Week 8

This past week Austin's sleeping got so much better. She actually slept almost 7 hours in a row one night. We are definitely having more good nights, then bad nights and she is sleeping a stretch of 4-6 hours each night. We are trying a couple different things, one, she is still in the swing, two, we are putting her to bed earlier (8pm) and three, we are getting up earlier in the morning (7am-ish). My goal is this week to try and get Austin on a schedule. This would including eating, napping and sleeping. I also plan to tackle getting her to sleep in her crib during the night. I know its a lot, but I go back to work in 5 weeks and I would like to have these goals accomplished before then.

This week I was released by my doctor so I can finally lift things besides Austin and resume working out. However being sick this week I have not started the later. Austin and I did go out on our first solo outing today to Babies R Us. Austin was so good, she slept the entire time in the Baby Bjorn while I shopped. Our only mishap was a major spit up that occurred while I was putting Austin into the Baby Bjorn. I of course did not bring another shirt, but hey it was Babies R Us and I doubt anyone noticed.

Sleeping in Mommy & Daddy's bed

My new pretty outfit from Auntie Bridget & Uncle Phil

Just Chillin'

With Auntie Bridget on Thanksgiving

Mommy & Me Rocking the Baby Bjorn

Week 7

Week 7 has not started off as a very good week for Austin. All three us have gotten sick. I feel so bad for Austin, when they are this young there is no medicine you can give them. The only thing we can use is saline drops for her nose.

Before we all got sick we had been struggling with Austin's excessive night waking. Up until this pass week Austin had been getting up 2-3 times a night which was bearable. However, it turned into her getting up 8-10 times a night. We are hoping that this is just temporary and either her 6 week growth spurt or the onset of her cold is to blame. Last night we decide to let her sleep in her swing. She actually sleep better and longer than she had all week long.

This weekend Luke and I went to our friend Chuck and Mel's wedding reception. It is so hard to leave Austin, even if its just for a couple of hours. To tell you the truth I was miserable the entire time and I could not wait to get back home. I do not know what I am going to do when I have to go back to work in January.

Playing in my activity gym

Week 6

I cannot believe how much Austin is changing day by day. She is definitely more alert and not sleeping as much during the day. In weeks past I would feed her and she would fall asleep immediately after. Now she eats and then wants to play or be stimulated. Her naps went from 2-3 hours at a time to 30 minutes to an hour at a time. We might get one good long nap in a day if we are lucky. I also think she has recently gone through her 6 week growth spurt. She literally ate every hour yesterday. I felt like she was sucking me dry. She was not happy at all yesterday unless she was eating. Now today she is sleeping a lot and according to my baby book this is the "growing" phase of the growth spurt. She is getting so big and growing out of her clothes before she even has a chance to wear them once. We also decided this week to go up a size in diapers. The size 1's still fit but where getting very snug and I was worried about leaking and blow outs.

Another thing we are currently working on is getting Austin to take a bottle. Besides when we were supplementing with formula the first couple of days of her life, I can count on one hand how many bottles Austin has been given. I am afraid if we wait to long to re-introduce the bottle to her she will refuse it all together and with me going back to work that is not an option. Any of the outing we have gone on in the last couple weeks I have brought a bottle of expressed breast milk with. My Mom got Austin to take the bottle when we went for pictures, but since then we have been unsuccessful in getting Austin to accept the bottle while we are out and I end up in the car breastfeeding her. This past week Luke tried to give Austin a bottle at home and it did not go very well. She screamed the entire time and would not take it. Finally she feel asleep and we thought maybe she was on a hunger strike. When she woke up we tried again and she took the bottle this time, but did not seem satisfied. I am sure she was starving though from her hunger strike and I ended up breastfeeding her anyways.

Austin's 1 Month Professional Potraits

Week 5

This past week Austin turned 1 month old and we went to have professional pictures taken. This however did not go as well as I planned. I had the bright idea to do some cute naked photos of Austin. What I learned is Austin does not like to be naked and if you take her diaper off she will pee on everything and everyone. The lady ended up only taking 6 pictures. Once they are available on-line I will post them. Austin looks miserable in all the pictures.

We also went to the doctor this week for Austin's 1 month well baby visit. Austin now weighs 11lbs 1oz and is in the 90 percentile for weight and she is 22 inches long which is the 85 percentile for height. The doctor says she looks great and was surprised that I was exclusively breastfeeding. Austin also had to get one shot and I could not watch and I fought back the tears. Luke said the needle was huge. Next month at her 2 month well baby visit she has to get 4 shots. I do not know how I am going to make it through that appointment.

Also this past week we tried out Austin's crib for the first time. She took a couple of naps during the day in it and it went well. I am still not sure when we will transition Austin out of our room and in to her own.

Playing in my activity gym

Sleeping in my crib

Snuggling with Grandma after my bath

Week 4

Here are some pictures from this past week. Austin was weighed at our lactation consultant appointment and she weighed in at 10lbs!!!! She definitely is not having any problems with eating...We made a few trips out this past week and visited Luke's work and my work to show off Austin. We however had a strict no touching policy because of flu season. It was nice to get out and get some fresh air.

Luke's Mom came into town this weekend and will be staying with us for the next two weeks. She already has earned her keep this morning at 5am when she got Austin to sleep after she had been awake since her 2:30am feeding. It is so nice having an extra set of hands here. Plus it gives my Mom a break (even though I know she wants to come over every day).

"One Million Dollars"

"Daddy and Austin cuddling"

"Man, I 'm already growing out of my clothes"

"Look Mom I can hold the binky myself"

"Mommy and Austin"