Baby Girl's First Christmas

About a week before Christmas, I noticed that Landry was wheezing just a little bit, had some subcostal retractions, and was breathing faster than normal. She also sounded a little bit congested in her nose. So we took her into the doctor and they confirmed what I was afraid of - that Little Miss had RSV. So they gave her a breathing treatment and she responded well to that and we went home with a box of albuterol and started doing those every 4 hours and watching her closely.

Our pediatrician also strongly recommended that we quarantine her as much as possible - meaning to avoid all Christmas celebrations if possible. So, we basically skipped Christmas of 2012 altogether, with the exception of my family that came down the weekend before Christmas.

Here are some pictures from our weekend together with my family.

 

We were supposed to get together with Dan's parents and sister's family but the twins were sick so we didn't want to take any chances and stayed home.  So this is what Christmas Eve and Christmas day looked like for us. Pretty exciting! Fortunately we were able to do FaceTime with Dan's parents and sister several times throughout the days so it helped pass the days a little faster.

Christmas Eve 2012

 

Christmas Day 2012

Landry got to meet Walla while he was in town.

 Looking forward to Christmas of 2013 and here's to hoping that it is just a bit more exciting! :) Thankful for our very special Christmas baby girl and can't wait for all of the fun holiday traditions we get to start very soon! We are, of course, most thankful for Baby Jesus and the Reason for the Season.

Landry's Baptism

"All thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children."

       ~ Isaiah 54:13

On Sunday, January 6th, 2012 we baptized you at Sheridan Lutheran Church. Pastor Jeremy Freye officiated the baptism, which was pretty cool because he was also the pastor who married us! Unfortunately, this year has been one of the worst years ever in terms of sickness going around so our pediatrician strongly advised us to continue staying away from absolutely everyone. So we decided we were still going to do the baptism, but we would skip the lunch afterwards (which was a big bummer). I am still struggling with that one because I feel like we are missing out on all of the fun things about having a newborn. So far we have avoided everyone possible and you still got sick.

Your sponsors and Godparents are Kilah, Reed and Alyssa. Those attending were: Grandpa and Grandma Matthes, Grandpa and Grandma Deaver, Justin & Karinne, Kilah, Reed, Alyssa, Clara, Levi, Great-Grandma Matthes, Great Grandpa and Grandma Wert. Unfortunately, Great-Grandma Deaver and Great Grandpa and Grandma Kubik weren't able to come.

Anyway, here are pictures from your special day.

You hardly cried at all!

Love the way your Daddy looks at you.



Pastor Jeremy Freye, Sheridan Lutheran Church

 

Your 1st time meeting Great-Grandma Matthes.
She thought you were pretty special.

My perfect sleeping baby.

 



One of my favorite pictures yet.

 



A couple last pictures before these 2 had to leave us.

Typical. I so love these two!

One.Month.Old.

Miss Landry, how is it ever possible that you are already one month old?! We are slowly starting to forget what life was like without you (although not completely, yet). You have such a personality already, and have since the moment we first met you. In fact, the delivery room nurses pointed that out right away when you were born - that you were stubborn! I find myself thinking that you are even older than you are because it seems impossible that something so little and innocent can be as hard-headed as you. But, we love it because it makes you you. I also find myself thinking you are going to break out a smile one of these days when I am kissing you all over or talking to you, but I know that you are still too young for any purposeful social smiles.

You weigh 7 pounds, 5 ounces!

Every single day seems to finally be starting to get just a little bit better. But we still do not have any sort of routine - I start to get anxious every night around 6 about whether or not you are going to sleep that night and how long it is going to take me to convince you to go back to sleep. Some nights you sleep for 2 or 3 hours and wake to eat, and then take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours to go back to sleep, and other nights you have slept for 5 straight and then are back to sleep in 30 minutes after a bottle and do that a couple times in a row. It's a crapshoot, and I'm looking forward to when I finally figure you out (hopefully in time for when I go back to work).

You are sleepiest from around 6:00 pm to 12:00 am. You are most likely to be awake anywhere from 3:00 to 8:00 am. You may or may not sleep better after a bath (jury is still out on that one?).

