13 week old Reflux Baby

So I finally heard back from the doctor's office and they squeezed us in for a weight check this afternoon. I guess the reasoning behind the weight check was to make sure all of this spit up wasn't causing her to lost weight. HA! My baby is still gaining! 14 lbs., 1 oz. She's now up 1 lb. 9 oz. from one month ago at her 2 month check up.

She does however have reflux...just as I thought. So we now are on Zantac twice a day and will go back next week to be checked out again to make sure it's working. I am glad we have an answer to this. I told Don last night I was really starting to get tired of dealing with pee and constant spit up (when I said this she had just wet through her diaper and outfit and onto her swing cushion...poor thing. This equaled taking the swing apart to remove the cushion and the 3rd load of laundry for the day!) I know she cannot help it, it was just getting to be a lot to keep up with and I could tell she was getting uncomfortable. She has been a little fussy and coughing a lot, which is all from the reflux. So pray this Zantac helps! Oh, and let me just say I LOVE Dr. Amy. She is so great. She even gave us 6 cans of Enfamil AR powder formula. Thank you Dr. Amy!!!

She's taking a goooooood nap now and I have a report that is due, but I wanted to update while it was fresh on my mind!

Oh--I almost forgot! Today Ellie is 13 weeks old! She is such a happy girl!!

Dinner Dates

I feel like all we did this weekend was eat! We have some great friends around here and 2 different couples invited us over for dinner this weekend. Friday night, we went over to the Murphy's for a Mexican Fiesta! When we walked in, they surprised Ellie with the cutest little onesie that said "Ellie's First Fiesta". It was so cute because their 2 month old little boy Elam, had one that matched! Wes Murphy's mom is very talented and does monogramming and appliques, so she made these for our babies. That was so sweet and thoughtful of them! She also is working on a few other little onesies for Ellie this summer. Here are a few that she has finished for us so far!

She even made one for baby Ali! I was able to stop by and see them again on Sunday and give it to Brooke. It was nice seeing them again:)

Saturday we braved all of the crazy weather and had a nice relaxing day at home. Daddy was home all day with us (which is a big deal around here:) so we decided to put the Exersaucer together. Ellie is still a little too small for it, but I bet in another month or 2, she will be all over the place in that thing! Saturday night we ate with Leigh and Cole (and baby Will!) and had a great time as usual. Cole grilled everything under the sun and we left STUFFED! Ellie had another pretty bad spit up episode while we were there so I called the Pediatrician this morning and just waiting to hear back. Poor baby I just feel so bad when that happens:(

Sunday morning we went to church and then I headed to Memphis for Rachel's first wedding shower! I can't believe my little brother is getting married. It just doesn't seem real! She got lots of great stuff and everything was so nice. I had to rush back to Jackson after the shower for ANOTHER dinner date! We met Karen, Matti, Stacy, Ally, Keely, Mark, Velvet and Macy for dinner at Asahi for Matti's 10th birthday! I cannot believe she is 10! Matti and Ally were the flower girls in our wedding and they are so sweet.

They are just growing up toooooo fast:( We had a great time visiting with all of them and once again ate too much.

I told our friends that we owe all of them dinner at our house next. I am thinking maybe a summertime Shrimp Boil??? I thought that sounded fun for this summer. Too bad all of these fun dinner dates aren't helping with this baby weight. We leave for the beach in a month...I've got to do something!

We once again had a great weekend. This weekend is Cathy's wedding! It is going to be a blast I just know.

12 weeks...still spitting up :(

So I really have no news any different from yesterday. We are still wearing t-shirts (me) and onesies and bibs (Ellie) because of all of this spit up! I am really starting to think we have a tummy issue going on. I am trying not to be that Mom that calls the pediatrician for every little thing, but if this is still going on tomorrow morning I am calling. Ellie is a spitter. That is a fact. But this is not just a little spit up every other feeding or so. It is a continuous thing that is really starting to bother me. I feel so sorry for her! Maybe it's reflux, or maybe it's because we think she is also teething (at 3 months, I know lucky me!) who knows. I just want it to go away!

Now on to the fun stuff. Guess who is 12 weeks old?!?!?! Can you believe it? Oh and I also forgot to blog about her 11 week birthday, so I will post those pics as well. I thought I would also give a few facts about this big 12 week old!

• She is wearing size 1 diapers



• Taking 5 oz bottles every 3 hours during the day



• Sleeping GREAT at night! I put her down around 9:30 after she eats and she sleeps until around 6 am



• She has become quite the traveler! She does great in the car. I hope this 9 hour ride to the beach doesn't change that:)



• She is still wearing some 0-3 clothes, some 3 month stuff and even fitting into a few 6 month outfits...growing girl!



• Her hair is really growing. Just a little bit more and I can quit using the stick on bows and headbands. I am ready to use all the REAL bows she has:)

We are going to visit Brooke and Ali again tomorrow night. I can't wait to see them again!

