Her Big Girl Crib

We've had some sleepless nights - no surprise there, we brought home a baby. Alice sleeps in a bassinet in our room until her morning feeding when we move to the living room. Until last night. 

Last night we decided to try her out in her crib in her room. We have a full sized bed in there as well so one of us can comfortably sleep with her in her room. With her monitor still attached, it's important that someone is present at all times in case it goes off. 

So last night she got to sleep in her big girl crib. And she slept well! HOLLA!

Random Rant: Disregard the fact that she has toys in her crib and blankets and is not sleeping on her back. Yeah, yeah, I know - we're horrible parents, the doctor already has it in the chart. When he asks me how she sleeps I say anyway she wants! When he continues to look at me I follow up by saying I don't want to tell him how she sleeps which leads to me telling him she sleeps on her tummy which is apparently the WORST THING EVER. And that leads to notes in the chart. For real. Whatever! She's hooked to a monitor that will blare in the event her breathing or heart stops - that means she can sleep on her tummy if she wants to. 

And seriously - who would deny anything to this face?!

We're in trouble.

;)

Today I'm thankful she seems to adjust well. I'm thankful the dog decided to sleep with me in the baby's room last night. I know this has more to do with the baby and less about me but I'll take what I can get! I'm thankful for online shopping, free shipping and paying for everything with reward points. Reward points might be the best thing ever!

Until next time....

A Long Weekend

It was so lovely having a few days at home as a family. We didn't have to do anything - we just got to hang out with our girl and her dog. Alice had some visitors, my Beloved got to work on some Honey-Do items and I got to decorate for Christmas! 

Aunt Monica came by to see little bitty! 

Meyers, our Elf on the Shelf made his first appearance! 

We FINALLY got her swing going! (Swing Side Story: We registered for the cutest swing from Fisher Price from their Animal Crackers series. It had letters and animals all over it. And on the seat - it had the letters A & C. PERFECT!! Those are her initials! Only by the time we purchased said swing - it had been discontinued. Of course it had been discontinued  So we spent several hours in Babies R Us looking at other swings. Mainly this was Daniel looking at swings - I was sulking, nothing ever works out the way I planned. So we purchased a different swing. My Beloved puts it together only to have it not work. Lovely. The instructions say not to return the product to the store but to call the company directly. My patient husband makes the call and the new part magically appeared on the front porch the day after Thanksgiving. And she seems to like it! She's so tiny but we're making it work!)

Our tree is up! And our little family is represented! The year we got Atticus, my Aunt Kristl painted a puppy ornament to match our pound puppy. It's the cutest thing! This year, our friend Mrs. Theresa gave us a frog ornament (I have an affinity for frogs) with the three of us represented. And it's perfect. And there we are - all in a row. The Christie Family on the Christmas tree. 

I'm thankful for 3 days without anywhere to go. I'm thankful for leftovers, unexpected rain and visits from the ones I love. I'm thankful for FedEx, fast customer service and a working swing. 

Until next time...

Family - Both Blood and Beyond

Merriam-Webster defines 'family' as "a people or group of peoples regarded as deriving from a common stock."

Family isn't only blood. 'Family' are neighbors, coworkers, friends. 'Family' are the ones that encourage you and make you laugh. They are the ones that are happy for you when good things happen and there to pick you up when things fall apart. They are the ones you can go months without seeing and yet feel like you see them every day when you're together. 'Family' goes out of their way to be there. 'Family' are the ones you worry for. They're near and far and everywhere in between. They are the ones that claim you and you them. 

And family loves. No matter what.

Today I'm thankful for a day with family - both blood and beyond. I'm thankful for lots of food, naps on Momma's floor and the knowledge we are loved. I'm thankful for safety of travel and my favorite episode of The Big Bang Theory. I'm also thankful for the cutest little Turkey I've ever seen! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

The Christie's 

Homecomings

Travis came home today! Our college boy is back and today he got to meet his niece for the first time.

Uncle Travis and Alice

Isn't that just the sweetest thing?!

