Baby's Blessing Day

A big dress for such a little girl!

"What am I wearing??"
It doesn't taste very good
kicking and screaming
Just lying around...

We were in a bit of a rush this morning, trying to get everyone ready to go. I wish we could have gotten a family picture, but that'll have to wait. Doesn't she look super cute in her blessing outfit?? I bought the extra small dress, but it seems to look pretty big on her. It's so cute, because every time we dress her up in something "pretty" she seems to know how good she looks. She'll light up and smile. I love it! ANYWAY... It was freezing cold today and it snowed yesterday! That really has nothing to do with today's post, but I just thought I'd add.

So, we got to church on time and were happy to see a couple friends there as well. We asked Jared Stuart (Taytum's husband) and Lucas Griffin (one of Tanner's best friends) to stand in with him during the blessing. It's tough when you don't have family nearby, but they are awesome friends. We also had the Bishopric stand in; Bishop Samuelson, Bryce Wadell, and Andrew McCracken. They're all great guys, so I was pleased to have them participate. Tanner did an amazing job with the blessing. Layla had just fallen asleep on me, so I gently passed her to Tanner. He said that during the blessing she started slipping out of his grip! (The dress is pretty slick) and he had to re-adjust her quickly before she fell! Tanner said that once he finished the blessing, he opened his eyes and saw her all smiley with her hand grasping the microphone cord. Cute!! I was so nervous that if she wasn't asleep, she'd be crying. I guess she's more in tune with the spirit than I knew!

Well, it was a beautiful moment. She did really well the rest of Sacrament too. We passed her to Luke and Haylee halfway through. She grunted and groaned for them, which they thought was really cute. Then, it was time for Sunday school and she took a turn for the worse. She started fussing in the beginning, due to her un-comfy dress and messy diaper. So it was Mom to the rescue!! I took her to the Mother's Lounge for the first time (kinda scary I've got to admit... well more intimidating than scary). I changed her out of her big dress and into a smaller, softer one. She started really fussing now and I knew she was hungry so I picked a spot (one comfy chair out of about 15 or so) and pulled out her big blanket ready to cover. Okay, I'm really shy about most things, so with breastfeeding it's no different. There were women all confident and carefree whipping it out like it was nothing and then there was ME. Okay, I know I need MUCH more practice, but I felt so awkward and dumb trying to juggle my baby, blanket, and shirt at the same time. Well anyway, I'm NOT going into detail so don't you worry, but it ended up being a pretty frustrating experience for us both. I really want to master the whole deal and I think I will... but oh man that was tough!

So, we're going over to Taytum and Jared's this evening for dinner, which I'm really excited about! I don't have to cook and it'll be a REAL, home cooked, "Sunday Dinner". YAY! Okay, well that's enough for now.

Layla

I'm so pretty

wide eyes
big yawn New headband from Taytum!

Just wanted to add a few new pictures! Layla is getting more adorable every day, as you can see. I keep trying to catch her in the middle of a smile, but it's tough! I'll have the camera out and then she smiles and I get so excited that I end up shaking the camera or dropping it. Sorry. This last one was taken with my phone and it's a partial smile!

Baby's First Time at Church!

All Dressed Up!

Dad's holding me! Like my dress??
She loves to look at windows :)
Peek-A-Boo

We decided that it was time to take Layla to church! Mom and baby only stayed for Sacrament meeting, but it was a great start! She slept all through most of it, until the end, when we had to put her back in her car seat. Dang seat! I think it looks comfortable, the straps aren't TOO tight, and we tuck her in with a fluffy blanket... I don't know why she hates it so much. Oh well, at least everything around here is super close. Our church building is like 2 mins from our house. There are so many babies in our ward right now too! At least 7 babies born within the last 3 months and there are still tons of pregnant ladies, ready to pop! Layla is definitely the cutest though. I think there are more girls than boys too.

