Evelyn: 5 weeks

This week Evey has been a little more fussy than normal. I think she's been having a growth spurt. According to my scale she is about 10.5 pounds. 

Not really much happened this week. I was not feeling well (wicked sore throat), so we spent most of the week not doing much. This week I cut milk out of my diet as a little test. Before I had Evelyn dairy (mostly just milk) upset my stomach, but I often had it anyway. While pregnant I had no issues with dairy, but I've noticed It's been upsetting my stomach again, also Evey seems extra gassy on days that I've had an upset tummy. So I cut dairy out and we both seem to be less gassy, but Evey has been more fussy. I am not sure what that means, if anything. 

loving her play mat

Smiles in her sleep

trying to stay up late

Princess Chubby Cheeks

teeny tootsies

She loves her Boston Terrier sweater. 

week 5, growing into that dress slowly 

See, way more fussy this week

getting longer every day! 

My Stinky Princess 

New this week:

we have lots of smiles (I am pretty sure she even smiled at me)

and lots of eye contact

Evey is very vocal

she's in cloth diapers almost exclusively (except at night and when we leave the house)

she's awake more than asleep

Weeks:
Four
Three
Two
One


Credit for my inspiration for these weekly update posts to Erica, at To The Sea.

- Alana

Sunday Social

Yes, I am well aware it's not Sunday anymore, and that Sunday has long passed. I really like this weeks questions though, and I am so far behind on my blog reading that I am just now getting to the blogs that I follow that did this week questions.
Plus I do what I want.

1. What is the name of your blog? How long have you been blogging? If you're here I'm guessing you know my blog name: Fractured Fairy Tales.  I've been blogging off and on since 2007, and acutally I had a Xanga blog/diary WAY back in 2004 or 2005 When I was dating Paul.

2. Why do you blog?

This blog started as a way to share my adventures with my family as I lived the military life overseas. I had already moved across the country from them, and was preparing to move across the pacific to Okinawa. I wanted my parents to be able to see the pictures of my adventures and to be able to read my stories. This was all before Facebook got really big, so a blog was the easiest way to share.

3. What is the first blog you ever followed?

In the beginning there was a handful of Marine Wives from a Marine Wife forum that were all blogging, not many of them are still active bloggers, but we all followed each other. I think one of my first blogs outside them was:
Closet Cooking- a food blog written by a guy that started out just trying to spice up his regular meals and it has turned into a passion. 
I've been following him, and cooking his recipes for at least 5 years. He's got a brilliant mind for incredible (and often easy) recipes. 

4. What is your favorite post you wrote in 2012?
Having my baby, Duh

5. What are your blogging goals for 2013?

I really truly love writing about Evelyn, and she has really become my main focus right now. But I would like to keep my blog a lifestyle blog, an adventure blog, a storytelling blog. There are plenty of mom blogs out there, I am sure I will talk about Evey a lot, I would like for my focus to stay on me and my adventures.

6. Name your top 3 favorite blogs.

- Alana

One Month!

Evey turned one month old a few days ago. 

And clearly she wasn't too happy about it. 

does taking her picture while she's crying make me a bad mom?

I love her little curled up toes!

This month Evey likes:

Eating

Being held

Being sung to 

Taking baths with mommy

Car rides

getting her feet licked by the dogs

Evey dislikes:

Bed time

Pacifiers 

Lotion

Having her arms swaddled

Evelyn,

  Your first month has flown by, I can't believe four weeks ago you were still brand new to me. You were, and still are so easy to take care of. You sleep at night and nap most of the day, you are quiet and barely cry, and when you do it's just for boob. It may make me a bad mom, but I actually think your cry is cute. The few times that you have totally flipped out and just wailed until you were purple, you sound just adorable. I have no idea what the next few months have to hold for us. Every day I wonder what you will do next. Part of me can't wait for your achievements, and part of me wants you to stay tiny and never change. 

To be completely honest I think that this is too good to be true. I don't know what I did to deserve a baby as good as you. I can't believe you are so calm and quiet. It's almost like I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. I am waiting for you to turn into a screamer or to switch your days and nights and totally deprive me of sleep, or spend all your awake time fussing until we both cry. I hate to admit it but sometimes I wonder if there is something wrong. You are just too perfect, too good. Maybe we are just good parents, Maybe waiting until we were older was good for us. Maybe this whole time I was cut out to just be a mom. 

As I write this you are giggling and "talking" beside me, in your rocker. You just smiled at me. I love you so much, more than I ever thought I could, You are just so cute. I hope that someday you can look back at these letters I am writing, maybe when you have your own baby, and smile, knowing how happy you've made me, Because I finally understand just how much my parents love me. 

-Mommy

- Alana

On the move!

Well we lost the house that we had found, the one that was perfect. But we finally got funding to move so we spent last week on the house hunt again, and we found one. It's small, smaller than we had planned, but it'll be worth it. We can save some money because it's way under our housing allowance. So it'll give us a chance to pay off some bills. Plus it's kinda cute, and has a big jet bathtub. 
Everyone to my house for a tub party! Or not, actually you stay out of my tub, it's mine. 

The house isn't in Butte, but in Walkerville. A small town, connected to Butte, about the size of the neighborhood I grew up in. It's a tiny little place that was a mining town. 2.2 square miles and in 2011 it had a population of 675. It's also about a mile from Paul's office. But it may as well be part of Butte. It's closer to Pauls work downtown than any of the other houses we looked at. 

