Oh that hair

My beautiful daughter has the funniest hair:

Grasping Things

12.29.07 Robo Duck (4)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Well, we were struggling with having her grasp things and bring it to her mouth. Not anymore! She is noticing her hands now, grasping them together and bringing items to her mouth. It isn't as often as I would like but it is definitely progress! I just had to take this picture of her with her new favorite toy. We call it robo duck.

GIANT!

We decided to weigh and measure Libby using our scale and ahem, tape measurer and found she weighs 18.2 lbs and is 25 inches long! Good grief! According to the growth charts, she is 90% for her height and over 95% for her weight. Craziness. We're going to track her using an online site that lets you enter this information in and it compares it to the growth chart. It is pretty cool and FREE. =)

End of 2007

I thought about doing an end of the year review for 2007 but considering I started this blog in March, I am pretty sure everything I would say would just be repeated on this post. I would just like to say this has been an absolutely wonderful year filled with so many wonderful things. I had a baby, my sister had a baby, sooo many family members and close friends had children, my Dad retired (yay!), I got to go to Disney World (hehe - I had to throw that in), and there are just so many more things that I just cannot list them. I really feel that 2007 was the year of growing up and it was definitely the year of the babies. I cannot wait to see what 2008 will bring. I have several resolutions...some new and some I repeat each year because I am not successful at them. So here we go.

2008 New Year's Resolutions:

• Spend more time with my family and less at work.
  
• By Elizabeth's 1st birthday, be at my goal weight.
• Run a half marathon before the end of the year.
• Organize the house so it is more functional.

I think that's it...we'll see how many I achieve! I honestly just can't wait to see how Elizabeth develops in the next year. She has changed so much in the last 3.5 months that I can't even fathom what she will be like by the end of 2008!

Happy 2008 everyone!

Sleeping Update

I haven't given an update on our progress of sleeping lately. I am proud to say that we have gone from sleeping 5-6 hours to going to bed around 8:00 pm (if not a tad earlier) and sleeping 7-8 hours! She will then get up and down a 7oz bottle and sleep for another 3.5-5 hours! It is wonderful! We are also getting more in a routine of naps (sort of). She takes a short one in the morning after her morning bottle and then another longer one in the mid afternoon and her final one late afternoon. The final one can be long or short depending on how long or short her previous ones are. We don't have set times for anything yet but she seems to be setting it on her own. It is really wonderful to actually get to spend some alone, grown up time with Jim at night after she goes to bed. I think we are getting the hang of this. Well, for now - or at least till she starts to teeth or have a growth spurt or daycare messes her up. Ok - I will just say that we have the hang of this for this very seconds and that is all. =)

Daycare Visit

The big day of me having to take Libby to daycare is getting very close. The daycare we chose has a 'visit day' where you go for an hour to wrap up all of the final paperwork and show you in detail how they will care for the kiddos. Today was that day for us. It is important to note that I did not cry. I almost did a few times as we sat in one room talking about things and Libby was in her 'baby room' with one of the two women that will be taking care of her. The whole experience overall was really good. Luckily we hit it just right where it was Libby's feeding time. I had been nervous that she would not eat for other people but she did. We came into the room where Libby was to find her strapped into a bouncy seat smiling and cooing at the woman taking care of her. It warmed our hearts and eased our nerves! I'm still nervous but I am sure it will be fine....

Merry Christmas!

12.24.07 Santa Libby
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

We hope Santa brings you everything you wanted!

Happy first Christmas Libby Lu!

Love, Mom & Dad

Scared!

12.22.07 Tummy Time
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Every once and awhile I get a picture of Libby that I just cannot stop laughing at. This is one of them. She was doing tummy time and I caught a few quick shots at her. I think I scared her in this one. =)

Max - The Trouble Maker

Well, it was bound to happen. Max found his way into the pack 'n play. I have sense moved the chair over where he cannot jump into it...but seeing this was...well, frustrating.

Happy 3 Months!

Libby turns 3 months old today! I cannot believe it. She is just this terrific little person...well, big little person! She gained approximately 3 lbs and grew another 0.5 inches! Just craziness! She is meeting her milestones and can almost hold her head up full time now. She isn't really noticing her hands yet but we're hopeful she does soon! I don't think she realizes they are connected to her yet. =) Her favorite things are Mr. Whoozit, laying on Daddy's legs looking up at him and Mickey Mouse, and staring at anything on the ceiling! She loves bath time until we get her out and then screams constantly. We have figured out to time bath time near a feeding time so that she can immediately after and that seems to help her calm down. Oh another favorite is tummy time! She actually likes it now. Sometimes I even use it as a way to get her to cheer up if she is starting to pout (which she totally does!). She still isn't on any kind of schedule and still eats every 3 hours during the day. The good news is she is sleeping about 6 hours each night and we're still trying for more!

