Last Week of Maternity Leave

This week was my last full week of maternity leave.  I can't believe that my time off is already over.  It seems like just yesterday that Nick and I took a walk (or waddled) down to Michael's Custard with the Storcks (for those of you who didn't know, we walked for custard the night before I went into labor). 

The thought of going back to work is bittersweet.  On one hand, I won't have to listen to the music of the Jungle all day.  On the other hand, I won't get to see Owen smile as he drifts off to sleep with every nap.  Talking with adults vs. staying in my PJs all day.  Having someone else help change Owen's 4-5 poopy diapers each day vs. breast-feeding-forced cuddle time. 

We tried to make the most of our last week of leave, but of course, it was too hot outside to do much!

Our backyard neighbor, Harper, turned 1 year old this week.  We had to go celebrate!

Harper eating cake!  So cute!

We went hiking with the Kandikos at Pheasant Branch Conservancy Trail in Middleton! 

Owen and Mason having tummy time during the picnic part of the hike!

On Monday, we had Uncle Aaron and his girlfriend, Megan, over for dinner (sorry no pics)!  Happy Birthday, Uncle Aaron!

Also, on Monday, Owen started rolling on his side!  Big news, but also a little scary... soon he'll be rolling over, crawling, walking, running... oh geeze!  He can roll onto his left side pretty well, but he hasn't rolled onto his right side yet.  His main goal: to get his hand or "G" the giraffe into his mouth.  

On Tuesday, Owen and I went to our last Mommy-Baby hour.  When I first decided to go to these, I wasn't sure if I would like them.  I figured it would only be women who were all about being moms.  Don't get me wrong.  I wanted to be a mom.  I love being a mom.  I just don't want it to be all that I am.  I am also a wife, a pharmacist (although on Tuesday I may not want to be), a daughter, a sister, a runner (well maybe again someday), etc.   But I found the women at Mommy-Baby hour to be just like me.  And Heather and Mason went with us!  I am going to miss these meetings.  Do you think my boss would let me take every Tuesday off?

In preparation for my going back to work, Owen needed a new bedtime.  He used to get his bedtime feeding around 9 pm and get up for the day ~7:30-8 am (no, he didn't sleep for 11 hours straight, we got up once in there...).  For daycare/going back to work, we need Nick to be able to give him a bottle ~6:30 am.  So on Tuesday, we put him down after his 9 pm feed with hopes of getting him up at 6:30 am.  I even set my alarm (yuck)!  But then Owen slept all the way until 6:10 am!  (see last week's post on my narcoleptic child!)  I still had to get up and pump at 5 am when Nick got up for work, but still!  Since then, we have been aiming for at 7:30-8 pm bedtime and a 6:30-7 am wake up.  It seems to be going well, but we are a little bummed about the early bedtime.  Not like we had much of a social life, but we can kiss any late nights on Waltham goodbye! 

Wednesday, we went to the Doolan's house for dinner.  Blake was very into baby Owen.  I should have gotten pictures, but I didn't.  I was too busy eating the delicious food that Doolan made. 

On Thursday, Nick took the day off.  I had a dentist appointment and an eye appointment.  It must have sounded like a good idea to have them early in the morning when I scheduled the appointments... It was a little bit of practice for going back to work.  I made it to my appointments, but with wet hair.  I am not giving myself high hopes of looking very good on Tuesday when I go back to work. 

Thursday was also the last Packer preseason game.  Uncle Aaron and Megan were at the game.  We stayed home and watched the game from our family room.  I had bought Owen Packer's gear at the St. Vinny's sale.  None of it fits him yet since he is a peanut!  So I put him in the hat for a bit (yes, I know, it was 95 degrees out)! 

Go Pack Go!

 

Just like mom, sleeping during the game!

Friday, we spent in our sweatpants.  It's too hot to go outside, so we celebrated my last day of maternity leave in style.  With diaper blow outs and playing in the jungle! 

Tomorrow, we are taking Owen to his first Badger game.  We are sitting by best buddy Mason and the Kandikos!  We are hoping that it goes well, but we may all be a little sweaty by the end of the game!  Regardless, Owen has really cute Badger Onesies that he gets to wear (yes, we are prepared.  He has more than one)!

One last thing!  Some of you may have known that we decorated the nursery with a jungle/safari theme and put up these wall stickers. 

Original wall stickers.

Well... in the middle of the night, I went up to feed Owen and found that the tree with falling off the wall.  I didn't really think that it was safe for giant stickers to fall into the crib with Owen, so I peeled them all the way off.  Then, I painted the wall.  I think it turned out well.  (I only painted the tree/monkey part on the left).  I still can't believe that Nick let me paint monkeys on the wall!

Have a great Labor Day weekend!  Travel safe!

I think your son is narcoleptic!

"I think your son is narcoleptic"- that's how I greeted Nick when he came home on Tuesday.  Everyone said that newborns sleep all the time, but I think that he sleeps more now at 10 weeks than he did when we first brought him home.  Owen has been sleeping ~10-12 hours at night with only one night feeding recently, about 7-8 hours in.  No complaints from this momma (well except that the milk factory hasn't really adjusted to this new trend)!  Our daytime routine has changed slightly due to his change in bedtime sleeping.  He used to be on a fairly consistent 3-hour cycle of eating, playing for about an hour, and then sleeping for about 1.5 hours.  Now his cycles are more of 2-2.5 hours with shorter naps.  We feel a little busier during the day, but I am enjoying the sleep at night.  Nick is pretty confused by all of this, as I am going back to bed when his alarm is going off. 