I am so happy to just be moving. As much as I want to stay here in Helena, where we at least have a Target, I want to get to Butte so Paul can not have to leave at 330 am to get to work. And he can come home for lunch sometimes, and be home early. And not have to commute through snowy weather through a shitty mountain pass. 

Other than that not much is new. I am fighting a cold, My throat feels like I swallowed razorblades. I just hope whatever it is Evey doesn't get it. I know when you are breastfeeding the baby shouldn't get sick because she gets your antibodies, but I would feel terrible if I got her sick. 

Oh and it's cold, like holy shit, I live in the Arctic circle, No one should have to live here in the winter, Cold. I think the high today was 11. And we're about to move to Butte where it's colder? I heard it was -22 there this morning. That's insane. But I'm okay with being a hermit so no worries. 

no, no paparazzi please

Okay, just make sure you get my good side. 

I just realized that I haven't taken a picture of anything other than the baby, or dogs in the last month... 

- Alana

Evelyn: 4 weeks

loving the bloomers! 

This week has been a long week for us (hence the delayed post). We spent the first half of the week not sleeping. Little Evey decided that she needed to prove that she is capable of waking the whole house up at three hour intervals. She also wanted us to know she could easily go 4 days without pooping, making me quite nervous. But we finally slept, and she finally pooped. 

She had her newborn pictures done and she did so well. She slept when she was supposed to, and she was awake when she should have been. I have seen a sneak peek, and the pictures are AMAZING! 

We also had our first night completely alone. Daddy had to work late and early in Butte during a snow storm so he slept down there Thursday night, and we survived. 

Renji has claimed Evey as his own. She is now his favorite person in the house, and also she is his new favorite flavor. 

Mini Me

Sleeping on the dog

BFF forever

Early morning after a feeding

Goofy faces just like mom and dad

Smile

4 weeks into her dress

New this week: 

More alert and awake

Smiles

Holding her own head up for a few seconds at a time

Here she is talking up a storm last week. 

How is mommy doing?
One month later and I can walk normal, although I do still occasionally feel some discomfort "down there" I am not working out yet, or even moving a whole lot. It's damn cold (9* in Helena right now, yes you read that right, nine degrees) and going outside just isn't my idea if fun so most of my movement is in the house, and the weekly trip to the grocery and Target. The weight loss has not been as great as I expected. I've been told when you breast feed the weight just drops off. Well maybe I am just eating shitty, or maybe I'm just not that lucky. At my highest I was 194, hey I stayed under 200 and that was my goal, I currently stand around 180. Pre pregnancy I was about 160 (155 if you go by all the weight I dropped with that flu in the first trimester) So as far as my body image I'm not to fond of myself. Besides that emotionally I am doing great, I have a little anxiety, but I haven't had any baby blues. Overall things are good, I am happy, I adore my new little family, things are good. I just need to start working out, 2 more weeks.

- Alana

Evey's Favorite Things

Even though she's just a little tiny thing, Evelyn has already taken a liking to certain things that we have gotten for her.

Fisher Price Rock and Play Sleeper

 One of these things is the Fisher Price Rock and Play. She loves it, so do we. It's something I registered for, and didn't give it much thought, just "that would be nice".  My mom got it for us and I really didn't think we'd use it a whole lot. But I was so wrong.
I like that it gives me a chance to put her down and do things, I can do some laundry, or load the dishwasher. It's light weight enough that I can carry it into the bathroom, so she can be in there while I shower.  She naps very well in it throughout the day. She can still be right next to me, and she is up away from the dogs, and still able to see me when she wakes up.



 Alana
(UPDATE 1/10/13) I am aware there has been a recall on this product due to a molding possibility. I think it's more of a common sense thing, keep your baby stuff clean and dry.  Fisher Price Recall article How to clean, from Fisher Price  

Evelyn 3 Weeks

My little one is three weeks old today. 

We had a checkup at the doctor and Evey is 9 lbs 2 oz and 22 inches long. 

Chillin in her cloth diaper

 This week daddy went back to work again on wednesday. Things have been pretty quiet. I have been a bit under the weather, I think fighting a cold. I've also been dying to get back to the chiropractor.

With a pretty bow

We finally made it to the chiropractor yesterday. Both of us got adjusted. Julie, my chiro warned me that after babies get adjusted sometimes they poop a lot. Last night, I was on the phone with my mom,  holding Evey, I smelled poop, It went away quickly so I thought it was a fart. Then Renji climbed up into my lap with her and starts trying to lick my shirt. I looked down and Evey and I were both covered in shit. Covered in it. She pooped so much it came out of the front of her diaper. We both showered together and got it cleaned up. But it was really, really gross. 

Slowly growing into her dress.
(Which she just peed in)

She has grown so much! We have grown together. I am getting more used to taking care of her. Breast feeding works very well for us, and we really have the hang of it. We sort of have a routine down, it varies a little every day, but we're getting it. Being a mommy isn't as hard as I had imagined. Evey is a really good baby. I love having her around and I love talking to her. Taking care of her makes me feel so important. 

Well enough about me, what about her? 

This week: 

Huge increase in eye contact

Watched Star Wars IV for the first time

Pooped all over mom

Nicknames:
Hammie, Squirmy Wormy & Stinky

I need to give credit for my inspiration for these weekly update posts to Erica, at MiTodo who does weekly update posts for her daughter Eva. 


- Alana