one month

I can't believe how much can happen in one month!  Quinn has grown so much already, and it's really fun to watch!

 So, what has Quinn been up to her first month of life?
 

1. GROWING!  She weighed in at 9 lbs. 7 oz. and 21 inches at her doctor's appointment, and is beginning to wear some of her 0-3 month clothes. She also had her first growth spurt which lasted about 4 days.  She was eating often and couldn't fall asleep without being held.  It was a tiring week for both baby and mama.  Luckily she has snapped back into a more regular routine again.

 

2.  WAKING UP!  For the first couple of weeks, Quinn was constantly falling asleep while nursing.  It was cute but hard to keep her awake for a full feeding.  We tried a lot to keep her going...changing her diaper, blowing on her, using a cold wash cloth on her face, stripping her down to her diaper...everything!  Anyhow, it was quite the process.  But, in the last week or so she has become way more efficient while nursing!  It takes her about 10-15 minutes and she is done!  She has also started to enjoy laying on her play mat where she can wiggle around and coo.  It is really fun to watch and interact with her when she is awake.

3. SMILING!  It doesn't happen often but we have seen a couple of her sweet smiles in the past couple of weeks!  I can't wait for more!!

4. CRYING IN THE CARSEAT!  Quinn is not a big fan of her carseat.  I have been avoiding going places with her because her cry can be so painful to listen to!  She turns bright red and starts to sweat!  I can't believe I am actually getting used to it...but I have figured out that usually she will only go 10 minutes max with crying.  So, if I time her I can remind myself that it will stop soon even though it seems to last forever.  I also have been singing to her while she cries.  I think it helps keep me calm more than her though haha.

5. NUZZLING!  Quinn loves to dig her face right into your neck so that she is cheek to cheek with you.  I just love cuddling with her!!

6. READING! Okay, so she isn't quite that advanced yet...but, we have started a bit of a bedtime routine lately.  I am even hesitant to call it a "routine" because babies' routines change so often as they grow.  But for now, we have been giving her a bath each night and Matt has enjoyed reading to her afterward.  I think we are all enjoying it :)

7. DRINKING FROM A BOTTLE!  Last week, we tried giving Quinn her first bottle.  She took it like a champ!  This was VERY exciting for me because it meant that I could get out of the house to do errands on my own and let Matt watch Quinn.  For my first trip I went to Target, and I couldn't believe how much I missed Quinn.  I felt very weird without her by my side!  But, it felt good to get my errands done.  We also went out on our "first date" as parents when Matt's family was here.  We went all out...not the usual Chili's or Chipotle...J.A. Alexander's..YUM.  Date nights have taken on a new meaning since the next one probably won't be for a few weeks until my family comes to visit. 

Quinn's infection is almost gone. We started her on a new medication and I can tell that it is already helping! We were told that she might have developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), so she is scheduled to have an ultrasound to check it out. She would have to wear a brace for a little while if they decide that she has it. We are trying to keep it all in perspective but it's not easy to hear that something might be wrong with your baby. Luckily, Quinn is as happy as clam and we might even find out that there is nothing wrong at all. It's hard to accept that you have no control over these things, but I know that Quinn will be just fine and it's all in God's hands!

Matt's family was in town this past week, and his Dad finally met his first grandchild!

:)

Lots of Love

We don't fuss too much over Valentine's Day...Matt knows that flowers and chocolate will cover it.  Although, I asked him to skip the chocolate this year...hah ;)  He also brought home a little bouqet and card for our newest Valentine, Quinn!

Quinn did something special for me on Valentine's Day too!  She smiled at me!  Not just the brief smile that you see babies do while they sleep, but a REAL smile...her whole face lit up!  I almost cried.  It was so sweet and I cannot wait for more!!

Notice that Quinn's leggings look more like capris...she has had a massive growth spurt this week!  

She has also been a lot more alert in the mornings and evenings!  Love those big blue eyes she got from her Daddy.

Hope you had a Happy Valentine's Day!



Aunt Meredith Visits!

My sister and nephew visited last weekend.  We had been looking forward to their visit for a long time.  It was so special to see Meredith meet Quinn for the first time, and we really loved getting some one-on-one time with Oliver.  He has changed so much since we last saw him over Thanksgiving!

 We enojoyed several walks with our little ones (Oliver looks a little uncomfortable in this picture..probably because we put him in the Ergo the wrong way..oops!  Sorry, little buddy!)

 

 I couldn't get enough of this little guy.  Very active and very sweet!

 Since Oliver was loving the playmat, we gave Quinn a little try on it too :)

 Tummy Time?  Didn't last too long!

 Bonding with my little man!

