Southern Christmas Show

My mom came into town to visit with us Sunday through Tuesday, and Monday we ventured out with Ellison to the Southern Christmas Show. I had never been before, but had heard good things about it. I figured Monday would be a good day to go,thinking it wouldn't be so crowded. Wrong! Hello, Veterans Day crowd. It was insane! So, so busy! Other than the mass of bodies, we had a good time. There were TONS of vendors. Tons! We were there fit about 4 hours and definitely didn't see everything. We got a handful of goodies and Ellison was a champ. She was so patient and well behaved! She really loved looking at all the lights and decorations! I think I'd definitely go back, but maybe without baby in tow. The stroller was a little hard to maneuver through the crowd and we couldn't easily move through some of the booths. Side note - if you're planning to go, valet parking is worth every penny!! We pulled right to the front door, and when we left we had help putting our bags and the stroller back in the car. If we'd parked ourselves, it probably would've taken 20 minutes just to walk to and from our car. Here are some of the goodies we found...minus a few gifts for some friends and family. :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daycare Orientation

Yesterday we went to Ellison's school for new parent orientation. We'd been before for a tour, so we new what to expect, but this time was definitely different because we're actually getting close to bringing her there. Ellison came with us and was so well behaved! She played in her carrier, snuggled with us a bit, and napped. She even went about four hours without wanting a bottle.

We're very happy with the center. She is in a classroom with about 15 babies and 5 teachers. So, their ratio is 1:3 which is better than the state mandated 1:5. The classroom goes up to 12 months, so she'll be with her teachers until her first birthday. They really do a good job of listening to the babies' cues and following their schedules. They also focus on developing fine and gross motor skills.

We are going to do a practice run next Monday and Tuesday so that my first day back at work and her first time at school won't be the same day. While I know that I will be so sad to drop her off, I feel so much better knowing she's right across the street and I can pop in to see her whenever I'd like. I think she'll learn a lot and I think it will be good for her to be around other children. In a perfect world, I'd stay home with her all day everyday until she's 30...but that's not reality!

Say special prayers for us that it will be a smooth transition!

Oh...and our Ellie Bean turned 10 weeks old too! Where has the time gone?! There was a six and eight week old on our orientation and it's really amazing to think how much she's grown and learned in the last month!

PTDT - Chicken Tortilla Soup

Pin There, Done That.

Last week, I whipped together an easy recipe for Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup I pulled from Pinterest. It came together in no time at all and made tons! I followed the recipe exactly as listed. I used frozen chicken breasts and threw them straight into the mix from the freezer. It is definitely a soup...not a stew or chili. The chicken broth makes it thin. We thought it was really tasty. Barrett added some fresh jalapeños to his and we both stirred in a little shredded cheese and tortilla chips. This is the best time of year for soups and stews, and I hope to be using my crockpot many more times in the coming months!  We had enough for dinner, two lunches, and some to freeze.  Definitely worth trying!

 

First Night in the Crib

Ellison spent her first night in her own room last night! She was 9 weeks and 1 day old. She'd been sleeping in our room in her Rock & Play. We'd been talking about transitioning her for a few weeks, and last night we finally bit the bullet. We were waiting until we bought a sound machine that would stay on all night. As much as I love her Sleep Sheep, it turns off after 45 minutes, and the silence is deafening! As soon as it turns off, she starts to stir. She definitely uses it as a sleep cue and falls asleep pretty quickly when she hears it, but she is also used to the noise so wakes easily when the noise goes away.

We are happy to report that she did really well for her first night! She was sleeping by 10:00, woke at 3:45 to eat, and was back down again from 4:15 to about 6:30. She looks so tiny in her big crib! Barrett and I slept better too because we weren't waking up at every little squirm. I know that she'll be used to her new sleep space very soon and that we will all be feeling much more rested!