Today I'm thankful for safe flights, homecomings and laughter. I'm thankful for Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes and being with the ones I love. 

Until next time.....

Her Stocking

I practiced self control for almost two weeks and now I just don't care. Her stocking is hung! And it's perfect! 

What a difference a year makes! Last year I didn't decorate the house for Christmas. I lacked the Christmas spirit something fierce and the tree - while up - had no ornaments. None. But this year I just can't wait! It's our first Christmas as a FAMILY! It's HER first Christmas! Granted I know she won't remember a thing but we will and that's what counts. 

And it brings me so much joy to see our stockings hung on the mantle. :)

Today I'm thankful for naps, Gripe Water and the Christmas spirit! 

Until next time....

Surprises in the Mail!!

Getting a care package from someone is almost as awesome as sending a care package to someone! ;)

And today, Alice received a package from Aunt Kelley all the way from New York!

And thanks to her Aunt Kelley - she will be the CUTEST baby on the block! And all other babies will be envious of her New York onesie and matching stroller Poodle. :) Our girl sure is loved.

Today I'm thankful for hot showers, boxes in the mail and 4 quarters added to her Piggy Bank.

Until next time....

Her Photographer

Last week our friend Libby from Captured Moments Tx came by to shoot pictures of our little princess and they are ADORABLE! (Under Little Ones - look for Alice Anne!)

Disclaimer: This is a picture I took with my phone

I love that we have someone in our lives that will be able to capture her for years to come. 

Someone we trust. 

Someone who is already smitten with our girl. 

Seriously, who wouldn't be though? She's SO stinkin' cute! ;)

I'm thankful Mrs. Libby was willing to come to La Porte on a school night to take pictures of Itty Bitty. I'm thankful for thawed out Gumbo and quiet nights at home. 

Until next time....

Hot Chocolate

My Beloved got me a hot chocolate maker for Christmas last year and it's cold enough to break it out of the cabinet. HOLLA!

I'm thankful for yummy hot chocolate, fuzzy socks and visits with the family. 

Until next time....

Our 8 Week Old

Alice Anne had her 8 week check up today! She weighed 5lbs 8 oz and is growing like she's supposed to. She's responding like a champ and moving her head like a term baby. The doctors are still impressed with our girl. She's a preemie but just doesn't know it. ;)

And since she's 8 weeks old, she got her two month old shots. And shots are dumb. 

So we cuddled.

She screamed like a Banshee during the shot but immediately calmed down after and I didn't cry! I was so proud!

Today I'm thankful Momma and Mamaw came to sit with Alice while my Beloved and I ran some errands. I'm SO thankful she's doing SO well! And I'm thankful my doctors are getting closer to figuring out what's wrong with me. 

Until next time....

Our Silly Beast

We love our pound puppy. He drives us bananas but we'd be lost without him. And we worried a lot about how he was going to handle our new arrival. And so far he's been cautiously curious! He can't figure out the new noise maker but knows she's interesting.

She starts grunting and he goes to sit next to her Pack-n-Play and looks at us like "fix it". 

You see, Atticus isn't big on noise. At all. And little Alice came home on an Apnea monitor that monitors her heart rate and breathing; however it also goes off when the leads move like when our wiggle worm stretches. And Atticus doesn't approve. At all.

Atti has two safe places in the house - the laundry room and the fire place behind my Beloved's chair. Since bringing Alice home - he's added our closet to the list. The first time the alarm went off we couldn't find him anywhere. Daniel finally found him behind the clothes in our closet shaking like a leaf. 

It's okay to laugh. I laughed. He's such a big baby. He has become more accustomed to the alarm and no longer hides in the closet but he does opt to swiftly leave the room when she's being moved around.

He seems to be enamored with her. We came home from the doctor the other day and he ran straight to her Pack-n-Play to check on her before he attacked my beloved. This made me smile until I realized I'm now a peg lower on his list. Stupid dog. ;)

I'm thankful he's a sweet puppy that hasn't tried to eat the baby. And I'm thankful Alice completely sleeps through his barking. I'm thankful tomorrow I get to leave the house even if it is to go to the doctor! I'm thankful we have a wiggly, healthy 8 week old (who isn't due for another 3 weeks)!

