Photography

I read a blog the other day that said if you enjoy photography the best way to get better at it is to take pictures every single day!  I'm not quite there yet - I do have a full time job, home and family to take care of - but I'm trying!  Here are some pictures I took yesterday of Lilly.  I'll be posting my favorites on the blog so I don't annoy all my FB friends by constantly creating albums!

Happy Hump Day friends... only one more day of work for me, and then I'm off for a wedding! 

Three Month Pictures

About a month or two after we found out I was pregnant, Mark and I started looking at DSLR cameras.  I really wanted a nice camera because my Kodak point and shoot was quite a few years old and I knew I'd want to take pictures of Baby T with something more than my cell phone.  We were really close to buying one on Black Friday, but we didn't actually get around to buying one until March.  I wish we had gotten one sooner, then I could have actually learned how to use it BEFORE Lilly arrived, but hindsight is 20/20... 

Anyway... here we are, three months after Lilly's birth, and I'm just getting around to learning how to shoot in... gasp... manual!  I was terrified of using settings other than auto, but I found some really good tutorials (off Pinterest, of course) and have been testing them out on my favorite subject.  This weekend, I did a photo shoot with Lilly for her three month pictures:

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend - we really enjoyed ours!  We are looking forward to a short work week, and a wedding on Friday!

Three Month Favorites

We've been having a rough few days around here... it started last week.  Lilly has been SUPER fussy - welcome to teething I guess!  She has good days and bad days, but when they're bad, they are BAD.  Some days, she doesn't want ANYONE but me to hold her.  She'll only fall asleep in my arms or on me.  Then when I put her down, she cries and it starts all over again, but it's worse because she's overtired.

We've also started to transition her out of the newborn napper on the pack and play and into the crib and it wasn't going so well at first.  Thanks to some suggestions on Facebook, we finally had a good night last night!  Cross your fingers tonight is good too!  But enough with all that, and on to the monthly favorites!

 1.  Sophie the Giraffe

We got Sophie out a few weeks ago to get Lilly used to her, and she's been a huge hit!  I don't know what it is about her, but Lilly just loves Sophie.  It helps that she actually started teething, so Sophie's skin is super soft, and she loves gumming her nubby ears and trying to fit one of Soph's legs in her mouth.  She is also getting pretty good at making her squeak.  The only thing we have to watch for is Dash... he circles like a hawk waiting for Sophie to fall to the ground so he can run off with her!

2.  Bumbo Floor Seat

We noticed around 8 weeks that Lilly kept trying to pull herself up, and she's always liked being held upright, so as soon as she hit 9 weeks, we bought this gem.  She loves sitting up and watching us.  It's great for those nights we like to eat dinner in the living room and Lilly doesn't want to lay on the floor.  She's really strong, so it's just helping her get stronger and hopefully sit up on her own much sooner (and she's actually quite good so far without the seat)!  I would recommend getting the tray add-on - it will come in handy for food when she can have it, but right now it's great for toys!

3.  Boppy Pillow

We love using the Boppy to help prop Lilly upright when she gets tired of the Bumbo.  She also uses it for tummy time!  Perfect for strengthening those little arms and neck muscles!  

4.  SaraBear Diaper Caddy

This is great for us, because we don't have a changing table, just a changing pad on Lilly's dresser.  It's easy to move around from room to room, and has tons of places for all the little things you want to keep out (nail clippers, comb, bulb syringe, small bottles of lotion) plus has room for big things too - a wipes container fits perfectly in the middle, and there's spots for big bottles of sanitizer and lotion too!

5.  Fisher Price Calming Waters Vibration Tub

We've used this tub from the beginning with Lilly.  From 0-3 months, you use it with the sling.  It's great!  Lilly LOVES that it vibrates, it totally calms her down and makes bathtime so much easier - and let's face it, when you're dealing with a slippery uncooperative baby, easier is always better!

6.  Dr. Smith's Diaper Ointment

We got some samples of this from my cousin.  We had tried so many different kinds of ointments for Lilly, but this is the ONLY one that works SUPER fast.  When Lilly's butt is getting a little red, we put it on her once or twice, and it's gone and then we're good to go.  The only thing that sucks is it's not sold in stores.  :(

7.  Carter's Bodysuits

I love the Carter's onesies because I've found they hold their shape so much better than the Gerber ones.  I also love that they have three snaps instead of two.  We were able to keep Lilly in the newborn long sleeve ones for about 2 months - which was amazing!  They're a little more expensive, but I think they're worth the extra money!

