::Macie:: Four Months Old

Weight

I have no idea. She goes to the doctor at the end of this month but I haven't weighed her lately. She is getting harder to carry in the car seat though so I know she's gained some.

Health

Healthy!! She's so healthy and I seriously couldn't ask for more. 

Sleep

For the most part Macie is waking twice during the night but a few times a week she will only wake once. She's down around 7 and sleeps until about 2-3, nurses and goes back down until 5-6. During the day she is napping after around 1.5-2 hours of awake time. We've noticed the minute she hits the 1.5-2 mark, she starts fussing and is ready to sleep. Goes down easy and wakes up happy. (seriously I don't think this is the same baby from 2 months ago).

Clothing

Macie is wearing mostly 6 months clothing although some random 6 month stuff is still a tad big. 

She's wearing small Charlie Banana diapers and medium Swaddlebees. Her skin is more sensitive than Henley's was so we try not to use the Swaddlebees too often since they are made of natural fibers that don't wick moisture away.

Diet

Macie is still just eating mama's milk. She's nursing great although not near as mellow as Henley when nursing. She's sometimes fighting at the breast when she's finished versus just popping off into a milk coma.

Crying

She literally just cries when she's hungry or tired. I couldn't ask for more. Sometimes she does cry in the car but if we put on Jammy Jams she is usually easy to calm down.

Baby Gear Love

Still loving the Fisher Price Sit me up chair. We use it every day and she just hangs out. I put her on the counter when cleaning the kitchen or cooking and she sits on the dining room table with us every night eating dinner!

Social

This month we have been out and about quite a bit. It seems like we are going to SkyZone with big sister every weekend. Macie hangs out and just takes it all in and Henley LOVES jumping. She seriously just jumps for a solid 30 minutes. 

Macie's been in the pool a ton and loves hanging out watching big sister.

We went on walks with the family too

Milestones

Macie is overall just becoming much more vocal and alert. She isn't quite rolling over yet but that could mainly be because we never really put her down. Between only spening 2 hours a night with her and the chaos of Fitz and Henley in the living room I'm not totally comfortable leaving her down there for long. 

Postpartum

I'm really feeling great. I'm at my pre-pregnancy with Henley weight. I haven't been as disciplined as I initially was but I still am working out most days and eating clean most meals. 

I've started losing my hair this week. I lost SO MUCH hair with Henley that I got bald spots. I am praying this doesn't happen again!

Big Sister Love

Henley is the best. Here are so pics to prove it!

I love how it gets better every single day!!

Mere :-)

::Macie:: Three Months Old

We are three months old!!

Weight

We went to the doctor mid-May for Macie's two month check up and got an official weight. She is 12 lbs 1 oz and is 22.5" long. She looks so much longer than Henley but their stats at the two month mark are almost the exact same.

Health

OMG I hesitate to write this but we are good!! Diaper rash - cleared. Colic - gone. We have had a solid three weeks of happy Macie. When we went to the doctor she was just starting to be great with her health. We are really unsure if it's the Zantac working or if she just grew out of it. Our doctor advised to stay on the Zantac at least another month and see what happens. She should start outweighing the dose soon so we will see if her demeanor changes with that. 

Sleep

She's been about the same with sleep, which is great. She grunts a few times a night and I feed her and she's back out like a light. Typically she is up between 2-3 and up around 6 then back down until 7. This past weekend she slept 11 hours straight twice! I couldn't believe it. I am thinking she had to be growing because the next day at daycare she slept over three hours in one nap. 

During the day she need to go down after about 1.5-2 hours of awake time. It's almost on the dot she will start being fussy and then pass out, sometimes for 30 minutes and sometimes longer.

Clothing

Macie is wearing 6M onesies and sleepers but still fittting into her 3M pants and tops. We are in between sizes in diapers which is causing some leaks but I think we are almost into the next size totally. 

Most of the diapers we have from Henley are cotton which do not wick the moisture away from their skin (read: diaper rash). I've been trying to stay away from them so the selection at the moment is slim.

