Guess what friends? Lydia just put herself to sleep for her nap!! The day that I thought would never come came! I know this is the first time it has ever happened, but it gives me hope.
She is starting to drop some of her naps throughout the day. In particular she rarely sleeps in between her 12ish and 1:30ish feeding anymore. So today when she got fussy around 1:30 I nursed her quickly and then stuck a pacifier in her mouth on a whim. And she took it! She hasn't taken a pacifier in 3 weeks. It is a different kind, so maybe that made a difference.
I swayed while holding her for about 5 minutes until her eyelids were really heavy. Then I transferred her to her pack and play with her sleep sheep. She was asleep in less than 2 minutes with no crying at all. Hooray!!
As Lydia starts to take less naps throughout the day I would like to put a little bit more energy into having her fall asleep without mommy-the-pacifier or the swing, and having her sleep in her pack and play. Then hopefully at some point we can make this a routine at night as well.
I just remember when she was about 6 weeks old expecting her to put herself to sleep (like so many books told me she should do), and being so disappointed when this never, ever happened. So much has changed, and has gotten much easier! Maybe she will become an independent sleeper without much crying after all... at least one can dream :)
Friday, March 30, 2012
Alone Time
I know that it sounds strange but I actually look forward to waking up around 6:30 each morning to pump. It is usually the only time that I get alone each day, so I really try to cherish it.
Lydia has been continuing to sleep late (yay!) so our sleep schedule as a family is a little strange. Our little girl needs me to go to bed with her each night which means I go to bed at the early hour of 9:30. It is pretty lame, but I am usually exhausted by then, so no complaining here. David likes to work at night, so once we are both snoozing he can stay up until 11:30 or 12 to get a lot of school stuff finished.
I am up by 6:30 most mornings to pump, shower and get into class by 9. David and Lydia are rarely awake before I leave the house (most of the time I leave between 8 and 8:15), so I have nice, quiet mornings.
Don't get me wrong... my heart aches a little bit each day when I whisper an unanswered goodbye into the bedroom. I miss seeing both of my loves in the morning! However, I know that when Lydia wakes Daddy will be there to get her dressed and feed her a bottle, and I know that this routine is good for all three of us. It is healthy for me to get some time alone, in the quiet, to read my Bible, drink my coffee and take a long, hot shower, It is good for Lydia and David to have time alone together - their relationship has improved immensely since we have started this morning routine!
Last night David and I were talking about how different our life looks now. We both love it, but there are a lot of things about it that we didn't expect. I remember feeling busy before our bundle came along, but now I wonder how we were ever busy before. What did we do with all of our free time??
I love having time alone each morning to do the simple things. It helps me to feel like myself again. And it just makes it that much sweeter when I get home from class and see a beautiful girl smiling at me.
Happy Friday!
Lydia has been continuing to sleep late (yay!) so our sleep schedule as a family is a little strange. Our little girl needs me to go to bed with her each night which means I go to bed at the early hour of 9:30. It is pretty lame, but I am usually exhausted by then, so no complaining here. David likes to work at night, so once we are both snoozing he can stay up until 11:30 or 12 to get a lot of school stuff finished.
I am up by 6:30 most mornings to pump, shower and get into class by 9. David and Lydia are rarely awake before I leave the house (most of the time I leave between 8 and 8:15), so I have nice, quiet mornings.
Don't get me wrong... my heart aches a little bit each day when I whisper an unanswered goodbye into the bedroom. I miss seeing both of my loves in the morning! However, I know that when Lydia wakes Daddy will be there to get her dressed and feed her a bottle, and I know that this routine is good for all three of us. It is healthy for me to get some time alone, in the quiet, to read my Bible, drink my coffee and take a long, hot shower, It is good for Lydia and David to have time alone together - their relationship has improved immensely since we have started this morning routine!
Last night David and I were talking about how different our life looks now. We both love it, but there are a lot of things about it that we didn't expect. I remember feeling busy before our bundle came along, but now I wonder how we were ever busy before. What did we do with all of our free time??
I love having time alone each morning to do the simple things. It helps me to feel like myself again. And it just makes it that much sweeter when I get home from class and see a beautiful girl smiling at me.
Happy Friday!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Can I brag for a minute?
But when I got home around 7 I walked into this. And my heart melted. David had cooked us pan-fried chicken, rice and corn all while entertaining our little one. It was an amazing dinner and a great surprise! I really am one lucky girl. Lydia and I both.