8.  Books

We got so lucky at our baby shower - everyone brought books instead of cards, so Lilly had a library collection started even before she was born!  We read to her every chance we get - it's part of our bedtime routine and it helps her calm down and get ready for bed.

9.  BabyCenter My Baby Today App

I love this app.  I love it so much, I made my hubby get it too.  I had the pregnancy app when I was pregnant and it was great too.  I highly recommend this app.  It has really great info on how baby is developing and what kinds of things your baby should be doing at certain times, and has all kinds of tips, tricks, and even humor... which all new moms need!

Dear Lilly

Dear Lilly,

You are finally here baby girl!  Five days late, and after twenty-four hours of labor, they placed you in my arms, and it was love at first sight.  Of course, you were fashionably late, just like your mama.  That's how I knew you were a girl.  I was so impatient for you to get here, but you were worth the wait.  Not only were you late, but you took your sweet time getting here too, and then all of a sudden, BAM, you wanted out.  You may look like your daddy, but you are your mama's little girl.

I love being your mommy.  I love waking up to your little smiles.  I love it when your entire face breaks out into the BIGGEST grin I've ever seen on a baby.  You smile with your whole face, and it's so amazing.  Your little laugh is, to my ears, the most magical sound in  the world - it brings tears of joy to my eyes.

I can't believe how incredibly lucky I am to be able to call you my daughter.  I can't wait to see you grow up, though I wish I could slow down how quickly time is going by.  I feel like I was just welcoming you into this world, and now you are almost three months old, no longer a newborn, and with quite a personality.  You love to talk, but you're also very quiet and observant too.  And you have no problem letting us know when something is upsetting you!

You amaze me every day with the things you do, and I love seeing you grow and discover new things.  I love you so much Lillypad, so much more than you will ever know.

Love,
Mommy

One + Two Month Favorites

Wow, can you believe Lilly is almost three months old?  Everyone told us that time flies by when you have a baby, but I didn't really believe it until now.  I feel like I blinked and she's turned into an infant, no longer a newborn!  It honestly feels like it was just yesterday that I was calling Mark to tell him that my water broke and he needed to come home!

When I started this blog, I had every intention of posting regularly even after Baby T arrived... but wouldn't you know, life happened.  I feel like the last two months flew by in a blur, and I didn't want to miss a single second of Lilly's first 12 weeks, and I just couldn't ever find the time to sit down and write a post!  But hopefully now we're getting into more of a routine, it will be easier to post a few times a month.  Anyway, enough with the excuses, let's get down to business and talk about our monthly favorites!  I'll try to post these every month when I put up Lilly's monthly pictures!

One Month Favorites

1. My Little Snugabunny Swing

This was a life saver for us when we first got home with Lilly.  She loves to be held and moved around and obviously we couldn't always do that.  Putting her in the swing allowed us to cook and eat dinner together more often than if we didn't have the swing.  And then, once Mark was back to work and my family wasn't coming up to help out, it allowed mommy to put Lilly down long enough to shower!

2. aden+anais muslin swaddle blankets

These were great because as Lilly got bigger we couldn't use the hospital receiving blankets anymore.  They're super lightweight, so I didn't feel bad about putting her in a onesie, sleep sack, and then swaddling her.  They're also super stretchy so you can wrap up your little babe as tight as a burrito and they stay put!  Also great for using as a background for taking pictures (the plain white ones).

3. My Brest Friend nursing pillow

I wasn't originally going to register for this one until we took our breastfeeding class.  The lactation consultant pointed out how awesome it was and I have to agree!  It stays put thanks to the buckle, has great back support, and gives you the ability to use your hands.  Let's face it, nursing 8-12 times a day for 20+ minutes is a lot, and sometimes you just want to be able to read a book, play some games, or channel surf.

4. Graco Pack'n'Play with Newborn Napper

Another life saver!  This was great for us because I didn't want to spend money on a bassinet on it's own for something we would only use for a few months.  This version has more than paid for itself.  The newborn napper is amazing - Lilly still sleeps in it.  The changing table makes it super easy for those late night feedings and diaper changes, and I LOVE the vibration on it.  One tip - stock up on batteries for it, and get the product replacement plan.  The vibration can go out and Babies R Us gave us money for a brand new one.  I know this is something that we will be able to use for years to come.

