Over Two Weeks Since My Last Post?!

Okay, all I can say is WOW.  How does time go by so quickly?!  I know that time is pretty much the recurring theme in most (all) of my posts, but it seriously is what happens when you have a baby!  I started my new job about 3 weeks ago and I LOVE it.  However, this has left me with little time to blog, etc.  I am now going to make a substantial effort to blog whenever I have free time! 

Is anyone else as excited as I am about it being DECEMBER?!?  I swear, even though it's only one day into the month, I have a feeling it's going to be a good one.  I have bought a few of Berlyn's Christmas presents already (as most of us probably already have), watched Christmas Vacation, and I want to make sure I manage my time wisely because I already know this month is going to FLY by.  In just three short months, my little cupcake will be ONE year old.  Okay, I thought that saying "My daughter..." for the first time was weird.  Now to think that I will be saying "She's a year old..." just seems crazy!  Lord, bring me back to when I was just six months pregnant, please :)

As far as our house goes, I have not started to decorate AT ALL!  I love the idea of decorating, but it just seems like such a waste of money to purchase [make] things that you only put up for a month or two.  Then they just end up sitting in the garage for the rest of the year.  However, after looking at other mama's blogs and Pinterest, I am going to try and decorate this year because I know it will make me and my family feel more festive.  It will also be something that I will want to do every year with Berlyn once she gets a little older to understand what Christmas is all about.

I have really been lagging on posting Berlyn's chalkboard picture every month but I will have it up in the next couple of days.  I can't wait to make her one year collage once the day comes... Which is weird, because she was born on Leap Day, so does she technically turn one in 2013?  Hmmmm.....

Here is the most recent pic of Berlyn from my Instagram post tonight  :)

Mama's Got a New Job!

Wow, I feel like I used to have so much time on my hands before I started my new position.  I had no idea what it was like to be TRULY busy all day long!  I LOVE my new job as an Administrative Assistant for a dental college, and look forward to making it my career! 

In baby news, Berlyn is enjoying all the new clothes her mama bought her.  She loves every single outfit!  Okaaaaay, so I probably get more enjoyment out of them than she does, but still... She peed through her onesie and pants at the mall the other day, I didn't have ANY back up clothes for her and Gap was having their 30% off everything sale.  You do the math :) 

I can't believe Christmas is coming up in just a little over a month!!!  B and I have been getting into the holiday spirit by listening to Christmas music and she really does like the music (even when I sing along with an exaggerated theatre-like voice).  I can't wait to really start shopping for her and all my other loved ones.  This Christmas is going to be so much fun!  And then a couple months after that, it'll be Berlyn's 1st birthday.  Oh my gosh, time is really flying by!

So what gifts does a 10 month old baby need?  Any toys or other recommendations you can offer this new mama?  So far I've gotten her two little things but, obviously, she will need a few more things :)

Play Time!

Last night was a fun night that I got to spend with my little bunny.  She is the type of baby that always has to be moving, always has to be doing SOMETHING.  This means pulling herself up in her crib (while laughing hysterically), wiggling her way out of your arms becuase she wants to crawl, and jumping all over the place in her bouncer. 

Last night I thought it'd be fun to just pour her toys all over the floor in her room and let her crawl all over.  She got a kick out of it, especially when I put her inside her toy basket!  What she did NOT get a kick out of was me telling her "NO!" when she tried pulling the fan cord out of the outlet.

Here are some pictures from our play time last night :) You'll notice that in one of the pictures she is trying to grab something out of my mouth.  It's a plastic toy bee that she carries around in her mouth while she climbs, crawls, and reads but I guess she didn't like seeing me doing the same thing.  She cracks me up!

8 Month Chalkboard Pic

I am getting so bad at posting these on the 29th like I am supposed to!  It's just so hard without having someone's help... Berlyn does NOT like to sit still, so I have to have my husband watch her in case she falls while I snap the pic. 