Banana Nut Muffins
This afternoon Lydia and I baked some muffins together! I fed her, we played for a while and when she started to want to be held I put her in the Moby and pulled up a recipe that I found yesterday. I really think that she liked to bake with me! She stayed awake the whole time and was talking up a storm. It was really fun :)
One of my favorite things ever to bake is banana bread. My mom and I used to do it together all of the time, and we used a recipe out of an ABC baking book. The recipe is really simple, so whenever I have some over-ripe bananas around the house I bake a loaf of bread.
The downside to banana bread is that it tends to cook unevenly, especially in our old, tiny oven. So this time I thought that I would look up a recipe for banana nut muffins to solve that problem. I got on pinterest, of course, and found this great recipe! It has so few ingredients and doesn't even require a mixer.
I modified it a bit I added a teaspoon of cocoa powder instead of putting in espresso, and I used half the amount of nuts. I also added in 1 tsp. of cinnamon. Next time I don't think I will add the cocoa powder at all... maybe some nutmeg and a little more cinnamon. They turned out wonderfully and baked so well! Now it is like we have 12 perfectly baked little banana breads I guess.
Here is the link. Enjoy!
One of my favorite things ever to bake is banana bread. My mom and I used to do it together all of the time, and we used a recipe out of an ABC baking book. The recipe is really simple, so whenever I have some over-ripe bananas around the house I bake a loaf of bread.
The downside to banana bread is that it tends to cook unevenly, especially in our old, tiny oven. So this time I thought that I would look up a recipe for banana nut muffins to solve that problem. I got on pinterest, of course, and found this great recipe! It has so few ingredients and doesn't even require a mixer.
I modified it a bit I added a teaspoon of cocoa powder instead of putting in espresso, and I used half the amount of nuts. I also added in 1 tsp. of cinnamon. Next time I don't think I will add the cocoa powder at all... maybe some nutmeg and a little more cinnamon. They turned out wonderfully and baked so well! Now it is like we have 12 perfectly baked little banana breads I guess.
Here is the link. Enjoy!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Seven Snapshots Sunday: Special Edition
This week I neglected my camera for some reason. It was a little rough jumping right back into things after a wonderful spring break, so I will blame it on that. So, I thought that it might be fun to dedicate this seven snapshots day to comparing baby pictures of Lydia, David and me!
I am constantly hearing two things from people.
1) "She looks just like David!"
2) "She looks exactly like Josh!" (my little brother)
I personally think that she is quite a mix between David and I, and I love that she still has deep blue eyes like my sister's. I guess you can be the judge today.
I am constantly hearing two things from people.
1) "She looks just like David!"
2) "She looks exactly like Josh!" (my little brother)
I personally think that she is quite a mix between David and I, and I love that she still has deep blue eyes like my sister's. I guess you can be the judge today.
As a reminder, here is our cute girl.
Me, around 6 months.
David, around 1 month.
Miss Lydia Grace.
Me, about 8 months.
David, about 8 months.
Sleeping beauty.
So what do you think? Who does she look like? Which features of mine did she inherit, and which of David's? I love that babies are such a mix of their mommies and daddies. It really is a beautiful and amazing thing!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Seven Snapshots "Sunday"
I don't even know why I try to do this on Sunday anymore... but for alliteration's sake I guess I will keep the name and just try harder :)
Most of these pictures weren't necessarily taken this past week, and most of them weren't taken by me. Apparently when I have a break from school I just kind of stop doing anything - including taking pictures of Lydia. So here are the snapshots brought to you by my friends Melissa, Crystal and Katie!
Most of these pictures weren't necessarily taken this past week, and most of them weren't taken by me. Apparently when I have a break from school I just kind of stop doing anything - including taking pictures of Lydia. So here are the snapshots brought to you by my friends Melissa, Crystal and Katie!
She looks just like her Daddy here!!
This sums up Lydia's spring break at her Nana and Papa's house :)
I love mornings.
Toes!
For good measure I am throwing in one of my favorite photos of all time. Here is one side of our bit family: David's dad's side, I guess, with the Harrison/Oster/Kaiser families. So many cute babies!
Saturday, March 17, 2012
3 months old!
Yesterday Lydia Grace was 3 months old... so crazy! I think that I will start doing monthly updates now so that I can free up the blog to write about other things, although it will most likely still be about our girl. Here is how Lydia has been doing lately.
Her stats: We haven't gotten any more updates on her height or weight but Lydia is definitely growing. She can still fit into her 0-3 month clothes, but she also fits into 3-6 month stuff well too. She is so long lately, and even though she is little her cheeks and thighs are nice and chubby. Sometimes I get self conscious when I tell people how old she is because the response is always, "She is so small!" But I know that she is doing great and that should be enough.
