Abigail: Month 4

The month of no sleep.

She loves: blankets, paci (sometimes), talking, blowing raspberries, standing, Claire, peek a boo, singing, and being around people

She doesn't love being alone or her car seat.

• She did really well on our drive home from the beach.
• I don't really know where her first three months went. I blinked. I'm trying really hard to savor every ounce of her!
• Has started pulling her head up doing a kind of sit-up position
• She's grabbing onto more things, but still mostly keeps her hands in fists. She still only grabs onto fabrics or my hand, no toys. She's grabbed her paci a few times
• Since the beach, she's been waking up 3-4 times during the night.
• She slept in her crib for the first time on 8/9 and in a sleep sack. It was a rough process. By the weekend she was doing better!
• 8/16 was the first morning in her whole life that I haven't brought her in bed with us.
• She still kicks a flails like crazy!
• She has finally started purposefully grabbing things.
• She rotates around if I put her on her tummy.
• She learned to blow raspberries and drools a lot!
• She doesn't have a great poop routine.
• Started giving an ounce of milk with oatmeal on 8/27.
• Took a 2 hour nap in her crib 
• Found her feet
• Got hit in the head with a flashlight thrown by Claire.
• Follows Claire with her eyes anytime she's around. She just smiles watching her.
• Has started playing with the toys on her sit me up chair and her play mat.
• When you give her the paci while she's tired, she takes it immediately, closes her eyes, and turns her face to snuggle with a blanket.

At 4 month appointment:

• 15.3lbs
• 25in
• Meeting milestones and very strong!
• Didn't sleep well all day after her shots
• Wearing 3-6 month clothes
• Size 2 Huggies and 3 baby dry at night

I was talking to a friend about how much it physically hurts me to hear Abigail cry. I just can't do the cry it out method with her just yet (even though I'm so very tired). She said that she felt the same way with her second. Her thought was that we feel that way because you understand just how little your baby is now that we have an older child. We know how fast they grow up, and are more understand of them just being babies! I loved these words of wisdom, and I'm writing them down to remember in case anyone else needs to hear them someday.

Nursing Abigail at 3 Months

Feeding her has been the easiest thing. She latched very quickly and has continued to do well. She doesn't use nursing as a "soothing" technique like Claire did. She will only eat when she's hungry and will stop when she's full. Sometimes she fills up just from one side and will refuse the other! She doesn't want to nurse if she's really tired. She's rather have a paci, she doesn't fall asleep much while she's eating.

She typically eats in about 10-15 minutes, plays and then sleeps. On the days when she doesn't nurse from both sides we have a harder time making it to 3 hours, but if she does take both sides she can go 3+ hours! Like her sister, she doesn't take a bottle (well at least-she spits most of it out). We are going to start working on cutting out night time feedings.

My most favorite thing that she does is while she eats is to stop, look up a me, coo, and give me the BIGGEST smile. It is the absolute sweetest!!!

Abigail: Month 3

• So many blow out diapers!!!
• She's staying awake for much longer periods.
• We had her 2 month appointment at 9 weeks 4 days old: 13.1lbs (75%) 24in (95%) and she got 3 shots and 1 oral vaccine. She was so alert and happy. She's strong and healthy and meeting milestones!
• Very sleepy and seemed to be a little sore and feverish from shots.
• First trip to Bogg Springs!
• Slept from 10:30-7 on 7/10
• Trying to get herself into a daily routine, but we aren't quite sure what that is yet. She is awake for a very long time in thee evenings.
• She floated in a pool floatie for the first time.
• She's a talker. I swear she says "hi".
• She only grabs on to fabric and brings in to her mouth.
• She sucks on her fists a lot.
• She keeps her hands in fists most of the time.
• She's still a super efficient nurser
• On 7/15 she went from 7:00pm to 5:40am without nursing (I tried to at 10pm but she wouldn't wake up for it)! Im thinking she fell asleep around 8:30.
• She does the sweetest smiles and coos when she's finished nursing.
• Eyes are still blue
• She's starting to laugh! Did a big REAL laugh on 7/22.
• Switched to a sleep sack rather than a swaddle at 11.5 weeks (still sleeping in our room). She didn't sleep well, so we went back to the one arm down swaddle.
• Got constipated for the first time. Woof. She wouldn't eat because her tummy was so full!
• Started really half rolling from back to belly following sounds.
• She did well on the drive down to the beach!
• She was pretty out of sorts and fussy while we were on vacation.
• Turned 3 months old while at the beach!