Here are some outtakes from this month's pic...

I think it's official that she no longer likes smiling for these pictures... She just doesn't know how cool it's going to be for her to look back on when she's older :)

And... here is the finished product!  Again, with no smile...

I always have a little trouble coming up with what to write (and how to fit it in the little space).  I am thinking of turning a big picture frame we have into a jumbo chalkboard!  It would give me a lot more room to write, and we could display it in our house and write fun things on it throughout the year!

Berlynny Boo is 8 Months Old!

I meant to post this yesterday... OOPS!

This month FLEW by... I mean, like, super duper fast.  It is crazy how fast 8 months have gone by with my little bunny boo!  She is growing up so fast, right before my eyes.  Not only is her personality growing, but so is her size.  She outgrows her clothes so often that it requires me to shop for her all the time... bummer, huh?  I recently got a Gap card and I think it was a bad idea.  It does make me feel better, though, when half the stuff I buy is on sale (snagged a $50 coat for just about $15 after all the discounts!)  I can't wait to start dressing her up in snuggly little outfits! 

Tonight we are going to our church for Halloween festivities and I just can't wait to dress her up in her costume.  I tried it on her the other night and I just about died.  I decided to dress up with her as well.  My costume is more low key though - I'm wearing black leggings with a black and yellow striped skirt over them, a black shirt, and some boots.  I also made myself a black and yellow flower headband. 

So, to recap everything that has happened in the past month, she has started to talk a LOT, saying Mama, Dada, yaya, baba, along with making a scary growl voice.  She also has this hilarious laugh that starts the moment she wakes up and doesn't stop until she goes to bed.  It cracks us up... I think she does it just to see us laugh at her!  She is now eating pureed chicken and little tastes of almost everything we are eating.  She loves her bouncer, LOVES to crawl everywhere, and watches the Disney Channel all the time.  Her favorite shows are Chuggington and Blues Clues.  Her canine teeth are aaaaalmost poking through - any day now!  I can't believe she has 8, going on 10, teeth right now.  At least she is getting them all out of the way early!

We went to Disneyland on her 8 month birthday and she had SO much fun!  It was all decorated in the Halloween theme and the weather was perfect.  The park was only open from 9-6 but this ended up being perfect - she was pooped by 6:30.  I loved taking her on all the rides and watching her eyes light up while we watched the parade.  We sat in the front row on the curb and Princesses waved and blew kisses to Berlyn, it was the cutest thing.  I never knew the amount of joy my heart would fill with just by watching how happy my daughter was.  We went on Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, Dumbo, the carousel, and Jungle Cruise.  It's a Small World was closed for remodeling for Christmas and I was super bummed.  But overall we had a great time!

This weekend I will be posting Berlyn's monthly chalkboard pic!

Our Schedules Lately

Being a working mama and having close to NO time on my hands really makes time go by fast.  A little too fast, if you ask me.  Berlyn will already be 8 months old in exactly two weeks... NOT cool!  She is crawling around, talking a LOT, and has definitely formed her own little personality.  It's crazy how much of me I see in her now, where I didn't see it before.

I figured since I will definitely look back on these blogs for reference with my next baby(ies?), I might as well take note of her daily routine  :)

Berlyn's day goes a little something like this: during the work week she is awake (either on her own or by me) by about 7:00 am.  On the weekends we both sleep in until about 7:30 am.  (Wait a minute, did I just say "SLEEP IN until 7:30 am"???  My, how my life has changed!)  Since our house stays darker now that it's almost winter, she sleeps a little later.  In the summer she was awake by about 6:30 am.  I get ready for work while she wakes up and talks and plays in her crib.  As soon as I'm done, I sneak into her room, peek at her through her crib, and pick her up for kisses.  I change her diaper, put her in her high chair, and make her breakfast.  Right now she will drink 6 oz. of formula and about 4-5 tbsp. of food.  Her favorite is mangoes, apples, pears, and peaches!  She likes to drink her formula in between bites of food, which is great because she ends up drinking the whole amount out of her sippy cup instead of playing with it.  She is now fully trained on her sippy cup, so no more bottles, yay!  Training her on the sippy cup took a LOT of patience.  After about a month and a half, she finally got the hang of it.  It's still a little messy at times and formula ends up everywhere, but that's the fun of it, right?