5. Advent Soothie Pacifier

I originally didn't want Lilly to get a pacifier in the hospital since I am breastfeeding, and I was worried about nipple confusion, but she didn't have any confusion at all.  This was the one that we got from the hospital and we love it.  I love that it's all one piece and can't come apart (and then be choked on!) so I don't have to worry about giving it to her at nap and bedtime.  It's also super easy to clean.  They come in green, blue, pink and purple.  

6. Lansinoh Soothie Gel Pads

These are amazing.  Pop them in the fridge and they're even more amazing.  When you're breastfeeding on demand, especially in the beginning when you're both trying to figure out what the hell you're doing, these gel pads offer some relief to your cracked, bleeding nipples.  And trust me, they will crack and bleed, but only for a few days IF you're latched properly.  I still use them when Lilly has marathon feeds or cluster feeds.  Obviously if you're still in pain after a few days, call your lactation consultant and GET HELP EARLY.  Do not wait a month.  Breastfeeding should never be painful. 

7. Water

This one is something that the nurses and lactation consultants beat into my (and my husband's) head while we were in the hospital.  You need water to flush out all the excess fluid that built up during your pregnancy, and you need water for your milk production.  Think of it this way, if you're dehydrated, your milk is dehydrated, and then you're dehydrating your baby.  My hubby would make sure I had PLENTY of water to drink at every feeding, at least 8 ounces, usually more like 16.  Sometimes I would drink a whole 32 ounce water bottle during a feeding.

8. Protein Bars

These are great to have to snack on when you literally don't have a free second to eat anything else.  I probably have eaten over 12 boxes of these in Lilly's first 12 weeks.  They are amazing to snack on when you're feeding because you will sit down, struggle to get your babe latched on, finally get comfortable, and instantly be famished and feel totally parched.  Keep these (and water) at all your nursing stations within arms length and you'll be the happiest mama on the block!

9. Graco Travel System Stroller

Again, another lifesaver.  This was great for us because it made it so easy to get Lilly in and out of the car.  She likes to fall asleep as soon as we start moving, so I would never want to have to wake her up to bring her in.  Plus it's such a breeze to click in and out of the car and onto the stroller.  We love it!!

Two Month Favorites

1. Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive
While Lilly was still in the hospital, she started to get a little red butt that we figured would clear up when we got home.  We were using Huggies Pure and Natural diapers, and I really liked them.  Then we started using the size 1's we got in the diaper cakes from our shower - and they were just the regular Little Snugglers.  Her rash kept getting worse, to the point that we needed a prescription medication.  We tried all kinds of diaper creams, but after switching to the Sensitive Swaddlers, she hasn't had any rash since!  I'm thinking it was the Little Snugglers, and we're going to give the Pure and Natural diapers another try when we transition to size 2's.  

2. Ingenuity Automatic Bouncer
At first, Lilly didn't really enjoy this.  Fast forward to six weeks, and into month two, and she loved it.  It's great to be able to put her in it while we cook or eat.  She rarely falls asleep in the bouncer, so it's nice to put her in it and not have to worry about her napping and throwing off her entire schedule!

3. Baby Einstein Baby Neptune Play Gym
We bought one of these to introduce toys to Lilly once she was nearing the age where she would start swatting.  She loves laying on the mat and grabbing on to the dangling toys, looking at herself in the mirror and listening to the music!  It's great because it came with a pillow too for tummy time!  

4. Brica Day and Night Light Musical Mirror
The first month without this was awful!  Everytime we drove somewhere I worried about Lilly!  Was she spitting up?  Did she lose her binky?  Was she sleeping?  Silently choking on something?  The mirrors we registered for were good for my hubby's car, but not for my new truck, so this one was a necessity.  I spent the extra $5 to get one with a night light and let me tell you it was WELL worth it!  I love being able to see her whenever I want while we're driving, especially at night.  It's great!