3-6 month clothes

Size 2 diapers

My scale says 14.2lbs

Abigail Month 2

Products I've loved:

• Gerber soothe probiotic drops
• Mams pacifiers
• Huggies diapers
• K'tan and Ergo carriers
• Britax B-ready double stroller

• Papaw and Louise came up to meet her.
• Laughed in her sleep.
• Started lifting her head during tummy time!
• Baby acne has begun at week 5
• According to our scale, she weighs 12.2lbs at 5 weeks.
• She does a really good job of falling asleep on her own (when she wants to). Several times during the day and at night she will be asleep in my arms but wake up when I lay her down. She's done a great job of just laying there, looking around, moving, etc. until she falls asleep.
• She seems to have an "every other day" pattern at 5 weeks. She will be alert a lot one day, sleep a lot the next.
• No longer naps while Claire naps. Sad!
• Smiled really big at Andrew while he was talking on 6/11.
• She's had a few nights of 7-7.5 hours between feedings!
• Came to spend a few days at Meme and Poppi's.
• started smiling more at week 6
• Got in the pool for the first time
• Still eats about every 2.5 hours
• Really starting to love watching Claire
• She gets a death grip on anything she can., and claws us to death when there's nothing to grip.
• She is a big kicker!
• She's starting to love the play mat!
• Loudest burper!
• Started shaking her head back and forth like crazy
• Stayed with Cristy and took 4oz in a bottle
• She has the absolute sweetest coos.
• She's had two 8-hour stretches!!!
• Sometimes it's hard for her to eat from the right breast.
• She will hold on to blankets (or my shirt). If you give her a paci at the same time, she will probably fall asleep.

She's working on setting a schedule for herself: eat, play, sleep. She's pretty easy to get to sleep when she's tired. Just give her a blankie and a paci! She wakes up once in the night and then again between 5-6. After that I just put her in bed with me until Claire wakes up.

Thank you for being the best baby!!! Everyone compliments on how wide-eyed and sweet you are! If we could just get you comfy in your car seat, you'd be the absolute BEST! We are thrilled to see your personality grow and glow!

For Abigail

{Abigail's First Mother's Day was one day shy of her 2 week birthday.}

Oh, my sweet baby. I have held you in my arms for 13 days now. You are the sweetest little lady, but when you get mad- you.get.mad. You know what you want and when you want it and I'm trying my hardest to figure you out! 

I feel like I'm rushing through my days with you. I'm trying to continually tell myself to stop and breathe you in. You smell so good! Your head, your feet and your breath are my favorites (daddy likes your ears). I want to savor every last second with you. I know all too well how quickly this time will go. 

I love holding you, and you love for me to hold you. I can tell we are going to have a special "baby girl" bond. 

When you're happy and content but awake, it's my favorite. Your eyes sparkle and observe the room. I swear you've already smiled on purpose at both your big sister and me. You're so tolerant of Claire. She loves you hard, and you just let her. I hope that you two always have each other. It's so very special to have a big sister as your best friend. 

I pray that you move mountains. I pray that you move them for yourself to accomplish wonderful things and to bring honor and glory for Christ and I pray that you move them for others. It's so important to be compassionate and meet others where they are and use your talents to help them when you can and pray for them when you can't. 

I hope that you know my love for you is big. It's different than the love I have for your sister, but equally life changing. I'm so very thankful for the blessing of you, our Abigail Jean! 

