Well... the time has come (tear) my maternity leave is up and I go back to work tomorrow. I am flooded with emotions but mostly I am taken aback by how much I have truly enjoyed my leave and this incredibly special time with Madelyn, Brian and even Quigley! You know, it's one of those things that you just don't know how you'll react until you are in the situation... and I am pleasantly surpised.
I keep remembering an instance from when I was about 15... My interim- JV cheerleading coach who I wasn't very fond of, looked at me one day out of the blue at practice and goes "Jess, you are going to be JUST like your mom when you grow up" I was 15, very impressionable, so naive, and wanting so badly to be cool by every sense of the word. I think at the time my mom was rocking those shnazy windsuits and our mini-van was an aqua blue. Just like my mom? Hmm I remember thinking - so not cool. (love you mom :)
Now I am a mom (wow!) and I couldn't love this job more, there is nothing in the world that is cooler than this, nothing. And, I aspire to be just like the kind of mother my mom was to us. I sort of thought I'd be the kind of woman that would feel the need to always be working, to keep busy and have that adult time in my life... I don't doubt that I'll sort of enjoy the time back at work, catching up with people, seeing Brian all day long (ha!) and challenging myself a bit... but being home and spending every second with my baby has been the most incredible experience in the world and if I could keep that up, well that would be heaven. But... ce la vie - I'll join the world of working moms like most-everyone I know and I'll be OK. I should mention that I know Madelyn is in the best hands, she'll be with my mom and sister! One thing is for certain though, I'll always look back on this experience very fondly, it was the best... My baby rocks, my hubby is the best - my life rocks, I really can't complain :) Wish me luck tomorrow though... no doubt this will be tough!!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
what she is doing now!
Sitting up, propping herself up on her tummy, and rubbing her eyes when she's sleepy! She's pretty close to getting her thumb in her mouth for sucking but at this point she'll take as many fingers as she can get in there :)
Madelyn's first trip!
We got back yesterday from an awesome trip to Florida! Grandma and Grandpa had so much fun with Madelyn and we had the chance to sneak in a few dates and lots of quality time together- so.much.fun!
Madelyn was an angel on the flight down - she ate upon take off and landing and slept the 3 hours in between. Phew - what a breeze! Unfortunately, the next 24 hours after that were a little hard. Once we figured out she was a little chilly in her skimpy clothes (my bad for dressing her so lightly) and got her eating on a normal schedule, we were good :) So good in fact that she slept for 13.5 hours our 2nd night there! While she was happy and back on schedule, Brian and I snuck out on two dates, a movie AND mini-golfing :) In our 4 days there, we never made it to the beach and barely had that much time in the sun.... just a visit to our favorite little spot, the Fish House for lunch and cocktails on their deck on afternoon. One of the highlights of the trip for us was a visit with Dada - Brian's grandfather. We had the chance to snap a bunch of pictures of the 4 generations and although he was hesitant at first, Dada even ended up holding Madelyn! Such a treat. We had so much fun with Gramma and Grandpa and are looking forward to seeing them again soon!
Madelyn was an angel on the flight down - she ate upon take off and landing and slept the 3 hours in between. Phew - what a breeze! Unfortunately, the next 24 hours after that were a little hard. Once we figured out she was a little chilly in her skimpy clothes (my bad for dressing her so lightly) and got her eating on a normal schedule, we were good :) So good in fact that she slept for 13.5 hours our 2nd night there! While she was happy and back on schedule, Brian and I snuck out on two dates, a movie AND mini-golfing :) In our 4 days there, we never made it to the beach and barely had that much time in the sun.... just a visit to our favorite little spot, the Fish House for lunch and cocktails on their deck on afternoon. One of the highlights of the trip for us was a visit with Dada - Brian's grandfather. We had the chance to snap a bunch of pictures of the 4 generations and although he was hesitant at first, Dada even ended up holding Madelyn! Such a treat. We had so much fun with Gramma and Grandpa and are looking forward to seeing them again soon!
Happiness is...
Moments like this :) I am one lucky girl and I count my blessings everyday!
