Lots of missed blogging...

After returning to work from my maternity leave, my life got CRAZY!!! I was promoted within the first few weeks back from designer to art director at Kohl's, and was given the Disney account. At first, the Disney account was suppose to be a small, one-time project, but what it turned into was so much more. I became the department head creative director on the project. I personally designed all the packaging and in-store marketing, and then art directed several designers through the web and printed direct mail and tab materials. I then would guide the company through all the many many Disney graphics and make sure that everyone was following all the Disney and Kohl's graphics guidelines. On top of all of this, I also managed and designed packaging for several other brands in the store, including Apt. 9, Lauren Conrad, Elle, Jumping Beans, Mudd, St. Nicholas Square, and Princess Vera Wang. I say all this because, though this was an exciting time in my life, it was also extremely stressful. I was working through several nights a week. One time I was even taking to my boss, who was on vacation in Paris, on the phone at 3am, to get a project done. When I got home from work, I would spend the little time I had with my little baby Sam, and then work or sleep. On the weekends, I would work! Either for my job, on projects and cleaning around the house, running errands, or on things for my church calling as 2nd counselor in the Primary presidency. Obviously, that left zero time for my blog. I am so sad about it, too, because I missed recording so many sweet moments of my Sammy's life and now those memories are all jumbled or gone. In March, 5 months after returning to work, my mom was visiting and I was talking to her about how stressful my job was getting and how it was causing a huge problem in that all of a sudden my milk supply had vanished. I went from being able to easily pump 20 oz. first thing in the morning, to maybe being able to get 6. She suggested that maybe it isn't my job, but rather that maybe I am pregnant again. I thought to my self there was no way, but decided to take a test to be sure. It was POSITIVE!!! Holy cow! It was so weird standing there with a little 8 month old baby and thinking to myself that I was pregnant.

By time I reached the end of my pregnancy, I knew that I couldn't keep my life going the way it was. I was so stressed at work and was growing more and more irritable and cynical. I developed a pretty bad twitch in my arm. and most of all, though Sammy LOVED being at the Kohl's daycare, I hated that I was missing so much of my baby's life. On December 1, 2014, my little Kate was born, and on December 1, 2014, my life took a turn for the wonderful. I decided to quit my job and stay at home. It was the best decision I ever made. Somedays are really hard, and we are now really poor, but I love all of it! I love that I am not missing any more of Sam's days and getting to experience all of Kate's. Now that I am home, my life isn't any less crazy, but it is a lot less stressful and a lot more enjoyable. I am really hoping to get going again with my blog and start recording all these moments, so I don't forget them. First things first, I want to catch up recording a few things. I will work on them starting now :) Here is my list:

Trip to Hawaii
Trip to Atlanta
Pregnancy with Kate
Kate's birth
Sam and Kate's first Dr. Appointment together
Kate's blessing
Trip to Atlanta for baptisms and to meet Maggie
Facts about Sammy I want to remember

Time for me to say something real about my life...

This is my last weekend with my little Sammy before needing to go back to work. I can't seem to stop crying. We decided going back was the best thing for our little family, but I am so upset about it. I waited 5 years for my little baby, and suffered through a loss of a baby which was beyond horrible, and now I need to hand him over to someone else to get to enjoy all his sweet little moments with and to give all his cuddles to. I feel like I am going to miss out on so much. It doesn't help that I hate my job and am dreading the time there. It makes it that much harder to be having to spend so much time away from my Sam and to be giving up being his mom.

Two month old Sammy

 

WEIGHT: 12 lbs. 15 oz. (54%ile)

LENGTH: 25 inches (100%ile)
HEAD CIR: 16.9 inches (100%ile)

He wears size one diapers. He is in-between sizes on his clothes... newborn are getting a little tight, but 0-3 month still are pretty big on him.

After his mama got mastitis, Sam decided that nursing was just not for him, so we are exclusively pumping and bottle feeding. He eats anywhere from 3 to 6 oz. about every 3 hours.

Sam went on his first airplane trip this month, and did great! Mama and Sam flew to Albany, New York so Sam could meet his Grandpa Jeff. Sam slept the whole way there and the whole way back, and played in the airports. Couldn't have asked for a better traveler.

Sam LOVED meeting his Grandpa Jeff. He took quite a few amazing naps on his chest.

He loves to smile and talk to us. He is pretty playful in the mornings right after he eats and gets his diaper changes. We will get a good couple of hours of Sam just talking and smiling and kicking his cute  legs.

He got blessed this month!!!

Sam has the most amazing smile and loves to show it off as often as possible.

He has started spitting up more.

He is still really gassy, but is doing a much better job getting it all out :).

