Two Month Dr's Appointment

All is well with our healthy little girl.  She is getting so big!  11 lbs 10 oz and about 23"!!  The shots sucked and I hated hearing her cry, but she stopped in about a minute and was fine.   Again she got comments on her lovely hair - she gets them everywhere we go.  And who could blame them - her hair is quite lovely.  We are visiting Uncle Chris and Aunt Naomi for the weekend so if I don't post for a few days you'll know why.  I am sure we'll have lots of pictures to share when we get home.

2 Months 1 Day

I was so excited for my delivery yesterday I forgot to celebrate Teagan's "2 Month Birthday".

Happy 2 Months Little T!!!

We will get her growth stats tomorrow, and I have another baby book page to fill out!  Maybe later today we'll have time for a formal 2 month photo shoot but for now here's some pictures taken yesterday.

Teagan's Heiny will be Happy

Our friendly neighborhood UPS man arrived around 4 pm to bring Teagan her delivery.  The only one I don't love is the orange, although I suppose it will come in handy on Teagan's next pant-less hunting trip.  It is quite a neon orange.  Oh well, half the time no one sees her diaper anyway and the other half the time she can just wear that one at night.  And in case you are wondering why there are no pink - since these are an investment that will be used for a second child we opted to not get pink.  Although, I think if (when) we order a few more I will spring for at least one pink, after all Teagan will have to wear plenty of blue.  My favorite are the turquoise in the upper right.  

Come on, Mr. UPS man...

I am (im)patiently awaiting a delivery from our UPS man.  We ordered some more Happy Heinys cloth diapers for Teagan in all sorts of colors and they are scheduled for delivery today. They are going to work perfectly for night time so I don't have to change at every night waking. The prefolds we use now have to be changed frequently because the wetness stays against her skin, where these have a fleece lining and the moisture is pulled past that so she feels dry.  This means the diaper is absorbent enough to last all night and still leave her comfortable.  This will hopefully help a lot with getting her back to sleep after feedings.  Plus they will be nice for outings on the weekends and she will be stylin' with all the pretty colors.  In case anyone is curious...Info

The last two nights Teagan has gone to sleep easier than the previous week. Granted, she still has her evening meltdown before going to sleep, but we are working on that.  Last night her meltdown started after Matt's softball game, which was our cue to finish cramming our food down and leave.  She was wailing at the top of her lungs most of the way home.  But then after some good eats compliments of Momma she was out like a light.  She slept 3.5 hrs, then was up to eat for 20 min, then back down easily for another 3 hrs.  The second waking was a little worse, she ate fine but had trouble getting back to sleep.  I had to go in a second time, and even after that she made noises and was in and out of sleep for at least another 30 min.  I finally put her in her swing because I had been up an hour and a half at this point.  She slept there another 2 hours. All in all not bad, that final waking and getting back to sleep are the challenge at this point.  But this was the second night in a row that she had a pretty consistent night with only 2 wakings.  I have my fingers crossed we can get it down to 1 waking by August 25th when I go back to work!!!

An action shot from last night...

And I will surely post some diaper pictures this evening!!!

Daddy's Softball Game

Today Teagan is going to Daddy's softball game.   Every year Matt's company has a softball game against an architecture firm they work with (engineers vs. architects!).  Teagan and I will be great cheerleaders for Matt.  There is a BBQ afterwards.  Here is an action shot of Dad from last year.

Hopefully T's naps go well today so she doesn't have a meltdown while we're there (like she is known to do many evenings!).  

I have also come to the realization that Teagan's 2 month doctors appointment is on Thursday, which means her first shots.  Ahhhhh!  I will have to try not to think about it this week or I will get stressed out.  Hopefully she'll look like this afterwards...

