David & Tessa's Wedding

Dear Aiwyn,
On Saturday you attended your first wedding. Your Uncle David married Tessa (now Aunt Tessa). You were the perfect baby the entire time. You did not fuss or even make a peep. Everyone was excited to see such a pretty baby. You were also able to meet your Nana, Aunt Gina, Aunt Christy, and Cousin Hailey for the first time.

YOU AND NANA


YOUR POPS HOLDING YOUR AUNT SUSAN'S PLATE SO SHE COULD EAT & HOLD YOU AT THE SAME TIME (COUSIN HAILEY TOO!)


The day was forecast to be horrible with rain, terrible thunderstorms, and possible tornadoes. The old saying is that it's "good luck to rain on your wedding day." Well, I guess the luck started that day. The thunderstorms and tornadoes never came. The wedding was so beautiful inside that you forgot how horrible it was outside. Tessa was beautiful and David was entertaining (literally... he sang "Let's Get it On" to his bride). We had a great time at the wedding. Congratulations to Dave and Tessa!

BRIDE & GROOM WITH PARTIAL BRIDAL PARTY


HANDSOME COUSIN CARSON (LOVE THE BOW TIE)


BEAUTIFUL BRIDE


UNCLE RICK & AUNT SUSAN


SILLY UNCLE ADAM (I THINK HE LOOKS LIKE CLIP ART "BUSINESS MAN" HERE)


Mucho,
Mama

Does your body good

Dear Aiwyn,
At your two week check up, your pediatrician gave your Pops and me a long speal about giving you a vitamin D supplement because you are exclusively breastfed. (She remembered that I was a lactation consultant but forgot I was a dietitian!) I've always had mixed feelings about the recommendation. Breastmilk is made for human babies and it does include all the nutrition that a baby needs. And yes it even has vitamin D. The level of vitamin D in breastmilk is much lower than AAP recommends for supplementation, but it is much easier absorbed than synthetic vitamin D. Also, humans are meant to be outside so their bodies can make vitamin D (from the UV absorbed through your skin). For a Caucasian baby it only takes 30 minutes a week of sun light on face, legs, and arms. However, our pediatrician also advised us to keep you out of the sun and when you are in the sun to use sunscreen to decrease the chance of skin cancer (even though other recommendations advise to wait until 6 months to use sunscreen). I personally think 30 minutes a week is good for you. It helps you to make vitamin D, helps expose you to natural UV light for happiness (people experience seasonal affective disorder, SAD, - a type of depression during low exposure to UV), it gets you outside which gives you fresh air, walking with you outside is teaching you healthy habits and helping me to lose my pregnancy weight.

So, to help you make your vitamin D we have been going on walks on all the nice weather days. Sometimes it's daily and sometimes it's just a few times a week (which is ok because your body can store vitamin D). We usually walk 45 minutes. I keep the sunshade on you most of the time and let the sunlight shine on you for about 15-20 minutes of the walk. I've had several comments about your skin coloring. You have more of your father's Latino coloring than mine. Even though I too have an olive complexion- it's just hard to tell with all my paleness. Maybe I'll get a little more color with our walks, too.



The above picture was taken on March 10th. You usually sleep during our walks (like the picture), but sometimes you let everyone know we are coming. One day a couple of weeks ago, the weather was so beautiful that a lot of people were out walking around the neighborhood while we were out. Yet, you started crying when we were about 15 minutes away from home. It was so funny to see how all the dogs reacted. They pulled on their leashes to come save you. Since then I have learned to bring the pacifier just in case. (We just started using a pacifier a few weeks ago and we rarely use it. I only use it if you are fed, dry, and fussy.)

Mucho,
Mama

Finished Old Post

On March 11th, I filmed Aiwyn to put on the blog. Our laptop crashed that day and then I couldn't get the videos to upload on our desktop (too slow) when I still tried to post. So please scroll down to March 11th if you would like to see the videos.

Belated Birthday

Dear Aiwyn,
Your Pops turned 30 last week (on the 12th) and I've been meaning to publicly wish him a happy birthday. However, our laptop went belly up the day before his birthday so my computer time has been limited.

First off I want to tell you how lucky you are to have such a loving father. He adores both of us girls. And you are very fortunate to be raised in a home with two loving parents who not only love their child but love one another.

