3 months old

Size: Based on our scales at home, you are somewhere around 12 pounds, you have definitely hit your 3 month growth spurt and are growing like crazy!!  You are still in size 1 diapers, which are actually starting to get a little snug and this is bad because we have lots of this size haha.  You are now in mainly all 3 month clothes, and honestly I don't think you will be in these very long because you are growing so fast! 
Developments: Nana and Granddad still call you a "mess". You have gotten to be such a good, predictable baby now and that makes for a happy baby, and in turn, a happy mommy and daddy.  You are definitely sleeping through the night now and will go to bed anytime between 8:00-9:00, and you will sleep until about 6:00 or 6:30 to eat, play a few minutes and go back to bed for another 2 or so hours around 7:30.  You still can be laid sleepy, but awake, in your rocker and will fall asleep on your own staring at your gloworm.  Your schedule has been mastered by you, and your mommy and daddy now! Wake at 6:45 to eat, go back to sleep around 7:30 until about 10:00, eat again, play an hour, back to nap around 11:30, eat again around 12:30-1:00, sleep again around 1:30-2:00, eat again around 3:00-3:30, then down for a 2 hour nap around 3:45 or so.  Mommy usually has to wake you up around 5:45 after I get home from work.  You are smiling like crazy and I know you will be laughing anyday now.  You are getting better about tummy time, but you still don't really like it.  You still get very fussy during Jeopardy(around 7:30 each night), but this is just you telling us it's time for you to get a bath, get your bottle, and GET to bed before we have a breakdown!!!! 
Eating: You are growing like a weed!!! Mommy couldn't quite keep up anymore after your 3 month growth spurt hit, so you now get 6 bottles a day, 2 formula, 4 breastmilk, cereal in the morning and night bottles, and you are now drinking 5 ounces each time, WOAH.  
Likes: Vibrating seat, mobile in crib, activity mat, being swaddled, having your butt pat, your paci, bathtime, mommy and daddy playing with you, sleeping in the car, your buddy Colt, looking in the mirror, laying on your changing table with us talking to you(this is when we get the most smiles), you love Mickey Mouse and Jake and the Neverland pirates on Disney.

Dislikes: Being hungry, sleepy, being put in your carseat, cold baby wipes.
It has been a huge adjustment with mommy going back to work and Daddy staying home with you, and yet another adjustment with your auntie starting to keep you starting this Thursday. I'm so glad to know we will be leaving you with someone who loves you, but I still miss you terribly every day :(. We love you so much you cannot even imagine and can't believe how fast you are growing!!!

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!!!!

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day from the Asbys! We hope everyone has had a great day, we had a great Valentines day with our little girl, but this is my last day of maternity leave and I have been one sad momma all day :(.  I know it's the right thing for our family though and thank God I have such a wonderful job to get back to with a wonderful group of people!
We have been doing well and I will be posting about our days as Emery and I have spent them over the last 12 weeks hopefully tonight so that I can look back on our time together. 
I just wanted to post our little surprise we gave daddy today, I think he loved it! Who wouldn't???

2 Months Old!

Baby girl you are 2 months old already, I can't believe it! Time is flying by and your daddy and I are cherishing every moment with you!

 Oh yes and you were not happy for your 2 month photo shoot, little did Mommy know though you wanted a quick nap, see below :)

Size: You are 10 lbs, 3 ounces, 22 inches long and the doctor says you are petite but are an average size for your age so that's great!  You are in size 1 diapers, which finally fit even though you have been wearing them for weeks :).  Your clothes are mainly 0-3 months right now and sometimes depending on the brand you can wear a 3 month outfit. 
Developments: Nana and Granddad call you a "mess".  You are very high maintenance, but no one can fault you for that you are my child!!! You loooove to be held all day, but you are actually very self sufficient with your nighttime sleeping.  You can actually be laid in your rocker sleepy but not asleep and you will watch your gloworm until you fall asleep.  Your bedtime varies but can be anywhere from 7:45-9:00.  You normally get up once around 4am to eat and go right back to sleep until about 8:00, of course this can vary at any moment :), sometimes you wake earlier and sometimes you have gone until 5:30 WOAH we liked these nights!! Your naps during the day are getting better but are still difficult, mommy has learned your schedule, eat every 2-3 hours and after eating you will play an hour then go to sleep, but in the middle of the day I'll swaddle you and you will take a 2-2.5 hour good nap, maybe even another one in the late afternoon!
You really love playing now, you are such a joy! Mine and your daddy's favorite thing is when you smile at us behind your paci, this just makes us both melt.  You definitely will tell us when you want something and we now know your cries and what they mean.  You will fuss when you are sleepy so we know when it's time for your naps and bedtime, and you will fuss like crazy when it's feeding time.  When you are hungry, watch out I am sure the whole neighborhood can hear you while waiting for your bottles to warm up. 
Eating: You are so petite, but mommy loves you like that :).  You will eat 3-3.5ounces now at each bottle every 2-3 hours.  Mommy has tried to give you more to make you last longer but this normally doesn't work, sometimes you will take 4 ounces but you still only last 2.5-3 hours after your feedings.  Your reflux has gotten better but flares up every now and then and I feel so helpless when you have your tummy aches :(.   
Likes: Vibrating seat, mobile in crib, activity mat, being swaddled, having your butt pat, your paci, bathtime, mommy and daddy playing with you, sleeping in the car, and our lunch dates with your buddy Colt.