My life has just been absolutely wonderful. I go back to work in 2 weeks and I will be taking Libby to day care. I won't lie - I am totally nervous about this and completely sad. I know that this is what is best for me and my family. I have loved every minute of staying home (ok, well not every single minute =)) and would not have traded it for all of the money in the world. I have almost lost my pregnancy weight but my body is completely different. I have a personal vow to be down to my goal weight by her 1st birthday and I really think I can do it. Of course it would help if I could work out...but some little kiddo won't give me the opportunity during the day and my bedtime is super early (8:00!)...so that doesn't leave much time! I will find it though.

I'm nervous about things coming up...how do you get ready for work and get a baby ready for day care? Am I going to be able to balance my work life and my personal life? Will she be ok in the day care? She is getting so big so fast and she is outgrowing her infant carrier...how on this earth do we take her around to places? Just carry her? Oh the fun of the future!

Oh, and we had her pictures taken to remember her this tiny and gorgeous. =) We spent way too much money and plan to put it in our stairway where we have always talked about putting our family's pictures up. It is crazy and wonderful that it is about to begin!

Tummy Time Gone Bad

12.17.07 Failed Tummy Time
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Sometimes we are just too tired to do tummy time! She now enjoys laying on her tummy on the boppy watching TV. Sadly, it is adorable.

Looking at Mickey

12.16.07 Looking at Mickey
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Libby may look just like her Daddy but she has my tastes - mainly in Mickey Mouse. For those of you that have not been to our house or has not memorized our set up, we have a mickey mouse at the top of a tall book shelf. Libby has, since she has been able to see far away, always loved to stare and talk to it. We finally got a picture of her doing so. I have to say it is one of my favorites now!

My Grandma Mirly

I have fond memories of my Grandma Mirly...

The Mirlys have a known weakness for ice cream. She seemed to be the ring leader to me. I loved her milkshakes...

Another that may not be as well known is that my siblings and I called her 'white haired Grandma' and my Mom's Mom 'brown haired Grandma' due to their hair color...

These are just some of the things I am reflecting on as I try to accept her passing yesterday. My hometown paper's obituary says it best as I am struggling with words...I will miss you Grandma.

Charlotte Mirly Tiedt 3.21.1925 - 12.15.2007

3 Month Pictures

We ventured out in the little bit of snow today to take Libby to her first photo shoot. I was super nervous she would cry through the whole thing but she was an ANGEL. Here are the pictures - I love almost every single one of them!

Happy Holidays from the Ski Family!

The Faces of Libby

I've posted before about all of Libby's faces. I put her in the crib last night to give her some play time and she made some cute ones I just had to capture!

This is her trying to figure out what I am doing with a camera:


This is her saying, "ah - pictures. Greeeeeat.":


I caught her mid smile:


This is her wanting me to stop taking pictures. =)

Screaming Time

Some call it the 'Suicide Hour' and some the 'Bewitching Hour' but lately Libby has taken to screaming for no reason at night. It just started this week. As you know, I am pretty honest about the good and the bad on this whole 'baby thing'. I'm not really understanding this screaming for no reason thing. I think it would be different if she had been doing it all of this time but to start at 11 weeks - it is strange. We haven't changed anything about our 'normal' life. I've looked in every book and every website I can think of. People suggest things like formula, gas, growth spurts, and teething. I would hope if we had a problem with the formula we would know before now. We put gas drops in every single bottle so I would hope that would help...although we have noticed an increase in gas in her, she seems to take it ok. As far as growth spurts - maybe. Most people's reaction when they see her after it has been awhile is shock. She has grown a lot. I mean she is over 15 lbs! Good grief! She is wearing 6 month clothes most of the time now! Anyways, it could be the growth spurts...but teething. Sadly, as my Mom reminds me, I had a tooth at 4 months. This baby looks just like Jim but if she gets my crazy teething mouth we are in for trouble. She is such a good baby - I just feel like we are missing something since she is so unhappy. I'll let you know if (and hopefully when) we figure it out!