During my labor with you, your father stuck by my side. In all of those long 55 hours of labor, there was probably only 45 minutes total that he wasn't by my side (including bathroom breaks). He was my most attentive nurse. Some of things that he did for me include: fetching objects (like a magazine or more water), searching on-line for accupressure points (I left the printed out copy at work) and then doing the pressure points on me, helping me get to the bathroom (with all the equipment I was attached to), rubbing my back and even putting my hair up for me. But most importantly of all he was my never ending support and encouragement. He continued to tell me I could do this and I was awesome and wonderful. (THANK YOU, BRIAN) The great thing is that we both will have comfort in knowing that your Pops is there for us. He loves us, and I mean REALLY LOVES US and he will always take care of us.

PROUD POPS


BEAMING WITH PRIDE TO YOUR MAMA (AS I REFUEL)


So, to your Pops: Happy Birthday, Darling. I love you. I will still tease you that you are "my old man" (primarily because you call me your old lady) even though you have a body better than most 20 year olds and you still don't have any gray hair.

SUCH A GREAT DAD THAT HE GAVE YOU YOUR 1ST BATH




Mucho,
Mama

Pop's nicknames for you

Note: I am new to making and posting videos. The following videos were shot on 3/11 and when I went to upload them onto the computer is when I discovered our computer crashed. The computer is now fixed and I've had a chance to upload them again. However, Blogger takes FOREVER to upload videos (it could also be because I filmed for too long). Hope you enjoy them (or some.. you may not want to sit through all of them).

Dear Aiwyn,
The first week of your life your Pop's gave you a nickname of Morla after the turtle from the movie "The Never Ending Story." Morla is a very sneezy turtle and she makes lots of funny faces as she is about to sneeze. You also make lots of funny faces, not really when you sneeze but all the time when you are waking up. Today I got a little camera happy and made little short videos. The first one is a little long. The Morla faces are from 49 sec- 1:16 and at 2:18 is a surprise present you were making for your Mama.... so sweet. The second one has you making cute noisies. The last one has very good Morla faces and you get to see what a little Buddha belly you are growing (you can also see your very fashionable lavendar cloth diaper cover).




The other nickname your father has given you is "the milk monster." You get a little crazy when you are hungry. You also try to get milk out of some things that don't have milk. Usually your hand:


But sometimes it's other things:

I use the teddy bear as a wedge when I change your diaper on the pack 'n play because you always roll to one side. This time you thought you would try to use it for another purpose.

Mucho,
Mama

Picture Archives

Dear Aiwyn,
Tonight I was downloading pictures of you onto my digital photo key chain. Sounds silly that they make such an item... but yes, it's true. It holds 60 photos!



I received it as a Christmas gift from your Uncle Hunter and I had not opened the box until today. I knew I would use it... I would be "that parent." You know the one that is always showing off their kid. Besides I thought when I went back to work and I was missing you, I could always see you. (Actually, now I am wanting a bigger desktop version to have at work too!) I waited to open it until I had a good number of photos of you and I would have the opportunity to use it. My opportunity is that I am planning on going to yoga tomorrow. My fellow yogis watched me grow and grow (and struggle more and more with the poses) up until two weeks before I delivered you. I know they want to see what you look like.

Anyway... as I was downloading photos, I found several that had not been shared. So, here they are.

4 Days old on the way to your 1st pediatrician's appointment


Same trip. This just shows how cute you are in the hat Kate knitted for you.


1 month 2 days old (30 days.. crazy short month of February) snuggled up to your Mama



1 month 3 days old (31 days)


1 month, 1 week old. Asleep on top of your Mama, even though your arms look like you are on a roller coaster.


1 month, 8 days old (yesterday's nap)


It's amazing to see how much you have filled out from day 4 to yesterday. We could really tell you were gaining weight well by your fingers plumping up first. Now you have a forearm roll. Your Pops and I did not know those could exist! But now we are glad they do exist because they're so much fun to kiss.

Mucho,
Mama

Worry-wart Mama

Dear Aiwyn,
I've decided that I will worry about you forever. I'm sure your Pops is glad that some of my worry has shifted off him and on to you, but I still always worry about your Pops too. His bike riding addiction is not a good thing for a worrying wife.

