photo dump

Happy Friday:) Friday's are exciting around the Overall house. It was the day of the week I changed weeks when I was pregnant, and now it is the day of the week Ainsley changes weeks:) 

Happy 5 weeks of life beanie:) 

before her first dinner out

she crosses her hands like such a lady! 

look at my belly :)

snow day! 

5 weeks today! 

playing on my play mat. i love the whale. 

Philip has been off this week. He randomly got a week off because his coworkers are taking vacation at the end of the month. so we will pay for it in the weeks to come, but this week has been so nice having him home. 

Ainsley has been sleeping 6-7 hours at night, then again for about 4-5. girl can sleep. and her parents appreciate it more than she knows;) 

Hope everyone has a good weekend! the snow is melting here and the sun is starting to come out, spring is on the way! :)

One Month!

Ainsley is one month old! It's so hard to believe. She has changed so much from that snowy night she came into the world. how fitting it is snowing right now. our little snow fairy.

We are both so surprised at how much we love this tiny little bean:) 

 

weight: at her 2 week check up she was 7 lbs 12 oz- past her birth weight. we havent weighed her again since but look at these cheeks:). she will go back to dr april 1 for her 2 month check up.

size: she is still in newborn clothes and newborn diapers. a few of her outfits seem a little short in length, but for the most part they all fit her. her daddy even went out and bought her several adorable outfits (most involving sea creatures).

whales:)

sleeping/eating: up until a few nights ago we really couldnt complain about her sleeping. she goes about 4-4.5 hours at night. the past few nights however she has not wanted to go to sleep and been very loud about it. we think it was a growth spurt. 
Last night was my first night being all by myself- and it was a success! No crying fits (from either of us) and she slept really well:) yay me! 
Philip has already mastered the ability to ignore her hundreds of noises she makes constantly all night long. he only wakes up when she is full out crying. I, however, can not seem to ignore her noises and am constantly awake listening to her. we are working on ways to help me do better with this. it is so frustrating because i couldbe getting sleep, if only I could chill out a little bit. I am getting better and better every night. 

the first week I slept with my bedside light on so I could see her and check to make sure she is still breathing. we both sleep better in the dark though and I have been able to turn off the light and even move her away from right beside my bed. 

she eats every 3 hours. she was eating around 3 oz but now is eating 3.5oz. 

swaddled in my rock n play

loving: she loves bath time. i even gave her a bath by myself for the first time last week ( i was so proud because philip had done every bath before then). 

she loves sleeping on her daddy's chest (why does she sleep best there?!) 

us: our marriage has changed so much for me in the past month. Philip has taken care of me physically, emotionally, spiritually. I knew he was an amazing person, obviously. but i had no idea he was this amazing. I have fallen so much more in love with him and am so thankful for the person he is. 

Last Thursday night we went out on a dinner date while my parents watched her for a few hours. It was nice to get out of the house and enjoy each other, but weird not having her with us:)

It is definitely different with a newborn. Dinners sometimes involve rocking or holding her while trying to eat. handing her off to the other at 4am when she just wont stop crying. sacrificing time with each other so that one of us can just go lay down while the other takes care of A. there have been several breakdowns; both from ainsley and from me. it has been challenging but very worth it:) 

It is an adjusting phase and we are trying to realize that it is a trial and error process. because it can get stressful and overwhelming. We are trying to make decisions that are best for our family, every day. 

God has been so faithful to us this past month and we are so very blessed :) 

2 week check up

Happy 2 weeks to our sweet baby girl!!

She had her 2 week check up today. i have been anxiously awaiting this appointment. Breast feeding can get a little stressful because you can't actually see how much milk they are getting. you just have to go off of how many wet/dirty diapers they are having and if you think they are gaining weight. but there is nothing better than having the doctor tell you that you are doing a great job and that she is growing perfectly. :) I was a happy momma leaving today. (unlike her first dr appt when he told me her bilirubin was doubled and I needed to supplement until my milk came in. i cried and felt like a failure). Lucky for me my husband is amazing and has been so encouraging. he tells me all the time how good I am doing and how good ainsley is doing because of me. I have no idea how I could have dealt with my worries, emotions and fears without him being there to listen and encourage me. 

stats: 20 1/4 length (45 percentile) 

7 lbs 12 oz ( 28 percentile) but above her birth weight! 

head 35 cm (24 percentile) 

look at my belly!
Ainsley is growing great she is just on the petite side:) 

He told me to let her sleep at night until she wakes me up. for the first week and half we did every 3 hour feedings and then the past 2 nights we went to 4 hour (just at night). so we will see how tonight goes, I am sure I will still wake up every hour to check on her, but we will see how long she goes until she gets hungry. 

so here's to hopefully getting some better sleep around this house, for all 3 of us:) 

Oh, Happy Valentines Day!! (a day late)

One Week!