After she's eaten breakfast, I change her out of her pj's and try and spend time with her before I have to leave for work.  She gets 8 oz. of formula around 10:30 am and then another 8 oz. at 2:00 or 2:30 pm.  She usually takes about two naps a day, and when I get home from work around 5:30 I wake her up from her evening nap and get her ready for dinner.  I will give her a 6 oz. sippy cup of formula to drink while I make her dinner.  She loves peas, green beans, and squash. 

After dinner I put her in her bouncer and she bounces away while I workout.  She gets a kick out of watching me... I have no clue why, but it makes my workout a lot more fun looking over and seeing her toothy smile!  Around 7:45 or 8:00 I give her a bath, lotion her up, put on her pj's and give her a sippy with 8 oz. of formula.  I wipe her teeth clean (all 8 of them) with a wet washcloth, kiss her all over, and put her down with her humidifier on.  She puts herself right to sleep.

I am going to start feeding her lunch because I can tell that the 8 oz. of formula just isn't enough for her anymore during the day.  Does anyone have suggestions of when babies start requiring less formula and more food?  Or do you just go by what your baby is telling you?  I don't want to cut out too much formula, but I want her tummy to be full!  Also, when is it okay to offer her puffed cereal?  Any help would be great :)

Here's the latest pic of my muffin from our visit to the pumpkin patch last week!

Berlyn's First Halloween!

Long gone are the days when I would dress as a sexy officer, naughty pirate, or a sleazy version of a cave woman.  Now I know what Halloween is REALLY about.  Having a baby to decorate dress up is perhaps the most exciting part of my new obsession with Halloween.  Another mama I follow on Instagram used the term "decorate" to describe how she dresses her baby and I think it's a cute way to say exactly what us mommies do to our little girls!  

Not only am I making Berlyn's very first costume, but it is actually turning out to be pretty darn cute!  Now, this required me to be pretty creative... Something I am NOT good at 97% of the time.  But, being a new mama, I had to learn!  It got me thinking about every Halloween that is to come.  Will Berlyn be the type of kid who wants me to make her costume EVERY year?  Or will she be the one who demands it be store bought?  Either way, I can't wait to see her excitement each year. 

Speaking of homemade costumes, I remember a costume my mama made for me when I was in 1st (or 2nd) grade.  I was toothpaste.  Yes - toothpaste, along with an over sized toothbrush to go with it.  She made my hat (cap?) out of a lampshade, and my dress (tube?) out of felt.  Gosh, I wish I had a picture.  I wore white sneakers and thought my costume was a hit... And it was!  Thanks Mama :)

So, I am in no way bitter that Halloween is not about ME anymore.  It is not about going to parties, having drinks, or spending $50 on a costume that has about as much fabric as a bathing suit.  It is about seeing my little girl dressed up each year.  It's about taking pictures of her wearing a costume that she has fun wearing.  And it's about going trick-or-treating. 

My focus and priorities have certainly changed the minute I brought Berlyn into this world and I love every minute of it!  Bring on Halloween because I can't wait to dress up my Little B as a Little Bee!

Berlyn Said Mama!

Oh my soul! Tonight my daughter, after lots and lots of practice, called me Mama!

She is about to cut two more teeth and has been very fussy and whiny all day long. When she was crying she was saying "maaama maaama" but I thought I was hearing things. When she did it again, I almost started crying! Then, she looked right at me and said, "Mama."

I could never explain how much love I have for this little girl! My heart is bursting :)

My Little Crawler is 7 Months Old!