Naked Time

Our girl loves naked time.  Most diaper changes she gets to lay on a clean diaper on the floor (all atop a waterproof pad) and kick her legs and wiggle around.  She is happy and giggly and this often keeps her entertained for 15 or 20 minutes.  She also loves bath time, which combines her other favorite thing (water) with naked time.  Here is a short video of some naked time fun (even though you can't see the nakedness - after all this is internet)

Update - for some reason it wont let me upload my cute video.  I guess you'll have to settle for some recent bath photos until I figure it out.

And for comparison, a picture of her first bath - look how much she has grown.

The aforementioned cute girl clothes...

Clearance Rack Clean-up

In our travels around town to Target in search of the gray carseat (which we did not find), we stocked up on some clearance clothes for little T.  We found lots of pants in 3-6 mos. and 6-9 mos. in various colors.  We also got some cheap onesies at Baby Gap and Gymboree in 6-12 month size (well, cheap for Baby Gap and Gymboree).  I figure these will be good clothes for daycare - comfortable and cheap but still cute.  I am not big on "outfits" so these are more for mixing and matching.  Outfits are more for going out in public and for special events but for day to day stuff I just want Teagan to be comfortable, and have something that she can play and in nap in without too many changes.  Also purchasing pants today was Matt, who got some new pants for work in khaki and black. 

 

I got some pictures from my mom's camera today, so the rest of my post will be devoted to displaying random, never-before-seen pictures.

A photo taken while T was being watched by Grammy - proof that she did have a good time while Mom and Dad were away!!

Teagan with Grandma Sue during a visit to her house

Teagan clearly enjoying some play time in her Happy Heiny's cloth diaper (Happy Heiny's)

Teagan, the Pope called, he wants his hat back.  

What a little peanut she was - this picture was taken at 2 days old!

The weekend!

It's finally here.  I love weekends.  A chance for some free time with my family and help during night wakings.  Last night we bought Teagan's "big girl" car seat.  Obviously she doesn't need it for a while but we found it on clearance at Target and as I am sure you all know, we can't pass up a bargain!  It is a Britax Marathon, a carseat that gets great safety ratings and has a large size range so she can use it for a long time.  We hoped to find a little more neutral print, but they only ended up having a girly print in stock.  If we have a son next he will be riding in style in a pink car seat with flowers!  We are checking other area Target stores to see if we can find the gray print instead that is also on clearance.  

Teagan has been napping for almost an hour, so hopefully we can eek out another 30 minutes to make for a happy baby (although we are cheating - she is asleep on our bed, I am laying 1 foot from her keeping a watchful eye).  Next nap will be in her crib, and hopefully now that we are getting her day off to the right start with some sleep the next time will be easier.  It's all about baby steps.  

On another note, a third book I ordered from Barnes & Noble with my sleep books is a book on child development.  Everyone is always asking me "how far can Teagan see" or "when will she sit up or roll over".  Plus I want to do all I can to foster her development as she grows.  This book, called The Wonder Years by the American Academy of Pediatrics.  It has tons of information on developmental milestones, broken down in easy to reference sections with pictures.  I can't wait to read it - if I could only find some free time!

Refusal To Nap

She. Wont. Nap.  Following advice I read online (and the premise behind the book I am still waiting to receive from Barnes & Noble) I watched for Teagan's "sleepy cues" this morning.  At the sight of the first yawn during play time I took her upstairs, swaddled her, and patted and shushed her until she dozed off which took about 15 min.  I don't think she's quite ready for the "drowsy but awake" strategy, so I made sure she was sufficiently asleep and then set her in her crib to sleep.  I turned the monitor on, and bolted for the kitchen to make breakfast.  I finished breakfast and sat down for a breather on the couch.  

