months 3 & 4 (and a bit of 5)

here's a little update on our little family

mostly a little update on millie:

on november 4th she was given the most beautiful blessing by the best daddy around.  she looked like an absolute princess and was such a good baby the whole day.  we had so many family and friends attend the sacrament meeting and the brunch afterward.

at 3 months she:

has little giggles

rolls from her tummy to her back

is becoming even more alert and aware of the world around her

still comes to work with mom

still sleeps like a champ- at least 2 naps during the day and sleeps all night long

refuses to suck on a pacifier or her fingers- we've given up

is still in newborn and some 0-3 clothes

in size 1 diapers

loves to cuddle

is a very social baby- loves to smile at anyone and everyone

got her first little cold

started sitting in her bumbo

at 4 months:

millie got her first jumparoo and loves it so much

she jumps and jumps and jumps until she passes out- she'll nap for a few minutes, wake up and realize she is in her jumparoo and she'll get excited and start jumping again.  crazy girl.

giggles constantly

can roll from her back to her tummy but only when going to her left

got spoiled at christmas and loved all the attention she got

is starting to play with toys more

loves music and certain music instantly calms her down

started on rice cereal- doesn't love it but doesn't hate it

is starting to get a little chunky

still comes to work with mom, but not for much longer

has been grabbing for things and has quite the "death grip"

her 5 month birthday is next week so here are some new things she's doing:

got her first 2 bottom teeth (at the same time!) that popped through on jan 12th

started going to the babysitters and they love her and say she is such a good baby

fits into most 3-6 month clothes

needs size 6-9 month pjs because she's tall

graduated to size 2 diapers

usually goes through 2 outfits a day

started on solid foods- she'll eat just about anything but her favorites are apples and bananas mixed with oatmeal

while laying down she will spin around in circles

can finally roll (kind of) to her right

is intrigued by the dogs

still sleeps in mom and dad's room but not for too much longer

her umbilical hernia is just about healed up

loves to stand on her feed and usually bounces up and down when she does

weighs 15 lbs (50th percentile)

in the 80th percentile for height

happiest and gosh darn cutest baby you've ever seen

millie in 2 months

i love everything about this squirmy little bug

at 1 month, she was:

smiling (first smile came one day shy of a month old)

starting to "talk"

sleeping about 5 hours straight through at night

started going to work with mom

has regular blowouts that require numerous outfit changes a day

still in newborn clothes and newborn sized diapers

still won't take a binky

holds her head up by herself- such a strong baby!

at 7 weeks, she finally started fitting into her 0-3 mo clothes... kind of :)

our little 2 month old has so much personality and i love it.  i love when she's awake (and has a full belly) because she is so content and just hangs out eyeing everything in the room.  she really is the best baby every- rarely cries and she eats and sleeps so well!

at 2 months, she...

goes to work with mom every day and is such a good baby!  sleeps an average of 6 1/2 hours of the work day and when she is awake, the patients absolutely love it!

sleeps through the night.  in fact, it has gotten to the point that i put her down around 11 and have to wake her up around 7am after i've gotten ready for work.

she eats like a champ- getting closer to 5 oz every 2 1/2 hours

my milk has dried up so she is on formula exclusively

graduated to size 1 diapers

she has an umbilical hernia that the drs aren't concerned about at all, but does cause quite the protrusion when she is mad

she had her first baby sitters and it was definitely harder on mom than it was on her

has only one dimple on the right cheek that shows up when she grins- adorable

smiles constantly- especially when mom makes an "ooooooo" sound

got her first pedicure from her 5 year old friends, lexi and kate

loves to lay on her changing table and look at the chandelier in her room

constantly has her fingers in her mouth and is drooling

still sleeps in mom and dad's room

did so well when she got her first round of shots- only cried for about 5 seconds and then was a cuddly baby the rest of the day

at her 2 mo appt:

10 lbs 14 oz (30th percentile)

almost 23 inches long (60th percentile)

millie's birth story

so, i was due on friday, august 17th.  that day came and went.  i had been at a 2 and 50% effaced for a good 2+ weeks with no signs that it was progressing.  my doctor wanted to wait until the next thursday (aug 23rd) night to induce and plan on us having the baby on friday.  i asked him if we could do wednesday night instead so that way josh would be able to have more time with me at home before he had to be back to work the next monday.  he said he'd check and let me know.  he called me the next day and said that the hospital was booked for that wednesday night so he scheduled us for tuesday night instead!  seriously, it was the best news i had heard in a long time.  i went in for a stress test on monday morning and while the baby did great, they had a hard time finding a good amount of fluid surrounding the baby.  the nurse said it was something to be aware of but since i was going in the next day they weren't too concerned.  