Next weekend we're going to have Layla blessed. I'm really excited. Her little dress is SO cute and her Grandma Colleen got her the sweetest little bracelet. I wish she had a better bow or headband, not many actually fit her. I wish I knew how to make them too, that'd be nice. We went out to Taytum and Jared's last night, but ended up leaving early because I kept drifting in and out of sleep. It's hard to do things late these days, especially when you're OUT of the house. It's easier I think, when you have company over at night, because then you don't have to drive home at the end. It's funny because I kept finding myself looking down at Layla, who was peacefully snoozing away, and thinking to myself I COULD BE SLEEPING TOO! We ended up renting "We Are Marshall" and "Disturbia" and watched most of the first at their house. I felt bad for leaving in the middle of a movie, but I was DEAD tired.

Oh! I finally weighed myself since giving birth! Taytum and Jared have a scale in their bathroom and I was really nervous to stand on it... but I weigh a little LESS than my pre-pregnancy weight and was shocked! I'm not allowed to have one at home, for good reason, I stress too much about the actual number, which is not healthy. I hadn't weighed myself since going to the doctor's while pregnant and even then, I asked them not to tell me. Anywho, you could probably care less about my weight, so I'll move on.

Tanner is going back to work this week on Thursday. I'm glad that he was able to get a job with the same company he was working for, he is too. He'll be working in Ririe, which is only 20 mins or so from Rexburg. A lot better than the hour commute he was making before. I'm nervous for him to be gone so much though. Because he's been getting home from school around 1pm everyday and now it's going back to 6pm. That's five more hours that I'm here alone with Layla. How will I do it? I guess most wives manage even longer days than that, so I shouldn't complain.

Ewww gross.. Tanner just said that he likes the smell of spit up. Just thought I'd add.

Well, I'm starving and want to make cookies too, maybe snickerdoodles? Yeah, that sounds good.

3 Weeks!

Pretty Girl

She loves her Daddy
Goofy Face

I can't believe that it's been 3 weeks! My baby really is growing! I put her little hospital cap on her head the other night, because it was really cold and her head is still too small for regular ones. When I put it on I could tell that it fit differently. My baby's head is getting bigger and for some reason that made me want to cry! But I didn't. She is so darn pretty though. I didn't know that babies could be so pretty as newborns. You know what I mean... usually they're WAY cute, just a little funny looking. I know that I'm a bit biased in my opinion, but Layla is gorgeous. It's so funny now, because she keeps gaining weight in her cheeks and neck. She's got a triple chin in progress. I love it!

Oh, another thing that is kinda funny about being a mom to a newborn... you know what's on t.v. at ANY time of the day. I was thinking about it yesterday and it's true, most of my time is spent sitting on the couch feeding her. Which is okay by me, but it also means that the t.v. is usually on as well. I've been up late watching Saved By the Bell, The Cosby Show, and even those freaky specials on MSNBC about serial killers. Which give me crazy dreams, by the way. A couple nights ago I had a dream that I killed a man that lived under my bed with a huge samurai sword. I woke up and still thought it was real for about 5 mins. I was holding my baby SUPER tight, thinking some man could jump out and get us! Anyway, today the cable went out (and is still out) and I realized how much I rely on it to entertain me. Sad, huh?

Well, this Sunday will be Layla's first time at church! I think we're only going to Sacrament meeting, but what a great start! I'm really excited to start getting out in the world again, especially with her. I get to show her all the fun and exciting things Rexburg has to offer... okay that'll take about an hour... but still. Tanner needs a sandwich, and I want to make it! Later gator!

Will they EVER fit??

How cute! Look at those big lips!

Nice hair-do! Gotta love the bedhead.
She's taking after her Mommy :)

Layla's hair is lightening up quite a bit. When she was first born, it was closer to black! I wonder if it'll get as blonde like her parents' hair did. That'd be super cute. I love it after giving her a bath, it poofs out everywhere! The cutest thing. And whenever she eats, her hair gets a little crazy on one side :) You can see where her hair is falling out now too. She's got a bit of receeding hairline, but that's okay. It's weird, because you can also see where it's growing back in.