For the first 4 solid weeks I was religious about pumping every 2-3 hours around the clock. But I was going crazy, and when I didn't have someone here to help me whether at night or during the day, it was next to impossible to accomplish by myself. You are fairly demanding in that you are not willing to entertain yourself for 15 minutes while I tend to other necessities. So, I finally started spreading it out and have been going most of the nights without pumping (while you sleep at least) and trying to do a little better during the day. So far this is working out ok, and I even have a pretty good stockpile of milk in the freezer already. I have to admit, every.single.time. I have to pump I dread it and it is all I can do to not go crazy the entire 15 minutes. I am honestly surprised I have even made it this long, and am just trying to continue to remind myself that I am doing what is best for you and that it will be worth it.

You are still not completely over RSV. I still hear and feel some raspiness in your lungs, and you still have some congestion in your nose every now and then. Thankfully, we only had to make 3 trips to the doctor for it and we are now only supposed to go in as needed.

Whether it is being sick, reflux, or just the way you are, you are a very spitty baby. You were vomiting (projectile a couple times) multiple times a day for awhile, and now it is more sparingly. Needless to say, we go through lots and lots of outfits these days, and I can hardly keep enough burp rags clean. You are also taking Zantac twice a day which seems to be helping.

You are eating around 3 ounces every 3 hours or so (you also graze quite a bit and eat little amounts all day long) and when I say you chug every bottle like it is your first and last I am not joking. Your eyes get big, and you are relentless. As soon as you feel the first touch of anything, you suck away - we tell you to open 10 times before we get you to open far enough to shove the nipple in. I joke that "open" might be your first word because you hear it so much! You are still an easy burp. You are not pooping like clock-work after a bottle anymore like you used to. Sometimes it's not until we take your diaper off to change you before the next feeding now. Hopefully that means that your little digestive system is getting better at absorbing everything from the breastmilk.

You are starting to like your bath a little more. You love it when we take all of your clothes off before your bath - your arms and legs kick and "crawl" like you are completely free. Your eyes get big and you can't hardly look around at everything fast enough. For the most part you don't really even cry anymore! You still love to have your hair washed under the sink and turn your head as fast as you can to keep your head under the water. It is pretty adorable.

You are NOISY, girl! I have never once got up to check on you in the middle of the night to see if you were still breathing like typical new moms do because you are SO noisy. You grunt, hiss, whine, stir etc all day and night. It is only that you are in your (rare) deep deep sleep that you are completely silent. My personal favorite sound in your repertoire is a sheep-like grunt. You do it several times a day - usually when you would be "annoyed" of us. Like when we lay you down, when no one is paying attention to you or when you start to wake up. And I laugh every time. One of these days I am going to get a video of it because it is freaking hilarious.

Here is the beginning of our monthly pictures - 1 month.

Just a photo shoot with mom and dad.

 

 

This is how the princess sleeps in her deepest sleep.

Another princess pose.

 

 

**2 Weeks Old!

**Post will be updated with pictures.

Sweet Landry Ann - How can it be that you are 2 weeks old already?! I am already sad thinking I only have 6 more weeks with you. Needless to say, since you are a cuddler I don't get a whole lot done during the days right now. It's even hard to eat or pump because you just want to be held. And I think I'm ok with that. You are overall a really good baby. Here are your stats on your 2 week birthday!

At 2 weeks, you:

Weigh 6 pounds, 2 ounces at your 2 week check

Are finally starting to somewhat fill out newborn clothing

Your cheeks are starting to fill out these past couple days

Love to lay and look at the Christmas tree lights
Have the most adorable dainty cough

Eat 2-3 ounces every 2-4 hours

Get hiccups many times a day

May be starting to show signs of reflux

Sleep 3-4 hours at a time at night

Would rather be held than be in your swing

Have shown us the full volume of your vocal cords only a few times

Chug your bottles like they are your first and very last one you will ever have

Are usually a very easy burper

Fill your diaper within minutes of eating - like clock-work

Make us laugh every time you poop because we hear it across the room

Love to be rubbed - whether it's face, back, arms, legs, or whatever!

Still have a little yellow in your eyes from your jaundice

Are starting to be awake during the daytime more

We love you, Sweetie!

Happy 1 Week, Landry!