Going Back To Work

To answer everyone's question, yes I am going back to work. The 'big day' is January 2nd. Libby will be 14 weeks old on that day and we have picked out a wonderful day care to take care of her. That being said, I have to say I am torn about doing this. As far back as I can remember I never wanted to be a stay at home mom. If I married, I wanted my husband to be the stay at home parent. This was never greeted warmly by people. Either they were shocked that I didn't want to stay at home with my future children or horrified that I wanted the husband to do it. I must say after being home 11 weeks (so far) with Libby I can see the appeal of staying home. However, I miss my work. I miss my co-workers. The dread of leaving her in other people's hands worry me. I am not the most trusting person on the planet. =) However, I do know they will do a good job...that is why we picked them to watch over my most precious treasure. I'm not sure how well I will do on the first day of leaving her...not to mention how on earth I am going to shower and get ready, get her up and ready, and be at work by 8:00 - ha! This is going to get interesting. =) The logistics aren't the only thing that worry me. I haven't been a part from her for more than 3 or 4 hours since we got her home from the hospital. I don't know how I am going to be away from her for 9+ hours. Oy! That is a really, really long time. I have already started a photo album to take with me to work. It isn't for others to look at but for me to look at when I miss her. I'm looking forward to seeing what 'normal' is for us. I guess I will find out in less than 3 weeks now!

Baby Deals

I ran across a website, Baby Cheapskate, that I think everyone should know about. It lists lots of deals and is really awesome!

Too Big!

We are borrowing my sister in law's pack n play until she grows out of it. Well, step 1 of growing out of it happened today. We weighed Miss Libby last week and she was 15lbs exactly. I looked up in the manual of the pack n play this morning to discover we shouldn't be putting her in the bassinet portion of it anymore! Luckily we can still use the changing area until she is 25 lbs. I was a little worried that Libby might not like being so far away from 'her bears' (the mobile) but she doesn't seem to mind so much. I love having her there because I can see through the mesh where I couldn't see her before. Max (the cat) really likes it because now he can torment her even more!! It looks like we have less than 10 lbs now until we can give this wonderful contraption back!

So Tired

12.9.07 Libbys Baptism (35)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

After a very long day of being good, I looked over and saw Libby sleeping in her daddy's lap. So adorable! Look at the legs/feet!

Libby's Baptism

12.9.07 Libbys Baptism (24)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Well, Libby is baptized! Yay! She was SO GOOD! Luckily she didn't scream at all. The day started a little rough with some possible bad weather (ahem, ice) but it turned out great. Everyone made it safely and are heading home. Libby wore the gown I was baptized in 27 years ago. It barely fit her. =) She was baptized at the same church Jim and I were married in so it had a lot of sentimental value to us. It was a truly special day!

Another Sleeping Update

I love Fridays. Jim usually stays up extra late with Libby so I can catch up on the sleep I don't get during the week. My routine is usually the same as during the week and I go to sleep between 8 and 9pm. Last night I went to sleep at 8:30pm. I asked Jim to make sure to go to sleep by 3am because we planned on cleaning the house today. This morning I woke up at 3am to not screaming but laughing and cooing. I layed there in the bed stupefied for a few minutes before going to the hallway to see Jim shhing Libby who was laughing her head off. Jim looked at me with a very tired face and said, "She won't go back to sleep!". I took her downstairs where she seriously smiled for 45 minutes while I tried to lull her back to sleep. It would be funny if it wasn't happening at 3:00am! I gave her a bit more food and she went right to sleep. It was absolutely adorable thinking about it now. But that is only really half of the story. The good news is she is sleeping around 5 hrs pretty routinely now. Last night she went from 8:00pm-2:30am on 1 feeding and then didn't eat again until 8:00 am! So only one late night feeding - it was insane (and wonderful)! I'm hoping this continues. This makes the 3rd (we think) time she has slept through the night. Now, if we can just make this a habit before I return to work on the 2nd.

Tummy Time Update

12.7.07 Tummy Time (6)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Libby is getting SO STRONG! She can now hold her head up for at least 3 minutes and sometimes longer. She LOVES to look around now!

Having Fun!

12.3.07 Minnie Libby
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Libby hates to change clothes so I can't play dress up with her...but I can stick things on her head. =)

Sleeping Update!

I am proud to say that last night Libby only had 1 late night feeding! She slept from 7pm till around 1am, fed, and then didn't get up again until 6:15am! Six hours is considered sleeping through the night, so she almost did that the 2nd half of the night and did the 1st half! I know it isn't a constant stretch of time for sleeping but I am still counting it. This also might have been a one time thing or it might not happen again for awhile but hey! I am still proud of her!! =)

Awake Time

I don't think this is normal but my baby isn't taking naps anymore. She will maybe sleep 10-20 minutes (max) after she eats each time but she is primarily awake from around 7am until 7pm each day. Thankfully she doesn't get cranky being up this much! What's rough is I have *no* idea how to entertain a baby that cannot hold her head up. We're working on it though. I play with her on the activity mats and do lots of tummy time...that seems to work. Unfortunately she had developed a mild flat head on the right side of her head that I am trying to get back to normal (in other words - round). That really limits what we can do! Any suggestions, please let me know!!