Okay, so I'm back into most of my normal clothes, but there's still those dang skinny jeans that wont seem to fit! I mean, I can squeeze my buns into them, but they pinch me in all the wrong places! It's much harder than I thought to lose those last 10 lbs. I guess I'll need to start sacrificing those precious cookies and ice cream splurges... it's worth it right?? I just wish that I could get a bit more motivated. Well, I'm going home in about 4 weeks. That'll give me some time to really focus on cramming into those jeans. Well... it's a short post today. Baby is hungry!

Baby Face

Sorry, some of these are kinda blurry. We tried to have a mini photo shoot today, but she doesn't like the camera. She always studies it intently when I hold it up to her. So I'll try to get her to smile with the camera away, and then pull it close real fast. But it never seems to work. Oh well, she's cute with any expression.

She's been REALLY gassy lately too. I know if she were older, all this talk would probably embarass her, but as for now she could probably care less. She grunts and groans all the time, with the occasional red face and flexed limbs. I feel bad!! I always want to do so much more than what I'm doing. I know it'll pass though... literally. The nurse said that part of it could be due to my diet, which made me even MORE bummed, knowing now that it could partially be my fault. Although I don't eat much chocolate at all, or any carbonated beverages. I guess it could be the dairy... but I LOVE dairy. OH well, anything for my baby. Rice milk it is. :)

Silly Baby

She's so silly... she WAS positioned straight on her daddy, but she decided to wiggle her way into this funny pose.

From another angle :)
REAL attractive... this is what new motherhood looks like. No make-up, and no shower till 1pm.
Cute outfit, you can see up her nose!
One more from the hospital, I found on my phone.

The doctors said that we'd start to see her true personality shine through around one month. I think she's coming out of her shell now! Yesterday it seemed as though we went to bed with one baby, and woke up with a whole new one! Yes, she looked the same, smelled the same, and still had a full diaper for me to change. But her attitude has changed! She is much more honory and picky. It's almost as though she just knows what she wants and wont settle for anything less! She likes to trick me into thinking she's hungry, when she really just wants to play. She almost never stays in the position that you put her in to sleep. She likes to be in control, as much as she can be. It's funny, but kinda frustrating! I thought I was getting the hang of this baby and her needs and likes, but then she goes and switches everything up on me!! I guess it will be like this for a long time though, since she's growing and changing everyday.

It's nuts for me to think that she's already over 2 weeks old! I guess it's even more crazy how I could still be pregnant with her right now!! She isn't technically due until the 26th, 10 days from now! OH MAN, if I were still pregnant I'd be HUGE by now! SHE would be huge by now! At least a 8lb baby by the due date. I'm glad she came the way she did!

There's this movie rental store here in Rexburg called Clean Flicks (or something similar to that). They go through and edit all the movies that come in. Take out swear words, sex scenes, and other inappropriate stuff. It's kinda nice. We rented Crash last night. I had heard a lot about it and Tanner really wanted to see it. It was pretty good, but very intense. Layla did pretty good throughout, only feeding once. I didn't know if watching a whole movie would be possible, but it worked out.

Oh, how I miss my Washington! I keep thinking about how nice it would be to just drive down to my Mom's or up to Colleen's. What a luxury! I totally took advantage of that while I lived there. How close everything and everyone was! I can't wait to go back! Rexburg is SO different. Blank, desolate, empty, void of all things fun and exciting and inviting. Okay, okay I'm exaggerating a bit... or a lot. But it's just not home and it makes me a little sad that Layla won't know Washington as her first home. Oh well, as long as I have Tanner's word that we'll move home after school, I can survive.

My Layla just spit up ALL OVER herself!!! I've gotta go! yuck.

