Hollon Elizabeth - 1 Month

1 Month Old Recap:

Likes: Eating (LOVES eating), being cuddled, a good burp or gas passed, when you sing to her, when you rock her. Still loves pooping in a clean diaper. So far, she loves baths as well, but not getting out. She also seems to like her crib and sleeps well in it. Loves to be swaddled, but acts like she hates it and tries to break out of it. If she is upset though, we swaddle her & it helps calm her down.

Dislikes: Hiccups, loud sudden noises, people being in the room when she is awake & not holding her. Doesn't like when she wants to eat, but you instead give her a pacifier. Putting her in the car suddenly when she is awake makes her mad. You have to ease her into it. First you have to feed her, burp her & change her diaper. Then put her in the carseat while it is inside and rock her some in it. Have the car cooled off and then put her in it. And then just pray she doesn't cry and you hit all green lights. It upsets her to have trapped gas on her tummy (I'm going to go ahead & say that would be a dislike for anyone at any age).

Milestones: Took her first bottle. She took it like a champ (I didn't have much worry, baby girl likes to eat.)

Sleeping: Not on a consistent daytime sleeping schedule yet, but usually takes 1 long nap midday and several short naps throughout the day. She is sleeping good at night (most times), as long as she is swaddled. She sleeps in just a onesie and the miracle blanket. She usually gets 1 or 2 hands out or a leg out. It used to wake her up when she would do this, but now she seems to just go with it and continue sleeping. And thank goodness my going in & checking on her 10 times throughout the night doesn't seem to bother or wake her.

Eating: Hollon eats great, but it is afterwards that gives us a little trouble. Still figuring that out. She eats every 3 hours during the day. If she is sleeping, she will sometimes go 3.5 or 4 hours between meals. I feed her, her last feeding of the day sometime between 10:00-11:00. She gets up for a middle of the night feeding, usually between 1:00-3:00 and then her first feeding of the day is sometime between 5:00-7:00. 

Nicknames: Pizza Face (Just kidding, but she does have a not-so-lovely case of baby acne. I had to photoshop it out of these pictures.) 

Baby Products I'd Like to Invent: Baby tape that would keep a pacifier in a baby's mouth. Cry translator that would translate a baby's cries into words. Proactiv for Infants. Dry Shampoo for Infants. (Or maybe I just need to bath my child more)

Birth Announcement Photo Options

I wanted to get some pictures of Jake & Hollon for a possible birth announcement/Christmas card. I saw a picture on Pinterst of an older sibling holding the baby. It was so simple and so beautiful. I just knew I could easily create it.So last Wednesday, since Jake didn't have football and Rob was at a business dinner, I figured it was the perfect time to get this picture. Let's just say, I nailed it. Hollon is so photogenic, I just don't know how I will ever choose between so many gorgeous photos.

Sneak peak - Introducing Hollon Elizabeth....

This one might be my favorite

Who Does Hollon Look Like?

I never really understood why people ask who does a newborn baby look like. Unless one of the parents is an 80-year-old toothless man with a receding hairline, how can you say which parent the newborn look like? But for fun, here are our baby pictures. 

Week in Review

Hollon got her first real bath. She enjoyed the first part of it.

Trying to eat the water

 Once I started leaning over the tub to bath her, she got confused as to why there was liquid around her, and her mom, but she wasn't getting to eat. So she cried for the last half of the bath.

Nice & cozy after the bath.

On Monday night, Hollon went to her first football game. She went to see brother's team, the Pelham Panthers play the Hoover Bucs. She was very good & slept the entire time. Until we got into the car, which she screamed the entire way home. You win some, you loose some.

 On Tuesday, Hollon turned 3 weeks old.

Weekly timeframe picture fail

Trying to smile (in my opinion)

I love when this little nugget sleeps in my arms

And I love it when she smiles in my arms

 Hollon hugging her lovee

 On Wednesday, Hollon had her weight check. She weighed 8 lbs 15 oz. Baby loves to eat!