And I'm hopeful that whoever rang the doorbell 6 minutes in to my nap on the couch causing our sweet pound puppy to go completely bonkers goes to bed with heartburn. 

Okay fine, that was mean. I'm hopeful they're thankful I didn't make it to the door before they disappeared. Is that better?

;)

Until next time.....

Her Wonderland: The DIY Projects

When it came to her room, I had lots of ideas! And because my hands were hurting so bad I tried to get through them early on, which turned out to be a blessing because she came early! So here's what I made!

 

I saw a picture of this on Pinterest and decided to make it myself. It's a felt cloud with felt raindrops and hangs over her changing table. The project cost about $10.

Her changing table station!

Again, a picture on Pinterest inspired this project. I LOVED the embroidery circles so I used old table linens from my grandmother to make these. 

They decorate the wall above her bed and cost about $12.

Her bed!

I found this blog post with a baby stats project I just loved. Here's how Alice's turned out.

Her stats!

It hangs over the bookshelf by her bed along with her feet imprints and an Owl picture from her Aunt Tami.

Making the stats inspired me to make a few more signs for her room. 

This project cost about $15 with wood and paint.

    

And finally! With the scraps I had left over from the circle project, I used this blog's tutorial to make a door latch cover to help quiet the door. 

This project cost me nothing because I had all the items already! HOLLA!

Her room is done and I love it. It's magical and girly and dainty. It's my favorite room in house....

....until she turns four and asks for a total Camo room. 

It's going to happen, I just know it. ;)

Today I'm thankful for cooler days, fuzzy blankets and time to snuggle with our girl.

Until next time....

Her Silly Daddy

My Beloved knows a lot of things. One of the things he has a decent amount of knowledge in is Flag Code.

Several years ago when he worked for the radio station in Center, the topic of disposing of a flag came up and being the responsible newsman he was, he did some research. His research led to the knowledge that everyone breaks flag code. 

Now when he sees the flag being displayed improperly he calmly says "they're breaking Flag Code."

My husband wasn't a Boy Scout or Eagle Scout or any kind of Scout. He just REALLY likes to follow the rules and finds it offensive that others don't have the same desire.

We were watching the football game this weekend and during the National Anthem honoring the Veterans, they spread a huge flag over the football field. This garnered a "that's against Flag Code." This really troubled him because it was soldiers holding the flag and they should know better. I tried to tell him that I'm pretty sure Flag Code isn't law and that he's the only one who can rattle off the specifics anyway. 

This made my Beloved raise his eyebrows and shake his hands in protest. :)

I love that he can be so passionate about Flag Code. 

Alice has a silly Daddy.

In her baby book there is a section to list our interests. Guess what's going on Daniel's list?

Yep. Flag Code. 

I'm thankful for her Daddy and how much he loves her. I'm thankful he'll get up at 2am to feed and change her. I'm thankful that he loves music and Flag Code and NPR and me. 

Until next time....

This Face

I'm thankful for these eyes. 

This delicate little nose. 

These pouty little lips. 

These rosy cheeks.

And I wouldn't change a thing.

Until next time...

Cutting up in Infant Class

I didn't get a chance to post about our Infant Class fun before Little Bit came home so I'm backtracking a little. 

We arrived just before class started so I had to run up to the NICU to drop off Alice's food while my Beloved signed us in and picked out our baby. When I get down to class - this is what greets me....

Daniel said she was the next baby in the basket and thought picking over her might be seen as racist and would be added to our already lengthy chart and he felt this was a test. We had an explosive diaper incident in the NICU - the chart was getting thicker, I just knew it. Those NICU Nurses chart everything! 

We pick a seat at the back of the class because we are one of two couples NOT pregnant. (The couple in front of us were having a baby via surrogate - I'm glad we got to sit by them; I hope it helped her to see me choke up with her when things were mentioned that we'll never get.)