More pictures

Grandma Colleen

Aunt Leah
Cousin Isaiah
Grandma giving baby a bath!
Trying to be modest :)
This picture is SOOOOOOOOOO cute!! I love giving Layla baths now, even though she still doesn't like them. She is calming down much more now, since we can put her in the water. Those first couple of sponge baths were TORTURE! But she likes lying still in the warm water now, but once we start scrubbing, she starts screaming! But look how cute that little naked baby is!!

I was trying to post more pictures, but I think this may be the limit? I don't know... but I'll post another blog right after this (if baby stays asleep!)

Here's our first family picture, in the hospital.

Lookin at our cute little babe

Mommy and Layla

My little girl

My mom sent us some pictures that were on her camera. There are some really cute ones from the hospital, I think. I'm so glad we're out of there though! I loved the help and everything, but nothing beats your home. Although I'd be a lot happier if our home was located back in WA. Oh well. Tanner has started school now and I'm pretty sure he likes it so far. Which is really good. He only has one class on Friday, so he'll be home pretty soon. I guess he wants to go shooting with Luke. That sounds pretty fun, especially since we haven't done anything "fun" or on our own since she was born. You know what I mean... I think our little Layla is VERY fun, but it's just not the same when you're staying home all day every day. Only two more weeks and she can be out and about with us! And I can go back to church again!! I feel so inactive! I was on bedrest before she was born, and now that she's here, it's more waiting. That's okay though, I want her to be super healthy before all those germies get her! So anyway, Tanner is most likely going shooting and I'll be staying home with cutie pie.

Yesterday Tanner let me get out of the house all by myself. It was so weird!! I went to the bank, deposited some checks, and then went to this clothing store to see if I could get a few new shirts. I found myself worrying SO much about what Layla was doing back at home. I kept imagining Tanner stressed out to the max, rocking her and singing her, walking up and down the stairs trying to console her. I kept texting Tanner asking if things were still okay. Each time I'd get a reassuring "Yes, We're fine!" It was weird too, because once I got home and saw that she was completely content in Tanners arms I got a little sad. I almost wanted her to miss me, to cry when I left. That sounds so psycho I know... but still. I then started to think about how if I were to die, she'd never miss me or remember me! Horrible thought I know... but my mind was wandering big time. Tanner reassured me that he'd talk to her everyday about me, which was nice to hear. Anyway, I've got a hungry baby shouting at me. (well not actually SHOUTING, but kinda) :)

Doing Okay!

She looks so cute with a binkie! She only uses it for those dreadful car rides. It works wonders!

Sleepy girl, trying to wake up!

I got her to smile!! How cute is that face?

These pictures were taken on my camera phone, hense the blur. Thank goodness that they invented those though! Layla has so many cute moments that would be missed if it weren't for the convenience of picture phones.

She had her 2 week appointment today and I took her all by myself! I was very proud of her and myself, for doing so well! She's such a brave girl. They stripped her down to her onesie, weighed her, and measured her. Checked her mouth, eyes and ears. Even her diaper (which thankfully was clean!). She now weighs 6lbs. 1oz. which is very good!! She has grown an inch in length too! I love my baby so much!

Tanner's Aunt Darla sent a present with Colleen for Layla. It's the cutest little outfit ever! And it actually fits! I was so excited that she can actually wear a dress! So she's in it at the moment and I'll have to take a picture before she pukes on it or something. Actually she's only spit up twice since she's been born and as gross as it sounds, she likes to swallow most of it. It always grosses me out and I tell her not to, but she likes it! Okay well that's enough for now. bye!

On our own!

Grandma, Mommy, and Baby!

