1.  So, she's one month old today :) (One of her great-grandmothers made the blanket--isn't it pretty?!) I couldn't get her to wake up for anything. Haha, I guess that's what I get for nursing her first ;) I wanted to put her in a cloth diaper like I did with Jack's pictures, but she's too tiny and she STILL hasn't lost her umbilical cord stub thing. Good grief! 2.  I went to the library and got my library card!  I even checked out two actual hold-in-my-hand-turn-the-pages books :) I started reading the first one, and although I know they both (the second is the sequel) were in the "juvenile" section, the content and language (innuendo) in the first book is not something I would recommend for anyone under 17. But, the storyline is great so far! You can read the entire first chapter here , I believe. 

I actually fixed a meal tonight, and the three of us sat down as a family and ate. This was new because The Husband usually isn't home during dinner. And, it's different because I haven't felt up to doing anything other than make a sandwich.  Jack had some frozen peas, peaches, frozen blueberries, and some of the mac and cheese I fixed. I opted out of giving him the asparagus this time around. :) He LOVED the mac and cheese. He shoved whole handfuls into his mouth. He was pretty gross by the end of the meal haha ;) Since The Husband was home this evening, I was able to take a shower before 10 o'clock for a change. Here are two of my loves snuggling.  When I got out, she was wide awake and ready to eat :). She's so very sweet. And noisy. But mostly sweet!

1.  Yes, I did have a bowl of ice cream (thanks Dad, for placing it in my freezer!) as a mid-morning, post-nursing snack while reading about breast feeding.  2.  And, yes this little girl (who is also post-nursing in this picture) is pretty darn adorable in this teeny tiny outfit her grandparents gave her. I had to dress her up for her 3-week appointment, right?!

Three weeks ago today, I was wheeled into the operating room, and Ella Hope made her entrance into our lives.  Seven days after that, we got to bring her home. She's such a doll.  Yes, you sure are!  (Onesie courtesy of Aunt Kelli)

**updated with link below--3:45pm** ***updated with pictures of the kids :)--5:00pm*** 1.  I had forgotten just how NOISY a sleeping newborn is.  It's crazy listening to the amount and types of noises that come out of that little body as she rests (especially when I'm trying to sleep at night, too!). When she's awake? Not a peep, haha! 2.  The rain today! I don't know how much we've had so far, but it's rained all night and all morning steadily (and sometimes downright hard). Lots of lightning and thunder have joined the rain, which makes for a pretty drowsy day. A lot of roads are flooded/closed, and many people tried to drive through the water only to find that they couldn't. I'm very thankful The Husband had to leave as early as he did for work this morning, or he might have gotten stranded, too.  3.  Our garage is on a slab (the house is on piers), and unfortunately it's allowed a lot of water to pool in there. And, w...

1.  Last night, following my doctor's instructions, I removed the bandages/tape from my c-section incision.  Holy crap.  I was taking a nice warm/hot shower, I bathed and shaved, and then I made sure the tape was good and wet. I began removing it strip by strip.  After I had removed half of them, I noticed that they were getting harder to remove and that it was pretty painful.  I had one or two left when I began feeling lightheaded.  I toughed it out and ripped off the last one. I tried to look at the incision. BIG mistake. Waves of nausea hit me, and I began to black out.  I got out of the shower and sat down, taking deep breaths.  I managed to stand up just long enough to make it to my bed before dizziness took me. I fell asleep and woke an hour later feeling a little better. But, I honestly can't look at it or touch it without feeling a little queasy.  I know I should appreciate, if not love, this incision, this soon-to-be ...

Today, Ella had her 2-week checkup. She's gained 7 ounces since she was released from the hospital! She's also grown almost half an inch.  I took this one before we left.  While The Bestie took Ella and me to the appointment (Thank you!), my sister and my niece watched Jack. He loves his new room and the freedom he has in there, and he kept them on their toes as he explored! Thank you, Ladies, for loving on my boy :) While Jack and I were eating dinner tonight, I put Ella in the swing.  At one point, while Jack was crying and making a ruckus because he was cranky, I looked over and saw this.  My sister reminded me that I did that, too, when I was a baby.  She did that for a good 30 minutes and continued even after I picked her up.  Busy day.  Tired, but happy momma.  Fingers crossed as I remove the bandages on my incision tonight in the shower. Hoping the warm, soapy water does the trick!

1.  I wrote this whole post and forgot to hit "save."  So, now I'm trying to remember what I wrote. Ugh. 2.  How is it Friday already?! This week has flown by since Ella and I left the hospital on Sunday.  She has been such a sweet addition.  Mostly her schedule is sleep, nurse, repeat.  However, the last few days she's been opening her eyes more and taking in what she can see of her surroundings, so she and I have enjoyed having a little "wake time". But, this is what I have the pleasure of seeing most of the time. The sleepy newborn stage is so pleasant ;) 3.  Jack. Oh, Jack.  He's really having a hard time getting back into a routine.  He really enjoyed the freedom and attention he had while I was gone, and he's not giving that up without a fight. We'll get there though. I'm thinking as soon as we've gotten his new room mostly ready, he can come have independent playtime in his room to start getting used to being in th...

1.  The Husband took Jack to the doctor this morning. He wasn't running fever when he woke up, but he was still feeling yucky last night. The doctor said everything looked good, but he did have a little fluid in his ears, so we'll keep an eye on that. He had his one-year checkup, too. All looks good :) 2.  Ella had her checkup, as well, and my dad and I took her (since I can't drive for another 5 weeks at least). Here she is before we left. I officially love dressing her! :).  Girl clothes are so much fun! Everything was great with her, too, and she's gained an ounce since Sunday (up to 4 lbs 14 oz). I'm hoping she'll be back to birth weight by her two week checkup. Here's a little comparison. My thumb and her foot. I <3 her feet.   The doctor wants to do a pelvic ultrasound on her in 6 weeks to make sure her pelvis/hips continue to look good since breech baby girls tend to have pelvic problems.  Worn out after our busy morning :)

This little girl, at only 8 days old, has figured out how to break out of the snuggest swaddle. She usually gets one out right off the bat before falling asleep, and then as she's moving in her sleep, she manages to get the other one out.  So, I broke out the Woombie.  Y'all this is the neatest thing. She's swaddled and cozy, but there's no way for her to break out of it! This one is made for babies weighing 5-13lbs, and she's a little under 5lbs right now, but it worked wonders last night and during naps.  Love it!  We ordered two more, haha.  This little boy is still feelin crummy (although he stays pretty content as long as someone's with him), but he was MUCH more interested in his baby sister today. He constantly went over to the cradle to see her or try to touch her.  I went for my follow-up appointment today. I've lost 13 or 14 pounds so far. He said my c-section incision looks good and that the bandages c...