We start the class by saying who we are and our due date. We're last so that's fun. "Well, she was due December 2nd and born on September 20th. And we can tell you the NICU here is fantastic." The teacher then spent the rest of class sending us apologetic looks when she mentioned something about the birthing process and hospital polices and the nursery rules and such that don't apply to us. However we did get to show them what a nursery band looked like! 

We discussed the importance of Skin to Skin right after birth, something else we didn't get to do. We then watched a video of the birthing process and we decided that a C-section with general anesthesia is the way to go! The miracle of life is gross. Totally gross. 

We went over basic child care and practiced bathing, swaddling and diapering. We talked about coping with crying and the teacher mentioned checking over the baby to find the problem for example if they're too cold or hot or have a dirty diaper. 

My Beloved: So basically babies are just like chickens and they just want to be comfortable.
Me: Chickens?! Really Daniel?!
(Daniel wants me to point out that this was said to only me and not announced to the class. ;) )

We learned how to suck out boogers and it was mentioned that you could use your own mouth. This caused my Beloved to gag and immediately say "not in my house!" ;) And I laughed until tears came. Seriously - I wish I had taken a picture of his face. It was classic! 

We watched a short video from The Happiest Baby on the Block where we learned 3 of the 5 steps to make a baby stop crying. 
Step 1: Swaddle
Step 2: Put them on their side 
Step 3: Scream SHHHHHHHH in their ear really loudly
Steps 4 & 5 were skipped. I hope Alice is okay with the SHHHHHHHHing.

Then the class was opened to questions. A mom asked about birthing plans and I snorted. I didn't mean to, it just came out. Bless her heart.

SOAP BOX ALERT!: We talked a lot about the importance of breast feeding. Apparently the hospital is now "Baby Friendly" which apparently means all they are allowed to encourage is breast feeding so much so that NICU nurses make you feel inadequate when you bring a small amount of milk for your baby. It's lovely. But not really.  Like I need the additional pressure. Breast feeding is no fun ladies! None at all! And it's NOT EASY! AND if you have a baby at 29 weeks and 4 days and spend three days after delivery completely drugged out in ICU without even laying eyes on your child and go another week before you are even allowed to hold your child - it's REALLY not easy. 

Soap box over.

We had a lot of fun in class and tried not to cause too much trouble. We followed up infant class with infant CPR and I was thankful the dummies didn't look like real babies which made it easier. Had they resembled real babies I think I would have cried the entire time. Now I just hope we never have to use it. 

We've had little Alice home a little over a week now and we are in LOVE!!! And she is doing great! So it doesn't matter that we didn't get to do Skin to Skin the second she came in to the world. Or that she's getting both formula and breast milk. Or that she was born much too soon.

She's ours and she's a fighter and that's all that matters. 

And we are thankful for her always. I'm thankful that she doesn't realize she's small and she's growing more and more every day. 

Until next time....

A Case of Wipes

So far today I've changed 6 totally disgusting diapers courtesy of the cutest little baby on the block which has also resulted in 2 wardrobe changes and all her linens being washed. 

It's a good thing she's so cute! ;)

Today I'm thankful for a case of wipes, Dreft laundry detergent and drawer full of outfits. I'm thankful she's content and doesn't seem to mind loud noises. I'm thankful for her increasing alertness so I can see her pretty little eyes. :)

Until next time.....

Hello Old Friend

We had a long night that lasted through the morning so I opened a bottle I've been waiting since March to open.

And it was lovely.

Today I'm thankful for a very small glass of wine, naps when I can get them and that the weekend is only a few days away. ;)

Until next time.....

Her Villagers

They say it takes a village to raise a child and I agree. Not because parents are incapable of doing it on their own but because I think it takes the world to encourage and grow a child. I think it takes a slew of villagers to love a child. And I think everyone brings something different to the world. Her world.

And I can't wait to see who she becomes because of them.