Please enjoy some pictures of our sleeping baby:

Owen napping in his crib!

Passed out in the bouncer while we ate dinner...

We had an interesting struggle this week.  As soon as my work schedule came out, Owen decided that he didn't like bottles anymore.  Talk about adding stress onto an already stressful situation.  Our bedtime routine had been working really well.  I would pump, and Nick would feed Owen a bottle until he fell into a milk-induced coma.  Then, whammy!  Talk about an angry baby!  Nick and Owen would have a stand off, and eventually Owen would eat about 1.5-2 ounces.  Not enough, especially right before bed (we were not sleeping 7-8 hour stretches on those nights)!  Apparently, when babies are 0-2 months old, they really don't care where the food comes from as long as they get it.  Then when they hit 2 months old, they become more self aware... and hate the bottle. We were ready to try anything.  I was almost at Target buying any bottle I could, but our friend Kathie (who is a lactation consultant at Meriter) was a lifesaver and talked us out of rushing out and investing in a million bottles.  On Sunday night, we tried to have Nick give Owen a bottle for both the bedtime and middle of the night feedings.  If he is really hungry, he'll eat.  Right?  BAD IDEA!  Nick was so nervous about having to respond to the baby monitor that he turned the volume way up.  Neither of us slept very well that night (babies are NOISY sleepers)!  We were both pretty sassy to each other the next morning.  But by the time Nick came home from work, we had cooled off.  And Owen took a full bottle that evening.  Not according to any of the suggestions:
1. Have someone other than mom feed the baby- Mom gave the bottle
2. Don't hold the baby in the cradle hold- Held in the cradle hold
3. Don't do it where the baby is usually breastfed- Sitting in the exact same spot
Well, at least he won't starve at daycare! 

Here is a website that we found useful (in case anyone else is desperate):
When Your Baby Refuses to Bottlefeed

Here is the info sheet from Kathie (with Craig's suggestions at the bottom):

"Paul Ryan seems to like babies.  Ask him."

What else did we do this week?

We did tummy time (Owen usually rolls over as soon as I put him on his tummy, but recently he has been propping himself up more):

Looking at his reflection in the cool toy from Grandma and Grandpa Gnadt!

We played in the jungle:

We checked mom's email:

We played with "G" the giraffe:

 We practiced propping:

 

 We had playdates with the Twiegs and the Kandikos:

Heather and Mason!

Hanging out in Mason's swing!

Playing on Mason's activity mat!

Baden and his Badger!

Looking so cute during the playdate!

It was quite the week! Grandpa John even stopped by to play!

Hooray for the weekend! 

Our new normal

Let's just start out by saying that I've never done this before.  However, with so many proud grandparents begging for details and pictures, we should probably try!

How our lives have changed over the past few months...

I found out last October that I was pregnant for the first time, after only trying for 4 months!  Nick and I found ourselves extremely blessed for how easy it was to become pregnant once we decided that it was time to add to our little family.  We found out at ~ 3:30 am when I took a pregnancy test... because everyone takes the test in the middle of the night?

I had a fairly uneventful pregnancy, which I was grateful for.  I work in the NICU and was a little anxious the entire time.  The worst I had was 1st trimester nausea, a back ache, and heartburn.

Sucking his thumb in the 20 week ultrasound!

I loved my epidural!  Ready to meet Mr. Owen!

Owen came into our world on 6/13/2012 at 5:36 pm, just a touch late at 40 weeks and 2 days, but this is right on time since he is a "Gnadt."  He was a little peanut then (and still is) at 6 lbs 7 oz and 20 inches. 

Our "new" family!

Proud Grandpa John!

Grandma Char!  Is she crying in this picture?

Uncle Aaron, already waiting until he can buy him that skateboard!

Grandma Kathy!  So happy!

Grandpa Bob- He loves to hold his grandsons!

Aunt Bridget and Cousin Michael!  Great job holding him, Michael!

Since then, life has been a big adjustment.  Amos, the cat, is none too pleased.

Amos- not amused!

Nick went back to work after 2 weeks, but we have had a lot of help from Grandma Char.  We have had many playdates!  The Twieg boys, Nolan and Baden, are gestationally the same age as Owen.  And BFF Mason is only 6 weeks older!

Baden, Owen, and Nolan.

Mason and Owen. 

Owen is a great baby.  We call him anti-colic.  He rarely cries.  He loves to coo and smile.  At our last doctor's appointment, Dr. George asked if I could tell his cries apart.  I had to tell him that I couldn't because he doesn't cry very much.  He is a good sleeper, too.  He is only getting up one time every night, and he has even given mom some 7 hour stretches!

1 month old!  8 lbs 7 oz. 

Baptism Day- with Godmother Bridget and Godfather Mark!

2 months old!  10 lbs 2 oz. 

So happy!

Mom dressed me in this little ducky outfit... Imagine what she would do if I was a girl...

My goal will be to update this once a week with pictures and new stories about our adventures!

Enjoy!