Feedings

The stretching is now over. I am just going with the flow. It turns out if you stretch her by the time she gets around to really tell you that she is super hungry she is too upset to eat. So, actually by just going with the flow she is eating about every 3 hours during the day and then makes it between 4 and 5.5 at night. I don't think that is too bad without stretching her at all! She does do some marathon feedings after 5pm where she'll eat a ton of food within a few hours, eat a little bit around midnight or 12:45am and then conks out until around 3:45 or 4:00 am. I think I am actually getting more sleep now than when I was working. =)

Colds

Well, Jim and Libby both have colds. Luckily it doesn't seem to be impacting Libby too much...she just wants to be held all of the time. Her poor nose is so awful. I feel so bad! Jim, sadly, is working on getting over his. He's still doing the late night duty so I can get a few hours of sleep. I'm hoping after this weekend he'll be healthy. This morning I woke up with a sore throat and a very stuffy nose. I'm afraid that I am getting it next. Hopefully it won't be as bad as what they have. Here is hoping!

Tummy Time

11.26.07 Tummy Time
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Libby hates tummy time. In fact, I was out shopping Saturday and Jim called to tell me that she was so mad that he had to catch her so she did not roll over!! She's a bit too strong for her own good!

More Bath Time Fun!

11.24.07 bath time (15)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

This is JLibby looking at Daddy during bath time!

Bath Time!

11.24.07 bath time (2)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

This is what she looks like before bath time....we didn't take a picture of after because it mostly involves her screaming and red faced. =)

Two Month Checkup

She survived the shots! Boy - that was rough. They gave her 4 shots plus something orally. She is up to 14 lbs, 3 oz and 23.5 inches long. So that means she has doubled her weight since birth and has grown 3.5 inches! She is meeting every milestone so far - I am very proud!

Happy 2 Months!

It is hard for me to believe that Miss Libby is 2 months old today. I find that crazy. It is crazy to think that she has been here for 2 months - some days it seems like she has always been here and others it seems that she just got here. I promise not to get mushy but I just feel like my life is so complete now. Being a Mom is one of the hardest jobs I have ever done but it is so incredibly worth it. Watching my daughter learn and grow is the most wonderful feeling. Unfortunately today is a bit tainted because she gets her shots today. =( Jim is going with us because I am nervous I will cry and I want him there. The good news is with these shots I can take her out with larger groups. It isn't an accident it happened before Thanksgiving. She has a lot of family members still to meet!

Feeding Times - Updated

I'd like to say that it has been easy the last 2 days...but it hasn't. It is really hard to try to stretch Libby's feeding times but we are making it! The good news is it is working. We've made it to 3 hrs on Monday and on Tuesday we made it over 3 hours for each feeding. Last night she ate 3oz at 10:30pm then started fussing at 2:30 so I fed her another 3oz. Then she started fussing again at 6:00 so I finally got up to feed her at 6:10 - but apparently she wasn't really hungry because she only ate 0.5oz. =( She didn't eat again until 7:45 and then had 5oz. So she made it 5 hrs! I'm thinking this stretching thing is working at night!

Feeding Times

Starting on Saturday I started trying to stretch the feeding times. It worked really well on Saturday during the day. Each feeding time was 3 hours a part. The evening proved to be a different story. We went to church and then to a friend's house and suddenly all of the new stimulation got her off cycle. Sunday morning continued to be difficult to get her to go 3 hours. She would just rather eat 2-2.5 hours and is finding it hard to eat 3 hours a part. You would think she would decrease in the amount she eats but it turns out that she eats just as much. Today I have been working really hard (and struggling) and getting her to eat 3 hours a part. I'm finding I am having to stretch her to 2.5 hours. I figure if she can fall asleep even as she is fussing for food, she can't be all that hungry. Pretty soon you'll be able to see a path in the hardwood floor from where I try to get her to calm down and wait for food. This is going to be harder than I thought!

Max playing

11.16.07 Max
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Max loves the Ocean Wonders toy too!

Libby Smiling

11.17.07 Libby Smiling
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

This makes everything worth while!

