Week in Review

We kicked off the week, with Hollon celebrating her 2 month birthday on Sunday. I cannot imagine the last 2 months getting a full nights sleep without this sweet little girl.

This is what she spends time doing when she is awake...
eating her hands

This photo shoot didn't end in tears, so I didn't get my token crying shot.
But don't worry, she took plenty of award photos.

I wondered if the ottoman might be a more flattering shot of the outfit.
It wasn't.

Baby mocs

 On Tuesday, Jake had his last regular football game of the season. And they made it to the playoffs! (Before you get your expectations up, please note, that their league has 6 teams in it and the top 4 make it to the playoffs. Thankfully there were 2 teams that were just really, really bad.) We are seed #4. We play seed #1 in a week and lets just say that I saw a few of those boys driving themselves to the game last time we played them. They are huge boys, they have a huge team and they are undefeated. So next week should be the last game for the 2014 K/1 Pelham Panthers. I know you are on the edge of your seat for the results, so I'll keep you updated.

Coach Robert (aka Daddy) & Jake after the game

 This is what happens when you have too big of a head & too small of a onesie.

Robbie was on vacation Monday-Wednesday, which was nice, because he could help transport Jake plus help out getting Hollon back in a routine after being out of routine for a week while in Chattanooga & New Orleans. Monday was pretty rough, but by Wednesday, she was back in a pretty good groove. 

I'm not one to usually post pictures of food I make, but I was pretty proud of myself for the salad below. I took a picture partially because the salad looked so pretty & partially because I was proud of myself for actually making something to eat for lunch that was healthy. I was 30lbs heavier when I got pregnant with Hollon than I was with Jake. Thankfully, I didn't gain much with Hollon, so I was able to loose that pretty quickly after giving birth to her. But now I have these 30 pounds to loose that I gained between having Jake & getting pregnant with Hollon.  

Of course all of my healthy eating was cancelled out by all of the Halloween candy I've been eating

 As part of said loosing weight mentioned above, is exercising more any. I hate to exercise. But I'm 35 with 0 metabolism. So my goal is to walk with Hollon 30-45 minutes a day. Of course, out of the last week, I only walked this one day. So I've got some improving to do. 

Hollon's first time to sit up in the stroller

 Jake loves to help give Hollon baths

 Sweet little girl all swaddled ready for bed

 Most of what Hollon wears during the day while we are at home is Jake's old onesies and sleepers. (Who doesn't love wearing pajamas that are 6 years old, stained and for the opposite sex?) I picked her up a few girl sleepers so I wouldn't give her a complex. It seemed to weird to see her in a frilly girl sleeper!

We just adore her sweet little smile!

 Hollon is such a smiley baby. If we are out and she is in a good mood, she'll just smile and smile at strangers. They almost always comment on what a happy baby she is and how she must never cry. I smile and say, yes, she is a smiley baby and never cries. 

And then I laugh, because it is a lie.

But I do like to pretend she never cries.

Well, the smiling part is not a lie. But the crying? This girl can cry. Thankfully, she now has a cry and a scream as opposed to screaming only.When she is in a screaming mood, you just have to brace yourself. It's loud and it's long and she is mad. The crying is actually kind of funny. (You know your child is a screamer, when crying is actually a positive.) She usually cries if she is awake and someone is in the room, not holding her.

 Here are the stages of her cry "you are not holding me"

First she frowns

Then she pokes her lip out

Then she makes her eyes real big and filled with tears

And then she starts her pitiful cry.
And we usually fall for it and pick her up every time because she looks so darn cute.

 We put the extra playmat upstairs in my office for her to play on while I work. She likes the playmats more than Jake ever did.

This one has a little rattle that if you position her just right, she can hit
She kept hitting it over & over again

Friday was of course Halloween, but that will be covered in a different post.

Usually, I am not a fan of unflattering or candid photos or pictures taken of me without my knowing. But I thought this picture was too funny not to post. This was Saturday afternoon, both of the kids sleeping on me, while I am asleep myself. 

Two Auburn fans and an undecided, but dressed in Auburn colors fan before Auburn's game Saturday night against Ole Miss.

 On Sunday, we went to church together for the first time as a family of four. Hollon did so well during the service (we were pleasantly surprised). She was asleep for the first part, but then woke up twice. Both times she just opened her eyes and looked around for a while. She never made a peep, and then just went back to sleep. Priase the Lord! Literally. 

