Adler One Month

 Adler Marie, you are one whole month old today!

They say time flies when you're having fun and that would definitely be the case this past month.  It's been a whirlwind for sure.  I have tried to be so intentional this time around because I know how quickly the time will pass.  I've held you so much.  Some mornings after we get Barrett and AveryAnn off to school, I've just held you until it was time for preschool pick-up.  And I don't regret one minute of it.  I've tried to embrace the nights you don't want to sleep because I know it won't last forever.  I've tried not to be too hard on the big kids when they are all in your face because they can't get enough of you either.  We all are so in love with you!  You are the gift we never knew we needed.  

This year has been wild to say the least and you have been our bright spot.  One day when you're older we'll tell you all about the world in the year 2020 and you'll be shocked (hopefully you'll be shocked and we're not still living it!).  

You're weighing in at 9 pounds and around 8 ounces. You've gained almost a whole pound since birth!  I measured you at 22 inches. I'm not entirely sure how accurate that is but its a pretty good estimate.  You are growing so fast!  You already feel so much bigger in my arms.  You're wearing a size one diaper and mostly newborn clothes.  The 0-3 month clothes are still a little big but we're making due.  You take 3oz of formula 7 times a day.  You eat every 2-3 hours during the day and 3-5 hours at night.  You sleep 1.5-2 hours between feedings during the day and 3+hours at night.  You've had a couple 6 hour stretches at night and a handful of 5 hour stretches but mostly 3-4 hours.  If I can get 6 total hours each night I can usually function and you've allowed that all but one night so far.  You get fussy every night and cry.  It's getting better.  I'm afraid you're going to be my high maintenance sleeper😆.  You can hold your head up so well and you hate bath time.  

We haven't been many places.  You've been to Nana & Granddaddy's house a couple times and the office a few times.  You've also been to the doctor twice.  Oh and we went to Mass once.  It'll be a while before I attempt that again.  With COVID we've mostly been staying at home.  You ride in the car a lot taking AveryAnn to school and picking her up every day and then we sit in the car while she's at dance.  

You've met a lot of people.  It was weird that no one could come to the hospital to meet you but you've gotten lots of visits since we've been home.  You've met Granddaddy and Nana, Grandmama and Granddaddy,  your great grandmother, great aunt Stephanie, Babo,  Uncle John and Aunt Hope, Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Clay, Cousins; Madelyn, Brooks, Drew, Porter and Harper. Aunt Leslie, and lots of friends!  We've loved getting to introduce you to everyone.  We've been careful not to be around too many people.  Just family and close friends.

Some Highlights: Bringing you home to meet Barrett and AveryAnn.  Your first Halloween.  Rocking you and holding you on my chest.  Seeing how much your sister and brother adore you.  Taking you to church for the first time.

You are so loved!  I'm not sure who loves you the most in this house (it's me)!  I can't believe you've already been here for a month.  Some days it feels like yesterday you were born but most of the time if feels like you've been here forever.  You were always meant to be here.  We love you so much!

Happy first month!  We're looking forward to a lifetime together!

Weeks 2 & 3 With Adler

 

Get ready for picture overload of basically the same things over and over again.  

Adler's first gameday, she had to dress the part.  Also the day her cord stump fell off.

I have so many helpers.

Barrett's last baseball game.  He finally caught a pop fly and I was so sad I missed it.  We really enjoyed this Fall season!

So many helpers!

Pretty flowers my sister brought.

Cowgirl Day at school.

Wearing all our pumpkins while we can!

Camo day and she got to help carve the class pumpkin!

First time for all three to ride together!  Barrett said "It's a little crowded back here!" ha!

Spider Day again.  Very proud of her teeth.

This was Adler's two week birthday.  I think I'd basically held her for two weeks.  I am so thankful for all the help I have.  Especially those first two weeks.  I was able to really rest and just sit and snuggle and it was perfect!

So proud!

We had newborn pictures done October 30th and I am so in love.  The big kids were perfect and you can tell they are so in love with their sister!  I will cherish these pictures forever!

These are a few of my favorite that I'm not using for Christmas cards or birth announcements.  I'll post the rest eventually.

AveryAnn is home with us all day on Fridays.  She's the sweetest helper.  She does ask if I can play with her more and if I can hold her too.  I know she just needs a little more attention these days.  I'm trying so hard to give the big kids the attention they need and deserve while still caring for the baby.  It's tricky and difficult at times but I think we're all doing a great job of showing each other grace.  I'm so proud of them and how they've handled the transition.  We're all learning as we go.

He loves holding her, for about 3 minutes and then he's done.

AveryAnn asked me to hold and feed her baby too.  Sure, no problem.

The hospital didn't have a photographer this time.  I have the same picture from the hospital of the two big kids on the wall and I needed the match to go with them.  This was the best I could do.  I'm sad because you can tell she's two weeks old compared to Barrett and AveryAnn at 2 or 3 days old, but it's better than nothing.

She was laying on the bed and started fussing and he was able to pick her up and put her on his chest and calm her down.  Can you tell he was proud?

She thinks I have no idea what I'm doing, it's actually comical.  She asked my mom the other day if she even knew how to change a diaper.  My mom has 4 kids and 9 grandkids.  She's changed a few diapers. Ha!