And Alice is one very loved little girl who has a world full of "Aunts" standing by to spoil her. My Beloved doesn't think they should all be aunts but he's confused. ;) 

Since she's been home she's had visitors from her all of her grandparents, a great aunt, two great grandma's and her crazy aunt Tami. ;) And that's just the beginning.

Today I'm thankful for the people who already love her. The people who are elated to meet her. The people who have been praying and are still praying for her. I'm thankful for her cute little button nose, a trip to Hobby Lobby with my Momma and more ice cream.

Until next time..

For the Young One

This is a slight departure from my month of thanks but it applies!

My brave young friend Kelley moved to New York and since her move - she's been through two NY hurricanes. It might be her bringing them there. Just a thought. ;)

Hurricane Sandy did a number on her new home and the surrounding areas and they could all use some help. And being the smart young things they are - they made it super easy.

http://www.redbubble.com/people/helpnewyorkers

So if you have time and a few extra dollars - check out the website! 

I'm thankful for our friendship! I'm thankful a friendship can survive via text and social media outlets and FaceTime. I'm thankful for 4 quarter bets, candles and the fact that she made it through the storm.

Told ya she was brave.

Until next time....

My Momma

She's worth at least two days of thanks so she gets it. :)

I'm thankful my mom is willing to drive to La Porte two days in a row to watch Alice for us. I'm thankful she loves me and supports me and encourages me. I'm thankful I have the freedom to vote even though I totally didn't get a sticker. ;) I'm thankful for cooler weather and short lines at the poll. 

Until next time....

Checked Off To-Do's

Today we marked off several things off our To Do list. I love lists. I love the feeling of accomplishment that comes with drawing lines through tasks I've completed. It brings me joy. 

We worked on Alice's room! Pictures are coming soon - I promise. And I started the thank you cards for last weeks baby shower. It's hard to believe it was only last Saturday. What a difference a week makes.

Today I'm thankful for rainy morning naps with my girl, a husband who is a perfectionist when it comes to hanging things and a day without make up. I'm thankful her room is finally coming together and that it's time to go to bed. :)

Until next time....

A Saturday at Home

This was the first Saturday in 6 weeks we've stayed home and it was lovely. We had no obligations and no trips to the hospital to make. We got to stay in our jammies until after noon and it was perfect. 

We celebrated with Blue Bell's Cookies and Cream. Yumm!!

Today I'm thankful for time with my sister - I do enjoy our adventures! I'm thankful for visits from family and an almost complete nursery!  I'm thankful for modern technology and the ability to FaceTime with our California family! I'm thankful I can fit in to my pre-pregnancy pants a month before my due date - who can honestly say that? !'m thankful for the TV show Modern Family and the laughter it brings.  And I'm thankful we get an extra hour tonight even though I know it won't matter one bit to Baby Girl. ;)

And now I'm thankful we're going to bed.

Good night!

Until next time.....

BABY CHEEKS!!!!

Aunt Tami is visiting tonight and she makes Alice smile. 

And her cheeks are totally ADORABLE.

For reals.

Today I'm thankful Alice weighs 4lbs and 12 ounces and had a great first check up with her Pediatrician. I'm thankful for Ibuprofen Cold & Sinus and naps on the couch with my girl. And I'm thankful for her Daddy who just adores her. :)

Until next time....

My Cup Runneth Over Take 2!

Last year in November I posted something I was thankful for every day for a month. 

This year - I know the definition of thankful. 

Tuesday we got a call from the doctor saying we could pick up our girl and bring her home. 

Her home. 

Our home.

Our NICU nurse Jessica and our friend Theresa were there to see us out and I'm thankful for them. I'm thankful for ALL the staff at the hospital who took care of our girl. I'm thankful for all the prayers from everyone! We felt each one and were comforted and encouraged. 

Mrs. Theresa took this last pic in the NICU!

Today I'm thankful for sleepless nights, baby grunts and dirty diapers. I'm thankful we have a feisty little girl who got to come home a month before her due date. I'm thankful for a massive support system who loves us and her very much. 

I'm thankful to know what being thankful means. 

Until next time...