 

Happy 1 Week Birthday, Sweet Girl! I cannot believe that you are already 1 week old. You have brought such joy to our family and you are spoiled already. You are such a good baby - you really only cry when you are hungry (but even then it's not much more than a whimper). You surprisingly really don't even cry when your diaper is wet or dirty. Here are some other 1 week statistics.

At 1 week, you:

 

Weigh 5 pounds 12.3 ounces

Love to cuddle

Eat 1.5 to 2 ounces every 2-3 hours

Have been to the doctor 3 times

Are not a big fan of a bath

Have had your first photo shoot

Love to have your hair washed

Are not a fan of your car seat

Projectile poop after each feeding

Love to party around 3-7 am

Have pooped and peed on Daddy

Have your Daddy wrapped around your finger

Love to listen to your Daddy sing to you (Hey Baby! or My Girl)

Will take a binky but are done with it quickly

Get hiccups many times a day

Your jaundice is starting to get a little better. On 12/10/12, your bilirubin was 15.3, on 12/11/12 it was 15.9, and by 12/13/12 it was back down at 15.3 so it had peaked and therefore they didn't have to poke your poor feet any more. You handled all those pokes like a champ, but it was getting harder and harder to hear you cry every time we had to take you back for the same thing.

We love you so much, Baby Girl. Thank you for being you.

 

**Landry's 1st Trip Home

**Post will be updated with pictures

We received clearance from both her doctor and my doctor Saturday morning and began packing up all of our belongings. Of course we had to change her into her going home outfit, which was much too big. She wasn't a big fan, but here are a few of the pictures that we took.



We left the hospital around 1:30 on Saturday, December 8th.



Grandpa Lennie was there that morning with us helping us pack and get her ready, and met us at home. He walked in shortly after we arrived with several large sacks of groceries and began putting a roast, carrots and potatoes into the oven for dinner. After a mild fiasco of the breast pump I had not working out, he insisted that Dan and I go shower and take a nap. We slept for a heavenly 2 or 3 hours and woke up when Grandpa came in to get us. He had the tree and stair garland lit, the table set with a candle in the middle, a plate of peeled oranges with cheese in the middle, and Landry in her bouncer seat fast asleep. Thinking back to that very moment when I walked out brings me to tears right away every time. It was perfect. We sat down to the table that he had prepared, and he took this picture.



We bowed our heads and my dad said one of the most beautiful prayers out loud that I have ever heard. He thanked God for us, and for our new little girl. A week later and I cry every time. It was perfect, and it meant so much. My heart was happy, and sad at the same time. My mom would have loved to be there for these very moments. I couldn't help but to be so very thankful that my Dad was able to be here for this.

We finished eating one of the most delicious meals I have ever had prepared for me, and Grandpa insisted that Dan and I go sit and cuddle with our new baby. He did the dishes and joined us on the couch. And there we sat for the rest of the night, just taking it all in.

Aunt Roo had been texting asking how we were doing, and wanted me to
send her a picture after I told her that Landry was cuddling with Grandpa.
Here is her facebook post from that evening that I will never forget:
"I have had tears in my eyes ever since my sister sent me this
picture of grandpa and little Landry Ann. Kait texted me earlier and said
grandpa had baby in her bouncer, a candle lit, and supper in the oven when
 her and Dan woke up from a much needed nap. Grandpa is doing
everything I know grandma Ann would be doing if she could.
I dont think he's hardly put her down. Pretty special grandpa this little girl has."

Sunday was the day that I had been dreading - when my Dad had to leave. I couldn't stop crying as he walked out the door, and pretty sure I cried his whole trip home. I'm fairly confident that Grandpa also had tears in his eyes his whole trip home, too. We needed such a special weekend together, and I could not be more thankful for everything that he did for us. My heart has been aching since for when he comes back. It cannot be soon enough. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Grandpa for everything you did for us. We love you!

**Special Hospital Moments

**This post is the beginning of posts that I will have to update as soon as I can figure out why blogger isn't letting me upload photos.

We are so blessed to have so many special family and friends to share such special moments in life with. We are loved abundantly by many and appreciate all of the thoughts, prayers and visits through the whole process. Not a lot of words for this post, but more to be said in pictures. I'm sure we weren't able to capture pictures of Landry with each of her visitors, but here are quite a few. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to each of you who made time out of their days to come see us. It means so much!