Diet

Macie is continuing to nurse great. We are staying on the block feeding to ensure my oversupply issue is corrected. She started daycare last week and was fighting the bottle some. She took the bottle great for my mom so I was surprised she was fighting it so much.

Crying

Crying has improved so much I feel like I have zero complaints. I've learned her schedules and what her cries typically mean. I'm thrilled she is feeling better. I pray it sticks!

Baby Gear Love

We got a new seat for Macie called the Fisher Price Sit Me Up. I love this chair. It's like a new and improved Bumbo. It's fabric and can support her really well. She's got great head control and I think this chair is helping to develop that. 

Social

May was a great month filled with an awesome Macie's First Trip to the Beach 

 

and Mother's Day! We went to breakfast and dinner with the girls and it was smooth sailing!

We also went to a friends house for a Memorial Day picnic.

Milestones

Macie is starting to "talk" to us. She has great head control and is starting to take interest in toys and books. 

Postpartum

I'm feeling better than I have in a long time. The 21 Day Fix has been great and I'm actually finishing up round two this week. Here are my results from round one:

  

I love the program and Shakeology so much I've become a Beachbody coach!

Big Sister Love

Henley is seriously the best big sister I've ever seen. Last week driving into work I turned around and she was holding her hand! I've also caught her reading to Macie a few times too. I love these girls so much I feel my heart could explode any minute!

Thanks for all of the thoughts and prayers for Macie's health-----they work!!!

(minimal pictures this post but I'll do better next month)

Mere :-)

::Macie:: Two Months Old

Weight

Macie is definitely getting bigger but no official weight until we go to the doctor in a few weeks.

Health

Macie has been really healthy as far as cold and viruses go. She got one little runny nose last week from big sister but honestly I'm surprised it took 8 weeks for her to catch something from the germy little toddler that is Henley. She's had little diaper rashes here and there but nothing that doesn't clear up within a day or two with our Earth Mama Bottom Balm.

Sleep

Sleep has been going great so far. Typical nights usually start with bedtime somewhere between 7p-8p. She sleeps until about 1a-2a and nurses and then sleeps until around 5am to nurse. She is great about going back down after night time feedings. She's usually up for the day around 8am. 

She's been napping anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. I've been trying to follow the E.A.S.Y schedule which is eat, activity, sleep, then you (mom) time and I've been trying to keep her awake times no longer than two hour increments. When she stays awake longer than two hours, I notice her witching hour is way worse.

This past week she has loved sleeping on me, it's so sweet!

Clothing

Macie is wearing 0-3 months in all of her clothing now but her sleepers are getting a little tight. She is definitely longer than her big sister was. I have been loving all of the sales on summer clothes. I've also been loving the coordinating outfits with Henley and Macie. I've been buying so many sets for the girls.

Diet

Macie is nursing like a champ. After a clogged duct and a bout of mastitis, I suspected I had an oversupply. I stopped pumping for my stash and started block feeding. I was nursing lying back so Macie wasn't getting too much milk flow. I think it's helped immensely and I feel like my milk has regulated to a normal level.  I'm still eliminating all dairy from my diet but I'm hoping to start reintroducing it soon. 

Crying

In my post last month, I mentioned that were we battling potential colic and reflux issues and Macie was crying the majority of her awake time. 

This was an exceptionally bad day before we started Zantac

I took her to the doctor and explained to him these things. He said that it's hard to really pinpoint reflux and said I could try the Zantac to see if we see improvement. She's been on the Zantac for a month now and I have to say we have see major improvement. Macie's daytimes are much better. She still has bad days here and there but for the most part, day time has been really great. She has a witching hour anywhere between 4-7p about 60% of the time and I have to rock her with loud white noise or put her in the Tula carrier. Sometimes she just wants to be held but that's totally expected with a newborn. 

There are some nights where I get overwhelmed or frustrated but we are in a much better place than we were at one month.

Baby Gear Love

Just like with Henley, we are loving the Rock n Play sleeper. She sleeps great in it and I think the incline really helps with any reflux she is having. 

I also really love our City Select Stroller. It moves and maneuvers so well. I also love all of the storage space. We've purchased 4 strollers since having Henley and this one is totally worth the money, wish we would have went straight to this one. 