Bibs, burps, and books

We have had a good day. I am getting some appointments scheduled and planning out the rest of the school year while Ellie has been doing the norm. Eating, sleeping, pooping and spitting up! I am afraid I have a reflux baby on my hands and Dr. Amy even switched her formula to the Enfamil AR hoping it would help. Too bad I really don't think it does! I am yet again covered in spit up. I know she can't help it poor thing, but I will not be sad when the days of spit up are gone. I know Don can hardly resist me when he walks in the door every night and I am in my usual t-shirt and sweats and each shoulder is covered in a lovely milky white mess! Just to prove I am not making this up, here is my attempt at taking a picture of t-shirt #2 for me and outfit #2 for Ellie, both of us yet again covered!

Running down her arm...yum yum!

My BHS 2000 Prom Committee t-shirt looking as lovely as ever...

But seriously, how could I possibly be mad at this face??? I could just eat her up! I guess we will just be putting a permanent bib on her until this phase of her little life is over. Good thing she has about 30 different ones to choose from (no lie, I promise!)

On a slightly less messy note, Ellie's first Dolly Parton Imagination Library book came in last week! This is such and awesome program and I am looking forward to receiving these books. I try to read to her every day and she just loves it! I would hate to be a fly on the wall and have to listen to my obnoxious high pitched voice as I read...but she seems to love it. I hope she is smart and will find a love for reading. I didn't read much growing up but when I did, I always finished a book in a day or 2 and always wondered why I didn't do it more often. I do love reading baby books and blogs, however!

Surprise!

We all got a big surprise this past Friday afternoon. I got a text from Brooke saying her water had broken at school and she was at the hospital! I couldn't believe my eyes! We weren't expecting Ali to be here for a few more weeks, but she had other ideas. Aaron, Brooke's husband, was working in Texas so he rushed home to be there for the delivery. I decided I couldn't stand it and I wanted to be there to see Brooke and Ali, so I packed up our stuff and we rushed back to Memphis (for the 25th time this week!). Since we were already in town and I was going to have to bring Ellie back Saturday afternoon, we all decided it made sense to save a trip and leave Ellie with my parents on Friday night as well. At 6:11 pm (I think!) Ali arrived and is healthy and beautiful and weighed 6 lbs. 3 oz. I am so glad Ellie has a new friend that is here. I can't wait to see our little girls play together! It was hard leaving our sweet baby for 2 nights, but Don and I got lots of rest and we were refreshed and ready to go when we went to pick her up Sunday afternoon. Saturday morning was LU's annual Blue and White game so I went to that and then met Leigh and Jenny for mani/pedi's! It was sooo nice to hang out with them and enjoy a little pampering for myself. Saturday night we went to the 3rd Annual Yates Foundation Gala for Autism Research and had a blast! It was a Mommy's night out for my friend Kim and I, and we took full advantage. Of course all we did was talk about our babies all night but it was still nice to dress up and have a fun night with our husbands.

Kim and I...Mommies night out!

Don and Cole had a good time spending their "Jenny Bucks"

Wes was sad he was out of "Jenny Bucks"!


Sunday after we picked Ellie up from Memphis, we all took a nap and pretty much had a lazy day. It was nice to have Don home since he has been soooo busy with Spring ball lately. We love it when Daddy is home ALL day with us! I have a couple of appointments this week which means Lil Bit will be once again going to Memphis to spend the night. I hate shuffling her back and forth so much, but I won't have to do that but just a couple more times before the end of the school year.

We are so ready for summer at our house! I am just dying to start dressing Ellie in all of her cute summer clothes, and we are getting really excited about our beach trip coming up in the end of May! I couldn't resist and picked up this little swimsuit for $10 at Childrens Place... I can't wait to see her in her little swimsuits and cover ups!! We are also hoping to make a weekend trip to St. Louis to catch a Cardinals game. I just love Summer!!!

Road Warrior

Going back to work has been easier and a lot better than I expected. I had my first 2 presentations Monday and 1 today and they all went great. I was afraid I would be a little rusty but it all came back to me the minute I started speaking. I also managed to get lots of drop by visits in today that should up my numbers which will look good on my report! The only thing about going back to work that has taken some getting used to is all of the driving! I have been to and from Memphis 2 times and met my parents halfway twice since Sunday on top of driving to and from Wayne county (2 hours from Jackson, each way) twice this week! I guess I am making up for all of those miles I missed out on while out on maternity leave. Ellie has done great with my parents and grandparents, still sleeping through the night and eating like a champ! I really can't get over what a good baby she is. We are SO SO lucky!

After work Monday I drove to Memphis to pick her up and we met Brooke for dinner at Newks and went and saw Ali's nursery! It is so cute and she has tons of stuff just waiting on her. I can't believe Ali could be here in 3 weeks!

Tuesday after work we made another trip to Memphis so Ellie could spend the night with Peeps and De De. I just happened to work out that Don's cousin John and his wife Tori were flying in from Russia that night! We were SO glad we got to join the family and welcome them home. Knox is the sweetest thing ever and we are so glad they are finally here. Seeing them walk down the hallway pushing him in his stroller still makes me tear up every time I think about it. I know they have waited so long for him and he is finally theirs! I have posted their link once before but you can read their entire adoption story at http://www.lifeandtimesoftheliggetts.blogspot.com/. They are also West Tennessee celebrities! WBBJ Jackson news did a great story on them tonight. I hope they post it on their website. Here are a few pics from the airport.