tuesday was a day full of every emotion possible: anxiety, excitement, nervousness, fear, exhaustion...  you get it.   i was so emotional as i thought about how our whole lives were about to change.  i tried to nap, clean the house, get things ready for the hospital, etc. to keep my mind off everything.  when josh got home from work, we got our car packed up and he gave me the most beautiful blessing i've ever had.  i cried through the whole thing but it was absolutely perfect.  it calmed my nerves and made me so excited to bring our sweet baby into the world.  we took our dogs to my parents house and then went to the cheesecake factory to get some food as we waited for the hospital to call and tell us when to come in.  since i hadn't progressed further than 50%, they were having us come in the night before to "prep my cervix" and then they were planning on using pitocin the next morning to start the labor.  

the hospital called and we went in around 8:30.  we got checked into our room and they started me on the "ripening pill" called cytotec.  it's given every 3 hours throughout the night and we started at about 10.  that night, josh's parents and aunt came by to visit.  once they left, josh snuggled up on the bench/bed and went to sleep and i tried to go to sleep but couldn't.  i watched some movies on my iPad and it felt like every time i was about to doze off, a nurse would come in to check me.  around 4 am, the nurse came in and told me that i could get some pain meds if i wanted some or i could even get my epidural if i wanted it.  i had no pain at that time (even though the monitors showed i was having some contractions) and told her i wanted to feel some of my contractions before i got the epidural.  around 7 i was started to feel uncomfortable so they gave me a small dosage of phenergan to take the edge off.  at that same time, i woke josh up because his snoring was driving me crazy and at that same time, my parents showed up.  my doctor came in around 7:30 and i was only at a 2 1/2.  he predicted the baby would come some time in the early evening.  he broke my water then and i didn't even feel anything- in fact no fluid really even came out.  shows how low my levels really were.  

after breaking my water, i started feeling the contractions more and more. i finally got my epidural around 9am and it was perfect timing.  the epidural was awesome- no pain in my body but i could still breathe just fine and could still move my toes.  around 10:30 i was at a 5.  the nurse said i didn't need pitocin because i was progressing on my own and to expect the baby sooner- around 4pm.  she said to let her know if i felt any pressure or discomfort.  we kept hanging out in the room with my parents and josh's mom came over from work a few times.  i was so comfortable that i was starting to doze off even.  we kept joking about how awesome it would be if i were fully dilated the next time they checked me.  the nurse came in at 12:30 and checked me and gave me the craziest look ever- she said "remember how i told you to tell us if you feel any pressure?" i told her i felt nothing and she said that i was at a 10 and that the baby was right there and she could see her head.  josh asked "so, now that liz is at a 10, what do we do now?"  the nurse looked at him and said "call her doctor immediately and have liz keep her legs closed and not cough".  we couldn't believe it!  i started getting super excited.  josh went and told our parents that our joking was actually paying off.  they came in and wished us luck and left the room around 12:55 while my doctor and the nurse were in there prepping everything.  when he told me to push, i pushed 1 practice push and he said, "ok, well 1 more push about a third as hard as you just did and the baby will be out".   really?  this is easy!!  so, i pushed one more time and heard the most beautiful cry in the world!  our baby was born at 1:01 pm (literally 6 minutes after our parents left the room) and was absolutely beautiful!  

they put her on my chest and we noticed that she was having a difficult time breathing.  they took her and cleaned her up and wrapped her up and gave her to josh to hold.  her breathing was a little better but not much.  josh asked the nurse to check her again and she spent a good 20-30 mins trying to work the junk out of her lungs, throat, and nose.  she finally sounded better and they brought her to me to do the skin-to-skin and try to nurse her.  while she wasn't sounding stuffed up anymore, her breathing was extremely rapid and the nurses were concerned.  also, she wouldn't latch on and was quite fussy.  they called a nicu nurse to come check her out.  the nurse came and spent a good 30 minutes or so observing her and trying to calm her breathing down.  around 2:45, they decided that she needed to be taken to the nicu for observation.  we didn't even have a name for the baby and our parents were still in the waiting room wondering what was going on.  so, josh and i had a good 2 minutes to look at the baby and give her a name before our parents came in.  we introduced them to our little amelia, they said hello to her, and they they whisked her away with josh to the nicu.  i was then take up to my room and told to wait until i heard from someone at the nicu.

