Twinners

Danica and I were twins yesterday!
I dressed her in her strawberry outfit and mid afternoon I noticed I had dressed in my strawberry outfit too. I thought it was too funny. We also tried out the bumbo yesterday. She did pretty well.

Danica's Blessing

Sleeping Update

Thanks so much to those who offered advice about sleeping/feeding schedules!!

Danica has been sleeping pretty good during the night. I got off the every-two-hour-feeding schedule and started a new and improved one. The first night we started this new schedule Danica slept 7 1/2 hours straight, ate, then slept 3 more. I couldn't believe it. It was so wonderful!
I, on the other hand, stayed up for 5 hours during the night! I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe my body didn't know how to react, since it was used to waking up so much, plus I know I was really excited she was sleeping so long...so I think that's what kept me up.
The next night she slept 6 1/2 hours. I stayed up for 3 1/2 hours that night thinking of different crafty things I could make. Why?? Sad, I know. My brain wouldn't shut down. Well, since then, she's been sleeping 6 - 6 1/2 hours at night and then she always eats and sleeps for 3 - 3 1/2 more.

So, this is what we decided to do:
Well, by the second day of the every-two-hour-feeding schedule (and when most of your comments came in) I knew I didn't like that schedule. I felt like I was feeding ALL the time. I went back to feeding basically every 3 hours and then in the evenings I'll feed every 2 hours. That seemed like a good compromise (and great advice. thanks!). So, I let her sleep as long as she wants at night. (I had been doing that before, but she hadn't been sleeping as long as she does now.) She usually sleeps until 4:00 now and then she usually wakes up for the day between 7:00 and 8:00 and eats. Then I adjust her next feeding so that it's in the middle of the time she woke up and 12 noon-ish. Then I feed at 3, 5, 7, and 9:00. It's been working so far.
Sometimes that exact schedule doesn't work, because of our schedules or her sleeping more that day, so the evenings are sometimes 4, 6 8, and 10:00 feedings.

Anyway, that's what's been working for us so far. Thanks so much for your help!!!

You've got to S M I L E

... to be H A double P Y

Danica smiled her first real big smile on Monday. I have yet to get a good picture or video of it.
This video is short because she wasn't too into it. Here's a tiny smile (or, more so, just like an Elvis lip curl) to hold us over until she's ready to share her big ones on the internet.

Also here's a picture of Danica (in her 3rd outfit for the day...she unfortunately needed a lot of wardrobe changes....yeah, that never happens!! haha).
This is the same outfit we took her home from the hospital in. She was swimming in it before, though it was the smallest thing she owned, but today it seems to fit her a lot better.

Dilemma

My doctor and Danica's pediatrician told me to do two different things.

My doctor:
Ok, so I went to my 6 week checkup yesterday. My doctor asked me if I had Danica on any sort of sleeping schedule. I told her, "Not really. I feed her every 3ish to 4 hours around the clock, unless she seems more hungry, I'll feed her sooner. When we first go to bed for the night she'll sleep 4 1/2 hours and then wake up every 3 after that" She asked me if I was tired. I said, "Yes!"
So she suggested this...
That I feed Danica every 2 hours (instead of 3) during the daytime...even if I have to wake her, so we can sleep better at night. Feeding her every 2 hours lets her take in the same amount of food during the daytime that she does in the 24 hour period so she wont be waking up as much during the night.

That makes sense to me.
She said I'll notice a difference after 3 days. We started yesterday. Feeding her every 2 hours keeps her up a lot more during the day and so I think she was pretty exhausted by the end of the night. She slept for 5 1/2 hours last night, I fed her and then she slept for 3 more, I fed her again, and she slept for 3 more. Then we started the every 2 hour feedings for today.

Danica's Pediatrician:
At Danica's two week appointment she was measuring great and he asked how often I fed her. I don't remember what it was... maybe every 2- 2 1/2 hours. He suggested that I feed her every 3 to 4 so I wasn't feeling like I was constantly feeding her. Then at night, to let her wake up on her own, but not let her sleep past 5 hours. She was gaining weight really well anyway. So that's what I did and that's been her schedule since. During the night she usually sleeps 4 to 4 1/2 hours, then 3 then 3. Sunday night she slept for 5 hours, then 3, then 3.

The doctors are telling me two different things. I realize I should probably listen to the pediatrician over my doctor, but I've heard my doctor's suggestions work for other moms.
So I was wondering what you've done or heard people doing? Any different suggestions that worked for you?

It's hard waking up every 3 hours, staying awake to change and feed her, and taking the time to fall back asleep and doing it again it a short amount of time.
She sleeps awesome at night. She always goes right back to sleep. So I'm afraid if this new feeding schedule doesn't work, it'll mess up the feeding/sleeping schedule we have now and it'll ruin her beautiful sleeping habits.

Speaking of... this happens to be her right now.

Finishing your sentence...

I like it when Google does this...not so much when people do it. (...erm...I do it a lot!...just ask Tyler)

I typed in "How to make" into Google's search bar
for kicks and giggles.
Theses are the choices it gives me:

How to make...
a website
money
out
a resume
french toast
a paper airplane
jello shots
sushi
a diaper cake
your hair grow faster

I decided to be a little positive and typed in "I love it when"
and some of the choices where:

I love it when...
you call me big poppa
a plan comes together
she does that
you call
you talk retro
we're cruisin' together

Then I typed in "I hate it when"
and nothing came up!
I think that means there's finally no more hate in the world. Everyone is happy. Right?

I love it when...

....spit up falls straight down your shirt!
Yep. It doesn't just soak in where ever it lands, but it keeps running down. Ugh!

Some news (and pics) for you!:

Tyler got a new job! A better one. It's with his previous company, Xango, and we're really glad. They wanted him to come back and went looking for him!
better pay + better working environment + perks + more = happy us
When he told the company he works for now about the offer, they offered him another job that matches what Xango will pay, because they didn't want him to go!
Tyler decided on the Xango job, and I'm so proud of him!! I think those offers are such a compliment to him!

Danica is one month old today! Wow! I couldn't believe how well she slept last night too. She slept for 5 1/2 hours and I had to wake her up to feed, then she slept for 3 1/2 hours and I, again, had to wake her up to feed, then she slept for another couple hours. Crazy girl! But it meant I got to sleep pretty well too... not complaining!! I hope this is a reoccurring thing.

So, I decided to take a few pictures of Miss Danica for her one month old birthday. She so got her Model on (said in a valley girl voice) and went crazy with her poses!
(and she named them all...)

The Chillaxing

The Ballerina (graceful! delicate!...)

The Reach Out

The Frogger (this is how she usually sleeps)

The Heeeyyyy-Ya

The Don't Mess With The Best 'Cause The Best Don't MessThe TimidThe No More Pictures, Please

4 Weeks and Letters

We made some cute letters, before Danica was born, to hang above her crib. They were a lot of fun to make and SUPER easy.
On Sunday, Dani turned 4 weeks!!
Here are some pics:
I've also spent some time making headbands, including the one she's wearing in the picture. They are super easy and fun too. The flowers, though, are like the size of her head. I think those are cute for church or something else special, but for everyday, it just seems a little dressy to me. I think she needs to grow into them more. So I think I'll make more that are just a little smaller.