She loves to suck on her hand if we let her
That's why she has a pacifier in her mouth in so many pictures
We are trying to keep her from sucking her hand

On Thursday, my mom came up to watch Hollon so I could work. Thank you Nana!!

Friday, I brought out one of Jake's old activity mats. Hollon seemed to like it. And I heard her actual voice for the first time! 

I know she was probably just waving her hands aimlessly,
but she was actually hitting the little butterflies

 That afternoon, we took brother to get his hair cut. Afterwards Jake was going to the Briarwood high school football game that evening with Mimi & Granddad and spending the night with them. So mom & dad went out to eat the first time with baby sister. We had Mexican, so we could eat & run quickly.

Wearing actual clothes & not just a onesie or gown

Not in the mood pictures

We sat outside for dinner
She was very good!

Saturday we watched football at the house. Mimi & Granddad came over again to watch Jake & Hollon so Rob & I could run an errand and grab lunch. Thanks again Mimi & Granddad!!

Game day is very tiresome

The result of our errand running - a new baby contraction

 Hollon had a bath and afterwards was wrapped in the softest robe. Little Giraffe has the softest items. I wish they made this in adult size.

This is why I mostly take pictures of H asleep. Because when she is awake, when the flash goes off, she looks like this: 

Thank you Granddad Jake & GG Kathy for the outfit!

Not as scary eyes

Sweet lil' sister (with a case of acne)

The black hair is still going strong

Hollon Elizabeth - 3 Weeks

3 Weeks Old Recap:

Things I love: I love the way her toes curl up when she is eating. I love the way her hair feels like velvet. It's like someone glued a patch of black velvet to the top of her head. I love her toothless smile. I love when she snuggles in my lap and puts her head on my shoulder. I love how tiny newborn clothes are. I love the way she looks like a burrito when she is swaddled. I love when she holds on to my finger. I love that she (sometimes) stops crying when big brother sings to her. I love when she looks up at me with those big blue eyes.

Things I could live without: Trying to figure out why she is crying.  If she is hungry, that one is pretty easy because she'll be pecking anything around her. But after that, I'm clueless. Whoever said you can read a baby's cries wasn't speaking my kids language. The smell of a breastfed baby's poop. Trying to wash between their fingers & toes and under their neck. Spit-up. 

Sleep: Within the next week, we'll probably move her to her nursery. She takes naps in her crib so hopefully she'll sleep okay in it at night. I'm no longer waking Hollon up during the night to feed her, I just let her wake up on her own. She usually sleeps 3-4 hours at a time during the night. She sleeps horribly if she is not swaddled. 

Eat: She is still eating every 3 hours during the day. I talked with her pediatrician about her spitting up at Hollon's weight check this week. It looks like I am over producing milk and it is coming out so fast, she is gulping trying to keep up. So we're trying a few different things to help with that. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Hollon loves to eat though and it showed in her weight check! Right now it is going straight to her belly, cheeks and double chin.

Play: I pulled out one of the play mats this week and she seemed to like it. Jake has also been testing out all of her toys trying to figure out which ones are her favorite. (None at this point, she is still too young! Which drives him crazy!)

Right now, she is in one of her crying fits that I have no idea why she is crying. She is fed, has a clean diaper, is cool and doesn't have a string wrapped around her toe. So I have no idea why she is screaming her head off. But I'm tied of typing this post with one hand, so I must run for now!

Week in Review

Last week was our 2nd full week at home with Hollon. Each week I feel like we get a little more settled, find out a little bit more and make a whole lot more new mistakes. But we are getting there!

Monday, Jake had his first football game. They've had a jamboree & a scrimmage, but this was their first actual real game. They were playing Chelsea at home. (A big thank you to Mimi for watching Hollon so that I could go to the game!! It was my first time to leave the house without Hollon.)