She has been a bit congested lately and we think that she has inherited her Daddy's allergies. No fever or anything though and she seems to feel fine. She just wakes up coughing sometimes which definitely makes her made.
Eating: Lydia is now eating 6 times a day and then once at night. I have been having some milk supply issues (again!) lately because I caught the nasty stomach bug that has been going around. Thankfully I didn't get it too bad, but I have had nausea and loss of appetite and as my food consumption dwindles so does my milk production. Hopefully I can jump start things this weekend while we are still on spring break so that things will be going by the time school starts back up.
Lydia has become so much more efficient at eating which is great, and it is her favorite thing to do for sure! She hasn't been rejecting bottles as much anymore but she definitely prefers her mommy to feed her. I am so thankful that we pushed through a rough patch in our breastfeeding experience because it is so worth it! I truly love feeding her now... it is our special time together every few hours.
Sleeping: This girl is a pro sleeper. When I say she eats 6 times a day, I should add that most of the time I have to wake her up in order to feed her. She would choose sleeping soundly in her swing or in our arms over anything else I think. She is taking 5-6, 30-60 minute naps a day. Over Spring Bread David and I didn't take the swing to NKY when we stayed there fore 5 days which we regretted a little bit, but Lydia still napped pretty well in her Nana's arms or in her Boppy pillow. When we are at home she takes every nap in her swing and it allows us to get so much more done than we used to! We put her in there when she starts to seem tired (after eating and play time) and she is usually asleep within 15 minutes with no crying at all. I know that eventually we will want her to take naps in her crib, but until she starts cutting down on the number that she takes each day I think we will stick with this method.
At night Lydia is sleeping with us and I have really come to love it. Again, I know that eventually we will want to change this and our plan is that it will happen when we move in May. But for now this works wonderfully. She goes to bed with us (around 9:30 or 10) wakes up once during the night to eat, and lately she has been sleeping so late (until 8:30 to 9:30 in the morning)! She cut out that early morning feeding which is nice for me because then I get to wake up and have a few minutes to myself in the mornings.
What she loves: Eating, being held facing out, mirrors, patty-cake, her play mat, her swing, baths, being outside.
What she hates: Her car seat, loud noises, sleeping alone.
Personality/Milestones: I just love seeing her little personality continue to develop. She is full of smiles and gurgles these days and I can just see her learn new things each day. She really loves to play with her toys and she regularly talks to them after she is full and happy. It has been amazing to see her start to recognize songs that I sing and dances that she and David do together.
I added Milestones to this section because she has passed one. She rolled over for the first time yesterday! It was from tummy to back, and she hasn't repeated it since but it was so neat to see her do it. With how much she moves around I think that she will be mobile in no time and even though it will be neat to see her roll over and crawl I know that things get much more difficult at that point so for now I am happy that most of the time she lays on her back and just kicks her legs a ton.
Heaven-sent baby items: Get a good play mat - or I guess find a play mat that your baby likes. We are fortunate to have our pick of lots of hand me down items from cousins and this week while we were in NKY we were given two different play mats and we already have one at home. However, she likes one of them a lot more than the others and over spring break she would lay on it and play by herself for up to 30 minutes! As much as I love playing with her, anything that can hold her attention and help her learn without my participation is nice since sometimes I need to do other things.
Words from Daddy: With babies there is no substitute for sheer amount of time together. Since we have been on spring break I have gotten to spend so much more time holding and talking to Lydia and she has really responded. It is really cool that just being around me more makes her like me more.
Well I hope that you have a wonderful Saturday. We will try to enjoy our last few days together while we are on our break since then school will really kick into gear... bummer.
Her stats: We haven't gotten any more updates on her height or weight but Lydia is definitely growing. She can still fit into her 0-3 month clothes, but she also fits into 3-6 month stuff well too. She is so long lately, and even though she is little her cheeks and thighs are nice and chubby. Sometimes I get self conscious when I tell people how old she is because the response is always, "She is so small!" But I know that she is doing great and that should be enough.
She has been a bit congested lately and we think that she has inherited her Daddy's allergies. No fever or anything though and she seems to feel fine. She just wakes up coughing sometimes which definitely makes her made.
Eating: Lydia is now eating 6 times a day and then once at night. I have been having some milk supply issues (again!) lately because I caught the nasty stomach bug that has been going around. Thankfully I didn't get it too bad, but I have had nausea and loss of appetite and as my food consumption dwindles so does my milk production. Hopefully I can jump start things this weekend while we are still on spring break so that things will be going by the time school starts back up.