I cannot believe my little munchkin is 7 months old today.  I don't remember my pregnancy flying by this fast and I can't handle it!  My baby has 7 teeth (4 on top, 3 on bottom) with her two canines coming through soon, is crawling, eating solids, and blabbing sounds that I know will soon turn into words.

Berlyn is SUCH a joy to be around.  She smiles at pretty much anything, is crawling all over the place, and makes me laugh all the time.  Whenever I look back at pictures of her when she was just born I can't help but wonder what the next 7 months will bring. 

She is about halfway trained on a sippy cup but she is doing good with it.  We feed her 6 oz. of formula before her breakfast and dinner meals and 8 oz. for every other feeding.  I make all her baby food with the Beaba Babycook (shown below).  I steam her food in the Babycook before I blend it up for her.  Since last month she has tried plums and squash.  Her pediatrician recommended we start feeding her dark meat from chicken because she is growing fast and her bones need the extra iron. 



I got the Beaba on sale at Target.com for $100 about two months ago



At her 6 month appointment, Berlyn's doctor told us she is off the charts with her weight and height and was the size of a 10 month old baby.  I feel like she outgrows all of her clothes sooo fast.  I have to keep packing away stuff every week that she no longer fits into.  It's so sad to see all the cute little clothes she used to wear, but it's bittersweet at the same time.  She is now wearing size 9 or 12 months in onesies and size 12 or 12-18 months in leggings/bottoms because of her LONG legs!  I was out shopping today and a lady thought Berlyn was a year old.  I couldn't believe it!  Next on the list is a new convertible car seat I have my eye on since she has outgrown the one she's in now.

Last weekend Berlyn and I went to spend time with family at my grandma's house.  She cooked us all yummy food for dinner and we had a good time visiting with them.  Here are a few pictures from that night!

Berlynny Boo playing with her stackable rings



My dad and Berlyn (look at those rolls!)



My grandma (I don't know what she's doing!), me, and Berlyn

Ginger, her daughter, and my Aunt Telly!

Once again, being a busy busy bee, I will have to update this post with Berlyn's 7 month chalkboard photo as soon as my husband is here to help me :)

Better Late Than Never!

Okay, I know it took me a while to get her 6 month photo taken, but it is hard to do by myself!  I had to wait until Justin was with me and we could do it together (I take the picture while he stands by her in case she topples over).  Luckily, this time she did not fall over!  Looks like my big girl can finally sit up on her own. *Proud Mama*

Here is a picture of the lighting situation we had to come up with since the natural light I usually take the picture with was not working out.

Then, we had a couple of outtakes with Berlyn until we get the perfect shot.  Here are a couple of them, and I laugh every time I look at them!

And then, after quite a few of these, we captured THE one.  It couldn't be any cuter!  You probably can't read her onesie from the picture, but it says "I eat my veggies."  This onesie from The Gap was perfect for this photo!  Baby girl loves her veggies!

P.s. I can't believe she is halfway on her way to being 1 year old... Well, technically, being a "Leap Year Baby," she won't be 1 for another 3 and a half years... Yeah, I'll go with that - she will be a baby forever.



6 Months Have Gone By Already?!

I swear that 6 months did not go by this fast during any other part of my life.  But I guess time really does fly when you're having fun.  Berlyn is now 6 months and 4 days old, and growing right before my very eyes.  She now has FOUR cute little baby teeth and is eating (and loving) all her fruits and veggies!  So far, she has had sweet potatoes, peas, green beans, carrots, pears, and apples!  Next on the list is squash and bananas!  I also want to try feeding her oatmeal instead of rice cereal; it seems like it is a little healthier for her.