5. Gerber Cloth Diapers
When we went to complete our registry, we debated about how many burp cloths we'd need.  I (the crazy nesting pregnant mother-to-be) argued that we needed at least 10, if not 15.  Mark told me I was bat-shit crazy, and we ended up buying 4.  Guess who was right?  We literally use these EVERY single day and they are hands down my favorite burp cloths.  We have over 20, probably close to 30 and I use them up every week.  In fact, that's usually how I know it's time to do laundry for Lilly.  I keep 8-10 in our room (for night feedings) 6-8 in the nursery, and the remainder in the diaper bag and around the house.  Do NOT be fooled by how rough they feel in the package, they become super soft once you wash them.

6. Summer Infant Privacy Plus Video Monitor
Love, love, love this monitor!  It's great to be able to SEE what my little monster is up to when she's in her room.  We will be buying a second camera in order to have them in different rooms of the house as well.  

7. Baby K'Tan Baby Carrier
This sling has been amazing.  It's great when Lilly is super fussy and only wants to be held.  I throw her in the sling, and go about my business and she's usually fast asleep within 5 minutes.  I will admit, I had to have Mark teach me how to use it, because I was too lazy to look up the videos online.  

8. Ameda Purely Yours Breast Pump
This is a great pump.  It came with extra parts, which was great, and a hand pump, which I actually use quite a bit.  Great for moms going back to work, and great for those times when you just don't want someone attached to your boob.  I have been trying to pump more often in order to build up a supply for those (rare) date nights when Lilly sleeps over at Nana's.  I have to say though, get a hands free bra so you don't have to sit there and hold the flanges.  It helps to keep your mind off of how much you're producing.  I didn't want to spend the money on one, so instead I cut two small holes in the BeBand I DIDN'T use while I was pregnant (biggest waste of money, turned useful contraption ever).

9. Hand Sanitizer 
I know that babies need to be exposed to germs and whatnot, but this puts my overprotective mama mind at ease.  We keep a big bottle by the front door, one at the changing table, and extra bottles in the diaper bags.  It's great when we go to parties outdoors (and since it's summer, that's usually what we're doing every weekend) and there isn't a sink readily available.  Some people give me crap about it, but I honestly don't give a shit... it's my kid, so if you want to hold her, you play by my rules.

10. Canon EOS Rebel T3 DSLR Camera
We bought this before Lilly made her grand entrance, specifically to take pictures during labor and delivery.  I love it.  I don't know what the hell I'm doing, but it takes great pictures super fast, which, as you all know, with a baby is super important!

Lillian's Birth Story

40 Weeks, 4 Days: Heading to the hospital!

I've been thinking about this post for the past week and a half, and just haven't really had a chance to sit down and write it all out.  Lillian is 2 weeks old now, but we have only had her home for one week.  Here is her birth story.

I went in for my 40 week check up on 4/1.  My doctor had been talking induction the week of April 1st if we hadn't had a baby by then, and I wasn't very happy about it.  Since there was no change from the last 4 appointments, we were definitely going to have to be induced by Sunday the 7th.  Mark and I went back and forth about what day we wanted the induction - unfortunately, there were no openings on either of the days we wanted.  We either had to wait until the 7th, or be induced on the evening of the 4th and deliver without Dr. Embry.  I decided I wanted to get it over with, so we picked the 4th.  

I started work on 4/3, knowing it was my last day before starting my leave, and I was anxious.  We had to be at the hospital at 5 PM on the 4th, so we planned on cleaning, doing some laundry, and just relaxing on our last night/day at home.  Around 12:45 PM on the 3rd, I felt like I was leaking, and I wondered if my water had broken.  I wasn't sure, so naturally, I googled it to find out what it felt like.  At that point, I decided it was just normal discharge (gross, I know) and went back to work.  I kept feeling like I was leaking, so I kept running back and forth to the bathroom and a little before 1, I called Mark and told him I wasn't sure, but I thought my water had broken.  He told me to call the dr. because they could check for sure.  I went to the bathroom and was calling the dr. when I stood up to pull up my pants and my water broke all over the bathroom floor!  I hung up and called Mark back immediately and told him it was baby time!!!  He was in a daze, and asked if I wanted him to come home now, or wait until he got off work!  I yelled "Of course you need to come home now!!!"  I called work, my mom, the doctor, and texted my brother and sisters (my dad was still working, so my mom called him).  Dr. Embry wanted me to come in as soon as Mark got home, so I finished packing our bags and started to make cookies for the nurses.  