My cute little bundle :)

Silly Face

Well, my mom is gone. She left this evening, but unfortunately won't be back in Seattle until early tomorrow morning, due to flight problems. That's no fun. I'm excited for this week though, because there'll be more visitors! Colleen, Leah, and Taytum! Tanner starts school this Wednesday and I'm really excited for him. Even though he'll be taking a bunch of classes that he isn't looking forward to, like Math... soon enough he'll be taking construction based courses that I KNOW he'll enjoy. He's going to get a new part time job soon too. I am NOT looking forward to that, but I know it's necessary.

The weather is starting to cool down quite a bit! At night, I'm actually getting cold. Even though everyone says that Rexburg winters are deadly, I'm kinda looking forward to the cold. I've had enough of the heat! I like being able to go on walks in the evening, instead of 9:30 at night. I like being able wear comfy socks and sweats to bed and not sweat all night. Oops! Baby needs me! See ya!

One thing after another

Poor baby. If it's not one thing, it's another. I feel so bad for my sweet baby. Luckily it's not all bad, because her jaundice cleared up after that ONE day of billiblanket and she's now gaining an average of 2 oz a day! Right when I thought that she was in the clear, her normal baby rash started to spread! Now she has red spots all over her little body! We were told that our detergent was too strong and to rinse twice with the baby brand, Dreft. We've been doing that and it still seems to get worse! Then we gave her a bath yesterday and rubbed Johnson's baby lotion on her and it flared up again! I think she may just have SUPER sensitive skin, but I want to make sure it's not something else. We have an appointment early next week.

My Mom is leaving tomorrow! :( As much as I like being independant (and sometimes stubbornly so) I am REALLY going to miss her. I didn't think I would feel like this either, but oh man has she been helpful!! I have someone, an adult, to keep me company during the day. To calm me down and tell me things are normal when I freak out. She cooks and cleans and wakes up during the night to let me take a break. She is Super Grandma! I guess it would be awkward to have her live her forever, but at least nearby! I wish so badly that we had family close. That would be the nicest thing! Oh well... only another 3 years and we can move back. Colleen, (my Mother in Law) Leah, and Ike (Sister in law and nephew) are coming next week! That should be fun! They're only staying for a day, but that's better than nothing! Taytum will be back next week too. She can come over and keep me company during the day, when everyone is gone. Thank goodness Tanner is so good to me and our little girl. I don't know what I'd do without him. I know that as long as we're here together, everything will be okay and work itself out.

Glow Worm

Our Little Glow Worm

Here she is, with her glowing pad under her onesie. It's for the jaundice and she doesn't seem to hate it too much, so that's good.

Here's what the whole deal looks like. It's called a BilliBlanket, but it doesn't look like any blanket I've ever seen.

Here's Grandma Cindy (my mom) holding Miss Layla all zonked out after lunch. :)

We were given this Billi Blanket contraption yesterday, after checking her jaundice levels. I REALLY hope that it clears up soon, because it's quite a pain lugging this thing around with her. She's starting to eat even MORE now, so that should help flush it out of her system too.

I got more sleep last night (thanks to my Mom and Tanner) than I have since she's been born. Almost 6 hours!! Crazy huh? Well I am SUPER appreciative. Who knew that sleep would become such a precious thing once a baby comes. Well I've gotta run, baby is calling. Later!

Shows How Much I Know!

Man oh man! Today was SO hard! We had her doctor's appointment at 8:40. I had been up since 3 a.m., rocking and feeding this little babe. I think I got 2 and a half hours total, only because my Mom came and took her from me at one point. I feel like such a bad Mom sometimes for giving her over to my Mom. Like I'm being too selfish or something. I guess I need to remember that to be a good Mom, I need to take care of myself too. Especially while I HAVE the help. Anyway, so my night didn't run too smoothly and I was getting more an more nervous about the appointment. I decided to feed her right before we left, so she'd have a better chance of sleeping through the traumatizing stuff. I feel like she could sense that something bad was coming, she kept getting really antsy and fussy as we were getting ready to go. I asked my Mom to strap her into her carseat and that's when the NIGHTMARE began!!!!