When she got her first bottom teeth, she did not seem to have any symptoms at all.  But, now that I look back on it, she did seem a little cranky and her nap times were a little wacky.  As for her two top teeth, she had a fever between 99 and 101 degrees for about 4 1/2 days, didn't eat like she normally does, and didn't sleep too great.  I felt so bad for her the whole time; she woke up in the middle of the night when her teeth were first cutting through and all she wanted to do was cuddle.  It is so hard to watch your baby in pain.  All you want to do is comfort them and there is nothing you can do. 

Life has been so hectic lately that I have not had time to do Berlyn's monthly chalkboard photo.  I will update this post once I get it taken, but for now, here are some pictures that I have taken of her this past month!

5 Month Update!

I feel like things have been SO crazy lately. Being back at work and having a 5 month old baby makes for a very hectic lifestyle. I made a promise to myself that I would have all this baby weight lost by the time Berlyn was 6 months old and I am already there! Of course I still have another 15 pounds that I'd like to lose, so I'm going to keep on pushing.

Mine and Justin's schedule during the week is pretty crazy, too. I work all day, come home, and then we go on our evening walk. We try and walk for at least 45 minutes. I squeeze in leg and ab workouts whenever I can, and I have changed the way that I eat. All this has helped me lose the baby weight. I love that we have finally come up with a perfect nighttime routine that also gets Justin involved in exercising. Plus, I feel a lot safer walking with him beside me :)

As far as berlyn is concerned, she just continues to blow my mind. We started her on rice cereal about a week ago and she loves it. She loves sitting in her big girl high chair, and the second she sees me walking over to her with the bowl of cereal her eyes light up with excitement. We also got her a bouncer this month that she enjoys so much (it's also pretty entertaining watching her!). She will be bouncing in it for a while and tire herself out before we lay her down for a nap.

She now rolls from tummy to back, back to tummy, pushes herself up with her arms, and tries use her mouth to make all the sounds she can come up with. We are trying to get her to crawl, but right now all she does is scoot around in a circle. Last night I asked her "Where's Mama?" and she reached out for me. We did it quite a few times and I couldn't believe she knows that I'm 'Mama'!

I love this little girl so much and am so excited to see her little personality continue to grow!

My Favorite Moments

When you become someone's mommy, there are so many new things that just complete your day. Things that I never thought about before have now become the very things I look forward to everyday. I work full-time, so receiving a photo of my baby while I'm at work immediately puts a smile on my face. Coming home and holding Berlyn after a long day at work is the best feeling ever. Getting a smile from her for no reason is so heart melting, and having her fall asleep in my arms after her bedtime bottle is my absolute favorite.

Happy 4 Month Birthday My Beautiful Babe

I feel like these weeks with Berlyn are just flying by and I wish time would just STOP!  But, I have to say that 4 months is a very fun age.  She smiles ALL the time, plays with her feet, sucks on her toes, rolls over, and now has two baby bottom teeth. 

I started keeping a journal to write in when I was about 36 weeks pregnant but I haven't written in it for a long time (I guess I just think that blogging is easier).  I was looking at it a couple days ago and I wrote in there that I couldn't wait for her to be here and that she was hiccupping in my belly at that very moment.  Now she is here and spending time with her is amazing!  We sure have been blessed with a beautiful, smart, and loving little girl. 

Yesterday was Berlyn's first 4th of July and we had a blast!  We celebrated at a friend's house who had a pool and Berlyn loved it.  She does this thing with her legs where she will just kick them up and down against the water -something I definitely felt her doing a lot when she was inside my belly - and it's so funny to watch.  She fell asleep a couple times in mine and Justin's arms and it is the best feeling ever.  When we got home I bathed her, fed her, and put her right to bed.  She was so pooped from a long day in the sun.

I want her to stay this age forever but can't wait for all her other firsts!  Motherhood is fun!!! 

Milestone After Milestone!

