Can you have too many baby pics?

Almost all my photos I have taken are of Nellie Jayne.  I mean, can you blame me?  She is just so dang adorable!  She usually sleeps in her car seat which is nice.  This week I have to get a video of her crying, it's so funny!  

I love this one with her little hands propped under her face  

Nellie hates her swing and her papasan chair.  She won't sit in either very long.  I hope that eventually changes.  She is either laying on the couch or in her pack n' play bassinet.  

I pumped my milk for the first time this week and Nellie tried her first bottle.  All that work to get very little milk and she drank it so fast and was still hungry!  


Her new boots!  They are super soft and warm and she doesn't mind wearing them at all.  She always wears a beanie when we go out so she is use to hats too.  
What a big girl!  

I thought this sleeper with the bunny feet was funny.  

Things are going great.  She is still sleeping 4-7 hours at night and then goes back to sleep after her feeding for a few more hours.  This week we are taking our first road trip with her.  We are leaving for Las Cruces on Wednesday to spend Thanksgiving with my family.  My brother and sister-in-law will meet Nellie for the first time!  

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

2nd Week with Nellie

Last week we had a 300 picture photo shoot with Jan.  This kid already has over 1000 pictures in her first three weeks of life!  







This dress and cardigan (knit by my great grandma) was worn by my mom, me, and now my baby.  

Sweet, sweet girl.  



Family photos.  








Nellie's first bath.  She doesn't seem to mind them.  

This week Nellie and I got out a lot on our own.  She loves her sling and will just sleep the whole time while we are out.  I had her in her carseat while I was making an exchange at Kohl's an old lady came up and started to touch her.  She placed her hand on her chest and didn't move it until I started to pull the cart away and tell her goodbye.   She made sure to tell me she was too little to be out already and that her breathing looked too deep, etc...  Well lady, you haven't born children in probably 75 years so times they have a changed!  So this is why I prefer the sling.  People will say "Wow she looks small," and I politely respond "Why yes she is."  I love for friends and family to hold my baby but I could do without strangers' unsolicited advice and touching her.  Guess I better get used to it!  

In other news we just bought our DTV digital to analog converter box.  We have been using rabbit ears and get 3 and half channels.  Well with this new box we get 20 crystal clear channels!  I requested the $40 government issued coupon and after that it was the best $12 I've spent!  

Well gotta go get the laundry.  Babies clothes are so small, how can she possible create so much laundry!  

Bringing Home Baby

Our first weekend with Nellie was super fun.  Our first night home was Thursday and on Friday we took her to her first pediatrician appointment.  Here she is waiting for the doctor to come in as Daddy is stretching her.  See the cute video at the bottom.  When she was released from the hospital she weight 6 pounds 1 ounce.  At her two week appointment yesterday she weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces!!!  The doctor was very impressed with her growth.  


She really likes to be swaddled but it seems as though starting yesterday she doesn't care for it.  Sometimes she struggles and cries now when I try it.  The pediatrician said I could let her sleep as long as she wanted at night now so last night she lasted 6 hours.  He said to feed her more throughout the day so she can go longer at night.  

Our first party, 5 days after giving birth!  I know,  I'm crazy but it was good friend's birthday and we felt pretty rested.  We had a great first weekend because she just slept and ate and didn't cry at all.  Week 2 she has a fussy session in the late evening but still sleeps most of the day.  

Cuddling with her Daddy.  

Nellie and Macey hanging out.  They are two months apart.  




As soon as I snapped the picture she spit up! This week our Mom's came down to help out. On Jan's shift we had many photo shoots (300 pics!) and on Saturday Cody got vomited on (not spit up) and pooped on! He went through three shirts in one afternoon! We had her diaper off to take pics and Cody was holding her on his chest and she pushed some out! I will go through those pics and post some soon.

A Birth Story

Nellie Jayne Garrett
October 27, 2008
6:22 PM
6 pounds 11 ounces
20.25 inches

So here is the birth story...read at your own discretion.