Wearing my sweater from when I was a baby

Sunday after church, I went over to the Bush's to monogram some things and brought the kids. Jake, Mimi & Granddad made smores via the fireplace.

Hollon Elizabeth - 2 Months

She is going to kill me when she gets older.
These pants make her hips look huge.

2 Months Old Recap:

Likes: She still has all the same likes as her 1 month old recap. She also likes music. I'm too cheap to buy a sound machine for her, but I do have an old CD player that we used with Jake and an instrumental lullaby CD. If she is antsy before going to sleep, I'll play that and it seems to calm her down. She likes her favorite pacifier. It is a basic simple white infant nuk that we got from the hospital with Jake. Thankfully we got 2 of them, because they are her favorite and the only ones she'll  attempt to keep in her mouth. (And yes I know it is probably not recommended to use pacifiers that are almost 6 years old and have spent 5 of those years packed away in a closet.)

Dislikes: All still the same from 1 month recap. Thankfully no real new things to add.

Milestones: She took her first extended trips. She spent 3 nights in a hotel in Chattanooga with me for work, 1 night at home in her crib and then 3 nights in a hotel in New Orleans for a wedding. To be off her schedule for 7 days and only sleep 1 of those nights in her actual crib (which she loves), I was really proud of her. She wasn't perfect, but I didn't expect her to be. The hardest part for her seemed to be not being able to get her milk directly from me at each feeding. Both while in Chattanooga & New Orleans, I had to do a lot of pumping and someone else giving her the bottle. She drinks fine from a bottle (she'll take a drink from anywhere), but she seemed to miss that one-on-one contact with my, um, chest. Even if she had just eaten, if I'd walk in, she would about dive into my shirt. She didn't want to eat, she just wanted to lie across my chest. It was like she wanted to make sure they were still there.

Sleeping: She is sleeping good and we are almost down to a routine during the day. She takes 1 long nap and then several cat naps during the day. At night, she is sleeping about 4 hours between feedings, so I have to get up once a night to feed her.

Eating: She is still eating good and still spitting up. The spitting up seems to have gotten a little less. But we are both still having to change our clothes at least once a day. She eats every 3 hours during the day, and goes 4 hours between feedings at night.

Schedule: Here is a tentative schedule of what our day looks like:

5:00-6:30 - She wakes up and we lay her in our bed while we get Jake up and we get ready

6:30 - First feeding of the day

7:00-9:30 - She and I will play a little bit and she'll hang out in her swing either upstairs or downstairs while I straighten up downstairs or start working upstairs. She'll cat nap in the swing. She is fine with this as long as she is tired or sleeping. If she is good & awake though, she wants to be held.

9:30 - Second feeding of the day

11:00 - I put her down for her long nap of the day. I swaddle her and make her take this nap in her crib.

1:30 - Third feeding of the day

2:30 - We leave to go pick Jake up from school. She'll nap some in the car. (And I praise the Lord when she does, because that means she is not screaming when we stop at red lights.)

3:30 - We get back from carpool 

4:30 - Fourth feeding of the day

5:30 - Leave to take Jake to football practice

7:30 - Fifth feeding of the day

8:00 - Give her a bath, put her on her pajamas, turn down the lights, swaddle her and make things as low key as possible. She'll hang out in her swing or spend some time with Robbie.  She'll usually sleep good until her last feeding of the day.

10:30 - Last feeding of the day. After that, we'll put her in her crib.

2:30 - Middle of the night feeding

Danny's Wedding - New Orleans

One of Robbie's best friends from high school, Danny was getting married in New Orleans Friday night, and Robbie was a groomsman in the wedding. Danny was in our wedding and has been one of Robbie's closest friends. We were so excited to go to New Orleans to celebrate Danny & Lindy's wedding.

Hollon was great in the car ride down. I fed her right before we left and she ended up sleeping the whole way there until we were about 45 minutes outside of New Orleans. She woke up and I knew she was hungry. Driving around New Orleans with a screaming baby in the car just didn't sound like fun that day, so we pull off in a Hardee's parking lot so I can feed Hollon, change her diaper and let her stretch. I had my cape on, so I was covered and I just fed her in the car. Once she was fed, I took the cape off, I got out and changed her, walked around with her, let her stretch. What I forgot to do was button my shirt back up. So I can now cross 'flashing some small town outside of New Orleans' off my bucket list.