 

Dislikes: Being hungry, sleepy, when new people startle you, being put in your carseat, tummy aches.
We only have a few weeks left together before mommy goes back to work, but don't worry, our time together will be even more special when I get home to you each night and on the weekends :). 

Lastly, Kingston turned 3 years old on January 20th I cannot believe it! We traveled to Wilmington to celebrate with him at his Pirate themed party, he had a great birthday!! Wonder why he loves pirates so much??? hmmm... Here's Kingston on his throne and you smiling at your Daddy at the party!

Random Thoughts

I must say that my life couldn't be better.  I am so blessed to be a mother to this beautiful baby girl I can't even imagine my life without her.  These past 7 1/2 weeks have been the best weeks of my life, challenging, but so rewarding.  Her reflux is getting much better which makes for a happier baby, we are getting on more of a schedule with daytime naps and nights are good too, last night she slept a straight 8 hours!!! Yay :).  I am so in love!

 Her Nana and Granddad think she's pretty great too!

 Cooper came and stayed with us for a few days and we REALLY enjoyed having her here she was a big help and I've missed her...can't wait for them to move back closer very soon!!!

Oh I'm pretty in love with this guy who is the best father to Emery and seeing him with her is an even greater love than I already felt for him! :)

I don't know how I'm going to go back to work and leave this baby girl, but the best thing about leaving her is that I will be leaving her with my sister, so I know she will be well taken care of.  I know that I have to work so that she will always have the things she needs/wants I am so blessed to have a great job that I love and it will make the days away from her easier.

So, on a different note, I'm going to call Kacie B being a finalist if not "The One" for Ben on the Bachelor, I hope I'm right I'm usually pretty good at pinpointing the finalists on these shows :).  I also like Lindsey too, we shall see!!!

Christmas and New Years

This was the best Christmas I think I have ever had, something about having your own child at Christmas makes the season so much more special.  We had a wonderful holiday celebrating in Kinston Christmas Eve night, and then Santa visited my parents house the next morning.  My sister, Mike, Kingston, Steven, Emery, me, Uncle Alan and my parents had a great morning seeing Kingston open his gifts and of course I had to open Emery's but she got lots of good toys and other goodies! Kingston's favorite toy was a gun he had been asking Santa for and he got it! My dad is of course wrapped because Kingston is going to definitely be a hunter one day.  We headed to Ayden for lunch Christmas day at Steven's grandmas and Emery got even more goodies there, including her first Bailey's box that had a very special necklace with a cross from Mama that she will cherish forever.  Steven and I came home that night and put away all the Christmas gifts and relaxed, it was the perfect holiday to celebrate Jesus' birthday.  This is not the best picture but her Christmas dress, compliments of Elli Grey Style, was just precious!

And of course her cousin couldn't wait to get his hands on her again, he's so amazed with her, rubs her head and feet, but got pretty jealous over his granddad holding her this last time haha.

Thanks Ste Ste for my pirate hat!!!

Steven's cousin Sara's son Gavin turned one so we headed to his birthday party new years eve and then headed to stay with my parents in deep run with them and Kingston.  We decided not to do anything more than that this year because our baby is so young and is trying to get her tummy straight, which is doing much better now thanks to zantac!!! It was enough for me to be kissed by my husband at midnight while holding our sweet baby girl, how could you not be smitten by this baby girl???

 Oh did I mention how happy we are to have Colt Moss home? Emmy and him finally got to meet and we are so happy to have our friends home and Colt is doing great!!!

 Lastly, do you know what made our Christmas even more special, our baby girl gave us her first real smile Christmas Eve while my sister Lindsay and our Mema were changing her diaper!

  I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, we are so blessed and so happy to have had the chance to celebrate Jesus' birthday with family and friends!

One Month Old!!!

Baby Girl, you are a month old today, time is flying by way too quickly.  Here a few of your favorite and not-so favorite things :).
You had trouble sleeping at night in the first few weeks so mommy went out and bought this contraption which is a God-send! We think you may have a little acid reflux and the incline helps you not to choke if you get reflux in the middle of the night.  This is currently what you sleep in and you will normally sleep from about midnight until 3:30, maybe 4:00, eat, then you will sleep from about 4:45-6:30 or 7:00 which is a huge improvement.  I am trying to lay you down in your crib during the day to see how you will nap in there, usually you are up in about 30 minutes though haha.  So we are currently thankful for this Fisher Price Rock and Play Rocker!!!

You are still in newborn clothes and can wear some 0-3 months, we think you may be around 9 lbs. but will find out for sure at your 1 month checkup next tuesday! You have increased and eat an average of 3 ounces every 2-3 hours which is hard for mommy to keep up with but we are working it out! You have grown to LOVEEE bath time and don't mind your diaper being changed anymore as long as you aren't starving.  You still get very fussy most nights around the same time which could be anywhere from 7:00-12:00, but we have recently found out about another God-send for you, Colic Calm! Your friend Miles' mommy told us about it and we are forever grateful, it calms you down so you can sleep when you get gassy and fussy. 
We love you so much and can't believe it's been a month since you came into our lives.  We are so blessed and your daddy is wrapped already! We can't wait to celebrate your first Christmas this weekend with our families!

 Here you are with one of your boyfriends, you have lots haha!!

 We love you, Happy One Month!

 Speaking of someone who loves you! He is so in love with his baby cousin