Well, I already told you about the stress of your first two weeks of life because we had to see the doctor three times and go to the hospital three times to check your bilirubin levels. I thought I would also tell you about the last doctor's visit we had (still in those first two weeks). The doctor noticed that you had a sacral dimple that "looked a little funny." Honestly, I hadn't paid much attention to it. I thought it was just part of your "crack." The doctor thought it would be best to have an ultrasound done while you are young to make sure that your tail bone was properly formed. I asked what would it matter- you can't put your butt in a cast for a tail bone. She said it would give us better insight into things. Like if you were a constapated child we could say it was because of your tail bone or it wasn't. However, if you are a constipated child, it will be because you are my child. I'm sorry. Last Friday we made a visit to Egleston Children's Hospital. Your Pops was working and I had to take you by myself. Also, we choose not to tell anyone we were having this test done. We didn't want to have people asking how the appointment went. We thought it would be better to tell people when we actually knew something.

Once we get into the ultrasound room, I ask the technician if I should go ahead and change your diaper. He told me to go ahead if you needed it, but didn't seem concerned. I said, "Well, you are doing an ultrasound of her butt." Then he told me that actually an abnormal dimple may be an indication of something wrong with another part of the spine or the kidneys and he would be looking at the entire spine and kidneys. Talk about worry. I ask if I would get the results today or if they need to be typed up and sent to my pediatrician who will inform me of the results. You guessed it: typed up and pediatrician has to tell me. But then he said if there's something wrong, they will call my pediatrician right away to see if she wants to order more tests while we are there at the hospital. So, no news is good news. As he is doing the ultrasound he is trying to mark the spot where your spine tapers off so if the ultrasound is abnormal then it will be marked for an x-ray. You were laying on a towel on your belly during the procedure and I held the pacifier in your mouth (only about the third time you have ever been given the pacifier). At one point you got a little fussy and wiggly and I cupped my hand for you to rest your head in and you calmed back down as I talked to you. They really wanted me to be feeding you a bottle during the procedure, but I was planning on nursing you after. You had to have not had anything two hours before our appointment.

Once the ultrasound was over, I was told to wait in the room while the radiologist looked at the ultrasound to determine if an x-ray was needed. I was so nervous. I was thinking "What if something is wrong with her spine and she has to have surgeries?" I was trying to hold myself together as I waited. I didn't want to be a complete crying mess when they came back. Only a few tears couldn't be held back. They returned and told me we could go home, no x-ray needed. I then fed you before we left. Your doctor called on Saturday to tell us that everything came back normal. Whew!

You are our perfect child even with your "funny looking" dimple. I worry because I always want the best for you and I always want you to be healthy and safe. I will worry today, tomorrow, and even when you are a mother yourself. I worry because I love you.

Mucho,
Mama

One Month

Dear Aiwyn,
Today you are one month old. Look at all the rolls you are getting. I love your cute, slightly chubby body. Today your Pops had planned a "meet Aiwyn cook-out" for today. He came up with the idea a few weeks ago and wanted to introduce his pride and joy to all our friends. I was a little weary when he first presented me with the idea, but he reassured me that he was going to do all the shopping, cooking and help clean. He stood true to his word: he did all the shopping yesterday, he was up at 8:30am prepping and cooking this morning and he helped clean. However, the weather had a different idea... it's snowing. Let me say that again: IT'S SNOWING.... IN GEORGIA!!! All our friends canceled due to the weather and a few of them were sick. The strangest thing is that Thursday (as in 3 days ago) it was 65 degrees outside and we went for a walk at the park and I was wearing short-sleeves. It's a little sad that we didn't get to have your cook-out today. I really was looking forward to seeing all our friends and your Pops really put a lot of effort into preparing everything. We were going to have hamburgers, hot dogs, the GRIT mac & cheese, homemade guacamole, brownies, and lemon cake. We'll have to plan another event for you to meet the rest of the gang.



In other news, you stayed snuggly warm in you snuggle blanket that I finally finished making. I started making it months ago and got stuck because the pattern called for making 2 inch button holes in the middle for the tie to go through. My sewing machine doesn't make button holes that large (well you can do it the old fashioned way with a zig-zag stitch but I've never done that). Then when your Grandma Rogers was staying with us, she pointed out the holes in the middle wouldn't fit you when your small. I came up with the brilliant idea to put a long strip of velcro down the back so it can be adjusted as you grow. I didn't like the look of velcro....so I decided to use a decorative stitch to fancy it up. The trouble was the decorative stitch broke 2 of my needles. I had to go to Jo-Ann's to buy some jeans needles (and I ended up breaking one of those too) to finish it up. All that time and needles was worth it. The wrap kept you warm (it's lined in fleece) and you were very cute in it!



Mucho,
Mama