3 Months Old

Lily is 3 months old today...I can't believe how fast the time flies! Jason and I are definitely having fun with her. Her little personality shines through a little bit more each day. Lily is getting a little bit more time with her Daddy as I am at work 3 nights a week. I miss her a lot when I'm not home, but I'm going to continue to work nights because I really don't want to put her in daycare. I work all holidays, so I am sad to have to miss her first Christmas, but at least this year she doesn't really know what is going on. I think Lily is slightly spoiled as all of the presents under the tree are for her! She has several presents wrapped up for her from Mommy and Daddy, a big present from Santa and her stocking is already stuffed. I know that she doesn't know the difference, but I do and I have to make her first Christmas a special one. All is well in our household and we look forward to our life to come with Lily.

Daddy in Charge

Need I say more? I think the pictures say it all. This is what happens when Daddy is left in charge! I came home from a very long night and day at work (18 hours total), and I found Daddy and Lily playing on the computer and Lily in a very interesting outfit that her Daddy had put together. I just had to laugh! She was still cute...no matter what she is wearing! I asked Jason how he even came up with the outfit?! Lily has a closet FULL of cute little outfits, and Daddy chooses to dress her like a little orphan baby. I don't think Lily minded at all...she was just happy to have gotten to hang out with her Daddy all night and day!

Back to Work

Lily loves to lay under the Christmas Tree
My favorite pic!

Lily and a tearful Mommy...mommy's first night back to work.

All chubbed out after a nap with Daddy.

Playing under the tree.

Such a happy baby...always.

Last night was my first night back to work after being off for 12 weeks. Leaving Lily for the very first time was very hard and emotional for me. I cried most of the day and most of the week leading up to last night. It makes me sad to know that I can't snuggle her at bedtime and cuddle her when she wakes up in the mornings...3 nights each week. It was good to get back to work because I do love what I do. When I got there everyone welcomed me back and asked how Lily was and I immediately started to cry. I HATED leaving my baby girl! I missed her and thought about her all night long. Jason called me around 10:30 to tell me she had been crying for a 1/2 hour and that he didn't know what was wrong or what to do. I knew he would be just fine, but it made me sad that I couldn't be there to hold her and calm her down. There was nothing I could do. All in all I think Lily and Daddy had a good night without Mommy there. It was the best feeling in the world to pick her up this morning and hold her and to see her bright eyes and gummy grin. She was good to me also...she slept most of the day with me! For the next few weeks I am working every other night to see how it works out with mine and Jason's schedules. Jason and I won't see much of each other since we work opposite of each other, but we will make it work for Lily!

The other night Lily was fussing so I laid her down underneath the Christmas tree (she likes the lights). A few minutes later I went to check on her and she was sound asleep. She looked like a little angel. I told Jason to hurry up to come look at our little present under the tree! She truly is a gift from God...a very precious one at that. We love our little girl so much and she has brought so much joy to our lives. She is so much fun. She changes so much in even just a day's time. She is so alert and energetic. I'm sure she'll keep me on my toes the older she gets! I tell her she is already my little "wild child"!

Constipation Issues

Ever since I stopped breastfeeding Lily she has been pooping less often...I had expected this. She had been going #2 at least 4 to 5 times a day and when I switched her over to forumula this decreased to 1-2 times a day and soon to every other day and now she is not going for 5 days. It doesn't seem to bother her, but it bothers me. I had given her a glycerin suppository and she went with ease...a little pastier than her breastfed stools...but once again to be expected. She would go another 4-5 days without going so I'd give her another suppository and she'd go with ease...no straining and the stools are soft. I wasn't sure if she was getting constipated or if this was just going to be her pooping schedule. The other night I have her 1/2 ounce of apple juice diluted with 1/2 ounce of water. She drank it right down, but then an hour later she was SCREAMING! I knew she had a tummy ache. Her face got bright red as if she was trying to have a bowel movement, but nothing was coming out. Once again, I gave her a suppository and she blew out. I called her Pediatrician the next day because I know I shouldn't be giving her suppositories every 5 days. I thought maybe we would have to change her formula. Being a nurse myself I specifically asked to talk to her Dr. and not the nurse. Well...the nurse called me back even though I requested the Dr. to. Anyway, she said it is okay and even normal for babies to not poop for up to a week. She didn't think Lily was constipated because her stools are soft and not dry little pebbles and also because Lily is not straining to go and that it doesn't seem to bother her. The nurse told me that Dr. Russell would call me back today to discuss this further. Well, it is 3:45pm and I have not gotten a phone call...very irritating. Anyway...good news to a long story...Lily pooped on her own today!!!

