Weeks 13- 15 and Silver Sparkles

Happy 15 Weeks to my Sweet Savannah! (Current nickname - Sweet Cheekaroonis) (Past nicknames - Princess Pie, Sugar Buns)

I think it's safe to say we have finally made it past the Bottle Strike of 2018. So far this week, Savannah has been taking bottles from Dad. She is even nondiscriminatory taking from whatever bottle he offers. It's mostly breast milk, but because of the 2.5 week strike when I first returned to work, he mixes in about 1 scoop of formula per day to give her some extra calories.

We have been working extra hard on tummy time this week. And now we're going to up our vocal time with Savannah. We want to hear more coos from her. I usually hear lots of coos when she is on her changing table. But I want even more.

Hands - she is enthralled with her hands. She holds them together playing with her fingers, she shoves them in her mouth. Her hands are her favorite thing right now.

Momma Update - I was just staring at all my new silver sparkles since having Savannah. I noticed more as I was pregnant, but now some of them are long and intertwined with my full-length curls and not just sprouted at the top.

Working out is not happening. Evening walks with Dave and Savannah are happening, but that's not my style of working out. I love going to the gym and doing classes that have me dripping in sweat. I like going to the gym and doing swim workouts. I even count going to the gym and hitting it hard on the elliptical for 30 minutes. But none of that is happening at the moment. I've decided I'm going to give myself some grace. And first, I'm going to focus on sleep. I'm also going to attempt to cutback on some of the sweet treats and carbs. But honestly, I'm working hard feeding my baby, so if I want some pecan pie for mother's day, by golly I'm eating half of that pie (DAVE! - don't eat my half of the pie).

Weekly Notes:

13 Weeks:
She did a complete 180 in her crib sometime between 1:45 and 5:45am (This is now a regular occurrence and odd if she doesn't move through the night.)

14 Weeks:
She has been fighting daddy on taking milk while I'm gone, but she finally took 12 oz yesterday.

When I first came back to work, Savannah would give me the cold shoulder when I returned in the evenings. Sometimes it would take an hour before she would smile at me, although she would hungrily nurse, no smiles were given. Thankfully during week 14 she is no longer giving me the cold shoulder and she just wants to cuddle for a couple of hours. I LOVE it!

She sleeps through the night except when I wake her to eat. But half the time she sleeps through that too.

She fits best into 3 month clothing, even though we still put her in some of our favorite 0-3 month clothes.

She take 3-4 45 minute naps during the day.

She still doesn't like tummy time.

15 Weeks:
My only note is that she weighed 10 lbs 10 oz.

Weeks 1-12 in Pictures

So much to catch up on here, but for now Savannah's Week 1-12 pictures. She is 14 weeks today :)

I've been back at work for 2 weeks exactly. I started back on a Thursday, which made it easier on me. We have 4 hour Fridays, so I only had to get through 1.5 days without my Savannah. Last week was super tough, because Savannah refused to take a bottle during the day with Dave. This week she has done a little better, but is still not doing great. So we are going to seek some advice from our pediatrician.

Memories from Savannah's First 12 weeks

Week 6

-Fighting her first cold like a champ (Super scary for mom and dad. Lots of snot sucking with the Nose Friday and sleeping in the Rock and Play so Savannah would be at an incline.) I slept beside her Rock and Play on the couch for a few nights and held her all night for at least 2 of the nights.
-Smiled at mommy for the first time intentionally (Been getting gassy smiles since the beginning)
-Loves Ceiling Fans
-Doesn't like her car seat (still holding true at 14 weeks)

Week 7

- Getting to know our baby is fun but challenging. I think I'll recognize a pattern and then it will change.
- Feedings and nap times are getting more stretched out.
- Doesn't like her swing.
- Hates her car seat.

Loving but ill-advised comments from our older family and friends made me feel like I should be seeing patterns at 7 weeks. Now based on my readings of current day literature, I know 7 weeks was WAY too early to really be seeing any patterns.

Week 8

Things I will miss most when I get back to work:
-Feeding Savannah every meal (boy is this right on! Knowing my baby isn't eating during the day, while I'm at work is SO challenging. I just want to be with her and nourishing her little body).
- Taking daily morning and afternoon naps with Savannah on my chest.
- She is the best cuddler in the world and has the sweetest baby breath.
- She used to do this one-eyed pirate look when she was teeny tiny. At 8 weeks, I noted she wasn't doing it much. And now at 14 weeks, I can say that I haven't seen her do it in weeks. Ah, the passing phases.
- There is nothing more important that I could do than cuddle my baby (which is why I'm 14 weeks out from her birth and still have birth announcements and thank you notes from our last baby shower to wrap up).

Things she was doing at 8 weeks
- Readily smiles at mom and dad after she wakes up
- First road trip to River's Edge Cottages in Watson, OK (3 nights away from home)

Week 9

This has been the best and some of the most challenging 2 months of my life.

Every day and moment spent with my baby girl feels like I am one million times richer. Now that she is here, I can truly appreciate the wait to get her. Because the wait makes me and Dave so much more patient and appreciative even on the really hard days. If the days are hard, it's because we can't figure out how to help you or make you happy. And that's what we want to do with all of our hearts. I imagine making you happy is what will be at the base of all of our decisions from here till the rest of time.

Savannah started sleeping at night in her crib during week 9. Before this she slept in our room in the mini pack and play, in the living room in the big pack and play or in her rock and play.

She had her first diaper blow out in the car seat.

She met her great grandparents for the first time.

She has started to tolerate 10 minute independent playtimes.

She loves going for walks in the Infantino Mei Tai Wrap carrier.

Week 10

Savannah slept through the night (10pm to 5am) at 9.5 weeks the night before Easter. We were in Fayetteville, Arkansas for the weekend and staying at the Inn at the Mill.

My favorite smell is the nasty old milk smell from Savannah's baby spit up. It's so gross but so miraculous at the same time. I love it and know I will miss it once we're past this stage. (Formula spit up smell is not sweet at all and just makes me want to vomit.)

Week 11

My favorite parts of maternity leave have been:

- Watching the Cosby show together from 8-9am in bed after her morning feed and then taking a short nap together
- Afternoon naps in the living room during Family Feud
- Texting all day with Emily and Kristine (Kristine's Addy was born 12/31/17, Savannah was born 1/25/18 and Emily's Finn was born 2/1/18.)
- Listening to Bob Marley while playing with Savannah in her room.

Week 12

- Savannah's first trip to Texas to meet Great Granny (4 total days of driving for 2 full days in San Antonio). I've said we'll never do it again. Either flying or staying longer or something.
- Savannah pooped the tub in Celina, TX on our way back. We were at her first B&B, the Kerr Inn. I think that is a moment neither Dave nor I will ever forget.