Abigail: Month 1

At one month, Abigail loves: being held, being wrapped in a blanket, bath time, big sister, she's starting to get the hang of holding on to a paci! She's still a great baby! We are struggling less with evening fussiness thanks to Gerber probiotic drops and going 3 hours between feedings now. She usually has one 5-6 hour stretch at night between 10-4, and then a 3 hour stretch. We are all so smitten with our baby girl! 

• It was truly amazing how different I felt bringing home my second child. I got in the shower the first night home and didn't even cry! 
• Starting to burp after feedings
• She HATES diaper changes! 
• At her 3 day appointment:     
•   • her weight got down to 7.13. The doc was a little concerned and told me to come back by Saturday if my milk hasn't come in to re-weigh. I need to absolutely feed her every 2-3 hours.                  
•     • her color, muscles, and other measurements looked great. She's so strong! 
• My milk came in by day 3. 
• Mama started getting emotional by day 4.
• We took newborn and family photos on day 4. We got some seriously sweet shots, but I had my first experience of frustration with Claire for not cooperating and then Abigail wouldn't sleep for her newborn photos.  
• Spit up for the first (few) times on day 5. 
• Her little voice and cry is kind of raspy. 
• Umbilical cord fell off the morning of day 9.  Also finished newborn pics with Claire.
• At day 10, she goes 2-3 hours between feedings during the day and longer stretches at night. (During her bedtime feedings, she gets a little fussy -cries, grunts, wriggles around- and doesn't poop like she does during the day. She burps well!) 
• Got her social security card on 5/13.
• She has a fussy period between 7:30-9:30 pm. She doesn't really want to nurse, she will take a few sucks and then start crying pretty hard. (Week 3 just ended up being a hard week. If she wasn't held, she was sad.) 
• She hates the car seat!
• Had a TERRIBLE spit up on 05/16. 
• Moved up to size 1 diapers at 2 weeks.
• Very likely to fall asleep if you put her up in the shoulder.
• At her 2 week appointment (with Dr. Swindle) she was up to 9.5lbs! She is very strong, healthy and smart! She's had a pretty white/pasty tongue for a while. Doc said it could possibly be thrush, so he went ahead and ordered some drops. If this doesn't help with her evening fussiness, she could possibly have reflux or some colic. 
• She's a grunter and a squeaker. 
• Took her first real bath with Claire at 2.5 weeks. 
• Down to pre-pregnancy weight, and pain is almost completely gone by 3 weeks. Still bleeding and still a major belly! 
• Fairly easy to get to sleep. Just bounce a little while and hold her arms if they're flailing.
• 4 weeks: still eats every 2-3 hours during the day, has had a 7, 6, and 5 hour stretch on different nights, and then went to 2.5-3 hours at night.
• I think she went through a growth spurt during week 4. She slept almost all day for 2 days and then the 3rd night and 4th day were rough. 
• At 3.5 weeks, we started Gerber soothe probiotic drops. Hoping it helps with her evening fussiness. 
• Working on 3 hour stretches during the day! 
• She went on her first trip! We saw all of Andrew's family in Benton, our friends out on Lake Degray, and Meme and Poppi on the way home. She did fantastic! 
• She's rolled several times from her belly to back (only because she hates tummy time so much.)

Abigail Jean: Birth Story

The topic of induction was discussed several weeks before my due date. I didn't want to do it for multiple reasons (I wanted to experience going into labor on my own, wanted to save money by avoiding the extra day, my body and baby didn't seem quite ready, etc.) When I was still at 1cm and barely effaced at my 39 week appointment, we all decided to go ahead and schedule a "just in case" induction date after my due date. Dr. Hinton didn't want me to go too long over because baby girl was probably going to be a bit bigger. We chose Monday May 1, 2 days late. We went in early morning because we'd already pre-paid for a 48 hour stay at the hospital and wanted to try to avoid a 3rd day for the induction process. As much as I didn't want to be induced, I was thankful for it in the end. We were really able to enjoy our last weekend with just Claire, my parents came up to stay with her and weren't in a rush or tizzy to get here, I was able to pack and mentally prep for the situation with a "sane" mind. On our way to the hospital (at 1am) we stopped at McDonalds for a last meal because I wouldn't be able to eat once pitocin started. We were all set and ready to meet our new little love! 

