Week 3 Update

    I'm kind of freaking out that Noah is 3 weeks old and I'm halfway through my maternity leave. Time is flying by, and I'm sort of not ok with it. We are adjusting sensationally to having Noah here. It helps that she is an awesome baby. She rarely fusses, she's sleeping 4-7 hours at a time, she feeds beautifully on both breast and bottle, and is a total doll. I'm feeling pretty good, too, three weeks out from delivery! Emotionally I'm doing fantastic! I haven't had any baby blues, or ppd episodes- which to be honest I was a little worried about due to my PMDD and family history of depression and anxiety. I've felt great, though, only tears of joy from this lucky mama (unless you count the one St. Judes commercial that made my heart hurt and I had to change the channel). Physically I'm doing way better than most, but still not good enough to suit me! I'm moving around the house, getting out and running errands and today did a 45 minute stroll around the neighborhood! I realize this is great for only 3 weeks, but I'm dying to exercise-exercise. I want to spin, or jog, or something, but I'm just not there yet. It's hard for me to be patient with the healing process because every fiber of my being wants to get the ball rolling on operation "Get Smokin' Hot Bod Back". When ever I'm feeling frustrated with the wait I just snuggle and stare at my baby girl, and I'm thankful I have such a perfect distraction until I'm ready to work it out!!
    Cloth diapering is a total breeze. We're washing diapers every other day, and sunning out the stains as often as the sun will allow. Lately this hasn't been much, although at noon the sun popped out today so I rushed my dirties through the wash and got them outside in a hurry!

our version of line-drying

  Noah is starting to be awake and alert a lot more. She gazes at the ceiling fans, the pattern on our couch, and me! It's clear that she recognizes mine and Chad's voices and faces. It's super sweet when she gazes up at me and I know that she knows who she's looking at. Right now we're feeding every 3-6 hours depending on when she tells us she's hungry. At night she's really good at sleeping at least 4 hours straight, but even more frequently 5-6 hours straight. She's a baby after her mother's heart, because I LOVE SLEEPING. When she's awake she is totally chill. She sat through an entire lunch outing last weekend wide awake. We kept waiting for fussing, or restlessness, but she just sat in her carrier pretty as a peach! I'm not sure what we're going to do when I start work back- Chad and I will be fighting for her. Right now he pretty much steals her the minute he gets home from work...he misses his baby girl during the day!! They tend to have excellent snuggle time during the Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday football games...

   Noah is sleeping in a bassinet at this point. We tried the crib a couple of times but never got more than 1/2 hour out of her. She loves the vibrating newborn napper that attaches to her pack-n-play. It's been a godsend to have that. We keep it set up in our den and that is where she sleeps 80% of the time. We also got a super cute bassinet on a stand that also vibrates that we put in her nursery that she sleeps in some nights after her middle of the night/early morning feeding. That is what she'll sleep in during the day at her caregivers house, so we're trying to get her used to it. She sleeps fairly well in it, but at this point nothing compares to the pack-n-play. 

ahhh...this is the life...

   Momo definitely loves his sissy, but most of the time he just ignores her. He still inspects every new outfit, toy, etc that we bring into the house for her. He'll give her kisses if we hold her down on his level for him to see. They're on the same nap/sleep schedule so they don't do much interacting, though. The past week he has started to get on the couch next to me when I nurse her, an attempt to be a part of the special experience, which is really sweet. I love having both of my babies close! She still has the craziest head of hair. We keep thinking it might fall out, but it doesn't! It's even growing! She's got super long pieces that hang over her ears, and a crazy cowlick in the back that gives her a mad scientist look if we don't keep it brushed! She probably would look even cuter than cute if we trimmed her a bit, but I can't bring myself to cut a 3 week-old's hair. I love every weirdly placed strand of it!! Plus, I like it being a little wild when we put her in a headband!

I am le tired!

  So that's how its been going down here at casa del Stalvey. We're insanely happy, a little tired, a little sore, but totally blessed and loving every minute of this amazing life!! Noah, Dee Dee and I went on a stroll this afternoon and I smelled tea olive on the breeze. My favorite smell ever, and a sure sign that fall is coming. I hope you're all able to get out and look at the leaves changing and see the signs of fall. Love, Layne