Sleeping through the night

First of all - she isn't sleeping through the night. =) I have made it my personal mission to figure out how to get her to sleep through the night prior to me going back to work. She'll be 14 weeks by then so I have roughly 7 weeks to get her to do this. Now, I realize that it is totally not up to me..it is pretty much up to her and I can't make her do this. However, if we can get it down to one late night feeding then I will consider it a success. I went over to some friends' house yesterday and totally picked their brains. I think the problem all circulates around the fact she can maybe go 2-3 hours between feedings. Lately I am lucky to get her to go 2.5 hours between feedings. At night she will make it anywhere between 2.5 and 3 hours - usually 3 hours. My friends recommended that I try to stretch her between feedings. Given the fact she is so hungry after 2.5 hours it is going to be interesting to try to stretch her but I am going to give it my all. I really think it will work - it is just going to be hard. Even if I can get her to go 5-10 minutes at a feeding past when she starts showing signs she is hungry, I will be very happy. I'll keep you posted of our progress! And thanks Jason and Katie! =)

Pacifiers

Libby with her favorite pacifier
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

My husband is a genius. He kept telling me that Libby didn't like the soothie pacifier. I couldn't imagine that so I just told him that she didn't like pacifiers. I was wrong. She likes pacifiers - just not the soothie ones. Jim went out and bought a new one - a Nuk - and she instantly took to it. It is absolutely wonderful and definitely helps with calming her down. What is strange is that this is the only pacifier that my sister took when she was a baby and the only one that her daughter will take. How crazy is that! Regardless - yay for Jim and Nuks!

No time for sleep! It's play time!

I got up for the 4am feeding with Miss Libby and she quickly downed her food...well, most of it. Then at 4:30 she decided she was done eating and wanted to play. She was awake for most of the day on Wednesday so I assumed she would sleep really sound tonight - I was wrong. =) Normally she doesn't do this or she tuckers out after about 10 minutes of playing. There are no signs of drooping eye lids right now. I really just want her to finish her food and go to sleep but I think I am not going to win this battle. =) I guess I'll just have to put in my latest Netflix and start my day!

Baby Acne

Saturday night I noticed some tiny bumps on Libby's head. I wasn't shocked by it because I have sensitive skin and figured she would get a rash eventually. It was just a tiny bit on her cheek but then the next day I noticed it was spreading behind her head and it was on her left ear. Because it was mostly on the left hand side, I thought it was just a regular rash. I called the pediatrician on Monday to see if it was maybe a heat rash or could possibly be acne. It got worse Monday and Tuesday morning so I went to go see the doctor on Tuesday morning. The doctor explained it was just baby acne and it normally goes away after the baby is 2 months old. Given she is 7 weeks today, hopefully this won't last that long! The doctor said it was very mild and we just should wait it out. It isn't too bad but it bothers me to see it. Of course, Libby doesn't even notice it is there. =)

Super Baby!

Welp, I was carrying Libby around the other day and noticed she seemed a lot heavier. I ended up weighing her and found she was 12.9 lbs. 12.9 lbs!!!!! How crazy is that?! It is hard to believe she has gained almost 6 lbs since birth and has grown over 3 inches. This morning I wanted to go through my 2000+ emails I have missed in the last month from work and Libby just layed in her crib looking at and talking to the wall hangings. It was the most adorable thing ever. She is just getting to be this little person that we're getting to interact with more and more. Most of the time she is awake for most of the day so it has been pretty cool.

Clothing Sizes

I've been noticing a trend - Libby's clothes are starting to get too tight. She is sadly wearing a sleeper that is for 3-6 months! How is that possible? She is growing up way too fast! I'm going to try to weigh her tomorrow on our own scale to see how much she has gained. I swear she is busting out of her Size 1 Diapers already that are supposed to go up to 14 lbs. I think she at least has to be 12 lbs by now. She's definitely growing, and I still have 0-3 month clothes that have not been worn! Yikes!

Congrats Kelly & Ryan!

We have the newest girl to the city! Charlotte Anne was born to Kelly and Ryan on Thursday, 11.8. We went to go see her on Friday night and she is absolutely adorable!!! Congrats guys!!

Favorite Toy

11.9.07 Libby with favorite toy
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Libby has claimed her first favorite toy - the whoozit. I have no idea why this thing is so appealing but she loves it. I put it on the mobile above the pack n play and each time she wakes up, I catch her staring at it. It is adorable!

Libby and Jim/Daddy Sleeping

11.10.07 Libby and Daddy sleeping
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Sometime there are just things that happen that you wish you had a camera to capture them. Well, this morning I gave Libby to Jim to keep her next time him while I got ready to start the day. I came back, saw this, and quickly grabbed the camera for some photos. This is my absolute favorite!

Bath Time Success

Tonight's bath was a success! I wouldn't say she had 'fun' but there were not any screams. I spent 30 minutes or so warming up the bathroom and it felt like a sauna in there. The whole process took about 20 minutes and she is squeaky clean! Her hair is even fluffier than normal!

Wii are crazy!