Lydia has become so much more efficient at eating which is great, and it is her favorite thing to do for sure! She hasn't been rejecting bottles as much anymore but she definitely prefers her mommy to feed her. I am so thankful that we pushed through a rough patch in our breastfeeding experience because it is so worth it! I truly love feeding her now... it is our special time together every few hours.
Sleeping: This girl is a pro sleeper. When I say she eats 6 times a day, I should add that most of the time I have to wake her up in order to feed her. She would choose sleeping soundly in her swing or in our arms over anything else I think. She is taking 5-6, 30-60 minute naps a day. Over Spring Bread David and I didn't take the swing to NKY when we stayed there fore 5 days which we regretted a little bit, but Lydia still napped pretty well in her Nana's arms or in her Boppy pillow. When we are at home she takes every nap in her swing and it allows us to get so much more done than we used to! We put her in there when she starts to seem tired (after eating and play time) and she is usually asleep within 15 minutes with no crying at all. I know that eventually we will want her to take naps in her crib, but until she starts cutting down on the number that she takes each day I think we will stick with this method.
At night Lydia is sleeping with us and I have really come to love it. Again, I know that eventually we will want to change this and our plan is that it will happen when we move in May. But for now this works wonderfully. She goes to bed with us (around 9:30 or 10) wakes up once during the night to eat, and lately she has been sleeping so late (until 8:30 to 9:30 in the morning)! She cut out that early morning feeding which is nice for me because then I get to wake up and have a few minutes to myself in the mornings.
What she loves: Eating, being held facing out, mirrors, patty-cake, her play mat, her swing, baths, being outside.
What she hates: Her car seat, loud noises, sleeping alone.
Personality/Milestones: I just love seeing her little personality continue to develop. She is full of smiles and gurgles these days and I can just see her learn new things each day. She really loves to play with her toys and she regularly talks to them after she is full and happy. It has been amazing to see her start to recognize songs that I sing and dances that she and David do together.
I added Milestones to this section because she has passed one. She rolled over for the first time yesterday! It was from tummy to back, and she hasn't repeated it since but it was so neat to see her do it. With how much she moves around I think that she will be mobile in no time and even though it will be neat to see her roll over and crawl I know that things get much more difficult at that point so for now I am happy that most of the time she lays on her back and just kicks her legs a ton.
Heaven-sent baby items: Get a good play mat - or I guess find a play mat that your baby likes. We are fortunate to have our pick of lots of hand me down items from cousins and this week while we were in NKY we were given two different play mats and we already have one at home. However, she likes one of them a lot more than the others and over spring break she would lay on it and play by herself for up to 30 minutes! As much as I love playing with her, anything that can hold her attention and help her learn without my participation is nice since sometimes I need to do other things.
Words from Daddy: With babies there is no substitute for sheer amount of time together. Since we have been on spring break I have gotten to spend so much more time holding and talking to Lydia and she has really responded. It is really cool that just being around me more makes her like me more.
Well I hope that you have a wonderful Saturday. We will try to enjoy our last few days together while we are on our break since then school will really kick into gear... bummer.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Seven Snapshots "Sunday"
You know when you are on vacation how the days lose their meaning? Well that is what happened to me... I didn't even realize that Sunday had passed! So, here are 7 photos a little late :)
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Ahh..Spring Break
We did it! We made it to spring break. Last week I wasn't entirely sure that we would survive, but as usual, the hard days went by and now I am sitting on my old bed at my parents' house in NKY in my pj's as my baby naps next to me.
I knew that last week was going to be difficult. I had to proctor a midterm on Monday, grade 600 exams and teach 2 classes on Tuesday and then somehow study for my own midterm on Friday. The grading was the part that I was most nervous about. Usually for MA 162 we scan the exams so that each TA can grade his/her assigned problem at home on their computer at their own convenience. For large common hour exams the math department pretty much requires that each TA be assigned a particular problem to grade on all of the exams since this greatly increases consistency among scores. Therefore, for most large classes there are arranged "grading parties" (more like grading nightmares) the day after the exam. You sit in a room all day long and grade among lots of people until everyone is finished. It is highly inefficient and monotonous and I was so glad that this semester I could avoid this type of grading thanks to the scanners.
But, the scanners broke. So we had to use the old grading party technique this time. I was totally dreading Tuesday because the grading party plus teaching my 2 classes would require me to be away from Lydia all day... and I have never been away from her for more than 3 1/2 hours at a time! However, I made all of the arrangements and tried to push it out of my mind. Thankfully all of David's classes were canceled for Tuesday and I could reserve a room on campus to pump. I had it all planned out and although I was dreading it, I felt like I was ready.