We made it to New Orleans (clothed) safe & sound.  

Walking to get some lunch
Hollon's first time in New Orleans!

We grabbed some lunch. Out of all the restaurants in New Orleans, we were lucky enough to pick the one right beside a building under construction that was jack-hammering. 

Hollon was not impressed with the jack-hammering

Rob went to the rehearsal while Judy, Hollon & I got ready for the dinner.

Judy made Hollon a new daygown. The pictures do not do it justice.

I was waiting for her to throw up all over it
Because next to screaming, she likes to throw up on perfectly clean clothes.

You never know if you are going to get sweet Hollon or screaming Hollon. Thankfully the wedding party table was next to the stairs, so I could make a quick exit with her if I needed to. To my surprise, she was an absolute doll during the dinner. She slept in our arms while we took turns eating. She slept during the toasts. 

The happy couple during the toasts - Danny & Lindy

It wasn't until right until the end did she wake up and decide to scream. Thankfully the room was crowded and noisy and drowned out the cry. We took a few quick photos (because who doesn't love a photo with a screaming baby in it) and then Robbie & I walked Judy & Hollon back to the hotel.

Judy sweetly offered to watch Hollon at the hotel while Rob & I attended the after dinner party in which all the guests arriving into town would be at. We got Hollon fed & down for bed and then met up with everyone at the cocktail party.

Robbie and his friend from high school Trena

The rehearsal dinner and cocktail party were at Acme Oyster House.

Another friend from high school, Robbie Page flew in that night for the wedding.

Robbie  Bush, Danny & Robbie Page

The next morning we all met up from brunch. I have to give Hollon credit, she was very good (for the most part) at the restaurant.

Robbie B., Danny, Trena & Robbie P.
These 4 have been friends since high school
The boys went to the boy's school McCallie & Trena went to the girl's school GPS

Then it came time to get ready for the wedding.

I had a grand plan all planned out for Hollon. The buses were leaving early for the wedding to not get delayed in Friday rush hour traffic. We arrived at the pavilion at 5:00 and the wedding started at 5:30. As soon as we arrived, I found a nice corner out of the way & fed Hollon. The wedding was outside, so we were seated on the end towards the back. Hollon was content in the stoller. She was awake but actually quiet during the wedding. I've never held my breath for so long. Since she stayed awake during the ceremony, I just knew she would fall asleep during the reception. 

Wrong.

Not only was she awake, but she decided to throw one of her screaming meltdowns. Thankfully part of the reception was outside and there was plenty of open space to push Hollon around in the stroller away from the guests. And her cries were drowned out by the band inside. Robbie, Judy & I just took turns pushing her around the park until the buses came back to take the first load back to the hotel.   

Due to our screaming child, we never got a picture with the bride & groom.
I at least snapped a picture from far away.
They both looked great.

I was trying to get a picture of her in her bonnet.
Another fail.

Robbie Page & Robbie Bush

Robbie B., Trena & Robbie P.

Our family (minus Jake!)

Judy snapped the sweetest picture of Robbie holding Hollon by the fountain

This is what we all took turns doing for 2 hours
That's what you get when you take a 7 week old to a wedding reception

The food was amazing though!

Once the buses were starting to run to take guests back to the hotel, I went with Judy & Hollon to get Hollon settled for the evening. Then I met up with everyone after the reception about an hour later.

Saturday, we had the day to just enjoy New Orleans. We ate lunch and then just walked around. 

Judy sent this sweet picture of Hollon sleeping.

Don't be fooled. An hour before that she was screaming.

We packed up and headed home on Sunday. Hollon was a champ again on the car ride back (except when we stopped at a drive through to grab breakfast) and slept the entire way back to Birmingham.

We had so much fun in New Orleans and I know Robbie enjoyed catching up with friends from high school and Judy enjoyed catching up with old friends from Chattanooga. New Orleans never disappoints and we had a great time celebrating a wonderful couple.

And because I love flashbacks, here are pictures of Robbie B., Danny, Trena & Robbie P. from high school.

McCallie & GPS Class of 1997