Last year a game system called the Wii came out. I am a big fan of Nintendo products so of course I was interested. Sadly the quantities were very limited not to mention my funds to purchase such a fun thing. I also knew we would be having a baby sometime in 2007 or early 2008 so the idea of purchasing something like that would be silly. I've played the systems a few times at friend's houses and could tell I would love it. The other day I was talking with my neighbor's grandson and he mentioned Gamestop at the Galleria had some in stock. I quickly looked at my bank account to see if I could swing it and I could. I wanted to go that day but how funny that my car battery died. I took it as a sign I shouldn't get one right now. The next day, yesterday, I decided Libby and I needed to get out (ok, I really needed to) and we went to the mall. I stayed far, far away from Gamestop for the first 45 minutes that we walked...until I just couldn't take it anymore. I knew we were going to have to leave soon since Libby would be getting hungry. I walked into the store and saw a lady in front of me purchasing the system and had hopes that they would have some in stock since they are still limited in quantities. The sales guy told me they had just gotten 10 more in during the last hour and they only had one left. I took that as a sign I needed to buy it. =) So last night Libby was so good that Jim and I got the system set up and we even got to play a few sports (that's right, I said sports) games on it. We only have one game so far but we'll hopefully get more soon. Libby loves watching me bowl so that is pretty funny. I think it helps that I make sound effects for her! I'm very excited to have this after a year of waiting!

Happiest Baby

My mother in law gave me a book to help soothe a baby to sleep when I first told her that Jim and I were pregnant. I was hoping that we wouldn't need it but...after 3 or 4 straight days of crying from about 3-11pm each day I couldn't handle it and looked into the book. They said everything we had been trying (using the 5 S's):

1. Swaddling
2. Side/Stomach
3. Shhing
4. Swinging
5. Sucking

Well, in all honesty we had tried all but the swaddling but she hated this after about the 2nd week. We decided to try it after we had nothing else to try. I have to tell you it was magic. She cried a bit at first and then fell asleep. We've been using it for the past 2 or 3 days now and it has worked every time. So, for new Moms try these techniques. They really, really do work!

4 am and wide awake

What do you do with a 6 week old that has no concept of time? I got up for a 3:30 feeding and she didn't end up really wanting to eat but play instead. It is now 4:10 and I have her sitting in a boppy looking at the ceiling (one of her favorite things to do). Boy - I wish she liked sleep as much as me during the night time!

Bath Time

Bath time is Libby's most hated time. The first tub bath broke my heart. She just sat there looking cold or terrified. I figured I could easily fix the cold part of the bath so I decided to make bath time in the actual bath room. My hope was I could warm it up because it was a smaller space. Well, lets just say bath time is also my most hated time too. She screams ... and screams ... and screams ... and screams. Thank goodness she is so tiny that it doesn't take very long. She HATES it. I am putting the bath time on a schedule that we can keep with the hopes she will eventually like it or at least get used to it and expect it. I'm not sure how to get her to like it - it isn't like she can play with anything at this age. Anyone have any suggestions? I know she will eventually tolerate or maybe even like it when we can give her a toy or two to play with but now. Geesh. It is like WWIII.

Formula Transition - Day 2

Day 2 did not go as smoothly as Day 1. We ran out of premade stuff in the morning so until Jim got back from the store with the premade stuff I was using the powdered stuff. It made for a looooong morning. She ended up being hungry every couple of hours. As soon as we got the premade stuff in her tummy in the afternoon it got a little bit better. By the 11pm/12am feeding, she was doing better. She was able to make it 3 and then 3.5 hours between the late night feedings. I think we're going to forgo using the powder until we can add cereal to it. I think we can transition her to the powder then because, I hope, the cereal will compensate for it not filling her up. In the end, it won't be any cheaper to use the powder if we have to feed her twice as often. =( I'm hoping using the premade will help her be able to go longer between feedings now! I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Diaper Dilemma

When Jim and I were pregnant we sadly spent a lot of time talking about diapers. We decided we would try use various kinds and then settle on one. I had investigated several kinds and Pampers was the most expensive followed by Huggies and then Luvs. Well, we got Huggies Newborn Gentle Care at the hospital. They had a little section precut for the umbilical to be until it falls off. This feature wasn't a necessity because all you had to do is fold the flap down on the front of the diaper until the umbilical stub falls off. We had already bought some Pampers Newborn Diapers too and tried those out. I quickly found that I liked Huggies better. The Pampers ones seemed to not keep her as dry. When Libby outgrew the newborn size I then tried some Luvs diapers we had in the house from a shower. I'm not a huge fan of them but I still liked them better than Pampers. So far Huggies is my favorite though. We've tried to kinds of this brand: Gentle Care and Snug & Fit. I personally like the Gentle Care the best. They seem very soft and keep her really dry. The Snug & Fit also keep her dry but just don't seem to work as well. I'm not against the Luvs and cannot judge them yet because they were a tad big on her. I plan on trying them again soon. I'm hoping that we like them because they are the cheapest but the Huggies aren't too bad in the grand scheme of major brands.

