Play Date

Last week Lo and I had our first play date at Auntie Melissa's house. Kady was in town from Texas and wanted to have a meet and greet with Jendy's, Melissa's and my sweet little babies! It was a lot of fun to have all the babies together and catch-up with one another! Sorry Kady for all the baby talk, but you always have a good attitude about it! :) We miss you and hope you can come up more often...or just move home! :)
Since a picture is worth a thousand words here is how the day went: Not a lot of "playing" except for the mommies and Kady. It was so good to get together with these wonderful women...it makes for a nice day out of the house! We will have to do another one with Sage and Malachi and Ginger once she has her bundle of joy!

Jendy with Landrey and Kady with Brody


Me and Brody


Jendy with Lo


Group Shots:




Melissa and Brody

Sleep is for the Weak!

(sorry don't know how to "turn" the picture)

My mother-in-law bought this onesie for us before we even knew if we were having a boy or girl or even chosen a name. When I got it I thought to myself "hahaha, that is funny...but won't be TRUE! Babies do sleep..." Oh how VERY naive I was and perhaps jinxed myself with that thought! Because while it is true that babies sleep it could NOT be further from the truth when it comes to Leighton! Maybe I drank too much coffee while pregnant who knows, or maybe she is like her daddy who can get by on just a good night's sleep either way mommy is TIRED!

I thought I had made a break through with her sleeping through the night last week but instead she just was taunting me! We have now reverted WAY back, it is like having a brand new newborn again. One that has to be nursed every 1.5-2 hours! Then once 9am rolls around we are up for the day! It absolutely astounds me. Then when daddy gets home we are SUPER fussy b/c we are SUPER tired! (That statement really goes for both Lo and me!)

I am up for suggestions if anyone has any! Part of the problem is she is a snacker and as a breastfeeding mom it is hard to know how much milk she IS getting, so when she does doze off it doesn't last long b/c she gets hungry again. (and please don't suggest a bottle, because she REFUSES bottles! Chad tries and tries but after 30 minutes she eventually gets what she wants...mommy!)


Here's hoping for some sleep! :)

2 month Dr. Visit

Yesterday was our big doctor visit. I actually had been looking forward to it because in some ways I was hoping the doc would have a miracle cure for my sweet baby and all her fussiness. But as it always goes she has been doing SO MUCH better these last few days, so much so I haven't even had to give her, her tummy Rx! Yay! Now I am a mom who is all about the drugs to make your child feel better but it is so hard when they can't tell you how they are feeling and if the drugs are even working all you can do is trial and error. So for now we are off the Rx!

Anyway she was SUPER at the doctor's office! She let the doc check her out and mess with her without any fussiness or tears! She only started crying when it was time for shots! Bless her poor little heart. She cried so hard and loud it made me tear up, it is just so hard to see you tiny little baby hurting and I have seen a lot of that these past 2 months and all I want to do it take that pain away! However she did do pretty good once we got home, thanks to the baby Tylenol no doubt!

FYI for all new mommies give your baby tylenol BEFORE the shots...it helps take the edge off of the pain sooner!

Overall, we had a great second check-up! My sweet little baby's 2 month stats:
Weight: 11lbs 6oz
Height: 21.5 inches

So as you can see she is mommy's little chubby bunny! Nothing like having bracelets of fat to say " I am healthy!" Matter of fact she is keeping up with her buddy Brody in the weight category and he started life 2lbs MORE than her...not sure what that says?! :)

I shall leave you with a picture of how we spent the rest of the evening! Bouncing on the yoga ball! I have to say I was reading other people's blogs and just bouncing and happened to look down because she was so quiet and realized she was passed out!


Here is her 9 week photo! I have been trying to take a picture of her EVERY week and since she was born on a Sunday it works out that she is already dressed up!

The Magic of...

The Magic of Digital Cameras:
Look how big my baby girl is! I was going through her pics last nite and stumbled upon her growth! It makes me a little sad that she is getting so big so fast and time is whizzing by, but it is also such a joy to watch her grow up and discover new things.

Bath time at 2 weeks! Not really enjoying it much either!!


Bath time at 8 weeks an LOVING it! It is like she is a WHOLE other baby!