 Miss them already!  Can't wait to see them again next month for our big family vacay!

First Bath

Quinn had her first bath this weekend!  As you can see in the pictures she was pretty hesitant about the whole process.  But, once we got her in the warm water she seemed to be pretty content!

 

 

Daddy did a lot of the cuddling and soothing, while Mommy took the reigns on the actual bathing (I loved channeling my "inner hair stylist" while shampooing Quinn's hair! ;)

 Trying to convince Quinn that bath time was a good idea...

 

 Hmmm...maybe Mommy and Daddy were right!

The actual time in the bath tub lasted probably an entire 4 minutes.  However, those 4 minutes did wonders in helping our little one to sleep soundly!  We have decided to make bath time a more regular part of our slowly developing bed time routine with Quinn :)

Play Date

Last week, Quinn had her first "play date" with Eden.  Quinn is only four days older!  As you can see in the pictures there was very little playing...I think the mommies just really wanted to have a chance to chat about their babies :)  We enjoyed getting out of the house and visiting with our dear friends!

Quinn slept most of the time...

 Mama Amy and Baby Eden

 Quinn enjoyed napping on Eden's lamby. 

Thanks for the fun play date, Amy and Eden!

 



three weeks

We went to the pediatrician this week for a weight check and Quinn is 8 lbs. 5 oz.!  She has gained over a pound in two weeks!  She wasn't too thrilled when I took this picture at 21 days :)



 Quinn has been sleeping in the bassinet that Matt slept in as a baby.  It has been working out well.

 Quinn has started to have a fussy time around 8 pm every evening which lasts about an hour or so until she drifts off to sleep.  However, recently we found out she has a small infection which is making her super fussy during her nighttime feedings.  Needless to say, coffee has been a good friend of mine lately (and naps whenever I can manage to slip one in).

 Matt has been really helpful with getting Quinn to fall asleep in the evenings and has been a big help on the weekends.  Its nice to have an extra hand when he is home!

 We made a second attempt last weekend to get out of the house with Quinn.  We have been trying to keep our outings with her to a minimal because of the terrible flu season (plus-she is still so little)...BUT, one can only take so much and I really needed to leave the house!  We successfully made it to Five Guys and were able to enjoy our meal...only a little bit of crying (by Quinn, not me!) in the car but we survived :)

 I love how her hair fluffs up after it gets washed!  Looking forward to giving Quinn her first real bath this weekend!

 

 

First Two Weeks

We have officially made it through the first two weeks with Quinn!  A lot has happened in such a short period of time.  Every day we are learning something new about taking care of our sweet girl as she seems to change and grow by the minute!  My Mom was around to helps us the first week home.  She was a HUGE help with cooking, cleaning, running errands and keeping me calm :)  I would describe the first week as kind of scary.  The responsibility of taking care of a baby really sank in.  I was overwhelmed with many emotions...sometimes I would just look at Quinn and start tearing up because I love her so much!  (Yes, I am sure hormones played a role in my heightened emotional state!) 

 

Quinn has been a champ.  She pretty much fell into a nice little routine of sleeping/feeding every 3 hours with a little bit of longer stretches at night.  The biggest challenge has honestly been waking her up and keeping her awake to nurse!  It's more difficult than you might think!  It takes a good five minutes for her to stretch out after initially waking her up, followed by diaper changes and a cold cloth to keep her stimulated long enough to get in a full feeding!  

The biggest surprise for me so far?  I didn't realize how much work nursing a baby took!  It is very time consuming.  But, I am realizing how special that time with your baby is and also noticing that Quinn is gradually getting more efficient with nursing.  Everything changes so fast even though you sometimes feel like a certain phase might last forever!

First walk with Quinn!  

Other firsts include...going to the pediatrician for a healthy check up and going out to eat at Panera :)

After my Mom left, Matt's mom (Polly) came down to meet Quinn--the first McCauley grandchild!  Polly was also a great help with doing things around the house and letting me sleep in a little each morning after Quinn woke up :)

 

Quinn is already starting to be a little more alert and will stare at you if you are talking to her.  Recently (around day 14), Quinn started a growth spurt (at least I hope that's what it is) and has been treating me like an all-you-can-eat buffet!  She has also been a little fussier than usual.  We attempted to go out to eat the other night and she screamed in the car the entire way there.  Needless to say, we turned around and ordered pizza.  I guess that is how parenthood goes!  I must say that I am thankful for a healthy, growing baby :)

Both Matt and I have decided that one of our favorite things about Quinn is her sweet noises/grunts that she makes.



Loving the visits from good friends!

Pretty sure her eyes are BLUE!

Family of THREE!