Max

I was always worried about Max when we had a baby. For those of you that have met him, he isn't really the most friendly cat. In fact, he doesn't really like anyone but me and he tolerates Jim. We think the baby broke his spirit because he stays upstairs all of the time just in case the crying thingy (aka, the baby) starts making a lot of noise. The biggest change is when we have company over - he will actually go up to people! He never did that before. What is strange is that I am not spending any less time than I did with him before Libby was born. Sadly, he just doesn't think of it that way! He's starting to get used to it a bit more now though. Max is even venturing out and getting physically closer to the screaming object. He'll sit with me on the couch while I feed her. My favorite is when he looks at me or comes to get me when she starts screaming. I honestly think he is trying to get me to hurry to take care of her. We were worried that he might try to get into her crib because he seemed to like her nursery a lot. To avoid this we keep the door shut most of the time. I started leaving it open a bit more and he just sits outside the door protecting the baby. It is just so cute and not what I expected at all! So there is hope!

Formula Transition - Day 1

Yesterday we did our first attempt at transitioning Libby from the premade formula to the powdered formula. We rotated one bottle with the premade and the next with the powder. It seemed to be working really well! She was able to go about 2.5-3.5 hours between feedings which was better than her previous 1.5-2.5 just using the powered substance. I think we're going to continue this for a bit because just using the premade part time is saving us a ton of money!

Forest Park

We took Libby to the park for the first time yesterday. I'd like to say she had fun but she slept the entire time. =) It was also the first time we had used the stroller. I have to say, it took forever to pick one out but it is absolutely perfect. We spent about an hour and a half walking and I'm hoping we can go to the park again today! It was my first time at attempting to exercise. I am hoping to be given the green light to exercise at my doctor's appointment on Tuesday. Until then, bring on the walking!!

Libby Sleeping

11.3.07 Sleeping on Dad
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

Libby loves to sleep on her Daddy's tummy!

Faces of Libby/Lizard

Libby has a lot of funny faces and here are just a few!

Powder versus Ready to Feed (Premade)

We're formula feeding Libby and started her out on the premade/ready to feed formula. When we came home, we thought this would be easiest since we weren't used to a baby and the hurry up and feed her she's screaming scenario. It was great and worked out perfectly. Since the premade was what the hospital had, it was an easy transition. Now we want to try to get her to use the powdered version and that is causing problems. I don't think it is as thick or fills her up as much so she is really struggling with feedings. Sometimes she makes it an hour and a half and sometimes she makes it 2 and a half hours. It is just crazy. Jim did some calculations to see how much more expensive the premade is versus the powdered and honestly it isn't worth it if she is going to eat twice as often and as much. Some websites recommended to transition the littles ones from the premade to the powder that we should switch from one to the other at each feedings. We're trying it out but after 3 days on just using the powder, it is definitely rough. I'm hoping if we add the premade stuff back in she will go longer. I'll let you know how that goes. =)

Libby Playing

From about 10am-3 or 4pm Libby has awake time where I have to keep her entertained. Yesterday I was tired of walking around the house showing her fans so I put her down on the Oceans Wonders activity mat. She normally stares at the blue bars but yesterday she focused on the music fish. Here are some pictures from the fun she had!

Libby in Overalls

We got some really cute clothes from wonderful people. This was from my cousin Amanda and Libby just looked too adorable in it not to take pictures!

Squeaking

Is it normal for a baby to squeak when she sleeps? I'm not saying she occasionally squeaks - I am saying it is at least every 15 minutes there are at least 2 major squeaks followed by a grunt. It is almost like she is in pain but I know she isn't - she is normally just stretching. She only seems to do this when she is in her crib or pack n play. It is just very strange to me!

Night Time

Night time is typically very quiet. Libby likes to sleep about as much as she likes to eat...but now she doesn't seem to want to do either during the late hours. Well, let me rephrase that, she'll do both but in very small amounts. Last night we played a little game where she would get me up every 2 hours to eat. This was a surprise because the night before, she went 4 hours. There is no method for this madness. I know she was getting me up every 2 hours last night because she would not eat much at all. There was nothing I could do to keep her eating. I mean I tried everything from turning on the lights on the fan to singing to her (bad idea - put her to sleep very fast!) to rubbing lotion on her (she hates that) to tickling her feet. Nothing worked. Each time we got up, she would maybe eat 2 oz and then fall asleep. She did not use to do this. Her night time feedings maybe took 15-20 minutes of her quickly eating as fast as she can up to 5 oz at a time so she could doze back to sleep. She almost seems annoyed with her stomach now and that it makes her get up to eat. It is like she just wants to feel full enough to go back to sleep. Luckily, she does fall back to sleep on her own very quickly so she doesn't want to be held (that is reserved for during the day which is why my arm is so sore!). There just has to be a trick to getting her to eat more so she can get longer times at sleeping.