The Magic of Cinderella:
We also got to both go to our first prom!
Well not really we just got to go inside and see all the decor and watch all the pretty girls walk the "red carpet" on their way in. Mostly we went over on saturday to help Aunt Meg get all dolled up for prom! She looked absolutely beautiful and so grown up!

Meg with her date and friends!



The Magic of a Good Night's Sleep:
And finally the big news is Leighton is sleeping through the night! Friday April 17th was the big day or night I should say. I have to confess that by 6am i had to get up and make sure she was still alive. Which is the first time I think I worried about that since she was born. Plus, I thought I was going to die if she didn't wake up soon and help mommy out! ( If you are a breastfeeding mommy you will understand, your baby sleeping through the night is a blessing and a curse for the first several nights!)

There is no magic in going to the doctor...the magic is in the drugs! :)
Tomorrow is the big 2 month doctor visit to get shots! :( I think it may be a long evening! I am sure that will be a blog story in its self!

Turning the corner

My sweet precious baby is 2 months old! Where has the time gone. I honestly don't feel like I have been her mother that long in some ways, but in others it is as if life never really began until she was here. Most of you who know me and follow my posts know that my journey into motherhood was not as "easy" as I had hoped. Perhaps because I was naive in thinking it would be or was misled by who knows who...hollywood...?!?! ( I tend to need to "blame" someone :) ) I have seen mothers with their babies out and about while their child angelicly slept through EVERYTHING! Only crying when needing to be changed or fed.

So needless to say in the beginning I felt like a COMPLETE failure, like I was doing something wrong, because my sweet daughter was far from perfect. She cried at everything, and sleeping less than a grown adult. Nothing I did seemed to make it stop! I felt like I could never leave the house because it was safer inside where only I could hear her cries, I didn't want others to judge me like I was a bad mother! It is sad I felt that way and it has been so encouraging to hear from the "other" mothers with babies like mine and to know I wasn't alone in feeling the way I felt! I am someone who doesn't want to air my "dirty laundry" out for all to know, but I feel it is important as moms to stick together and encourage one another in this monumental task of raising children because it is far from easy, even if you do have "perfect" baby!

However, the reason for my post is that I feel as though I/we are finally turning a corner! I feel like I am turning a corner in NOT feeling like such a failure as a mother and knowing that this is a phase that we WILL get through. But also that Leighton is turning a corner. We are going on day 9 (not including Easter Sunday, when I DID screw up!) of "happy baby girl." To me this what having a baby should be like for everyone. She is sleeping more (perhaps a few more hours than a grown adult...but I can't complain), and she is playing more and typically cries only when needing a feeding or changing! Shoot we even ventured out to Wally World yesterday and she fell asleep while shopping! Absolutly amazing! I just continue to pray that we are moving out of the colic phase and permanetly into "happy baby girl" phase! I know there will continue to be ups and downs but knowing I am not alone makes it easier to handle!

I just want to thank those of you family and friends who have continued to encourage me and shared your stories with me! It means the world to me and I hope that I can be an encouragement to others as well with my adventures in motherhood!

Now for a pic of my 2 month old baby girl. She is always looking at mommy...so she and daddy get good pics b/c I'm holding the camera!

Things to Remember

so my baby girl is two months old tomorrow! so much has happened and i don't want to forget...

*like how i have become a pro at typing with one hand! since my other arm is ALAWYS pre-occupied holding leighton. (so please excuse the lowercase.)

*like how leighton can only nap during the day if i am holding her and bouncing on my yoga ball and listening to barlow girl! but sleeps like a champ at night! (i recommend to all new moms to have a yoga ball handy...it actually saves your back from standing and bouncing!)


(I took this myself...pretty good at the one handed stuff! :) )

*like how she hates bottles! she prefers breast to anything including pacifers!!

*like how she is "helping" w/ diaper changes...she lifts her little legs in the air while I change her, i think it is pretty cute! and she has stopped peeing all over her new diaper and changing table as soon as i take the old diaper off!

*like how she gets more active in her playgym everyday and is starting to grasp toys and how she "laughs" and smiles at herself when she does it!

*like how she is starting to "talk" coo and smile at us.

here she is w/my mom smiling and "talking" to grammy!