After about 30 minutes I heard stirring so I went upstairs to shush some more and get her back to sleep. Finally I accomplished that, it was easy so she must have been tired.  I stopped in for a brief bathroom pitstop and heard crying from down the hall.  I picked her up but she cried and cried and I could not get her to stop.  I looked at the clock and it had been 2 hrs since her last feed. So I took a deep breath and decided we could do feed, play a little and then try for a nap again. This time she only managed to stay asleep for 10 minutes and was back up again.  My shushing efforts were unsuccessful so I finally decided to put her in the swing.  That lasted about 20 minutes and I once again had a wide awake baby.  After a little more awake time she was ready to eat again so I decided to feed her and see if she would sleep in the bed next to me. I was all prepared to be stuck there with her with laptop, phone, light remote, etc.  But as I laid down next to her after she ate I was greeted by a happy, giggling baby who wanted to play with mommy.  How could I not just laugh it off when my face was inches away from all of her happy cuteness? 

At this point it was 2:15 so I decided to throw in the towel and get out of the house.  I packed T up and headed out in the car, thinking about where I wanted to go as I drove.  It was a little warm for a walk outside, so I finally ended up at Barnes & Noble.  After a lap around the store with T strapped to me in her carrier, she was fast asleep and I perused the parenting books. Then I walked to Panera for a very late lunch, which Teagan slept through (and I managed to not spill anything on her).  She woke up just as I was walking back to the car, so we packed up and headed home so she could eat.  Afterwards she was wide awake so we played for a while and then she enjoyed "naked time" after a diaper change for a good 30 minutes.  

Today I accomplished the art of getting her to sleep but clearly I have a long way to go in getting her to STAY asleep.  We will try again tomorrow, and pray for sleep tonight.  For now it's little cutie's bath time then off to bed...

What's Going On Here??

Weird things have been happening...Sunday Teagan napped for almost 3 hours, Sunday night she slept terribly, Monday she wanted to eat every hour (instead of every 2) and WOULD NOT NAP.  She wouldn't even let me put her down without screaming and crying.  Finally late afternoon I got her to sleep in my arms for 1 hr 40 min.  That was the longest she went between feedings all day.  Last night I broke my own rules and let her sleep with us in bed for part of the night and she slept great, very little to no fussing and crying.  The rest of the night she slept in the swing.  Through my good friend Google, I have determined that she is going through a growth spurt, typically called the 6 week growth spurt but can happen anywhere from 6-8 weeks old. Characterized by screwed up sleeping patterns (sometimes sleeping more, sometimes less), frequent feedings, and generally clingy and cranky behavior.  Oh Joy!  

It was such a long day yesterday that when Matt suggested Chinese for dinner last night I quickly volunteered to call in the order AND pick it up - something we usually argue about ("I'll call if you pick up", "I did it last time, it's your turn", "I'll do the dishes if you pick it up").  It got me out of the house for 20 minutes and away from crying baby (who did cry the whole time I was gone). That was the only relief I had.  Hopefully this only lasts a day or two.  After resisting a nap in all the usual places (crib, pack n play, swing), Teagan is now sleeping comfortably on me. Thank goodness for the internet and reruns of Jon and Kate Plus 8.  

The only thing getting me through this is the thought that perhaps this growth spurt is that magical turning point where many babies start sleeping longer at night and getting themselves on more of a schedule.  I am (still) waiting for my Barnes & Noble order to be delivered - two books on sleeping, naps, schedules, etc.  Not that I will have time to read said books, but in theory it was a good idea to order them.   

Photo Shoot

Today we broke out the Canon 20D to take some pictures of our favorite model.  300+ pictures later we finally gave T a break and put the camera down (but we had so much fun we will be back at it again soon)!  At least we spared her outfit changes this time.  Here is a small sampling of our favorites...

 

 

 

I Survived!

...and of course Teagan and Grandma did too!  Everything went really well last night.  Grandma reported minimal crying, Teagan only ate 3 oz. of the 15 I left, and most importantly Mommy didnt call home once to check in and actually had a fun evening.  There is hope of surviving when I go back to work in August.  Grandma did note that Teagan has a little work to do on her bottle technique - sometimes she ate fine and other times she had room for improvement, so we will do more practicing with Daddy a few times a week.