Then on Monday night, literally 45 minutes after I got home from proctoring, David started puking. And he got sick every 15 minutes until 6 a.m. ... no joke. He had gotten the dreaded stomach bug that has been making its way around and at 3 a.m. as I was feeding Lydia and trying to take care of my sick husband I wondered what in the world I would do on Tuesday.
I won't bring you through all of the details of Tuesday. It was a crazy, crazy day. But at the end of it, all of the exams were graded, Lydia was fed and happy, my classes were covered and we were all okay. I am so thankful to my family and friends that helped me on Tuesday. It was a day when I really had to give up my independence and just ask for help... for big time help. But there were so many people who were willing to graciously give it, and it was actually a great feeling to know that I am not alone. I am, in fact, very far from alone.
David didn't start feeling better until Thursday (but now he is finally eating again!), so the rest of the week continued to be a blur. My midterm didn't go wonderfully yesterday, but now it is over and really that is all that matters. Now we are on spring break - for the next 10 days I don't need to worry about anything other than being with family and friends and taking some time to relax.
I have been celebrating in my mind the fact that this is our last semester of school. But it makes me a little bit sad to think that this is our last Spring Break. For how awful college and grad school are at times, I would say that Christmas Break and Spring Break are the few very redeeming factors. So David and I really hope to soak up this last Spring Break. We know that it will be the last time for a while that we will have a week off together as a family and we want to make the most of it while we still can.
I knew that last week was going to be difficult. I had to proctor a midterm on Monday, grade 600 exams and teach 2 classes on Tuesday and then somehow study for my own midterm on Friday. The grading was the part that I was most nervous about. Usually for MA 162 we scan the exams so that each TA can grade his/her assigned problem at home on their computer at their own convenience. For large common hour exams the math department pretty much requires that each TA be assigned a particular problem to grade on all of the exams since this greatly increases consistency among scores. Therefore, for most large classes there are arranged "grading parties" (more like grading nightmares) the day after the exam. You sit in a room all day long and grade among lots of people until everyone is finished. It is highly inefficient and monotonous and I was so glad that this semester I could avoid this type of grading thanks to the scanners.
But, the scanners broke. So we had to use the old grading party technique this time. I was totally dreading Tuesday because the grading party plus teaching my 2 classes would require me to be away from Lydia all day... and I have never been away from her for more than 3 1/2 hours at a time! However, I made all of the arrangements and tried to push it out of my mind. Thankfully all of David's classes were canceled for Tuesday and I could reserve a room on campus to pump. I had it all planned out and although I was dreading it, I felt like I was ready.
Then on Monday night, literally 45 minutes after I got home from proctoring, David started puking. And he got sick every 15 minutes until 6 a.m. ... no joke. He had gotten the dreaded stomach bug that has been making its way around and at 3 a.m. as I was feeding Lydia and trying to take care of my sick husband I wondered what in the world I would do on Tuesday.
I won't bring you through all of the details of Tuesday. It was a crazy, crazy day. But at the end of it, all of the exams were graded, Lydia was fed and happy, my classes were covered and we were all okay. I am so thankful to my family and friends that helped me on Tuesday. It was a day when I really had to give up my independence and just ask for help... for big time help. But there were so many people who were willing to graciously give it, and it was actually a great feeling to know that I am not alone. I am, in fact, very far from alone.
David didn't start feeling better until Thursday (but now he is finally eating again!), so the rest of the week continued to be a blur. My midterm didn't go wonderfully yesterday, but now it is over and really that is all that matters. Now we are on spring break - for the next 10 days I don't need to worry about anything other than being with family and friends and taking some time to relax.
I have been celebrating in my mind the fact that this is our last semester of school. But it makes me a little bit sad to think that this is our last Spring Break. For how awful college and grad school are at times, I would say that Christmas Break and Spring Break are the few very redeeming factors. So David and I really hope to soak up this last Spring Break. We know that it will be the last time for a while that we will have a week off together as a family and we want to make the most of it while we still can.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
"Seven" Snapshots Sunday
Since I missed last week's seven snapshots, you get 14 today! There were so many to choose from this time - I think I am getting better about taking pictures of her more regularly.
She doesn't scream after bath time anymore. Yay!
Yes, that is a bright pink tutu.
Madness as we tried to get all of the cousins together on Saturday for a picture. This is (from back to front, left to right) August, Cordelia, Lexi, Grayson, Lydia and Lincoln.
