Mom and Me Recently

Dresser: A DIY Project

Bought this on Craigslist for $20.

Sanded and primed it.

Painted it. And now it looks brand new.

Specially made for Ellie's nursery.

Dad win!

Tofurkey Day

We've been blessed to meet so many good friends here in Fresno over the last year. Our church family has taken care of us in many ways: both last year and this year we had multiple invites for Thanksgiving dinner, were given a couple of baby showers, people checking in with us and simply loving us. We are thankful, especially not having family nearby.

Moving 13 times in 6 years has taught us the importance of making friends and connecting with people. In the last year we've also connected with what we like to call "The Family," and on Sunday "The Family" got together for Thanksgiving dinner, which includes, but is not limited to, four couples that each have a baby girl, ours being the newest addition, the oldest being 15 months old.

A couple of these families are also vegetarian like us, so this was our first experience of a tofurkey, and I was surprised how tasty it was. Apparently, it's all in how it's cooked, and this one was fantastic, with cranberries and all kinds of tasty things.

Below is a picture of the dads on daughter duty while the moms got their dinner first.



Here's a picture of three of the girls on my friend Katheleen's blog.

We are thankful for friends here in Fresno as we miss so many of our family and friends all over the world (literally)!

Cousins Photo Shoot

Yes, matching dresses.

Visitors from Colorado

Aunt Amy and Cousin Isabelle arrived on Thursday from Colorado. We've been having lots of fun since they arrived.

Isabelle was so excited to hold cousin Ellie. This was their first meeting:

Uncle Michael loves his girls. Story time before bed:

Yesterday we decided to venture out to a park in Fresno called Storyland and Playland. There are a bunch of nursery rhymes and play structures. It was our first time there, and probably our last. It was fun to walk around but the park was a bit underwhelming.


Group Photo. Isabelle wasn't too happy at this moment.

A natural with the little girls:

This is what you get when you give a three-year old a chocolate cookie:

Hanging out with Aunt Amy:

Cousins!!!!

Isabelle is turning three on Tuesday while she's here, so we'll be having a little birthday party for her.

Changing every day

I've been enjoying my time at home with Ellie. Michael has been back to work and I'm getting into more of a routine each day. Last night we had our best night yet! Ellie woke up every few hours to eat and then went straight back to sleep, instead of staying up for hours and fussing like she has been at 3am. It was the first night where I just got up, fed her, and put her back to bed, which means Michael got a full night's sleep! I'm hoping this is due to more concerted efforts to keep her awake during the day, and she's getting used to nighttime.

At our last appointment on Monday Ellie weighed in at 7 lbs 12 oz, so she's definitely passed her birth weight. She's eating well, although we've had a few issues. There are many times when I worry about her getting enough to eat, but she definitely seems to be thriving.

I take a lot of pictures throughout the day. I can't help posting some more of my favorite photos from recently:

Ellie's Christmas stocking arrived in the mail from our friend LeAnn. She made Michael and my stockings, as well as most of the Chapman family's. She is very talented and made a beautiful stocking. We can't wait to use it this year!
My mom told me that when I was born all the nurses and doctors commented on how big and long my feet were. Well, Ellie has been getting the same comments from the nurses and doctors. I guess that's one thing we know she inherited from me. :)


Ellie loves going on walks with mom.

I just discovered in the last few days that Ellie enjoys hanging out with her stuffed friends on the floor during her "awake" time. Other activities during this time usually include reading stories, singing songs, and sitting in her bouncer.


Our next door neighbor brought this outfit over this week, and I love what it says. It's so true. I am amazed and overwhelmed with gratefulness every single day for this beautiful baby girl that we get to call ours:

Pictures

A few more favorite photos from the first week:



Special time with the grandparents:



Making coffee with dad:

Our little hot dog on Halloween. We didn't take her out in this but had to get at least a picture. We decided it was a veggie dog for her vegetarian parents.

Questions of a new mom

How can I get her to wake up?

Is she eating enough?
Is she eating too much?
Is she sleeping enough?
Is she over-stimulated?
Is she under-stimulated?
Will she ever wake up?
Will she ever go to sleep?
Is her diaper too tight?
Is her diaper too loose?
Should I give her a bath?
Is she too cold?
Is she too warm?
Will she ever burp?
Will she pass out from turning so purple from crying?
Will she ever sleep through the night?
Is she gaining enough weight?
Should I shower or nap?
Should I clean or nap?
Should I do laundry or nap?
What should I do while she sleeps?
What did I eat that is causing her to do this?
Can she breathe with that stuffy nose?
Is she going to scratch her eyes?
Am I holding her too much?
Is she crying too much?
Why is she crying?
What can I do to stop her crying?

How can I get her to go to sleep?
Will I ever figure this out?
How can I love this little girl so much?

What else am I forgetting to ask?

First Favorite Moments

We're working on getting into a routine here at the Chapman household. We love Ellie so much and feel so blessed to have brought her home, healthy and beautiful. We are very much in love with our little girl.

I have found myself extremely weepy at moments, probably due to a lot of hormones, but I am also just in awe and so grateful to have been given such a precious gift. I think the last 12 days since we had Ellie have gone by faster than the last couple months of my pregnancy! That could be because we are on a three-hour continuous cycle of feeding, sleeping, and trying to function on little sleep. Either way, time is flying and I already get sad at moments thinking about how fast she's changing and growing. (Such a cliche mom-thing to say, I know).

Here are pictures to highlight a few of my first favorite moments:

These first three are some of my favorites. I was a total mess from no sleep all night and surgery, and was weeping like crazy, but this was the first chance I had to hold Ellie. After my C-section Michael went with Ellie into the nursery while I was sewed up and taken to post-op. She was born at 9:13 and I didn't get to hold her or see her again until after 11. I sat in a room by myself in bed, legs completely numb and completely groggy and literally couldn't keep my eyes open, waiting to hold her. As soon as they placed her in my arms I couldn't stop crying. She was so beautiful, and perfect, and I was so thankful to be holding her. It had been a long road to get to this moment.




The hospital really encourages "skin-to-skin" time, where the parent (mom or dad) holds the baby on a bare chest while the baby is just in a diaper. It's all about stimulating the baby and creating that special bond. I have surprised myself with how much I love this time with Ellie. She's so little right now, and fits perfectly on my chest, and I get sad thinking that at some point she'll be too big for this. Some days when I'm feeling extra emotional, or Ellie's had a rough feeding or just can't settle down, I just head to the bedroom and spend quality skin time with her. I can't put into words how special that time is.



Ellie loves to hold her fists by her chin. The other day I looked at her 20-week ultrasound picture, and she is holding her fist right next to her face. I guess she's been doing that for a while!



We had read that newborns will mimic right from birth, so I started sticking my tongue out, and she responded right away by sticking her tongue back at me.



Daddy has the magic touch.



I absolutely love this picture. She loves her daddy so much already, and loves to sleep on his chest. This is a common site around home these days, especially at 2am.



We've taken lots of pictures, so we'll try to post more soon. I had to laugh at myself the other day when Ellie was gripping the side of her car seat and I pulled my camera out to take a picture. She is definitely a first child, as we take pictures of every little thing! We are such proud parents. :)

The Many Blankets of Ellie Grace

Ellie loves the many blankets she's received so far. Here are some of them in no particular order:

This one was given by our good friend Denise. Thanks Denise!

Michael's mom quilted this one.

And Melissa's mom this one.

Michael's coworker picked this interactive one up from a great store.

And finally, this one was made by another MCC co-worker.
She's is going to love them all!