A Couple of Firsts

Lily and MaLily and Uncle Justin

Lily and Pa Mike

Lily watching the Dancing Snowmen

Lily and Great Grandpa Ray

Lily laughing with Madison

Lily with her Great Grandma's

Lily with cousins Madison and Jahrran

Putting the star on the tree with Daddy

Lily with Aunt Kylie and Mommy

This week Lily celebrated her first Thanksgiving and she also helped decorate her first Christmas tree. On Wednesday night Lily's cousin Madison spent the night. She helped us decorate the Christmas tree, and we drank hot chocolate, made brownies, and watched Fred Claus. Madison is my niece and she loves to spend time with Lily. Madison played with Lily and she fed Lily her bedtime bottle, and the two even fell asleep together in the chair...super cute! When I was little, I always remember my dad lifting one of us kids up to place the star on the top of the Christmas tree. This year Jason lifted Lily up as he placed our star on the top of our tree...I got a picture and I hope this becomes a tradition in our family. It was always exciting when we were little. On Thursday, Lily went with me over to my parents house to celebrate Thanksgiving. She got to visit with both of her great grandmas, her great Aunt, and her 1st, 2nd and 3rd cousins. Thanksgiving wasn't the same this year because Jason had to work, but we were lucky that he was able to stop over on his lunch break. Lily was so excited to see her Daddy!

California Baby

Family photo at the reception in California.

The 6 cousins on the Kneifl side

Lily dancing with Uncle Gary and Aunt Becky

Asleep with Mommy and Daddy at the reception

Lily was usually the center of attention!

Jason and I traveled to Sacramento, California this past weekend for his brother's wedding. Lily's Uncle Gary got married to Becky Lefevere, and Lily is so happy to have a new Aunt! The wedding was beautiful and we are so happy for the newly married couple. Lily had her first airplane rides and I am still AMAZED at how well she did. Jason and I got many compliments from people on the plane about how well she did. She is quite the little traveler. Jason and I were worried about her ears hurting, but she never cried...not even once! She was tired after getting to our hotel in Sacramento and was fussy, but she had a long day of traveling and getting up early. I was happy with how well she adjusted to the 2 hour time difference and also with how she adjusted to it after getting back home. While in California Lily got her first taste of swimming...I wish I had a picture of it, but I didn't get one. She didn't get to actually go swimming, but she did like putting her little feet in the water. Some of Jason's family went to Lake Tahoe for a day, but we decided not to go along. I figured the least amount of traveling was better for Lily. Lily's cousin Justin stayed in our room each night we were there and every time Lily would get up to eat Justin got up with her...not because she woke him up but because he wanted to...he is really good with Lily and just likes to play with her. What a GREAT cousin! Lily had a great time with all of her Kneifl cousins and family.

Today has been spent just hanging out at home as we are all tired from the trip. Jason has done a great job today getting all of the Christmas decorations out and the tree up...we will decorate the tree tonight or tomorrow night as a family for the first time! I'm a little sad as this is my last week at home with Lily. I go back to work next Wednesday and I'm NOT looking forward to it at all! These last few months at home with her have been wonderful. I feel like I have really gotten to know and bond with my little girl. She changes so much in even just a single day. She is a real joy in our lives and her mommy and daddy are so proud of her and we love her so very much!

Dr. Visit Pics

Mommy knows what's coming...poor Lily doesn't.
Lily is looking to see how much she weighs!

Laughing with Daddy before her shots.

My poor baby girl and her first shot. I wanted to pick her up right then and cuddle her in my arms.

2 Month Check Up and Shots

Lily went to the Dr. today for her 2 month well baby visit and for her first dose of vaccinations. Lily was so happy and playful all during the visit until it was time to hold her down to give her 3 shots. Dr. Russell was impressed with how alert and interactive she is. Lily was all full of smiles and laughs at the first part of the visit. She was even smiling on the scale, and so interested in what the nurse was doing. Dr. Russell said that Lily was "smart" and that she could tell Lily had been getting a lot of good stimulus at home. Lily is doing very well and she is growing like a weed! Today Lily weighed 13 pounds (93rd percentile) and she is 24 inches long (92nd percentile)! After weighing Lily, Dr. Russell checked her over and then came the dreaded SHOTS! Mommy had to hold Lily's arms and the nurse held Lily's little legs in between hers and gave her 3 shots one right after the other. Lily turned bright red and SCREAMED so hard it took her a while to catch her breath. Mommy cried just as big as tears as Lily did if not bigger and Daddy had tears in his eyes too. It is so unbelievably hard to watch your child hurt...I don't know how parents with chronically and terminally ill children do it...my heart goes out to them. Lily has been mostly asleep since her appointment. Mommy has been cuddling her in her arms. Grandma Deb bought Lily a pink snuggly blanky rabbit for being so brave. Mommy and Daddy took Lily back to the farm yesterday and she played hard with Grandma Romaine and she got to see her cousins and Aunt Trina, Uncle John, Uncle Lonnie and Aunt Terri, and Uncle Randy, and Grandpa Eddie. I think she is all tuckered out from all of the FUN! Next week Lily will take her first airplane ride to California for Uncle Gary's wedding...and she will soon have a new Aunt...Aunt Becky!

Election Day 2008

It was a first for everyone in our family today...Jason, Lily, and I all went to VOTE! Lily went with mommy and daddy as they voted for the very first time. It is marked in Lily's baby book that she was born in an election year and in a very BIG one at that! We will be watching the TV closely tonight and we will anxiously await the results!

Trick or Treat