Berlyn is now 14 1/2 weeks old and I feel like she has really advanced in her development these past couple of weeks! Not only has she started laughing, but she now plays with her feet, rolls from back to tummy and vice versa, makes all sorts of funny noises, and also blows spit bubbles ALL the time. I try to teach her little things that will hopefully expand her brain even more! I read to her all the time. Her favorite book is Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss! We lay on the floor in her room and I put her on her tummy while I read to her. This way, she's building her muscles and learning at the same time :)

I have also come to terms that my little girl is no longer in size 0-3 months anymore. Her jammies have to be size 6 months or else they'll be too tight on her feet- she is so tall! She is now eating between 6-7 ounces a day, 5-6 times a day. Her 4 month appointment is in a few weeks and that's when her doctor will let us know if it's okay to start her on rice cereal. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she tries it for the first time!

On a more somber note, I return to work on June 25th. I cannot believe time has flown by this fast. I started my leave on February 11th and I never thought 4 1/2 months would go by so quickly. I just wish I could freeze time! I am just trying to enjoy every moment with her and capture as many moments as I can. It is pretty obvious from my Instagram and Facebook that I am obsessed with her!

Month 3: We Have LAUGHTER!

I always thought that I would want my baby to stay an infant forever. And, believe me, I wish she could always stay my tiny little 14 pound baby. But, there is something SO amazing about watching all my little girl's milestones. In the first month of Berlyn's life she was already smiling and cooing. In her second month she was being more and more vocal with her coos, and now in the third month she is laughing. It is crazy to know that she started out just a blank canvas... a sponge soaking up everything around her. And now, she is doing so many cute things that never cease to amaze me! The love I have for her is like no other and keeps growing and growing everyday!

I always envisioned Berlyn's first laugh to be from something I did to her, like tickling, smiling, or kissing. I never thought it would be from crinkling plastic, haha! I did it once and she let out the cutest chuckle I have EVER heard. It made me laugh so hard and tear up at the same time. I ran to get our camera just so I could record it and listen to it over and over again. It will be something I'll cherish forever. One day I will show it to her and tell her how silly she was laughing at plastic :)

Another thing she has been doing the past couple of days is grabbing her feet. How can something so simple be SO cute?! Whenever I change her diaper she will interrupt me and bring her little feet up to her hands and she will grab onto her tiny (long!) toes. Also, in the past week we took Berlyn to get her ears pierced and she handled it like a champ! Our Little B has grown and changed so much in the past month and I can already tell she is going to be such a fun toddler! I am looking forward to all of her other "firsts" even though I wouldn't mind if time just stood still sometimes!

Here is a picture of her at 3 months:

My First Mother's Day

My very first Mother's Day was everything I thought it would be and more. I loved being at church with my family and then spending the day with those that I love, especially my little baby girl : ) My husband got me diamond earrings (from Berlyn of course) and they were just what I wanted!

I am so proud to be Berlyn's mommy and so thankful and excited for all the Mother's Days to come!

Letter To My Little B Boo Bear

Berlyn,

I'm writing this letter to you just to express to you how much LOVE I have for you. Ever since the day you were born I have never loved anything or anyone more than I love you. You brighten up every day and you make me so happy just by smiling! You are the best thing that's ever happened to me and I just want you to know that. I cannot imagine my life without you. I'm so looking forward to you growing up and us growing closer and closer together as mommy and daughter. One day when you have a baby of your own you will know exactly what I mean! And maybe one day you'll be telling your child the same thing. The love I have for you, Berlyn, is like no other. You are in my heart always.

I love you forever,
Mama

Where Has the Time Gone?!

I remember bringing Berlyn home from the hospital like it was yesterday and now my little girl is already two months old. Time has gone by extremely fast but I have been enjoying our mommy-daughter time so much! To see her little milestones is really crazy! I remember when all she would do is sleep, eat, and poop. Now she's acting so much different: smiling, cooing, and staying awake during the day. Oh and she sleeps throught the night, THROUGH THE NIGHT! This started when she was just about 7 weeks old and we've been very lucky!