Macie has also been hanging out in the Snuggle Bunny Swing, we've gotten a few naps in that have lasted a good 30 minutes.

Social

This month we have been back to business as usual. Macie and I have joined some friends for lunch, we've been shopping, and we went to the doctor for Mama's 6 week checkup. We also went with big sister for a playdate.

Macie celebrated Easter with all of our families too. She slept through the Easter Egg hunt and most of lunch but it was still a really great day. 

Macie also took her first roadtrip to Boca Raton. My best friend Heather got married and all of us with my mom went to the other coast for the rehersal and wedding. Henley was the flower girl and I was a bridesmaid. 

Milestones

Macie is smiling and cooing a ton. She is also holding her head up great and has developed some serious leg strength. 

Postpartum

I am feeling awesome! I have healed so much better this time. I started a eating and workout program called the 21 day fix and have seen awesome results, The gist of the program is portion control and daily 30 minute workouts coupled with Shakeology (which is a nutrient packed protein shake). So far I am totally in love with this and I cannot wait to share!

Big Sister Love

Henley is still so, so great with Macie. I love seeing them together. She is gentle and caring and super helpful!!

This month has gotten better but honestly I am looking forward to when Macie is 100% better and happy. We are getting there, just have to keep praying!!

Mere :-)

::Macie:: One Month Old

It's here! We've already had little Macie in our lives for one month. Time goes by so fast! Especially when life with a toddler keeps on chugging along. Macie has been a great addition to our family so far!

Weight

At her two week appointment she weighed 9 lbs 2 oz so I imagine she's around 10 lbs, she has gotten noticeably bigger this week. I think we are going through a growth spurt.


Health

Macie appears to be healthy but her crying is leading me to believe otherwise. We are heading to the doctor tomorrow to see if there is anything we can do.


Sleep

Macie has done great with sleep. She is sleeping between 15-17 hours a day total. Our schedules lately have been waking up by 8am. A morning nap around 10 for 1-2 hours, awake for the early afternoon and then sleeping from 1-4, sometimes waking for a quick bite to eat. Down for the night by 8pm. Her first night time stretch is the longest, somewhere between 3-5 hours. Last night she slept over 5 hours in a row for the first time!! Woo hoo!! She wakes for feedings around 2 and 4. She goes right back down for the most part. From 4am on though she is pretty grunty, making all kinds of noises and passing gas.

Clothing

We has officially grown out of all of our newborn clothes. They have been boxed up and ready to go to some of our friends that are pregnant. She is comfortably in 0-3 months. She is definitely longer than Henley was, I don't think we will be in 0-3 months near as long as Henley was because of this.

My Cutie!

Diet

Macie is exclusively breastfed and has been doing great. The few weeks or so we were challenged with sore nipples as expected but once that passed she has been eating every 1.5-2 hours.


Crying

Ok here is where we are going to get real---girlfriend has been crying like there is no tomorrow. Dr. Google and myself along with my gaggle of moms from real life and internet board are thinking colic, gas issues from a dairy intolerance, or silent reflux (hence the dr. appointment tomorrow---clearly we have no idea). Starting around two weeks, Macie started having gas issues. We remembered this from Henley and didn't think much of it. Three to four days later we knew this was something different. She was crying 95% of her awake time. I bounced her and it seemed to help. She loves loud (super loud) white noise so I learned turning the bathroom fan on and bouncing her in the dark was best.

I decided to see if dairy was the culprit so I cut all dairy. Things got a little better during week three but not perfect. I would say she went from crying 95% of her awake time to about 75%. I noticed a difference but still challenging for sure.

This week we are back to crying the majority of her awake time. I think she is going through her four month growth spurt since she is nursing more frequently so I don't know if that is it or if there is something else going on.

I have cut dairy totally from my diet. I have also cut caffeine and have not eaten cabbage or beans. We give her gripe water, gas drops, and colic calm and at different times they seem to help some. Last Friday I started her on probiotic drops. I've read this can take a week or two to show improvement. As you can see I am searching long and hard for a solution. I really hope the pediatrician has some insight tomorrow. It breaks my heart to hear her in so much pain. I can feel her belly gurgling and she is tensing up her whole body in pain. Most nights her and I cry together---some sort of weird mother/daughter bonding activity you could say. Wish us luck tomorrow and say a prayer for my sweet baby girl.