Stretch!
This was the first time she grabbed at a toy!
She just loves that koala bear and butterfly.
Hehe... silly face.
Love this girl in her diaper!
Tummy time!
Getting mad... and slobbering.
Lydia starting at Daddy's computer screen while they watch Disney clips together :)
Love.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Two. More. Months.
Ahh... Saturday mornings. I am currently enjoying a completely quiet house as I drink my morning coffee and do some pumping (I know - exciting). My hubby and baby are still asleep in the other room and I can already tell that this will be a great Saturday. It is nice to have some time to myself, and a minute ago while I was surfing the web for some fashion ideas (I am in need of some new clothes!), I looked down at iCal and realized that it is March 3rd... exactly two months before I am finished, forever, with school.
A couple weeks ago I officially decided that I will not be continuing on to pursue a Ph.D. in math, but will instead stop once I have completed my Master's degree. And that time, my friends, will be May 3rd. I have completed and passed my Matster's exam, and as of the end of this semester I will have earned enough credit hours to say adios to my educational career.
It was a tough decision to make. Going through college my mantra was to always leave options open - to keep any opportunity I could available to me. I never wanted to shut any doors, which is probably why in the span of 4 years I earned two Bachelor's degrees, changed my major twice and studied for a semester in another country. I love that I made the most out of my college years, but once graduation began to approach I definitely started to freak out. Now I actually had to choose something! I had to decide which road I would go down, and thus turn my back on whichever road I did not choose. So what did I do with my degrees in Math and Spanish, and my experience in education? I worked for a campus ministry of course... and after a year decided that more school would be a great option.
I don't think that all of this stemmed from indecisiveness; I really just think that I wanted to take full advantage of the years in my life when I could do whatever I felt like doing. I didn't have many responsibilities or things that were "holding me back" so I could easily jump from experience to experience only having to worry about myself. I am so happy with my decisions then to not settle on one thing because I really think that the variety of experiences shaped me into who I am today.
Obviously things have changed... in a glorious and wonderful way. Lydia Grace has changed my life forever, and even though I made the decision to be finished with school because of her, I really think that she just helped me to have the guts to finally do it. This is the first door I will ever have really closed. I know that I could finish my Ph.D. I even know that I would enjoy 3 (or 4) more years of graduate school because I really love school. However, it is not what I want most. And that is enough of a reason for me now to say no to it... to say goodbye to the opportunity forever. Because now I know that what I want to do - what I was made to do - is to be a mommy. I am not sure that I will ever want to be a "stay at home" mom full time. Knowing myself I will probably always prefer to have a part-time job, or to volunteer somewhere. But, I do know that I want Lydia, and any subsequent children, to be my main focus. And a PhD program would not allow me to keep my family as my first priority.
Therefore, in two months from today, I will say goodbye to school, probably for the rest of my life. However, I know that I will never stop learning or challenging myself intellectually. I also have absolutely no regrets about how I have spent the last two years of my life. Working toward my Master's degree has made me grow as a person and has allowed me to learn a lot about myself. Plus, it has been really, really hard on my brain, so I like to think that I will come out the other side a little bit smarter :) Ultimately, I don't think that education is ever a waste of time or energy because even though I may never use the definition of a topological manifold or analytic function in my everyday with Lydia, I know that I am now more capable to teach her and encourage her toward doing whatever it is in life that she dreams of doing.
I really can't wait until May 3rd, although I would never wish the time away. I hope that in these next two months I can savor and enjoy the end of this unique time in my family's life, and I am also hoping and praying for the best once this season has passed.
A couple weeks ago I officially decided that I will not be continuing on to pursue a Ph.D. in math, but will instead stop once I have completed my Master's degree. And that time, my friends, will be May 3rd. I have completed and passed my Matster's exam, and as of the end of this semester I will have earned enough credit hours to say adios to my educational career.
It was a tough decision to make. Going through college my mantra was to always leave options open - to keep any opportunity I could available to me. I never wanted to shut any doors, which is probably why in the span of 4 years I earned two Bachelor's degrees, changed my major twice and studied for a semester in another country. I love that I made the most out of my college years, but once graduation began to approach I definitely started to freak out. Now I actually had to choose something! I had to decide which road I would go down, and thus turn my back on whichever road I did not choose. So what did I do with my degrees in Math and Spanish, and my experience in education? I worked for a campus ministry of course... and after a year decided that more school would be a great option.