We got to the hospital around 3 PM and I was admitted and put on the monitor.  I was still only 1 cm dilated, so we started walking as soon as I could get off the monitor.  I wanted to be mobile for the delivery, and free to move, sit, bounce, do whatever.  Around 6, the nurses checked me again, and there was still no change.  Dr. Embry said I could walk until 8 PM, and if I was still only 1 cm, they were going to start Pitocin to get things moving.  She was concerned about infection since my water broke but I wasn't progressing.  Usually they like a baby within 24 hours of your water breaking.  I had until 1 PM to get that baby out or we would start discussing c-sections. 

At 8 PM, there was still no change, so I was put on Pitocin.  No more walking around for me.  I needed to be on the monitor continually.  I could sit/stand next to the bed, or be on the ball, but I had to be hooked up.  The nurses really tried their best to find baby on the monitor in those positions, but our baby was stubborn, and would only cooperate when I was in one position on the bed.  If I moved, she disappeared from the monitor and the nurses would come in again and spend a half hour trying to get me in a good position to monitor her.  Those were the longest hours of my life.  I wasn't opposed to getting pain medicine or an epidural, but I really wanted to try going natural, and laying still in one position was not going to be the best way to do that.  Around 6 AM, I caved and asked for the pain medicine.  I could get it once an hour.  It lasted for 45 minutes.  At 6:45, I was begging for another shot.  The day nurses came in around 7:15 with my 2nd dose and asked how I felt about an epidural.  At that point I was all for it.  I was only 3 cm dilated and couldn't move to alleviate the pain, so at 8 AM, the anesthesiologist came in and gave me the epidural.  It felt great and worked like a charm.  

A little before 10 AM, Dr. Embry came in to check me, and I was only 4 cm.  She thought it could possibly be another 8 hours or so and decided to talk again around 6 PM if there was still no baby.  At this point, the nurses were checking my temperature every 1-2 hours since they were concerned with infection.  They came in around 11 to check on me and I told them that I kept feeling like I had to pee, even though I had a catheter in (for the epidural).  They made everyone get out of the room so they could check me, and I was shocked when they said I had gone from 4 cm to 9 cm in an hour!!  I did a few practice pushes, and then we let the baby descend on her own for about a half an hour.  At noon, they checked me again and I was 10 cm... it was time to start pushing!! 

The nurses paged my doctor and while they got everything set up, I pushed and pushed.  Around 12:30, the nurses were paging Dr. Embry repeatedly, and I knew we were close to having a baby!  Dr. Embry made it just in time... a few more pushes, and Lilly's head was out!  The cord was wrapped around her neck, and Dr. Embry tried to slip it over her head, but it was just a little too short, so Mark cut the cord then, and I pushed once more and at 12:44 PM on April 4th, after just shy of 24 hours of labor, she was out.  It was so amazing to hear "It's a girl!"  They put her on my chest and almost immediately they took her away, and I knew something wasn't right.  They took her over to the bassinet and started cleaning her up and working on her.  They paged for more nurses, and finally a neonatologist.  The whole time, I just wanted to see my baby and know she was ok.  It was so scary and all I could do was lie there and cry while the doctor finished up working on me.  

The neonatologist came over to explain what was wrong.  Her heart rate was very high and she was breathing very fast, so they needed to take her down to the NICU to check her out.  It was possibly just from the stress of birth, but they were concerned with infection since my water had been broken close to 24 hours.  I got to hold her for a few minutes, and introduce her to my family, but then they took her away again.  Mark went down to the NICU with her and took pictures while they weighed and measured her.  I knew she was ok and her daddy was with her, but I was so upset that I couldn't be with my baby.  

Almost everything that I had wanted for our birth didn't happen, and all the things that I didn't want to happen did, but in the end, I wouldn't change it one bit.  We ended up with a beautiful baby girl, and I love her more than I ever imagined was possible.  I never knew I could love my husband more than I did before Lilly, but every day I fall even more in love with him as I see him fall in love with our daughter.  I am so very blessed.

Introducing Lillian Marie

It's a little bit delayed, but Mark and I are so overjoyed to introduce our baby girl, Lillian Marie Tucci.  

Lillian arrived on 4/4/13 at 12:44 PM in the afternoon, weighing 8 lb, 1 oz and measuring 20 3/4 inches long.  She is the love of our lives and already has both of us wrapped around her tiny fingers.