Baby Gear Love

My biggest baby gear love is my Tula carrier. It's so comfortable and at times it's the only thing that will calm her down. Last week I was standing in the driveway with her in the Tula at 9:30 at night just bouncing. She eventually fell asleep. Love it!!

Also loving the Sleep Sheep. Like I said Macie loves white noise so this is a portable little gem that I put with her in the Rock n Play or on the floor. We never really used this for Henley, funny how different these two are already.


Social

Little Macie has met tons of our family and friends. We have also met her future BFF Vivian. Vivian was due two days after Macie and was born ten days after. I can't wait to see these girls grow up together.

She also has taken a few trips to Target with mom. We also went shopping at the mall and the outlet mall with Grandma to get some much needed summer clothes for big sister Henley.


Milestones

This month everything is new and a milestone---first outings and doctors visits, first bath (w. big sister near by to help), first walk in the stroller. She is getting really great at holding up her head and this week has started using her legs to push up.

Postpartum Mama

I'm feeling great! I am down over thirty pounds, I think I gained about 36 pounds overall. My stitches have almost totally healed. I have some serious stretch marks that I am using my super duper lotion on twice daily. I have my six week appointment with the OB on April 10th to see how everything healed.

Big Sister Love

Henley has been so great with Macie. She is gentle and not jealous at all. She sits next to me while I am nursing and sucks her fingers while lightly rubbing Macie's hair. It's so precious. The other morning she laid on the floor just hanging out with her. Last night they took their first bath together and it was seriously the cutest thing. These girls are going to be best friends and I cannot wait to see how their friendship grows over time.

Say a prayer for Macie tonight and thanks for reading!!

xo
Mere

::Macie:: One Week Old

It's been one week since Macie Paige joined our family and it feels like she's been here all along. She's the perfect little addition to our family.

Weight

Macie weighed 8 lbs 4 oz at birth. We took her to the pediatrician on Friday at 5 days old and she was already back to birth weight! The doctor seemed very impressed.

Health

Macie is healthy as can be!

Sleep

Macie has been settling into a pretty solid sleep routine. She's sleeping for 2-3 hours at a time most of the day/night and we've have a few runs of 3-5 hours. I've found if I wake her to nurse on both sides she will sleep at least 3 hours. She is sleeping in the Rock n' Play next to our bed during the night and we bring it into the living room during the day. She loves the Rock n' Play just as much as her sister did.

Clothing

Macie is a little longer than Henley was and Newborn PJ's are already too short for her. Newborn onesies and outfits are fitting just perfectly. 

Diet

Macie is nursing around the clock. She is going about 2 hours in between feedings. My nipples are finally starting to feel normal and pain-free. The milk coma look afterwards to seriously the best!

Baby Gear Love

The Rock n' Play is definitely getting the most use. The boppy pillow is coming in handy for nursing and propping her up as well. She's also been getting hiccups a lot and we've used just the smallest drop of gripe water and they go away instantly.

Crying

She cries when she is hungry mostly. She is very vocal though--grunting and squeaking as she is starting to wake up.

Social

This week we tried to limit visitors as I was very overwhelmed with Henley during the first week. We did have a few visitors. Grandma Gail visited a few times and Gigi Patricia stopped by for 2 days to say hello. Grandpa Rick and Grandma Toni came by on Friday too. Uncle Grant came by with Charlee too. 

On Saturday we had our newborn photo session. I cannot wait to see the great shots that our photographer captured. 

We've also started getting out of the house and taking mellow walks around the block. Mama is looking forward to getting out more often in the next week.

Postpartum

Mama is feeling pretty good, I feel like I am healing faster this time around despite the labor being more painful. I'm getting into the hang of breastfeeding again. I feel like my belly is finally going down and all of the swelling is out of my feet.

Milestones

This week was full of firsts---first time meeting everyone, first doctor's visit, first time meeting big sister Henley.