I don't think that all of this stemmed from indecisiveness; I really just think that I wanted to take full advantage of the years in my life when I could do whatever I felt like doing. I didn't have many responsibilities or things that were "holding me back" so I could easily jump from experience to experience only having to worry about myself. I am so happy with my decisions then to not settle on one thing because I really think that the variety of experiences shaped me into who I am today.
Obviously things have changed... in a glorious and wonderful way. Lydia Grace has changed my life forever, and even though I made the decision to be finished with school because of her, I really think that she just helped me to have the guts to finally do it. This is the first door I will ever have really closed. I know that I could finish my Ph.D. I even know that I would enjoy 3 (or 4) more years of graduate school because I really love school. However, it is not what I want most. And that is enough of a reason for me now to say no to it... to say goodbye to the opportunity forever. Because now I know that what I want to do - what I was made to do - is to be a mommy. I am not sure that I will ever want to be a "stay at home" mom full time. Knowing myself I will probably always prefer to have a part-time job, or to volunteer somewhere. But, I do know that I want Lydia, and any subsequent children, to be my main focus. And a PhD program would not allow me to keep my family as my first priority.
Therefore, in two months from today, I will say goodbye to school, probably for the rest of my life. However, I know that I will never stop learning or challenging myself intellectually. I also have absolutely no regrets about how I have spent the last two years of my life. Working toward my Master's degree has made me grow as a person and has allowed me to learn a lot about myself. Plus, it has been really, really hard on my brain, so I like to think that I will come out the other side a little bit smarter :) Ultimately, I don't think that education is ever a waste of time or energy because even though I may never use the definition of a topological manifold or analytic function in my everyday with Lydia, I know that I am now more capable to teach her and encourage her toward doing whatever it is in life that she dreams of doing.
I really can't wait until May 3rd, although I would never wish the time away. I hope that in these next two months I can savor and enjoy the end of this unique time in my family's life, and I am also hoping and praying for the best once this season has passed.
Friday, March 2, 2012
10... or I guess 11 weeks
It has been so long since I have updated you on baby Lydia and I am so sorry! I know I have written little notes here and there but the official update is way late. So here it goes! We will start with a picture.
Her stats: As of this past Thursday Lydia Grace broke 10 pounds. Whoo hoo!! It was a lot of work (see the eating category), but we got there. She's 23 1/2 inches long now, which puts her at the 80th percentile in height and her 10 lbs. and 1 ounce puts her in the 20th for weight. She is getting close to growing out of her 0-3 month clothes and this past weekend we had to move out of newborn diapers into size 1! Also, her thyroid test finally came back normal. She is perfectly healthy.
Eating: Eating has been going through all kinds of changes! I was just reading her 8 week update and I cracked up when I said she was eating so much more at that point. Now she is eating so much more than that. She has gone from 6 feedings a day to about 8 because when we went to her 2 month pediatrician appointment she didn't weigh "enough". However, after increasing her feedings as well as pumping 2-4 times each day my milk supply has gone back up and she is at a good weight. It was a lot of work last week to stay dedicated to solely breastfeeding, but I am really glad that I put the time and effort in. My body really continues to amaze me with how it responds to her needs and how it can sustain another life. Amazing!
Her stats: As of this past Thursday Lydia Grace broke 10 pounds. Whoo hoo!! It was a lot of work (see the eating category), but we got there. She's 23 1/2 inches long now, which puts her at the 80th percentile in height and her 10 lbs. and 1 ounce puts her in the 20th for weight. She is getting close to growing out of her 0-3 month clothes and this past weekend we had to move out of newborn diapers into size 1! Also, her thyroid test finally came back normal. She is perfectly healthy.
Eating: Eating has been going through all kinds of changes! I was just reading her 8 week update and I cracked up when I said she was eating so much more at that point. Now she is eating so much more than that. She has gone from 6 feedings a day to about 8 because when we went to her 2 month pediatrician appointment she didn't weigh "enough". However, after increasing her feedings as well as pumping 2-4 times each day my milk supply has gone back up and she is at a good weight. It was a lot of work last week to stay dedicated to solely breastfeeding, but I am really glad that I put the time and effort in. My body really continues to amaze me with how it responds to her needs and how it can sustain another life. Amazing!
Another update on the eating front is that she is kind of starting to reject bottles. The picture above was one of the last days that she took it. She gets bottle fed about once a day Monday-Thursday while I am at school, so if she really starts to reject them it could be an issue. Also, I like the idea of having bottles as a back-up if David and I ever want to go on a date or something. However, I am sure that she will figure it out and if she is every really hungry, she will probably take the bottle. I think that now that I nurse her so much she is used to that and very much prefers it.