Boredom

We've encountered a new cry/situation in the last few days. She now cries when she is bored. Bored! I remember when she would be content to just sleep for hours at a time and only wake to eat and have her diaper changed. Now she is awake the majority of the day and sleeps during the night (not consistently - she still gets up every 3-4 hours to eat). It is hard to find something to do with a baby that cannot hold her head up or sit up. We have the swing and bouncy seat to put her in with dangling toys above her head...that doesn't seem to cut it with her though. She does seem to enjoy the activity center where she can lay on her back and look up at the toys floating above her. Although, she mostly just looks at the bar. It is just crazy that she wants to take in so much stuff already. Gotta keep her entertained! If you have any suggestions for toys at this age, I am all ears! We have to figure out something! The doctor suggested getting something with mirrors on it so she could look at herself but I can't seem to find anything that doesn't require her to sit up. I think I will be doing 'toy research' later today (when the sun is up =))!

First Tub Bath

We gave Libby her first tub bath tonight. I couldn't tell if she liked it or was just really cold (i'm banking on cold). I definitely think she got cleaner than with the sponge bath but I am still not good at this. I'm hoping I get better and faster! She's just too wiggly!

Zoe's Baptism

10.28.07 Zoe's Baptism (13)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

My niece, Zoe, was baptized on Sunday. Here is a picture of the kiddo of the day with her proud parents! The outfit is very special and was handmade for her Mommy when she was baptized many moons ago.

Congrats Zoe!!!

Sleeping Angel

10.28.07 Zoe's Baptism (8)
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.

New picture of our little one =)

Cross Eyes

I'll admit that I am a nervous/worry wart of a Mom but when I gazed down to my beautiful daughter's eyes and noticed one of them was crossed eyed I freaked. This is apparently completely normal at this age. They can't control their eye movement. It is strange to me that she can go cross eyed without meaning to but can find me in a room. Yeah, that is right. She can already doing that even though I don't think she should be yet. She is also able to hold her head up for 30-60 seconds. Craziness! This article helped to ease my fears about the senses and development rate.

Bumbo Recall

Well everyone the Bumbo has been recalled. I don't understand this...who would put a bumbo on a table or elevated surface?

Sleeping like a Baby

All I can say to the expression, "Sleeping like a baby" is 'ha! I guess you have never had a newborn!' One thing I never knew is how incredibly loud babies are when they sleep. This is apparently normal and we shouldn't check on them with every sound. However, in the beginning I think every new parent does. I know I did! However, after a month, I have learned what sounds are the ones I need to check on her with and which ones are just her stirring. Well, I haven't perfected it but it is definitely getting better. There are several articles suggesting that you listen for the sounds and then wait to see what happens. Sleeping is very important to babies and I have tried to do a little bit of investigation - cause, you know, I want her to sleep through the night soon. =) According to BabyCenter.com

Baby sleep cycles are far shorter than those of adults, and babies spend more time in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is thought to be necessary for the extraordinary development happening in their brain. REM sleep is lighter than non-REM sleep, and more easily disrupted.

The Mayo Clinic basically suggests having a routine...to which I also say ha! I have been trying to get into a routine for awhile now and that isn't happening. I am not forcing it because there is just no point. I will start trying to get her into one after 6-9 weeks. In any case, I did find this article that gave some useful sleeping info on it...while I am up at 2am. =)

Visual Development

Libby is somehow able to see further away than she should at this age. While it is adorable that she looks for me when she hears my voice, it also causes some problems with I go to check on her when she is fussy. Any time she sees me she will instantly wake up and want me to hold her. She is definitely turning into a Momma's Girl. I love it - don't get me wrong. I just need a nap sometime in the afternoon and am amazed she doesn't. We don't really have a feeding routine but we do have a (loose) sleeping routine. Normally she will sleep really well at night (whew!) but during the day she is awake pretty much from 10am on...and want to be held. Well, honestly I don't think it is so much she wants to be held as much as she just wants to look at everything in the house - fans especially. I usually feed her on the couch and I will constantly see her scoping out the rear speaker next to us as if it would somehow interact with her. I love watching her look at things and try to figure out what is going on in her head. Today the pediatrician was asking me if Libby was focusing on things yet and when I told her about the fans and doing a daily walk of the house, she recommended having some toys that Libby could stare at. So, I pulled out the Ocean Wonders toy we got and she loved it. She stared at it for 30 minutes!!! Yay!