Getting ready to run through the banner

Here they come! Your 2014 K/1st Grade Pelham Panthers!

I love this picture because the coaches are having to point to tell the players where to run.
Basically at this age, it's the equivalent of putting helmets on cats and letting them loose.

My little man! Jake is #44

Coach Dad

The first play, our entire team ran onto the field to play
The coaches had to send half of them off to wait their turn
Like I said, it's the equivalent of cats playing football

Jake plays center and snaps the ball

Jake is the little one with his hands on the ball
He is getting ready to snap

Standing with Daddy waiting on the offense to be back on the field
Jake just plays offense and Rob is one of the offense coaches

They are all so cute & tiny!

Jake is in the background making a block

They even have little K & 1st Grade cheerleaders

Enjoying the half time cheerleader entertainment

Funny things about Kindergartners & 1st Graders playing football:

- After each play, there is at least one player from each team that just lies on the ground. They are not hurt, the coaches just have to pick them up to stand them back on their feet.

-Half the time, the players are busy watching the cheerleaders.

-When they play music during the timeouts, half the players dance.

-They constantly fight over & play with the water cooler until a coach or parent takes it away. (The coaches squirt water from a water bottle into their mouths, so there is no need for the water cooler anyway.)

-Half the time, one or two players are standing in the wrong huddle.

-Someone always has to go to the bathroom during the middle of a game or practice. (Usually my child.)

Unfortunately, the Pelham Panthers lost their first game. It stinks, because we should have beat Chelsea. We were better than them. We just had 2 touchdowns called back for holding penalties and we missed a tackle in which they scored on. But the kids had fun and did their best, and that is all that matters.

Miss Hollon had a pretty good week. Monday, she was an angel and we had a really good day.

Sweet little girl sleeping in the pack-n-play
Of course I was washing the sheet, so I just laid her directly on the mattress which she spit up on.
So now I have to figure out how to clean up those drool/spit stains!

I took a few up close snap shots of her little features. I know this tiny stage flies by, so I want to make sure I document everything. Which means 1,500 boring pictures to you.

This lamb lovee was the first gift we received after finding out we were having a girl
My best friend Stephanie gave it to us
Right now, Hollon likes to use it as a blanket

Tuesday Hollon turned 2 weeks old. Tuesday & Wednesday were rough days. Being 5.5 years rusty on having a newborn, I forgot how tough those rough days are.

Of course I have to include a picture fail

"This is annoying"

"I'm about to fall over"

"I look ridiculous"

"Okay, I'll just look at the camera if we can stop this"

On those rough days, you are grateful for those moments when they sleep

I'm sure the fact I was taking pictures like this would not contribute to her fussiness

She looks so sweet and peaceful
You'd never imagine she had just spent the entire car ride screaming

Catching a few z's with dad

Thankfully Thursday & Friday were much better. On Thursday I had a doctor's appointment. (Everything is looking good from the surgery.) 

I could just eat up those sweet little chubby cheeks

Annoyed that my flashing camera woke her up

Thank Goodness It's Friday!!

We call Hollon "Squeaky" because she always gets the hiccups and she sounds like she swallowed a squeaky toy. 

Trying out different swaddles and pajamas
Is there enough green in this picture?

Hollon spent Saturday morning outside with Dad

Watching College Game Day

Most of Hollon's umbilical cord has fallen off, but there is still a little piece left. So she is still just getting sponge baths. She likes it initially, but then usually starts crying halfway through.

So of course I must take picture of it

Saturday afternoon, Mimi & Granddad came over to watch the kids so Rob & I could run an errand and go eat lunch. It was so nice to be able to get out and enjoy adult conversation! 

On Sunday, Rob had to work, so the kids & I headed down to Prattville to visit my parents and for Jake to attend cousin Marrell's 6th birthday party.

Gran & Jake fighting with inflatable swords & hammers

Birthday fun at Pump It Up!

The birthday girl

Sweet cousins!