This time last week I had my epidural in and we were just waiting on Ainsley to make her appearance! 

I will save her 'birth story' for another post. Today is just a little update to say hi. and tell you we are head over heels in love. but just a few birth pics to celebrate:)

She had to go to the nursery after she was born due to her taking a big gulp of amniotic fluid. Her Daddy carried her there and said she just stared up at him the whole time. 

taken in his arms

And she had a welcoming committee waiting on her:) 

Anyway, enough about that day. Like I said I will get into that another time. I do want to thank her fabulous family who spent a long day waiting for her to get there:) 

Philip and I have settled in pretty well at home. We have been so blessed and have had so many family members and friends bring us dinner and take care of things for us. We have been able to take the time to enjoy our little squirt and take care of her and our new family. 

Her bilirubin was elevated at first but is now back to normal (6 on sunday then up to 12 on monday. remained 12 on tuesday then thursday he said 'she looks great no need to get more blood) . yay! :) 

She has had her newborn pictures taken and they are going to be awesome, I can't wait for you all to see them. (thank you Robin Allen Photography!) 

a break between 'posing'

I feel like we are constantly just staring at her and talking about how perfect she is. and laugh at the faces she makes. and noises she makes. and then take pictures of them. and then text the pictures to family. man she is so cute though. the first night in the hospital we just sat in the bed with her looking at every little detail of her. 

Not only am I so in love with our beautiful daughter, but I have fallen so much more in love with my wonderful husband. Watching him with her has been one of the best parts of this week for me. He is amazing with her. He has been amazing to me. He has taken such good care of both of us in ways I never thought he would. I am one smitten girl right now:) 

I will update more soon, just wanted to check in and say hi :) 

Letter

Dear Ainsley,

   It is CRAZY to think that this time tomorrow we will be well on our way to meeting you. You have been quite active last night and this morning and I feel like you know you are about to leave the only home you have known. I have been talking to God and asking him to prepare you for what is about to happen. It's going to be scary for both of us but He has promised to be there with us:) He has brought us both through the past 9 months together and He isn't leaving us now, don't worry. 

Your Daddy is so excited to meet you. Finally after months of having me tell him about you second hand, he will get to finally feel and touch you. You are one lucky little girl to get him as your Dad. Trust me, I know because I am one lucky woman to have him as my husband. He is going to spoil you rotten and you will have him wrapped around your little finger. He hopes you look like me.  I think he is a little nervous about having a little girl. So be easy on him;) 

Your family is beyond excited to meet you too. Your Pop & Nana, Pawpee, Grandma, Great Aunts, Great Uncles, Great Grandmas, Great Papa, Uncles, Aunt, and cousins. They are all so happy and can't wait to get their hands on you. You are going to be one loved girl. 

We will probably screw up a lot with raising you. Let's be honest, we have no clue what we are doing. But your dad and I promise to love you unconditionally. No matter what decisions you make, what path you choose or don't choose, we will always love you. In fact neither of us have any idea how much we are going to love you. We think we love you now, but know it's nothing compared to what we are about to feel. 

Your Pop said you are 'packing your bags' and he is right. You are about to enter this world and become the center of ours. We can't wait to meet you sweet baby girl. 

Oh, and if I'm screaming, crying and a hot mess when you meet me, don't worry that's normal :) 

38!

Almost time!!! Or should i say any time! :) 

We are just waiting right now. hospital bags packed, baby clothes washed, plans in place for each night- just in case:)

sweet card from my friend Kelly. I love Curly Girl :)

size: still a watermelon. a really big one:) The Dr measured me and said she thinks she will be a 'nice 7 lb baby'. eek!!!

what is going on with Ainsley this week: she is growing! my skin is stretched to scary limits:) Her brain is still developing at a rapid pace. Her skin has changed from pink to white due to a thicker fat layer that has developed. Her cheeks are getting rounder (and you know if she is my daughter she will have chubby cheeks!) She is still moving a lot but it is more subtle as she pushes and rolls instead of jabs and kicks. Her head is way low and the Dr was surprised at how low she is and said 'you must be so uncomfortable'. yes, yes I am :) 

what is going on with me: we had an appointment last night and found out I am 100% effaced and 1 cm dilated. She said with her head being so low that things might progress a little differently for me ( I wont go into too many details for all you male readers!). She told me when to call her and when to come to hospital. She told me that the pains I am having at night are probably contractions and when they start becoming frequent to time them.
Morning sickness/sickness has come back but not as bad. A few puking episodes this week. Apparently this is common in the end. Right now I just hope I am not puking through labor, I think that would be pretty bad.