Although we didn't necessarily put Berlyn on any sort of "schedule", her days are all pretty much the same and she lets us know whenever she needs something. We start our day with her any time between 5 and 6 am. She will wake me up (by grunting and kicking her legs) and that's when I'll feed her her first bottle. After that, she will be awake for about an hour to an hour and a half and we'll play and talk to each other until she needs her first nap. I'll swaddle her then put her in her crib for her morning nap, usually for about an hour. She will wake up, I'll feed her, then lay her on her activity mat that she LOVES and I'll relax while she coos and plays by herself. Her feedings, naps, and play times are pretty much the same throughout the entire day, and before her last feeding we have bathies! She loves getting a bath! After she's bathed and lotioned up I read a couple books to her, feed her a bottle then put her to bed usually between 8 and 9.

One of the best things about being Berlyn's mommy is how excited she gets when she sees me. When B was first born my mom would tell me, "just wait til she sees you coming towards her and starts getting excited." And that's exactly what she does. When she sees me her legs start kicking out of control and she has a grin on her face from ear to ear. It is the best thing ever!

I also now understand how moms sometimes forget about buying things for themselves when they have babies. Shoot, sometimes I forget to eat! It's all about B, though. I will spend hours online or at the store looking for cute clothes and accessories for her. Every once in a while I'll treat myself to something and I'll almost feel guilty!

I go back to work in about 7 weeks and it's something I can't even THINK about right now. How can a mommy just leave her baby for 8 hours every day?! I'm sure I'll get used to it but it will take some time. Luckily, my work is only a 15 minute drive away and I can come home and see her on my lunch. As for now, I just spend every second I can with her. We play, read books, sing, and watch tv together. Watching tv is one thing she does that reminds me of her daddy. When they are watching tv it is very hard to get their attention. She is definitely her father's daughter!

I haven't posted here for a few weeks- things have been a little crazy being a mama and all but I'll be sure to post more because I know one day she'll look back on this and be happy I did!

Our Little Bunny's First Easter :)

Easter Sunday was Berlyn's first real holiday and I had the best time shopping for things to fill her basket as well as a dress for her to wear. I swear, having a little girl is the funnest thing ever! I got to show her off at church in her girly pink and purple dress, and then take her to my friend's house for a little Easter egg hunt. I know she won't remember it when she's older, but we will have photos to show her! Sunday was also a special day because it was fun spending our first holiday together as a family! I can't wait until the 4th of July... I already have her outfit picked out :)

The Best Birthday Ever

Yesterday was my 27th birthday and it was my favorite birthday ever. This birthday was different because I got to spend the entire day with my daughter. To start, we had a little girl time. Berlyn and I went to the mall with my sister-in-law and her daughter and had so much fun shopping for clothes and makeup! Okay, she was asleep the entire time but still, I loved having her with me! Then we came home and she got to watch me do homework (yay!) and I'm sure that was a blast for her as well! Later on in the evening my two good girlfriends came over and cooked me dinner. We had a glass of champagne to celebrate, and cupcakes for dessert. Berlyn was awake up until the very end. It's funny because whenever company is over she never wants to fall asleep. It's like she's worried she'll miss out on something if she does.

Berlyn finally ended up falling asleep, my friends left to go home, and in the end it was just Berlyn, my husband and I. I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Berlyn: One Month New

A lot of people told me to enjoy every minute with my daughter because the time goes by so fast. However, I didn't think it'd go by THIS fast. It seems like just yesterday we brought her home from the hospital in her pink footed pajamas and matching pink beanie, and now she's already one month old.

I have gotten to enjoy so many moments with her this past month, and I can only imagine it getting better as time goes on. Dressing her up in cute outfits and girly headbands has been my favorite thing, and taking pictures on my iPhone of every moment has been really fun, too!