She HATED being confined in something and hated the idea of going into a car even more! Her screams sounded like she was being tortured in a dungeon, it was HORRIBLE. We were late too, by 10 mins at least. Even though the office is about 5 mins away, it was the LONGEST drive in my LIFE!! I was sitting in the back with her and noticed right as we were leaving that my Mom (bless her) had strapped her in completely wrong. She didn't have any straps over her shoulders, they were squishing her middle instead! How that made sense when putting it on, I don't know, but I know that it was SO SAD to have to un-do it and fix it when she was already in complete agony. Then after I fixed it, she started sucking and gulping in air, like she hadn't eaten in days. I had JUST fed her and obviously couldn't do anything at that moment, but feel bad. So, we finally get there and she still hasn't calmed down, her volume reaching an all time high. We walked into the waiting room and of course are given a clipboard of paperwork to fill out, how they expected me to do that while consoling my baby, I have no clue, but I took it. Thank GOODNESS my Mom was there or I would have started bawling with Layla and that would have been a REAL scene. It's crazy, because when your baby cries or is hurting or uncomfortable, YOU feel it! I never really understood that about parenting, but OH MY it's the WORST! I couldn't focus or consentrate on anything while she was so upset. Her little wrinkled up face was turning all shades of red with that little lip quivering. OH! So the doctor took forever and had to undress her, which onlly made things a million times worse. Her whole body started to shiver! They weighed her and found that she has almost lost an entire pound!!!! I was really surprised and discouraged, because it's MY job to fatten her up! PLUS she does have some jaundice, so we were sent to the hospital right after that to have her levels checked.

Okay, so the doctor's visit didn't go too well. I don't think there was ever more than 5 mins without Layla cries. She HATED getting back into the carseat and HATED having to drive somewhere else. Once we got to the hospital, she had miraculously fallen asleep (probably from sheer exaustion). We made our way to the lab, psyching up for another rough ordeal. They poked her in her foot to draw some blood (just imagine how fun that was) and then we were directed to see a lactation consultant (because of her weight loss) :(

This is where the story takes a turn... The lactation nurse was a goddess!! She had the answers to all my problems!! She showed me a few little tricks and BAM! Layla was eating better and longer than ever! Right after I fed her, the new way, she immediately relaxed and slept SO well. I love that lady. Anyway, things are much better now and I have new found hope for our future :)

Sorry no new pictures, just rambling on about my baby :)

Baby Days

Little Layla is about 4 days old now getting cuter by the minute. She is seriously the BEST baby ever!! She is still quite active through the night, not letting Mommy sleep too much just yet, but I wouldn't change it for the world! She has her first doctor's appointment tomorrow at 8:40. I'm really anxious to see how much she weighs. I know that babies almost always lose some weight at first, but this baby eats more than I'd even imagine a baby to eat! Every 1-3 hours she gets quite a filling. I wouldn't be surprised if she weighed the same or even a tiny bit more. Who knows though, I'm no expert. She really doesn't seem too Jaundice, although I did notice a TINY bit of yellow in the whites of her eyes, but not much at all.

Tanner is back at work now, even though I know he'd much rather hang out with babycakes all day long. My mom is still here and is a HUGE help! I don't know how I'm going to do it after she leaves!! How will I take a shower?? Or go to the bathroom? I suppose I'll figure it out. I'm afraid that Layla will get really used to having Grandma around and then will miss her a bunch when she leaves too. One thing that's kinda nice, is that this is Tanner's last week of work. He will be starting school next week, but will get home much earlier than he does now. I love him so much, he is SUCH an amazing Dad. Always wants to hold her and take care of her needs. Not afraid to change diapers, or calm her when she's fussy. I couldn't be more blessed. Today he was making up songs about "Layla Burps" and "grapes" SO CUTE, had me cracking up! Well, I hope I'm doing an okay job too. I sure do love her. More than I ever imagined possible. Well that's enough for now.