we waited a few hours not knowing what was going on. finally, she came back to me around 5:15.  josh had just held her in the nicu trying to soothe her to calm her down and it finally worked.  when they brought her to me, they said her blood sugar was extremely low and they needed her to be fed immediately.  we had a hard time getting her to latch again but she nursed a bit and luckily, her blood sugar went right up.  she was then monitored for her breathing and blood sugar for the next 24 hours but she didn't have any problems after those first few hours.  

we spent the next few hours loving on our little baby.  we had lots of visitors and my cute friends lindsay and amanda came and took pictures of our new little family.  all of the nurses kept telling us how cute amelia was (of course we knew she was the cutest baby, but it's always nice to have strangers confirm it for us!  haha) and they were all so amazed at how wide-eyed and alert she was.  

we spent 2 nights in the hospital and headed home on friday, august 24th.  my recovery has been a piece of cake since being home.  i guess it helps to have a smaller baby and a quick delivery but i have felt perfectly find since about day 2!  i told my doctor, if all my babies come this easy, he'll definitely be seeing us again in the near future :)

miss millie

it's hard to believe our little baby is already 2 weeks old!  it's crazy how when you're pregnant, the weeks drag by, but once that baby is here, you have no idea where the time goes!

this little baby sure is the cutest thing you've ever seen :)

she really is a good baby most of the time.  we've had an interesting time figuring out the whole nursing thing but i think we're finally learning what direction to go with it. i'm going to start supplementing with some formula a few feedings a day because i don't think i produce enough milk to keep this little munchkin happy with a full belly.

just a few things i want to remember from these last 2 weeks:

cuddle time has been awesome. she is especially cuddly in the morning hours between about 5:00-9:00.  usually we do an early morning feeding and then we both snuggle up on the recliner and sleep there till about 9.  i love it.

she always sneezes 4 times

she can't keep her hands out of her mouth and just loves to suck on them.  not 1 or 2 fingers in particular- she likes to put a whole fist full into her mouth

she actually sleeps pretty well at night- usually goes down around midnight and wakes up around 4:30-5.  

she doesn't mind her carseat at all and usually passes out within minutes of us driving anywhere

she has already made a few road trips- first one to swiss days in midway and the second one to logan to visit her friends and see where her uncle nate will be living at usu for the next school year

she has had tons of visitors in the last few weeks and we are so grateful for all the love and support from our friends and family!

she will very rarely take a binky

she's teeny-tiny.  none of her newborn clothes fit.

she has the biggest eyes and is usually awake during the day looking around (she doesn't sleep as much as the typical newborn).  her eyes are starting to become more blue and i think her blonde hair has some curl to it.... just what i wanted... a blonde hair blue eyed baby girl!

she went to the pediatrician today for her first check up.  

she weighed in at 6 lbs 6 oz and 20 inches long.  he wants to keep watching her weight but says she's a perfectly healthy and happy little baby!

she loves going on walks

when she has a full belly, there is nothing in the world that we can do to keep her up and awake

we sure love this little nugget.  i'll post about her birth story soon!

welcome to the world, baby girl!

Amelia June Hankins

Born: Wednesday, August 22, 2012

1:01 pm

6 lbs 11 oz

we are in love love love with this little baby and couldn't ask for a sweeter little spirit to enter our home.  she is perfect in every way!

more to come later!

