Monday, November 26, 2007

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!

Saturday, November 24, 2007

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. =)

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

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!

Monday, November 19, 2007

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!

Saturday, November 17, 2007

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! =)

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Pacifiers

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!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

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. =)

Monday, November 12, 2007

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.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

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

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

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!

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

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!

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

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.

Monday, November 5, 2007

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.

Sunday, November 4, 2007

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!!

Saturday, November 3, 2007

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!



Thursday, November 1, 2007

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!