*like how mommy is usually the only one that can keep her calm and from screaming all of the time!

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we also celebrated our first real holiday! EASTER!

saturday we went to grandma rachel's and had lunch and opened up our easter basket...got lots of fun stuff including a sitting for professional photos! yea! i am ready to get some real pictures taken.

with her bunny aunt ellen got her!


with her first baby bible!


sunday we actually made it to church (it hasn't been easy getting there w/ a newborn and her erratic sleep schedule...in case you can't tell i am the type of mom that let's her schedule me instead of the other way around!) we got all dressed up in an outfit that i once wore when i was leighton's age! she looked absolutely adorable. daddy wasn't a fan of the bonnet, but it was easter!

our best family photo! she never cooperates well for family photo time!


me and my baby girl


then it was off to my mom's house for easter lunch. it was interesting since we had two newborns and 4 poodles! leighton wasn't in the best mood since i forgot to give her, her tummy medicine! she just screamed in pain most of the afternoon! i have never felt so horrible in all my life! let's just say it WILL NOT happen again!
so needless to say i didn't get a lot of pics during the day!

next year should be way more fun watching landrey and leighton toddle around after eggs! :)

Good Friday...

Actually it has been a good week! Leighton has (knock on wood) seemed to kicked the colic habit this week. I pray it continues. It is so nice to have a happy baby! It is a nice change of pace. We actually are able to play together and go places without her AND me having a complete meltdown!
Today we spent the entire day at Aunt Melissa's and cousin Landrey's house playing and babysitting! We had a really good time. It is going to be so fun to watch them grow up together!

And now I shall leave you with a festive Easter pic!



Happy Easter!

Back To The Womb?!?!

Some of you may know from reading my facebook posts that Leighton has this great need to be held ALL the time, thus making it very difficult for me to get anything done around the house. I mean basic things like taking a shower, eating or doing the laundry! Shortly after she was born at the suggestion a friend and fellow mom I purchased a sling. This way Leighton stays close to mommy and mommy's hands are free to work around the house. Leighton seems to love this contraption for her it is like being back in the womb! She even pulls her hands up close to her face and falls asleep. Just like in her sonogram pictures. Well now that she is 11lbs it is getting harder to tote her around and it is killing my back, but I guess like they say "no pain, no gain." Shoot who needs a gym membership! :) Anyway here are some pics of the "womb" in action!

Here I am making dinner! I am going for the "I just took a shower natural look." :)



See she thinks she back in the womb! :) Look at those little hands.

In the Motherhood

Maybe it breaks the stay at home mommy rules but I hate Oprah! I hate listening to her talk about things she has never experienced as if she has. However, yesterday's show about "motherhood" was very encouraging to me as a new mom! It had real moms telling real secrets about being a mom and how it isn't as easy as it appears. It made me feel encouraged that I am not alone in feeling like a failure! I love my little girl but these past several weeks have been incredibly trying for me. Leighton not only has colic but struggles with a spastic bowel as the doctor calls it causing her to scream out in pain as gas moves through! She spends most of the afternoons crying unless I am holding her, so there is no rest for either of us. The doctor has prescribed some medicine that seems to be helping the "spastic bowel" situation.

But there have been a lot of great moments too! She is starting to coo and "talk," she even laughed a couple of times! :) Leighton is becoming more active with her play gym and bats at the toys and smiles at herself! She is just so incredibly precious to me and I can't believe how fast she is growing up!! It makes me never want to leave her!

Here are a few pics of life over the last 7 weeks!

Our birth! February 15, 2009, 6lbs, 10oz, 18.5inches


Our 1st St. Patty's Day


Get the ladybug!


"I did it!"


6 weeks old!


Meeting our cousin Landrey Jo Jensen born April 2, 2009 9lbs 4oz, 20inches

"Don't worry Landrey, I will show you how the world works...I am your big 7 week old cousin!"

To Blog or Not to Blog?

On January 1st I resolved to journal more. However, like so many resolutions it has fallen by the wayside. I enjoy reading other people's blogs about their children and families. And now since I have my own little bundle I think this may be a nice way to create so of virtual "scrapbook" of all of our new adventures...since who knows when I will ever actually scrapbook our lives! So here goes nothing...