Maternity Leave Days

I wanted a way to remember how my little princess and I spent our 1st 3 months together so I decided to blog about my maternity leave time.  First of all, it wasn't always easy I will start out with that, but I am so grateful I got this time to spend with her.  In the beginning, I would watch the clock until 5:00 came because I knew Steven would be pulling up any minute to give me a breather!!! As the weeks went by, this need for 5:00 disappeared, I think a mother and her new baby just have to have time to figure each other out.  Emery eventually started getting on a good schedule and I learned her cries, her wants, etc. 
You started sleeping through the night around 8-9 weeks, of course, there are still great nights, and sometimes still bad nights but overall you are a great sleeper! After you started sleeping through the night, you get up around 6:30-7:00 and we will have your first bottle in bed.  Then, we would play about 30 minutes or so and you would want to go right back to sleep until about 9:30, then time for another bottle and after that you would sit in your vibrating seat and watch Mickey Mouse, I really think you enjoyed this a lot but it could also have been the colors and music haha. 

This picture has made me notice how bad our cords look behind the tv, hmmm, this could be on the honey-do list soon.

After some play time we would go upstairs and change clothes out of our pjs, and it's time for a quick nap in your crib(yes we are still trying to transform you into your crib)! Around lunchtime we would either stay in and play some more, or a lot of times we would venture out to run errands, or we would go eat lunch with Kristen and your boyfriend Colt, or a lot of times your Granddad would come visit during the day.  This gave mommy a chance to clean up, get a shower, etc. 

You would then go down for another long, swaddled nap late in the afternoon and after this it was time for daddy to come home! After 12 wonderful weeks, I think we are finally getting your cute little self on a schedule.  Wake at 6:45, bottle around 7:00, back to sleep by 8:00 until maybe 9:30 or so.  Bottle #2, then Mickey Mouse and quick nap around 10:30.  Bottle #3 anywhere around 12:00-1:00, then play upstairs on your playmat, mobile in crib, tummy time, etc.  Then time for one more quick cat nap around 2:00.  Wake and Bottle #4 around 3:00, then play some more and time for your swaddled afternoon nap around 3:30-4:00.  We are trying to get your last nap a little earlier and not let you sleep longer than 5:30 so you are ready for your bedtime at 8:00-8:30 :).

Your schedule has been hard to come by especially since we had everything going great until our not so good friend RSV hit and you were a sick little baby.  I have never felt so helpless and am so glad you are back to normal.  This hit the week before I went back to work and took a good 10 days to leave.  You had trouble eating, sleeping, etc. it was a rough week and a half to say the least!!! When RSV decided to leave though, your appetite picked up times TEN! You have hit your 3-month growth spurt and you are eating like a little pig! More to come on this subject in your 3-month blog post :). 

The 12 weeks we spent just me and you were the best days of my life, but it is time for mommy to go back to work, it was the hardest day of my life to leave you, but it makes our nights and weekends so much more special.  Your daddy has taken over and is keeping you until March 1st when your Aunt Lindsay will start keeping you, I'm so glad yall are getting to spend these days together.  Mommy feels so much better about knowing you are with people who love you, I'm sure this is the best option for you besides mommy of course :).  We love you so much and I love rushing home in the afternoons to see your sweet face!!!!