• 1:30am check in went smoothly, hooked up to all things 
• Already showing a few contractions
• Started Pitocin and group b strep antibiotic around 3:00am
• Was checked and still "a good 1cm", baby still high, but up to 50% effaced! 
• Couldn't sleep
• By 5:30, Pitocin was turned up for the 3rd time. Contractions were 4-6 minutes apart. Pain was not unbearable, barely noticeable. 
• 6:00, still a 1
• 8:00 Dr Hinton came in, talked about what we might do if I don't progress. She upped the Pitocin and I was at a 2. 
• 8:40 upped Pitocin 
• Fetal heartrate and contraction monitor kept flipping off my belly (just like they did with Claire). 
• I was sooooooo hungry!! I think I ate 4 popsicles, and Dr. Hinton let me sneak a handful of trail mix 🏻
• I did a lot more walking around and bouncing to try and help things. 
• Around 11:30, I was checked again (2/3, 50/60% effaced and she moved to -2 station). We started using the peanut ball and that really got things going! Strong steady contractions! 
• Contractions started getting very strong and very frequent. We spoke with Dr. Hinton. I asked about getting epidural. Was checked and still a 2, so I decided to try and wait (I think I lasted around 30 more minutes). 
• Got the epidural around 2:00. It was a MUCH better experience as far as pain during insertion! A nerve was hit on the first try which sent a shot of pain/tingling to my right knee. He re-did it and got it just right on the second try. I did end up with a strange pressure headache that just bounced around my head for about 30 minutes and then went away. During the epidural, Andrew stood right in front of me and held on to me (it was one of my favorite parts of the day). The nurse started commenting on how strong and frequent my contractions were becoming. I also started having low blood pressure and would feel very tired or nauseous sometimes. 
• Checked right after epidural and was at a 6, 90%, and -2! Dr. Hinton broke my water. We set up laying on the left with the peanut and progressed very quickly! 
• I think by 4:45 I was a 10 and just needed to wait a little while for her to labor down to begin pushing. 
• Pushed from 5:20-6:15
• Was very tired from little sleep and had nausea from heartburn and low blood pressure, but still had a good experience! 
• The last 3 pushes were super exciting! The first, she kind of jumped and her head popped out, surprising everyone!! It even made a popping noise! Dr. Hinton wasn't quite ready!! I had one middle push, and then during the third push, I was up in my pushing position and she did a frog kick inside me and pushed herself right out!!! Everyone instantly commented on her cuteness and chunkiness. 
• We did chest to chest time together, I got to cut her cord, and they did all the measurements and tests. She had to stay on my chest for a while because her temp was a little low. 

• 6:15pm on Monday, 5/01/17
• 8lbs 12.6oz
• 21.1in
• APGAR scores were 9 and 9

• Meme and Papa and Lolly were the first to meet her (Poppi had Claire). Poppi came in. Meme and Poppi left to get food and daddy brought Claire in. She was extremely unsure and more worried about mama's boo boos and all the machines! 
• Abigail nurses like a champion!!! Latched and sucked well right away and for a long time! (But she does not like to be put down or re-situated!)
• I ended up being awake for a total of 37 hours before getting a little rest! 
• She pooped 3 times and peed (first time during her bath) on 5/2 while still at the hospital. 
• She had to have 4 or 5 blood sugar draws (heel pricks) because of her size. 
• Passed all her tests. 
• Came home around 7:30pm on 5/2. Claire was excited and hyper. She said all day, "Abby coming home!!!"
• Abigail took a paci!!!

We are extremely thankful for the gift of a healthy baby and  smooth delivery! Life with Abigail Jean is so so sweet!