Sam chocks a lot while eating. Wish we could find a way to fix that.

He loves car rides, as long as the car is moving. Anytime we stop he starts to complain. He definitely lets us know what he likes and doesn't like.

We took Sam grocery shopping for the first time this month.

He loves to hold his arms in the cutest little pose. He looks like he is boxing or superman, or an archer.

Sam hates tummy time. We only make him do it for a few minutes each time, and he gets so mad!!!

He is sleeping really well. We usually only have to get up once in the night to feed and diaper change.

Sam is very finicky. He likes things a certain way and gets mad is we do it any different. We are starting to learn his likes and dislikes.

He is chunking up. We are loving having a baby with cute little baby rolls. We couldn't ask for a cuter baby. Our neighbor, Katie, is so cute with Sam. Last night she said he is so cute he should be a baby model. Haha! Sam is pretty adorable!!!

We adore our little Sam. Can't believe we get to be his parents.

One month check-up...

Today Sam had his one month check up. He weighs 9 lbs. 8 oz, which is in the 38th percentile. He should be gaining at least 3/4 of an ounce each day, and Sammy is gaining about one ounce per day, so we are doing great! Sam was significantly tongue-tied, so Dr. Esser clipped his tongue. It was pretty stressful for Lyle and me to watch, but I think Sam will be so much happier. He seems to be doing okay, though a little fussy and sleeping a lot. Hoping he'll be feeling better tomorrow.

Sam at his appointment

 Sam eating right after his tongue was clipped, for comfort. Love his hand next to his face. So glad I pumped and brought a bottle.

Sam is ONE MONTH!!!

Can't believe my baby is one month old already. Time is flying by way too fast. I am loving being this sweet little guy's mama. He is everything I could have hoped for. Love him so much.

WEIGHT: 9 lbs. 8 oz. (38%)

He just switched yesterday from newborn diapers to size one. The size one are HUGE on him, but he was having too many leak outs with the newborn size.

He is in newborn size clothes. They are still pretty big on him.

He nurses about every 4 hours, sometimes 5 in the middle of the night after a good feeding. It takes him about an hour to nurse. He has a bottle of breast  milk about every 3rd feeding.

He was pretty significantly tongue tied. He got it clipped in the pediatrician's office at his one month appointment, and was a champ while they were doing it. He also got his stitched removed from his head at that same appointment.

So far, he has been visited by Grandma Cindra, Aunt Amy, Aunt Natalie, and Grandma Sandy... along with numerous friends.

He has been out of the house so far for a couple of walks, trips to the doctors, the Wisconsin State Fair, and a trip to the Zoo for Lyle's birthday.

From almost week one, he has made good eye contact, and gives great genuine smiles. We love when we get really big giggly smiles. He has a great dimple to show off with those fabulous smiles.

Sam is full of fun facial expressions all the time.

He is REALLY gassy. The first few weeks he was really fussy because of it, but it is getting better.

He loves to have his arms free. He is a major wiggler. We only swaddle his arms down when he is having a really hard time sleeping. Otherwise, we swaddle him with his arms out since he loves it so much.

He hated his first traditional bassinet, but loves the new one we got him, which is a Fisher Price Rock 'n Sleep. He kicks off the end of it to rock himself and then giggles. It is pretty awesome.

He is super strong!!! Holds his head up like a champ and stands up when we are trying to burp him.

He gets the hiccups almost every time he eats.

He is not a spitter-upper. He only has spit up a few times, but has thrown up twice.

He is a Frank Sinatra fan. It always calms him down when he is over-tired and needs to go to sleep.

He LOVES staring at the posters on our wall and the ceiling fan in the kitchen.

We call him Sammy, Bud, Boo, Bear, and Boy.

We love his so much and are so excited to have him in our little family.

Lyle loves the zoo...

Today is Lyle's 31st birthday!!! Every year we go to the zoo for his birthday. This year is special because it is also Sam's first trip to the zoo, at 3 weeks old. Lyle's mom is in town visiting Sam, and so we got to have her with us, also. The weather was perfect and we had so much fun.

Finding the perfect bed...

Sammy has had a hard time sleeping at night. He gets horrible gas pains... makes me so sad. The bassinet has been particularly difficult. He hates it!!! We've been having him sleep in his bouncer, and he seems to do better in that, though not great. We decided to ask our neighbors, the Brunson's, if we could borrow their bassinet to test it out. Sam loved it, so we bought him his own. He was giggling when we put him in his for the first time. He learned quickly how to rock himself in it by kicking off the end of it. He is a very clever little baby. Love him!

Bouncer

 New Bassinet