Adler likes to lay flat and stretch out but there's no where safe in the living room.  I bravely laid her on this blanket for a few minutes and AveryAnn didn't leave her side.  

These days are so sweet (and exhausting) and flying by so quickly.  I'm already sad at the thought of Adler being 1 month old this week.  It's just not fair.

Halloween 2020

The kids had been looking forward to Halloween for weeks.  We'd talked about costumes for a while and finally settled on Power Rangers.  I figured we would skip the family costume this year but everyone was on board so we went with it.  Barrett was set on the red ranger from the get go.  AveryAnn originally wanted to be Amber from the cartoon Sophia the First.  But after Barrett decided on the Red Ranger she decided she wanted to be the Pink ranger.  

This is the second year I've put Patrick in charge of costumes.  While searching for the kids costumes he found the one with the Blue ranger carrying him on his shoulders and decided he needed it.  Well I didn't want the baby and I to be left out so I ordered myself the tshirt and the onesie for the baby.  I figured we had to wear clothes so we could manage to wear these.  (I wasn't sure how I would be feeling.) I don't know how long the family costume will last but it's fun for now!

They are so proud of their baby sister. 

I was so excited to Halloween to be on a Saturday.  It's crazy to think that by the time that happens again the big kids will probably be over hanging out with us. ( I could cry thinking about this).  The Moore family came over again for chili and trick or treating.  I only wen to a few houses before I tired out. But the crew made it through the whole neighborhood.  Our neighbors were prepared and waiting but we didn't have nearly as many trick-or-treaters as we normally do.  The kids racked up, when neighbors realized there weren't as many kids as usual they started giving out a lot of candy. 

It was a fun night. We laughed so much and had the best time!

Adler's First Week

Our first week was a sweet one with our sweet girl.  We stayed in the hospital for 3 nights and to be honest, I would have stayed the fourth if I didn't miss the big kids so much.  They were so ready to meet their sister I couldn't stand the thought of making them wait another day.  

It was bittersweet not being able to have visitors this time.  I was sad that everyone didn't get to meet her right away but it was also so nice to be able to rest and just really soak up all the sweetness of having a newborn baby on your chest. 

This might have been the only time I laid her in the bassinet the whole time we were there.  The nurses laughed at us because one of us was holding her nearly every time they came in to check on us.  

At first I thought she looked just like AveryAnn, but now I'm thinking she looks more like Barrett,

I'm not kidding when I say we held her nearly the entire time she was in our room.  We sent her to the nursery every night.  

Patrick went home Tuesday afternoon to shower and go see the big kids.  I was a little jealous he got to see them.  That was the worst part of being in the hospital.  It was a little weird there being no visitors in the hospital.  It reminded me of when we were there at Christmas when Barrett was born.  It was so quiet and felt like we were the only people there.

One of the sweetest parts of formula feeding was Patrick getting to feed her too.  He fed her as much or more than I did.  I felt sick more this time than I did with the other two so I was nice that he was able to feed her while I wasn't feeling great.

Playing dress up with some fun headbands!

She's a great snuggler!

We came home on Thursday, Oct. 22.  We were so ready to see the big kids and for them to meet her.  This is the blanket my mom made her! I love how it turned out so much!

We got home around lunch time, the kids weren't going to be home until 3:00 so we had a little time to get settled.  My parents got balloons and let the kids decorate the porch and mailbox.  It was so sweet.  Barrett was the first one home.  He came in off the bus and she was asleep.  He walked over to her and started talking and she turned her head to look at him.  It was the sweetest thing.  I told him she recognized his voice and he had the biggest grin on his face.  AveryAnn came in shortly after and she was equally as smitten.  I was so excited to finally all be home together.

They couldn't wait to get their hands on her.  I love these pictures so much!

They wanted to feed her.  Another reason I'm thankful for formula.  They have loved getting to feed her some too.

She's a natural.  She thinks she knows everything about taking care of her baby sister and she does not hesitate to tell you if she thinks you're doing something incorrectly.

The big kids stayed with my parents Thursday night since they were out of school Friday.  We were a little nervous for our first night at home, without the nursery. Ha! They came home around lunch time Friday and we enjoyed the day at home together.  Friday evening Patrick's parents came to meet Adler.  Again, the strangest part of not having visitors in the hospital was no one got to meet her until she was already 4-5 days old.  My parents came Friday night too.  Saturday morning, my sister and brother-in-law came to meet her.  The kids were so excited to show her off.  Around lunch my baby brother and his wife and kids got to come by and meet her.  We loved getting to introduce her to everyone. 

Sunday Barrett had Sunday School so the kids stayed with my parents Saturday night too.  I woke up Sunday morning very dizzy and not feeling well at all.  Barrett also had his last baseball game.  So I told Patrick to go get him from my parents and send one of them to our house to help me with the baby.  So my Mom came and stayed with me for the day.  I've been so thankful for their help.  I finally started to feel better in the evening.  I think it was the pain medication I was taking.

Monday, Adler and I both had doctors appointments.  I got my staples out and got a good report.  Adler got a good report too.  She'd gained one ounce since leaving the hospital and is just perfect.  Her cord stump fell off on Saturday.  We were shocked it came off so quickly. 

Daddy rocked himself and the baby to sleep. 

We are trying to soak up every minute together.  The big kids still adore her.  I know the new will probably wear off soon but I hope they always love each other.