I have started 'nesting'. One minute I was in the pantry getting cereal and all of a sudden it was 1.5 hours later and I had two garbage bags full of old food and junk. So then I tackled the cabinet under the sink and cleaned it out. then organized the laundry room. Philip was sleeping and woke up to organization! 'Nesting' for him has entailed getting his other 'baby' (his car) all tuned up with new brakes, tires and who knows what else:) Funny how men and women are so different.

Philip and I tried out a new restaurant for a 'last date night before baby'. The Tulip in Lexington was quite delicious and I would recommend it!

Next week's weekly post might be announcing her arrival!!!

holding tight to this verse:

What I Have Learned

I am getting a little nostalgic about the end of my pregnancy. i mean i feel like I have been pregnant for a long time. and I have really. 37 weeks. that is 15 weeks shy of a year! I wonder how I will feel once she is outside of me. breathing and opening her eyes and being a being. to not just feel her knees and feet wedged in my ribs, but see them wiggle on their own. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around her existing outside of my belly.

I digress. I made a list of things I have learned in the past 37 weeks. 

Things Pregnancy Has Taught Me: 

• feeling your baby move in your belly is one of the weirdest, most perfect feelings in the world. and the first time you feel it you have no idea that is what you are really feeling. people tell me i will really miss it once she is out. I think they are probably right. 
• there is nothing you can do to make morning/all-day sickness go away, especially in the beginning. it is what it is. just keep your mind on the end goal and pray:) no sea bands, ginger drops, preggie pops, or other gimmick helps. in fact prescription meds dont even help. it is like no other nausea you will ever experience. but hopefully you are like me and have a wonderful husband, mom and family who take care of you through it. or at least until you can not sleep on the bathroom floor anymore. 
• never. never. comment on a pregnant woman's belly (or any woman's stomach for that matter) if you simply must comment on her weight gain, use the phrase 'all belly' or 'Ainsley is growing!' although even that, at this point, is pushing it. once the belly reaches a certain point, just dont even draw attention to it:) 
• hormones are the real deal. you will ride an emotional roller coaster and realize in your head you are being crazy, yet there is not a thing you can do about it. keep tissues and mascara with you at all times. 
• take baths. lots and lots of them. but near the end make sure you send a quick text letting someone know there is a chance they might have to come lift you out of the tub if you get stuck. 
• indulge yourself, but not every time you feel like it. if you give in to every craving and amount of food you really want, you will blow up like a cow. its hard, but try to keep it under control. unless you are down 11 pounds from being sick. then it's a free for all. eat whatever sounds good whenever it sounds good.
• pamper yourself. I am not one to spend money on manicures, pedicures, or massages (unless I have a gift card!). but when nothing else about you feels pretty, it is nice to have pretty toes and nails:) go for it. 
• don't feel bad about wearing your husbands sweat pants. then his tshirts. your clothes stop fitting and there is no shame in sporting his clothes. they are way more comfortable. 
• everyone has an opinion. about everything. try to realize they are only telling you because they care about you. but also realize that it is your body,  your family, and your and your husband's decision. 
• people are way nicer to you when you are pregnant. they hold the door for you. they help you down stairs. they smile at you. it's nice:) enjoy it because once the baby is out and you are lugging around a car seat they will let the door shut in your face:) 
• invest in some serious cocoa butter or anti-stretch mark cream. you use it way more than you ever thought possible. plus it helps your skin be not so itchy (and man does it get itchy!) 
• sleeping more than an hour is a thing of the past it seems like. I know people tell me it is getting me ready for when she comes. and maybe they are right, but I can't imagine sleeping any worse than I do right now. it is impossible to get comfortable with a bowling ball attached to you and pulling on your every muscle. 
• God enables your body to stretch, grow and go through things you never thought possible .and I haven't even experienced the biggest part of this yet!. I am sure you women who have pushed babies out are thinking 'honey you aint seen nothin yet'. 
• despite all my whining and complaining-- carrying your child in your belly for 9 months is the most amazing thing I have done up to this point in my life. carrying our daughter that God created from part me, part Philip, is a truly miraculous experience. I feel so blessed to have been given this time to carry her and grow her. 

** if you have not read this girls blog you have got to check it out-- she cracks me up

click here **