1 Month and Feeling Blessed

My little girl is one month old and life is going great. There are hard moments but for the most part we have adjusted well. Alex loves his little sister and Mckenna is very nice most of the time. We have had a fun February but I am ready for spring, we have had warm days that got me very excited, then today was overcast and filled with snow. Anyway, this is what we have been up to lately.

 This little guy was spoiled with this cookie bouquet by Aunt LuAnn. The lucky kid even got to have a cookie for breakfast when the delivery came. Thanks so much! We also received a big box of diapers and wipes and butt paste from Aunt LuAnn and Aunt Valerie, thanks! We feel so spoiled!

This year I just wanted to celebrate Valentine's Day as a family so Alex and I spent a day making yummy sugar cookies and a day making Valentine cards for Andrew. Then on Valentine's Day we had heart shaped pizza and molten lava cakes and it was just a relaxed fun day.

 I feel so blessed to have these two cuties in my life!

 He wanted a picture of him giving her a kiss, yes that just melts mommy's heart.

 So glad Lindsay made this wonderful hat so that Alex could pair it with his too-small overalls and make a real fashion statement.

Sleepy Smiles

 Every time baby girl gets a bath someone takes his clothes off and joins in

 At one month old this little girl sleeps a lot, except at night when mom and dad are ready to go to bed then she wants to be awake. When we do get her to sleep at night she sleeps in 4-5 hour stretches so I won't complain much. She likes to be held and rocked and is okay with tummy time. She has rolled from her belly to her back a few times. Mckenna likes to eat every 3-4 hours and has been a great eater since she was born. Lately if mom isn't full enough sometimes she gets frustrated and won't eat. About once a day baby girl has projectile spit-up, a lot of spit up, emptying her belly type spit up. I think it is mostly when she eats too much but I am also worried about tummy troubles, the doctor isn't worried because she is gaining weight and is a "happy spitter." Dad calls Mckenna "Noodle," mom usually calls her "Baby Girl" or "Little Girl." Alex calls her "Baby Gril," he loves her so much and is always checking on her, he asks where she is if she is sleeping in the bedroom and usually wants to go get her.  Dad can get smiles from her but mom hasn't been very successful at that.

 

 My wonderful friend took pictures of Mckenna for me and she did such a good job! They are all so cute but since I can't put all of them on here I'll just include some of my favorites. (I'm so embarrassed to put these on next to my pics that are so bad, I am not a photographer)

 Aren't they wonderful! Life is great! I have the gospel and I get to work with the Young Women, I have a helpful and caring husband and two beautiful and nice (most of the time) children. I have great friends and a wonderful family, how could I not feel blessed?

She's Here!!!!!

 Our little girl officially joined our family at 2:33 p.m. on January 25th. It took 9 hours of labor for Mckenna Marie to make an entrance and we have all been in love with her ever since. She weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces and looks just like Alex did when he was born only more feminine.

 Meeting little sister for the first time. He was so cute with her and very concerned about her belly button and the hospital band that was too tight on her ankle.

 Dad set baby girl up to take her picture and our little buddy had to join in, little ham.

 Yes I am exhausted. Breastfeeding has not been going too well but after meeting with a lactation consultant and being told everything I learned with my last baby and everything I was told at the hospital are all wrong things have been going much better.

 Big brother always says "I love her so much" and is always checking on her. He likes to make sure she has toys and her binkie too.

 First bath, she was not a fan.

After he smiled for this pic he said "it looks like I am happily torturing our baby."


 Grandpa and Grandma came to help out after Mckenna was born for a few days. They spoiled us rotten cooking and cleaning and playing with Alex. I'm so glad they could come and help us as we adjust to being a family of four. Thanks so much guys!!
(my dad was watching a movie when this picture was taken, that is why he wasn't really ready for it).

Getting Ready for Baby #2

You know how with your first child you take a picture almost every week of pregnancy and you are constantly talking about names and you obsess over decorating and getting ready? Then with the next children you let everything slip? Yeah that has been me.  I decided taking pictures every week was too excessive so I made the goal of taking one every 5 weeks. Sadly I failed at even that. Andrew and I hardly talked about names at all, I thought of a name that I like months ago, Andrew said he likes it too. I have spent some time looking at name lists and meanings on the internet since then, Andrew has done nothing and we have decided to go with the original name that I chose.

I have made blankets and worked on the room a lot in the last two months because nesting mode has kicked in and because I don't want this little girl to come home and wonder why with nine months to prepare we hadn't really done anything.

I do feel like I have gotten the bedroom ready for Alex and baby girl to share when she moves out of the bassinet and I have packed my bag and the diaper bag. We got a new carseat (the one we had expired in December, lame right?) and a second crib and the clothes and blankets and burp cloths are washed and folded. Now my only goal is to keep the house mostly clean and stay caught up with the laundry (I should admit that I am still working on one pink afghan).

We are excited for this little addition to our family, I am so excited to have a little one to hold and snuggle. I am looking forward to being reminded of all the new little fascinations that come with a newborn as they adjust to this world. I'm excited for Alex to have a sibling and I hope that I can watch them learn to love each other, I pray that they will get along and play together. I love my little girl already and I can't wait to see her face and hold her close.

I am terrified of the challenges and changes coming to our little family as well. I know we will get by and that the hard things will pass but I pray for strength and guidance that we can all be happy and calm (most of the time) as we adjust to the wonderful little blessing joining our family.

15 Weeks

20 Weeks

25ish Weeks

31 weeks

35 Weeks

 I am now 39 weeks, a woman who saw me at the Dr.'s office last week said "Whoa, you are due!" so just trust me and this random stranger, I look like I am about to burst.

 Some of the decorations I have made for baby girl's side of the room

 Bow and headband holders

 I am so proud of my crib skirt. A new bedding set is too expensive for us and even the fabric that I wanted would have cost way too much. In one last attempt at finding something that would work I found this on clearance (you can't tell but it is blue with white flowers on it). Since I bought the last yards I got it half off. I felt so lucky and so blessed! I made it last Saturday, that is amazing for me because I usually string my projects out for weeks and months. I kinda knew if I didn't get it made before baby girl comes, it may not happen until a year from now.

 Shelf that I painted

 Blankets that I have made

 Headbands and flowers that are so fun to make!

I also made bookends for Alex's dresser. I feel like this little girl is going to shake up his world quite a bit, but I wanted him to still feel like part of the room is still his.

Now we are just waiting and anticipating!!!!!