This past week was Berlyn's first big milestone. She started smiling at me and cooing when she gets really excited. The first time she smiled caught me offguard- I'm used to only seeing her smile in her dreams, while she's sleeping! I would change her diaper, look up at her, and just keep talking to her. She would smile in reply and kick her legs around- pretty much the cutest thing I've seen her do yet. Then one night as I was talking to her, she made a sound I'd never heard her make before. I knew it was her way of trying to communicate back to me, and something about it made me emotional. It's like she is growing up right before my eyes!

I plan on taking a photo of 'B' each month for the first year of her life, in hopes that one day we can look back on them together. I have attached her one month picture here and although I never want her to get bigger, I can't wait to take the next one!

Leap Day Baby!

My due date of February 22 came and passed. At my 40 week appointment I was only dilated one centimeter. My doctor wanted to induce me, so the following Wednesday morning, that's what we did.

We arrived at the hospital early Wednesday morning to begin the induction process. However, as soon as we got there my contractions were happening every 3-5 minutes. We started to gain a little hope that maybe I wouldn't need to be induced at all. The nurse would periodically check my status and, under the provision of the doctor, finally made the decision to start me on Cervidil. This drug would hopefully begin to 'ripen' my cervix and get things going.

After having the Cervidil in for a couple hours, the nurse decided to remove it because the baby's heartbeat would drop with every contraction. The doctor said this was something very common with babies that have the cord wrapped around their necks in utero. She told me she strongly suggested performing a cesarean section and, wanting to keep the baby safe, my husband and I agreed.

To ease my pain while we waited for the time to go into the operating room, the doctor started up my epidural. Up until this point, I was in the worst pain of my life, but after receiving the epidural it was a party! I was able to have conversations, focus on my progression, and actually enjoy this time. About 3 hours after I had gotten the epidural, I was at 10 centimeters and ready to start pushing. The doctor told me I wouldn't end up needing a c-section after all!  I suddenly got very excited, nervous, and scared! And after about 10 minutes she was out and in my arms!

This day was the MOST exciting and beautiful day of my life. Little Berlyn was born on February 29, 2012 at 2:23 pm. She weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces, and had beautiful blue eyes and light brown hair. Staring at her was the only thing we wanted to do! We had our families there to welcome her also, and they were just as excited as we were. Sweet Berlyn was already loved so much.

Our Special Surprise!

The date we found out I was pregnant was June 16, 2011, my daddy's birthday. Hearing the news from my doctor that I was pregnant had me shocked, excited, and frightened, all at the same time.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I came home on my lunch break to tell my husband that I was pregnant, and that was the start of an amazing, beautiful, but sometimes scary, journey.

The first 14 weeks were very hard on me. Although I cannot say I was sick everyday, I had my share of morning sickness. I also felt like I could not function on less than 10 hours of sleep. Pregnancy puts your body through a lot- and no one tells you that. The people who love being pregnant aren't the same people who tell you your feet swell up like balloons, your boobs have a mind of their own, and your appetite can be destroyed by taking one whiff of the wrong thing. Luckily for me, after about 3 and a half months of nausea and sleepiness, I could actually say that I enjoyed being pregnant. There is something truly magical and amazing about the concept of providing life to your baby and giving her everything she needs to grow for 10 months. This is something that still baffles me! If pregnancy is not a miracle of God, I don't know what is.

The first time I felt my daughter move inside me is a day I'll never forget. I was 19 weeks pregnant and the feeling was comparable to butterflies fluttering around in my belly. That was when it suddenly became real for me. After I felt the first movements, hiccups, and somersaults, it made me a hundred times more excited to meet my baby girl.

I would have to say God blessed me with a relatively easy pregnancy. Although I did have swollen ankles, weight gain, and back pain like no other, I wouldn't trade a thing! It's funny how God just has a way of erasing that all from your memory once you're holding the sweet creation that only He could have provided for you!

Throughout this blog, I will be writing updates about my sweet baby girl. I hope everyone finds this interesting as I think it will be fun to capture and write about all her cute moments and milestones!