Everyone waiting with their signs Karen made.

Matti and Ellie waiting on Knox

Ellie with her sweet cousins patiently waiting

Daddy and Knox. Is he not the cutest thing??

Welcome home Knox!!!

Baby Stuff

I am not a neat freak by any means. In fact, my parents used to call me a "slob" as a teenager. Clothes on the floor, bed never made, and so on. When I was pregnant, the nesting instinct definitely kicked in towards the end. We had the carpets cleaned, Merry Maids came and deep cleaned the house, my mom took off work on my due date (since Miss Thing decided to come 4 days late!) and helped sterilize bottles, wash baby clothes and make our thanks for visiting goodies. Since Ellie has been home, I'd like to think I have kept our house in better order than ever. I don't know why or how I have managed to do this but I am pretty proud of myself! Older homes seem to be harder to clean to me (or maybe that's just my excuse). Some things just never look clean no matter how much you scrub because they are just old! I think things have seemed neater and straightened up because I am constantly washing dishes and doing laundry and picking up. Before, I would let it pile up until I couldn't stand it anymore or until we had a full load. These days, we always have enough for a full load! Our house is small, but cozy. We have very limited storage, but we have learned to make do (for now)! My brother Matt, put it best. He said "yall use every inch of this house very well, it doesn't seem cramped" and for the most part, I think he is right.

With all of that being said, our house will still never be the same. Babies come with a TON of stuff! Swings, bouncy seats, boppy's, bumbos, baby monitors, bottle warmers, drying racks, play gyms, tummy time mats, car seats, moses baskets, and so on! Yes all of this new stuff takes up more room, but it has now just become part of our everyday decor.

The monitor sits on my bedside table now.

There is always a bottle waiting to be scrubbed!

I don't know what we would do without these 2 things somedays!

A baby's gotta eat! Formula, bottles, a warmer and Mylicon have found their place on our counter.

The diaper bag is always waiting for us at the door!

I love seeing her baby stuff everywhere. It means she is a part of this house too. I wouldn't have it any other way!!

10 Weeks

I only have time for a quick post (since I am back to work now and all) but I didn't want to slack on my weekly pictures and posts. Yesterday Ellie was 10 weeks old! She is officially in double digits. I seriously love her more every second of every day. That sweet smile can brighten any gloomy day! She has brought our entire family so much joy. We love you sweet girl!!!

Oh and she also had her first date on her 10 week birthday. I guess she was a boring date because her man slept straight through it!

I took 2 different 10 week pics yesterday, so I have posted both of them. I can't believe how much she has grown when you look at her 1 week picture! The pink tutu is from Mama Penny. I thought yesterday was a good day to try it on! She was none too thrilled with the itchy material at first, but she soon warmed up to it.

It's back to work I go...

Well it was going to happen eventually. The time has come for me to get back to work. These last 10 weeks have been so great. The time has just flown by but I have enjoyed every minute. Luckily I make my own schedule and will be working from home for the most part so I will still get to spend lots of time with my sweet girl. I would still rather work full time for her than anybody else. Oh well! Maybe we will win the lottery or UT will hire Daddy so I can be a stay at home mom. That is SO my dream job! It is the hardest job I have ever had, but the most fun job too!

We are on a waiting list at a local church close to our house, so come August we will be sending Ellie there a few days a week if I don't find someone else before. I really really really don't want to do daycare, but it is looking like our only option for now. I know it will all work out. Until then, I am going to enjoy every day I have with her!

Easter Sunday

We have had such a fun weeked. We started off Ellie's first Easter with a trip to visit the Easter Bunny! We changed plans last minute and just went to the mall to have her picture made. She did great. We even got a little grin and a dimple out of her:)

After pics we headed to Memphis to spend the weekend with my side of the family. My mom cooked for us Saturday night and it was delish! After dinner Don and I went over to Matt and Rachel's new house to check it out since he had not seen it. It is so cute! This morning we somehow made it to 8:15 church...baby and all! I still am not sure how we managed to get us all dressed and out the door, but we did and Ellie did great on her first trip to church. She got a tiny bit fussy and hungry towards the end so we snuck out to eat out in the lobby. Everyone got to see her after the service and we even walked over to my parents Sunday School class so they could show her off to everyone there.

We had some time before lunch so we went back to my parents house and I packed up all of our stuff (it looked like we packed for a week, not just 1 night!) and we rested a little bit before lunch. Lunch was fun, and interesting! We had to wait a while and we were a large party so I am sure the waiter was glad to get rid of us! All in all in was still a lot of fun to be with all of our family. We had to rush out of lunch which I hated, but unfortunately Don had to be at work at 5. Who works on Easter? Oh my husband does. Along with Thanksgiving, and Labor Day, President's Day...anyway I was NOT happy we had to go and neither was he. Oh, the life of a coach's wife! I just don't know if I will ever get used to his crazy schedule. Overall, I still think Ellie's first Easter was pretty special. She looked so pretty in her sweet dress and did great all day. I love my little bunny so much!