed bottles...  Afterwards we went out for a yummy Thai lunch.  Julia slept through it but Mom and I enjoyed it!  Then we were feeling very ambition so we went to Cheesecake Factory and met some of my mom friends for a birthday lunch for Ana.  We split a piece of cheesecake and then had to make a hasty exit when Julia woke up crying.  We did more that day than I had in 3 weeks :)

Wedneday we took Oma to the salon and she got a haircut.  Since my mom is very particular about her hair and has had some bad experiences (stylists who had no idea how to handle curly hair...) we were glad she tried Holly, who has been cutting Chad hair for years.  Holly did her magic and cut mom's hair giving her a fresh shape and removing some dead ends and didn't make it too short.  Julia was an angel during the visit!  She slept most of the time and just peeked her eyes open a few times when people were talking to her.  Everyone said she was adorable!  Because we were all feeling so good we took some pictures of Oma and Julia when we got home. 

Thursday we went to a consignment sale and I got some stuff for Julia and Mom got some stuff for Suzie!  We stayed just the right amount of time and Julia didn't get fussy until the last 5 minutes.

Overall this has been a wonderful visit with Oma.  She is so helpful and and makes the days fly by.  This infant stage can be a bit tedious and boring and having Oma here makes it much more fun!  We will miss you when you go back to Atlanta tomorrow Oma, hurry up and buy a house in FL so we can see you more often...





Monday, September 9, 2013

Our First Road trip

Well last weekend was a weekend of firsts!  On Sat Chad, Julia, and I headed to Dunnellon to visit Grandma Edie, Papa Danny, and Grandma Karen.  It took us 2 hours to get the gear into the car, dogs loaded, baby fed and strapped into the car seat and everyone actually into the car!  Needless to say this train moves a little slower than it did before... 

We headed 2 hours away to Grandma Edies and Julia slept the whole time.  She hates being strapped into the car seat but once she is in a moving car she falls asleep instantly.  Grandma Edie was so excited to see her again (she hadn't seen her since the hospital) and loved holding her.  We spent some time eating and staring at Grandma.

 After a few hours we headed down the road to Papa Danny and Grandma Karen's house for a surprise 65th Birthday party for Danny.The whole crew was there - Aunts - Stacey, Tammy, and Becky. Uncles Mike and Tito, and cousins: Troy, Alyssa, Dylan, and Bekka.  Julia slept for most of the party, even when the balloons were popping around her!  Bekka seemed fascinated with her and kept watching her sleep.  Hopefully she likes her own baby sister that is due in just 3 weeks :)  When she woke up we took some group pictures and Aunt Stacey admired her tiny toes. 

We headed back to Grandma Edies for the night and poor Julia was a bit out of sorts.  Overtired and over stimulated is a bad combo and it took us and hour to get her to sleep even though it was obvious she was tired.  When she doesn't want to sleep she doesn't really cry much just lays eyes wide open for hours and fights sleep.  She finally fell asleep at 10pm and slept until 4am in her favorite swing.  At 4 she ate and went back to sleep in her snuggle nest in our bed until 7:30. 

I was awakened by her grunts and something hitting my side.  She had completely turned 90 degrees and was kicking me as she woke up!  I quickly jumped up to get her bottle warm because I didn't want her to cry and wake anyone else up.  5 minutes later I run back to the bedroom to feed her and find her fast asleep again stretched the rest of the way into my spot.  She slept for another hour (until 8:30!) while I enjoyed my coffee with Edie in the family room.  Other than her being a bed hog she is an amazing sleeper for 3 weeks old!

We spent the rest of the morning hanging out with Grandma.  Other than a poop-explosion that required a bath and spot cleaning the recliner... it was a wonderful morning. Soon we had to leave to head home because Oma Sue was coming into town to meet Julia for the very first time!!!!!!!! (More about that in the next post)

Getting a quick bath

Two sleeping beauties hogging the bed...


Friday, September 6, 2013

Milestones

A few things I don't want to forget:

Her umbilical stump fell off at 10 days

Started making vocalizations at 12 days- squealing and whining

For the first 2 weeks home she slept in a mini bassinet in our bed. By day 14 she was scooting and twisting so much that she practically squirmed out of it while we slept. We decided she wasn't safe in it anymore so she started sleeping in her pack n play next to our bed or in her swing in the family room. 

We took her to Target at 4 days old for a quick shopping trip and she slept in her car seat the whole time.

We have her her first bath (sponge bath because her belly button want healed yet) at 1 week. Daddy washed her hair like she was at the salon. She didn't cry at all and really seemed to like the head massage Daddy did!

Daddy and I ate lunch at Macaroni Grill when she was 2 weeks and she did well but woke up as soon as the food arrived so we just took turns holding her and eating :)

Thursday, September 5, 2013

17 Days Old - New Eating Routine

Well today we are trying something new.  Instead of just feeding Julia 2 oz of expressed breast milk at each feeding we are going to try letting her have as much as she wants until she stops feeding.  I know that sounds pretty simple but for the past week every 'expert' I have asked said she only needs 2oz at a time because her stomach is very small.  Well I keep feeding her 2 oz (every 2 hours) and then she still cries and is obviously not quite full and isn't done eating.  I was so worried I would hurt her stomach if I fed her more I kept with that 2oz rule.  In fact, when Chad fed her more I would get upset that he would hurt her.

Well today my friend Sharon (who will be mentioned a lot in this blog because she is my 'baby-expert' friend) assured me a baby is not like a goldfish and will not eat until they explode.  So for the next 2 days I will offer her 2.5 oz of breastmilk then have another half oz of formula standing by.  If she doesn't need the formula then I will just throw it out (that way I'm not risking wasting any of my hard-won bm). 

I've already done it for 2 feedings and the results have been dramatic.  She ate until she fell asleep and seemed so content.  It almost makes me cry when I think of how many times I have made her sleep with a tummy that wasn't quite full :( 

 I can't wait to tell Chad about it when he gets home.  I'm sure he will be glad because it is basically what he has been saying since the beginning but I was too scared to try...  Lets see how this goes...

Welcome Julia Simone

I am going to try keeping a blog so my daughter has some version of a 'Baby Book' when she gets older.  This will be a place I can chronicle Julia's life and make note of all those little things that are forgotten too quickly as life moves on...

And the star of the show





Julia Simone Williams


Born 8/17/13 at 12:28pm
6lb 11oz and 19.5in 
at Winnie Palmer Hospital in Orlando FL