Today we opened a savings account for Little T.  Only 17.8 years left to save for college!  It seems funny to see her name in print on various documents (savings account, SS card, etc).  I finished my last round of thank you's for the various gifts we have received for Teagan today. Next up is addressing the birth announcements, which we expect in the mail any day now.  

As we speak Teagan is down for a nap, and has been sleeping for 1 hr 40 min.  Hopefully she can make it to a full two hours.  It will make for a happy baby and happy Momma.  

On a final note, T wore the dress from Aunt Jenna today, she looked so pretty for her bank outing.  Not the most comfortable nap outfit, so after a photo session she changed into something more comfortable.  Thank you Aunt Jenna, we miss you and cant wait for you to come back home!   (Dress from Janie & Jack)

Parent's Night Out

Well, the day has arrived.  In approximately 2 hours we leave Teagan for the first time ever. Well, unless you count the 30 minutes I once left her with Dad (no bottle) to run to Old Navy, or the 45 minutes I left her with G-Ma J and Aunt M to go kayaking while she was napping. This my friends, is a full 5 or 6 hours with G-ma Sue.  The milk is pumped, diapers and changes of clothes laid out, instructions on bottles and swings and monitors have been given.  The only thing not ready is me.  I am very nervous!  I just don't want her to cry that inconsolable wail she is known to give at that time a night.  Normally if it gets really bad, I know I have the one thing that can calm her (most of the time). No one else has that, and that's why I feel bad leaving her. It's not that she wont survive, but I don't want to traumatize her or her grandma.  I know she has to learn to be left alone, to be soothed by someone else, to get over her evening crankiness, but that doesn't make this first time any easier.  

To make matters worse she hasn't had a great day.  She napped for 30 minutes earlier, and is currently 30 minutes into an afternoon nap.  Not getting enough restful sleep will do one of two things.  1) Make her extremely overtired to the point that she cries and cries and will not sleep or 2) Make her so tired that she sleeps in grandma's arms all evening.  I am hoping and praying for the latter.  

Teagan's First Post

OK, so you may have figured out that Teagan can't really post just yet...maybe I should title it "Teagan's Mom's First Post"

We just got back from a week and a half family vacation to Vermont and Maine. First stop was Swanton, VT to see Grandma and Grandpa George, and Aunt Melissa. Teagan did OK at first in the car, but got very upset towards the end and cried for a long while. The only payoff to listening to a screaming baby for 3 hrs straight is that she slept 5 hrs for the first time that night! I thought my watch was broken when I checked the time. It didnt last long (since then she has only slept that long 2 other times) but it gave Mom and Dad a taste of what's to come.

After a week long stay, we packed up the very full Acura and headed to Limerick, Maine. The slightly shorter trip went well, and we were the first of 40 guests to arrive mid-afternoon Thursday. Teagan got to meet her Great-Grandma and Grandpa Krenz, and they were excited to meet her. Krenz/Bassett guests started arriving over the next two days, and we got to introduce Miss T to everyone. Also there was Uncle Mike, who got to hold her for the first time. She was well behaved, although it was hard to sleep with the noise and distractions. The party was fun, and Sunday we headed back to NY (CP) for a brief overnight stay at Aunt Melissa's before heading back to Rochester Monday morning.

Now we are settling back into things. Hard to believe T is 7 weeks old today. The next task/challenge we are tackling is trying to get her on a schedule for naps and eating during the day that will help us transition smoothly to daycare. I return to work August 25th so we only have 5 weeks left!

Tomorrow will be an exciting first in Teagan's life - she will be hanging out with Grandma Sue (I just can't seem call her Grandma Nickoley - to me there is only one Grandma Nickoley!!). Matt and I are heading to a Red Wings baseball game with M/E and will leave Little T for several hours with Grandma. I am a little nervous - Grandma will surely give great care, but this is a hard time of day for Teagan where she is fussy and generally wants a lot of comforting (and nursing) from her Momma. I will miss her tons, but this will be a good test of what's to come with leaving her during the day, and also a good chance for us to have a little fun out of the house. I will keep you posted on how it goes!!