Two Month Checkup

Ellison's two month checkup was yesterday. She was exactly 9 weeks. Everything looks good...she's a happy healthy baby. We are upping her dose of Zantac because she's getting bigger, and she has a nonspecific rash on her belly that seems to be nothing so were just keeping an eye on it for now. She had her first round of shots, and it was just so sad! It was the first time we'd heard her real pain cry, and it was pretty terrible! She had one oral immunization and three in her legs She did great though. Just cried for a little bit and was fine after a minute of snuggling. We spent the rest of the day running errands, and she was such a trooper! She was a little fussy later that evening, so we think her little legs might have been sore. Mommy is not looking forward to round two in two months!

Her updated stats are:

Weight - 11 lbs 4 oz (43 percentile)
Height - 22 inches (17 percentile)
Head circumference - 15.35 inches (38 percentile)

 

 

 

 

 

Two Months

Dear Ellison -

You are two months old! I just can't believe it. It all seems to be going by so fast. On one hand, it seems unreal that you've been here two months already, but in the other hand it feels like you've always been a part of us. It's hard to remember what life was like before you. You make us so happy and have completed our little family more than we could have ever imagined. We've had a busy month! Here are the latest happenings...

-Your two month checkup is this Friday, so we don't know exactly how big you are.  We are guessing you're around 11 or 12 pounds and we know that you're longer for sure!

-You are really a pretty good sleeper, and we consider ourselves lucky because we know a lot of babies your age don't really sleep that great!  At around 4 1/2 weeks, you started giving us a 5 1/2 hour stretch followed by another 2-3 hour stretch.  At 5 1/2 weeks, you slept for 7 hours straight (from 9:30-4:30) and we just couldn't believe it!  We felt so refreshed!  You have been pretty consistent with that 7 hour stretch since aboug 6 1/2 weeks, and you've given us a handful of 8 hour stretches and even a nine hour stretch once!  Every now and then, you'll go back to waking up to eat at about 5 hours, but we think those are during your growth spurts.

-Our bedtime routine is pretty solid.  Depending on your feeding schedule, we start getting you ready for bed about 30 minutes before your bedtime bottle.  You are really starting to enjoy bathtime.  I think it really relaxes you.  We only use soap every other night so your skin doesn't get dried out.  We started using Burt's Bees Baby Bees lotion and wash since it's all natural.  I read some things about Johnson & Johnson that freaked me out (this must be a first time mommy thing), so we switched.  After your bath, it's lotion, jammies, snuggle time, and then bottle and straight to bed.  You're usually down between 9:00 and 10:00.

 

 

-You're eating about 4 ounces every 2-3 hours during the day, and then you go anywhere from 6-9 hours overnight.  We're thinking about switching to the size 2 bottle nipples because we think that if you could get your milk a little faster that you might eat more.  Right now, it's taking you about 30 minutes to finish a bottle. 

 

-Your reflux seems to have gotten better since you've been on Zantac.  It's still a nightmare to give it to you, but you don't fight it as much as you used to.  I think it's more traumatic for us now than it is for you.

 

-Speaking of traumatic - you started crying real tears in the last week!  It is so sad to see crocodile tears roll down your cheeks when you're upset!

 

-You're definitely wearing your 0-3 month clothes now.  You officially graduated from your newborn clothes at around 6 weeks.  You are also wearing some 3 month clothes.  You need the length of the 3 month, but they are still big everywhere else.  You are trying to push out the bottom of your footie pajamas, but you have so much room in them around the middle!

 

-You started wearing size 1 diapers when you turned 8 weeks.  It seems like there is such a huge difference between newborn and size 1...I think there needs to be a size 1/2.

 

-You've really started noticing your hands lately and open and close them all the time.

 

-You are so much more interactive and smiley these days!  You really enjoy your play mat and are furiously batting at the toys!  You started really social smiling at around 5-6 weeks, which is about the time that we feel like you really started to recognize us.  You will just grin from ear to ear and look around for us when we talk to you.  You are a very happy baby, and smile and coo all the time.  Mornings are the best for you.  You wake up happy around 7:30 or 8:00 and smile, kick, and coo for an hour or so while mommy chats with you and has coffee!  I put your Kick & Play piano in your crib, and if I lay you in there while I'm folding laundry or cleaning upstairs you kick very happily!  You don't know you're kicking and changing the songs, but you seem to enjoy it anyway!  You also enjoy just hanging out in your bouncy chair and taking it all in.