I started having contractions on Monday morning (Sunday night) at around 12:30 a.m. They felt different and I couldn't sleep through them and taking a bath didn't take them away. We started timing them and they were anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes apart. We labored at home until 10:30 a.m. Those 10 hours consisted of walking up down our stairs and around the house stopping to breathe through the contractions with Cody. By 10:30 I was feeling nauseous so we headed to the hospital. The contractions were much worse while sitting so the car ride was miserable. If I was contracting over a speed bump or turn I wanted to die.

We checked in and I was a stretchy 3 centimeters. I got in my gown and they did a fetal heart monitor check for a few minutes and then we started walking to progress the labor. Our nurse was super nice and so excited to have a patient doing natural birth. She was very encouraging and helpful. They came back and checked me at about 1:30 and I was at 4.5. By about 3:30 the contractions were getting too strong and I was too exhausted. Because it hurt worse to sit or lay down during a contraction I was standing all day long. So I decided to hop in the labor tub for awhile. FYI you can still feel contractions in the tub! But it did help me relax some. At 4:30 they broke my water and the contractions were right on top of each other and I had a very painful transition from 8 to 10 centimeters. By 6:00 I was ready to push this baby out...and I couldn't control it anyway! The pushing was very quick but incredible exhausting. Thankfully my contractions slowed down so I had time to breath and regain composure and strength in between. When she finally came out it was the most exhilarating, beautiful experience. They placed her on my chest and I imediately started kissing her. Cody was amazing through the whole process. He was the perfect supportive labor partner and he really believed in me that I could do it without drugs.

All the next stuff happened so fast. The placenta wasn't detaching on its own after an hour of breastfeeding and trying different things they called in the doctor. Cody took the baby up to the nursery and they put me under with some crazy drugs and extracted the retained placenta in pieces. I had hemorrhaging and lots of blood loss during the procedure. When I woke up I was convulsing and my teeth were chattering through the oxygen mask. I didn't know where I was or that I had just had a baby. My memory and sanity returned after about 20 minutes. An hour later the nurse tried to take me to the bathroom to get cleaned up but I fainted and they had to bring me back with the bad smelling stuff. So back to bed I went. The the next day they came in to tell us that my blood levels were dangerously low and I would need a blood transfusion. So we ended up waiting until Wednesday for the transfusion. By Thursday I had regained some strength and color in my face and they discharged us that afternoon.

Despite the post labor complications, I am so pleased with my labor and delivery. Cody took such good care of me an Nellie the rest of week in the hospital. He changed all her diapers and brought her to me for each feeding. Since returning home we have had some good rest and time together. Here are photos from our time in the hospital. Next post will be some since coming home.

Cody cut the cord and when it was time to take her upstairs he took her off my chest, put her in the bassinet, and took her to the nursery to get cleaned up.  

While Cody was in the nursery for 2 hours, my mom stayed with me while I was recovering from the procedure.  Nobody was allowed in the room during the placenta extraction.  


Finally Cody and Nellie came back downstairs.  I know, we look rough!

I am so happy Nellie has a Granny who is a photographer!  

My parents holding their first grandbaby.
Cody's parents holding their first grandbaby.


Happy Family!  

Big yawn!  
Little Russian baby

Sweet baby girl





Trust me, she is as sweet as she looks!

Still Waiting...

This week will be a short post.  As you can guess I wasn't thinking much about a blog post. Here's a three pics from this week:

I love the Fall!  The leaves are turning yellow and red around and it's so amazing.  There is a lovely park right near Cody's office and we went and lunch there this week and it really felt like Fall now.  


In other news we got a new SLR camera.  We wanted to be able to take good pictures of the baby and the point and shoot definitely has its limitations.  Now I have to think back to photography class and remember all about the f-stop and shutter speed and learn how to use this thing.  


As you can clearly see I am still pregnant. At my 39 week appointment on Wednesday my midwife was surprised by my progress. I was 1 centimeter and %60 and she went ahead and sweeped the membranes. This lead to heavier contractions but they were only seven minutes apart and they would quite after awhile. I really want her born before Halloween because I do NOT want her born on Halloween. If she doesn't come by Thursday I will just chill out and wait until the end of the weekend. So there's the latest, if my due date comes and goes this week I'll see you again...still pregnant next week. OR maybe I'll be introducing ya'll to our baby girl!