4 months!

Abby is now 4 months old!
Milestones:

• After sleeping through the night (not-waking-up-at-all-except-maybe-once-to-be-soothed-back-to-sleep-after-5-minutes through the night) for 5 straight nights, we decided that Abby no longer should have her arms swaddled in tight.  Sleeping through the night was no more as there was a period of adjustment.  She's getting used to her arms being out and waking up times are decreasing. 
• She's turning her head and body to turn to look at things above her when she's lying on her back.  She looks funny doing this - Brent and I call it the "torticolis turn"  Sometimes she'll sleep in that position.  Surely does not look comfortable to me.  The picture below is a picture of our video monitor.  P.S. We (I shouldn't speak for Brent, but I) LOVE the video monitor!

• She loves to look around at all the sights and sounds.  There are times when she's leaning forward to try to get out of her carseat to get a better look at things.  I have a sling that I put her in that allows her to be upright a little bit more than the carseat and she can see everything in sight!  Plus she's close to me and I love it!
• She loves to "sing" and be sung to. 
I couldn't decide on 4 month pictures, so you're getting them all!  They were all great for one reason or another.  Enjoy! 

I forsee Lacey and Abby being great friends! 

Exersaucer Exercise

We have now entered into the world of "we have to keep baby entertained".  Sometimes she is okay just watching the world go by, but in the confines of our house, sometimes it can get boring, so having lots of toys and things to stimulate her are a must.  One of the favorites is the exersaucer.  We seem to make the rounds - exersaucer, bumbo, activity mat, tummy time, being propped up and repeat.  Of course we add in lots of cuddle and snuggle time! 

This is the first time in the exersaucer - Jan 29, 2012.  She loved it!

Abby says "Thanks Aunt Megan and Uncle Kevin for letting me borrow the exersaucer.  There's so many things to do and look at on here. My mommy and daddy love that I love it!"

Mom Update

This baby named Abby has taken over this blog and my life!  Does anyone care about me anymore?  Just kidding.  But I will take this opportunity to update on MY life and how I'm surviving going back to a part-time AND full-time job.  It's not easy that's for sure. 

Let me give you a run-down of my daily routine:

• Somewhere in the middle of the night/early morning, Abby usually will cry.  Sometimes I feed her, sometimes we pacify her and sometimes we just let her cry herself to sleep.  Most often it's the first option. 
• Alarm goes off at 6:30, however there's a good chance that I'm already awake lying in bed or already in the shower getting a go on the day since my mind woke up earlier than the alarm. 
• Abby wakes up/we wake her up around 7:30ish.  When we have to wake her up, we like to do it together because I love to see her wake up with a smile.  That is the best!  She opens her eyes and gets adjusted to the light and then a smile beams from her face. 
• I then continue to get ready for work/eat breakfast/pack/etc while Brent changes her diaper, gives Abby her Vitamin D, sucks snot out of her nose, wipes eye gunk out of her eye and the I'm up to bat again.  I feed her.  I then hand her back off to Brent some days to get dressed (I have clothes picked out already so Brent doesn't "have" to coordinate an outift).
• I leave for work in hopes to get there by 8:00 so I can start my day with a good pump session, but it's realistically more like 8:15-8:20 when I arrive.  (More on pumping later...) 
• I work in 2-4 pumping sessions during the work day (2 on days when I can leave early and 4 on days I go straight to my part time job).
• On days I work at Children's, I don't get home until 8:00.  I rush in to see my sleeping baby in Brent's arms.  We wake her up to do her bedtime routine.  I change her diaper, read her a book, massage in lotion and put on her pajamas before her final feeding of the night.  I hate Mondays and Wednesdays for that reason.  I barely get to see my baby girl on those days.  That's why I cherish Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and the weekend!
• On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I pick up Abby from daycare. We get home and I have to pull out any dirty laundry Abby created that day and dirty bottles that need to be cleaned.  I put my bottles of pumped milk into the fridge and consolidate bottles as necessary.  My "to clean" bowl gets filled pretty quickly with bottles and pumping parts. 
• Abby and I have a play time - the exersaucer, tummy time, playing on my lap or whatever strikes our fancy.  She usually gets fussy and wants her early evening nap.  Sometimes I'll feed her if it's deemed necessary.  Brent's job is to wash all those parts while I'm feeding Abby before bedtime. 
• After Abby goes to sleep which is around 8:30 when I emerge from her room, is my first time to sit and veg.  I'm usually ready to go to bed right then, but I need to stay up for a least a little bit,so I can pump again before bedtime - just to drain myself.  I try to hold off until 10, but it's so hard!  By the time I pump and get bottles ready for daycare for the next day, it's at least 10:45 before I fall into bed.  Too late!  I'm whooped by that point!