 

 

-Tummy time is much more like nap time for you.  You tolerate me trying to get you to play and push up for a minute or two, but then you snuggle in and fall asleep soon after.  You are very strong though, and when we're holding you you're able to push off our chests, hold your head up, and look around.  Your legs are very strong too, and you push into the floor or our laps when we hold you up.

 

 

-Your first big outing with us was to the Pumpkin Patch and Blues & BBQ Festival when you were 6 weeks and 1 day old.  It was our first major outing where we had to plan for feedings and diaper changes on the go.  You were awesome and slept most of the day!

 

 

 

-Your first outing alone with mommy was to my postpartum appointment when you were 5 weeks and 5 days old.  The office is only about a mile from home, so it wasn't a major outing, but it was the first time I'd used the stroller on my own...I think it took my a solid 5-7 minutes to get your seat snapped in to the stroller!  You did great, but my appointment didn't start on time (shocker) and you got a little fussy when it was time to eat.  No worries though...the ladies in the office were jumping at the chance to hold you and feed you while I finished up with the doctor!

 

-We are trying to take walks everyday, but Hurricane Sandy and a Noreaster brought in some cold, cloudy weather the last few days.  You love to walk and usually sleep the entire time!

 

 

-Daddy's 30th birthday fell this month.  It was our first time away from you over night.  You were 7 weeks and 1 day old.  You were safe and happy with Nana and Gammie both in town.  You got to meet lots of people that weekend too...Uncle Matt, Aunt Jenna, and your cousins Landon and Lola; Daddy's cousin Brooks; Uncle Bubba came with Aunt Rachel; and Daddy's friend Doug.

 

 

-Mommy's birthday was this month too!  Daddy stayed home from work and spent most of the day with you while mommy got a massage and a mani/pedi (that you gave me!).  You and daddy met me for lunch at Mellow Mushroom, which was your first restaurant visit (you were 7 weeks and 6 days).  Daddy and I went out to a nice dinner while Gigi and Grandad came to spend some time with you.

 

 

-You also got to meet some other friends this month who were so sweet to come visit us and bring dinner for mommy and daddy.  You met mommy's friend from college, Aundrea, and you met mommy's child life work friends, Angela, Caroline, Ashlyn, and Katy.

 

-We got word yesterday that your spot opened up in daycare!  You are going to be at the Presbyterian Hospital Child Development Center, so you'll be right across the street from Mommy when I go back to work!  We are excited that you got in.  Of course we wish that Mommy could just stay home with you, but for now we'll do what we have to do and know that you'll be well cared for. 

 

-It's also your first Halloween today!  We aren't trick or treating or dressing up this year because it's going to be very cold tonight and we are staying in.  You are super cute in your Halloween outfit though!

 

 

 

-We take pictures of you constantly!  We feel like you're growing and changing so fast and we want to remember all of it.  Here are a few more fun shots from the last month...

 

5 weeks

6 weeks

7 weeks

8 weeks

 

-Happy two months sweet Ellison.  We love you to the moon and stars and back.

 

 



 

 

 

PTDT - Jalapeno Popper Chicken

In this installment of Pin There, Done That...Jalapeno Popper Chicken.  I made this recipe for Barrett's birthday dinner, and it definitely did not disappoint.  I followed the exact recipe in the link, except I used olive oil in place of canola oil. 

The breading was golden and crispy thanks to a little trick mentioned in the post that I will absolutely be using the next time I bread anything in Panko crumbs.  Who knew that toasting the crumbs first was the secret to crispy deliciousness?  Our jalapenos weren't super hot, so if you're looking for a very spicy dish I'd test your pepper first to see if you'd like to add more.  Next time, we may try to do a sort of roulade with the chicken...pounding it out and then rolling it up with the cheesy mix to try to spread it out into every bite just a little more.  I served it with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans, but it would also be good with some saffron or Mexican rice.  I also like to think that this dish is relatively healthy.  Made with reduced fat cheeses, you're really not looking at too many calories or very much fat.  It will definitely be joining our dinner rotation!