Sleeping: Again, it is amazing how things change in 2ish weeks for a baby! She is still sleeping like a pro at night. She sleeps in our bed and so she goes to bed with us, usually around 9:30 or 10, wakes up around 3 or 4 for a quick feeding, then sleeps until 6 or 7. I am starting to have a little more trouble sleeping soundly with her laying next to me, but she still will not stay asleep if laid down alone, so co-sleeping is still for us for now.
During the day we found the miracle of an infant swing. She takes all of her naps in it and will sometimes sleep up to 2 hours straight! Although it isn't ideal for her to nap in her swing since we can't easily transport it up to NKY or other places,for now it works. It is great to have a little bit of time each day to get some things done like house work and home work and it makes it gives me a lot more energy to be with her when she is awake. I still have very little "me" time, but it is alright because I love being a mommy so much.
Like I said, her current sleep habits are not ideal (since at some point we would like her sleep in a crib), right now it is really working for us and we aren't going to mess up a good thing. A few weeks ago I was so stressed out about spoiling Lydia or creating bad habits now which will last way too long, but as I have thought about things and talked to other people I feel a lot better about just doing what works for us right now. We are kind of in survival mode until May when we are both finished with school, and once things get more settled after school I can worry about creating good, sustainable habits for all of us.
What she loves: Mommy, eating, her baby swing, diaper changes and baths! She finally likes to be naked and doesn't completely freak out after getting a bath. I took her for a walk a few times this past week in her stroller (with the car seat attached) and she seemed to like that too. She also loves TV! This girl watches the TV anytime it is on - she is so intrigued by the lights and sound. I guess we should be careful about this...
What she hates: Lydia still does not like her car seat one bit and she doesn't like to be held by anyone but me when she is sleepy. In general, Lydia is must more agreeable and predictable these days which is nice.
Her personality: I decided to replace cute things with this section because our little one is getting a personality these days! She is so smiley and sweet when she is awake, and my favorite thing is when she gets all shy and embarrassed while she smiles.
However, Lydia isn't all smiles. She still has her temper, and it mostly comes out because she is picky! She knows what she wants, and doesn't stop fussing until she gets it. Of course David and I think this is because she is really smart, but maybe that is because we are her biased parents :)
Postpartum Me: I am feeling great! I think that this will be the last week for any updates on me because really I am feeling myself again. Nursing still presents its challenges to my body; I have to remember to eat a lot more and get some "good fats" in my diet everyday. I try to eat yogurt, cheese, almonds and drink a glass of milk each day and this seems to help me to keep my milk supply up and helps me to feel less empty after I feed Lydia. I am 5 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight and I am fitting into a lot of my pre-pregnancy clothes which is exciting! I am going to go out this weekend and try to find one more pair of jeans that feels comfortable, and once I get one more pair I think I will be set.
Nursing definitely presents challenges to finding convenient clothes also. Spring is right around the corner and the other day I got so excited about wearing some of my dresses, only to realize that a dress is almost impossible to feed Lydia in. I am sure I will figure it out and adjust... and in the meantime I am reading a blog that focuses on styles for new mommies, which is great.
I feel really great about my body and where I am as far as recovery goes. I would love to be working out more and now that it is getting warmer I really do have an itch to go break a sweat by doing Zumba, Kickboxing, or lifting some weights. However, I have no free time in my life right now, so it is looking like a good personal goal would be to start working out more seriously come May, when school is finished. Even though this makes me a little anxious I know that I am getting plenty of exercise by walking each day and bouncing my little one around all the time.
I hope to post some about getting back into shape after having a baby, and about an eating plan that has been working for me. I have found it helpful to read about what other new moms have tried, so I thought you might like to hear about my experience.
Heaven-sent baby items: I only have one this week-Toys that make noise and light up. It has surprised me how quickly Lydia has become interested and entertained by toys. she loves rattles, her play mat, the mobile on her swing and her sleep sheep (a little lamb that makes white noise). I remember packing away the toys we received at showers thinking that we wouldn't need them until she was 5ish months old, but I was wrong! Rattles and toys are a great way to entertain her while she is awake and to distract her when she is upset. Also, don't worry about having too many of them at first because you will lose them... and most likely you will lose your favorite ones :(
Words from Daddy: My favorite part of these past few weeks has been watching Lydia try to grab at the toys that hang down from her play mat. It is awesome to see her interact with her environment. I feel like she is coming out of her shell more. This makes me feel like I am seeing more and more of her.
Well that is all for now. I will post some extra pictures this Sunday since I missed last week's snapshots so be looking out for those. Have a great weekend!
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