Ethan's 2 Months Old!

Ethan,

I feel like it was just yesterday when I wrote your one month letter! You are constantly changing and growing. You are inbetween newborn and 0-3mo. clothing. The newborn is getting a little short and you swim in the 0-3mo. The best thing that happened this month is that you have started to smile. It seriously makes my heart melt when I see your cute little grin and nothing makes me happier than to know that you are happy.

You also have started to laugh as well although you mostly reserve this for daddy (he is pretty goofy!). You are gaining more head control and can even sit in the Bumbo seat every now and then. You are also becoming very alert - no more sleepy newborn days for you. Your favorite things to stare at are the two framed birds that your great-grandmother embroidered that hang in our bedroom.

We are starting to see a little bit of your personality as well now. I think you are going to be quiet, serious, and reflective. Sometimes you look like you are in deep thought and your eyebrows are usually posed in a worried expression. And even though you aren't really grasping toys yet, I do think you might be left handed...time will tell.

Your routine is still going pretty well. We have officially dropped the 2AM feeding and are working on dropping the 5AM feeding this week. I've bumped you up to 4oz each feeding (a couple of times you only get 3oz) and while I hope to keep you on breastmilk as long as possible, I'm afraid I might not be able to keep up with you! We are still having to get up a couple of times in the night...usually around 2:30 and 4:30 I'm pretty sure this is just your internal alarm, but we change your dirty diaper and you fall back to sleep pretty quickly.

You are still sleeping in your pack and play, but have been kicked out of mommy and daddy's bedroom. You are now sleeping in the living room, currently under the lights of your first Christmas tree. Maybe by next month you will be in your crib!

Our biggest accomplishment this month has been making it through the first holiday. You met pretty much every family member and did extremely well being totally off schedule and only napping for an hour on Thanksgiving. Everyone feel immediately in love and you were constantly in some one elses arms.

You gave mommy a run for her money just yesterday with a screaming fit that seemed to have no end. You wouldn't eat, take a paci, or swing. After exhausting every other option I stripped you down to your diaper and that seemed to do the trick. I think you might have developed a hatred for tags just like your mommy! That has been our worst day by far and even so - it really wasn't that bad.

Next month should be exciting - it will be your first Christmas! Can't wait. I already have a mini tree in your room which hopefully you will be sleeping in by then!

Love you!
Mom

One Thanksgiving Down...Two to Go!

My mom's Thanksgiving was Saturday and I can't tell you how nervous I was about managing Ethan and keeping him and my boobs happy and on schedule. Things went pretty good considering it was our first time being with a large group of people and out of our comfort zone.

I went over to mom's early without Michael (he was hunting) to try and be helpful. I wasn't as helpful as I wanted to be considering most of my time was spent taking care of Ethan, but I did get to do a few things for her. It mostly ended up helping me and Ethan get settled before everyone else got there.

I found that mom had saved the day by purchasing Ethan a little table top swing. It kept him happy and my hands free for a little bit. I discovered that it might be more helpful to bring extra milk along next time so I can pump at more convenient times while we are displaced. I had brought one extra bag of frozen milk which sadly ended up leaking during the thawing process. I now know where the expression of crying over spilt milk comes from especially since for whatever reason I was producing even less than normal that day. I barely make enough to satisfy him as it is (TMI?).

Ethan did really well. We got to show him off to family and we made it through the day with minimum crying and without messing up his cute outfit. He was exhausted afterwards and ended up pretty much sleeping through the night only waking up for 2 diaper changes and a feeding. 

Thursday will be a new test for us. We are spending the night at my dads (no swing to save the day there!!!) and going to two different family functions. It's amazing how tricky it is to schedule your day outside of the home.

Wish us good luck!

Newborn Session & Wellness Checkup

Ethan and I had a super fun time at our newborn photo session. I have to admit I was a little nervous about how it would go. He was only 9 days old and we were still getting to know each other and I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep him happy and get him to cooperate, but thankfully everything went well and we got some good shots.

The photographer was Jenna Henderson from JHenderson Studios. She is actually a friend from high school and I think she has done a wonderful job. She even shared the magic of the hair dryer with me. It was the secret to keeping Ethan warm and happy throughout the session.

There was lots of pee and poop. The moby wrap, my chair, the floor, the sheepskin rug, and Michael all got soaked. I guess that's just what happens with warm, naked newborns. I just laughed because I've discovered sometimes, that's all you can do really.

I'm looking forward to our next session at 3 months and to really capture all of his little changes throughout this first year!

We also had Ethan's check-up yesterday (which thankfully to my surprise did not include any shots). I have been super worried about his weight because it has been on the low end, but the doctor said he was doing just fine.

He was born at 8lbs 7oz, had fallen to 7lbs 15oz when we left the hospital, and is now up to 9.5lbs at a month and a half which puts him in the 22.5 percentile.

It seems that all of his growth has gone to his length. He was born 20.5in long and is now up to 22.75in long. This puts him in the 71 percentile.

We will be heading back to the doctor the second week of December to begin the dreaded shots. Thankfully we are doing the Sears method and get to spread them out a little bit which will hopefully make things a little easier.

Well it sounds like someone's up from naptime...time to feed!

What's to Eat? Wednesday - Sausage and Mushroom Ragu

Look who's cooking again! That's right folks, What's to Eat? Wednesday is back...not sure how regularly, but I'm going to do my best. This recipe comes from the Cooking Light magazine it's a cheap eat both monetarily and calorically. Serves 4.

Cost: $2.49/serving
Calories: 428/serving

Sausage and Mushroom Ragu

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

8 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced (I used portabella)

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
2 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup uncooked polenta
4 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 tablespoon butter


Preparation


1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Remove sausage from casings. Add sausage to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove sausage from pan.

2. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in sausage, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium; simmer gently for 15 minutes.


3. Bring broth and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add polenta, stirring well. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 20 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, cheese, and butter. Serve with sausage mixture.

The Struggles of Wanting

I can't believe the holidays are just around the corner. Crap - they are here really. This weekend we will be celebrating our first of three Thanksgivings. Then before you know it we will be out buying a tree, decorating the house, opening presents, and then bringing in a new year. Time really does fly doesn't it?

I am excited about the upcoming holidays, but a small part of me is also dreading the mass chaos of it all especially this year since we will be tackling it with a little one whom we are still getting accustomed to.

Of course I'm also getting caught up in the "What Do I Want?" epidemic that begins around this time of year. Not only am I thinking about presents, but also projects I want to accomplish both before this year is over and when the new year begins.

I've found this year that the "What Do I Want?" thought is followed by a long list of answers and ending with the realization of....seriously - I can't have any of that. The funds are just too tight this go around. The days of instant gratification are definitely over and it's hard to get adjusted to.



I guess it's time for me to start thinking about what all I'm thankful for this year. It is that time of year after all. Isn't it funny how the holiday that's focused on what we already have is followed so quickly and sometimes even overshadowed by the one that focuses on what we want?