still preggo

even though we've had plenty of other things going on in our lives, 

i will humor you all with another pregnancy update

34 weeks

35 weeks

36 weeks

my view from above

how far along?  currently in my 37th week
weight gain: 25- 30ish??  ugh, i have no idea.  i do know i lost 4 lbs last week somehow (maybe because all i want to eat these days is snow cones) but i think it fluctuates depending on the time of day that i am weighed.  especially since i still have beautiful swollen legs that are full of water weight!
maternity clothes? i actually only bought one pair of maternity pants.  next pregnancy i'm sure i'll invest in some work pants but i never wear jeans anymore these days so i couldn't justify buying them.  my mom gave me a few maternity shirts but between some belly bands and the long, flowy shirts that are in style these days, i've gotten by pretty well without doing too much shopping.  i'm also loving leggings and maxi dresses these days especially because it has been sooooo hot this summer.
stretch marks? none... yet... and hopefully they won't come.  also, my belly button is still an "innie" and i never got that dark line down my belly.
sleep? like before, once i get comfortable, i can actually sleep most of the night.  i think i have woken up maybe twice this entire pregnancy to use the bathroom.  if anything, i get woken up because the baby loves to kick my ribs!  but i actually can't complain too much about lack of sleep because i think i've had it better than most women.
best moment of the week: feeling my first contractions!  i haven't had any braxton hicks at all throughout this pregnancy... no cramping... nothing.  so, the other day at work i felt (3 times) what my dr said really are contractions!   other favorite from last week- josh got me a whole bunch of prenatal massages back when we first found out we were pregnant.  i held on to most of them knowing i'd really want my massages later in the pregnancy.  well, i've been able to take advantage of massages every week to 2 weeks and they have been amazing!  and this last time, the masseuse gave me the best back massage i could ever have asked for.  i'm already looking forward to getting another one from her tomorrow!
miss anything? i really miss having my energy.  right now, i'm still working 40+ hours a week and it's starting to wear on me.  i miss working out (especially running) and i want to be able to walk without waddling and i really miss sleeping on my stomach.  this baby is sitting pretty far back so my back constantly hurts.  it'll be nice to have relief from that soon, too!
food cravings? still anything fruity and especially anything cold.  this hot summer has taken a toll on my body and all i want is something frozen to cool me off!
anything making you sick? no, thank goodness
gender: all girl
labor signs: just a few contractions.  dr says i'm not dilated quite yet.
belly button? still in
wedding ring? no problems getting it on and off!
happy or moody most of  the time?  happy, but i can tell when my moods are coming.  i try to warn josh ahead of time :)
looking forward to? no more sharp kicks in my ribs, seeing what she looks like, holding her in my arms, giving her a name!

luckily this pregnancy really has been relatively easy so far.  as much as i complain about swollen legs, a sore back, and bruised ribs, there have been absolutely no signs of problems or concerns the whole pregnancy (except for constantly checking me for pre-eclampsia and toxemia).  at the end of the day, i know that pregnancy is not easy and as taxing as it is on my body, i couldn't ask for any more.  

josh and i are finally pretty much set with everything that we need for her and her nursery is just about finished.  now, it's just the waiting game till she gets here!  josh will be traveling to new york this week for work and i pray that she doesn't decide to make her grand appearance while he's gone!  however, if she wants to come a week from today, i'd be a very happy momma :)

29th week

time for another baby update

we have finally made the jump into the 3rd trimester!!

these last few weeks have been a bit rough

our cruise was absolutely fabulous (a full post will be dedicated to it), with one exception-

a combination between pregnancy, flying, heat, sunburns, and lots of time on my feet caused my legs to swell like you'd never believe!

i fondly referred to my legs as thankles- we went above and beyond your average cankles- there was absolutely no definition whatsoever between my thighs and my feet.

terribly embarrassing, and even more uncomfortable/painful.

thankfully i have an amazing husband who would help rub them, wrap them in cold towels, and find me shoes that i could wear.  i also had sweet travel friends who didn't make fun of me and allowed me to put my feet up on chairs everywhere we went :)

after returning home from the cruise, my legs didn't get any better and after a week, josh finally called the dr and told them i needed to get them looked at.  my blood pressure was high and it was a friday so the dr. put me on a light bed rest for the weekend.  luckily, a few days off my feet helped.  that, and lots of water, less salt, and lots of propping my feet up caused most of the swelling to go down.  a few days later, i had a dr.'s appt where they made sure i didn't have preclampsia or toxemia- thank goodness i don't.  i did get some fabulous maternity compression socks (they are anything but flattering/attractive), but they have worked wonders on my feet and legs.

besides my fabulous swelling,

i feel the baby move all the time, especially when i'm laying down trying to sleep

i took a leap of faith in my sewing skills and actually made her her bedding.  i love how it turned out, too!

i still have acid reflux all the time and it's typically the worst at night

still no real cravings, but i eat lots of fruit and ice cream/frozen yogurt/popsicles

she is still nameless- and it looks like she probably will be until we see her and decide for sure what name fits her best

i don't wake up at all during the night.  i don't know if i have a bladder of steel or if the baby cuts me some slack once i actually fall asleep, but i definitely enjoy not getting up all night long!

our nursery chair arrived this weekend and it is absolutely magical

i did my glucose test this past week and didn't think the drink was as bad as everything has made it out to be. maybe i drank one too many jones fufu berry drinks in high school and am accustomed to super sugary drinks.  

the baby room is still in the works- everything has been purchased, it's just a matter of painting the room top to bottom and adding all the little details that we want.

my patients are finally asking if i'm pregnant, and not just assuming that i've let myself go and gotten fat

we are so excited that the weeks continue to tick on by- 

these next few weeks will be busy with working, work trips, showers, showers for friends, family gatherings, working on the baby room, and getting all the little things figured out before she makes her grand appearance.   

only 10 more weeks to go!