A little secret about me that no one really knows is that I am constantly worrying about "what if...." scenarios. Probably sounds crazy and it's not as bad as it sounds, it's just how I am. See, my beloved grandmother passed away suddenly when I was 13 and I never had the chance to visit with her or see her before she died like some of my family did... no opportunity to say goodbye. I think experiencing the death of my first loved one, at that age and in that manner, had a real effect on me.
In turn, as I grew up I started to hold on super close to everything in my life and therefore worry I might lose it. I recognize all the blessings in my life and try to make every little moment count. I tell my loved ones often how much I love them, and I always stop to smell the roses. Sometimes it's tough being a worry-wart but it makes me appreciate all that is so wonderful in my life and be grateful every day! I encourage you to take some time today to smell the roses :)
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Florida bound!
We leave tomorrow morning for 5 days in Florida - woohoo! We are very excited for some warmer weather, visiting with Brian's parents and some QT together as a family before I go back to work! Not going to lie, I'm stressing about traveling with a baby and all the extra stuff we'll be flying with. I keep going over my mental list of what we need and I know we'll forget stuff... as long as we don't forget our wallets, and the baby I guess we're ok :) Hopefully we'll get a little sunshine glow while we're there and flights will be smooth - wish us luck! We'll be sure to post lots of pictures when we get back - have a good week!
sleep is a wonderful thing..
it really is! Whether you are like me and need a solid 8 or 9 hours at night, or like Brian, who can easily function during the day on just 6 hours, sleep is great! Before Madelyn was born I was hopeful she'd like her sleep like me but so curious of how the transition would go for all of us and adjusting to such little sleep in the beginning. I think it's safe to say, without jinxing it at this point, Madelyn is a great sleeper - phew! We are very lucky no doubt but I have to credit the one and only book I've read since becoming pregnant with helping us understand the importance of sleep for babies!
Happy Sleep Habits, Happy Child is a great book about understanding the needs of your baby, their sleep patterns, etc and I am SO thankful we were given a copy - thank you Krissy! I haven't even read the whole book yet but I've taken a few important tips away from it. One tip that I recently started living by was that every baby has 2 hours of good wakefulness in them at a time. Once Madelyn has been up for 1.5 - 2 hours I put her in her crib. Especially for her naps during the day, she is always awake when I put her down and within 15 - 20 minutes she puts herself to sleep :) Before this she'd been falling asleep in her swing, or on me (which is amazing) but she would always wake up upon moving her and never sleep for very long. According to the book, a nap less than 1 hour doesn't actually count as a nap -so Madelyn really wasn't getting the sleep she needed. Now, in her crib, she'll take 2 or 3 hour naps and wake up SO happy! Paying attention to how long she's been awake and when she starts to shows signs of being tired means that we've automatically fallen into a schedule. This also helps Madelyn get to sleep before she's overtired and avoiding that means we're all a bit happier :) Amen!
Happy Sleep Habits, Happy Child is a great book about understanding the needs of your baby, their sleep patterns, etc and I am SO thankful we were given a copy - thank you Krissy! I haven't even read the whole book yet but I've taken a few important tips away from it. One tip that I recently started living by was that every baby has 2 hours of good wakefulness in them at a time. Once Madelyn has been up for 1.5 - 2 hours I put her in her crib. Especially for her naps during the day, she is always awake when I put her down and within 15 - 20 minutes she puts herself to sleep :) Before this she'd been falling asleep in her swing, or on me (which is amazing) but she would always wake up upon moving her and never sleep for very long. According to the book, a nap less than 1 hour doesn't actually count as a nap -so Madelyn really wasn't getting the sleep she needed. Now, in her crib, she'll take 2 or 3 hour naps and wake up SO happy! Paying attention to how long she's been awake and when she starts to shows signs of being tired means that we've automatically fallen into a schedule. This also helps Madelyn get to sleep before she's overtired and avoiding that means we're all a bit happier :) Amen!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Where oh where did the last 2 months go?!
Madelyn is 9 weeks old this week and I go back to work in 2 1/2 weeks - oh my goodness - where has the time gone!?! Words cannot express how much I have enjoyed my time at home with Madelyn and how much I am dreading my return to work. Being at home with Madelyn and having that time with her is invaluable, it's been amazing and I will cherish it forever.
Miss M had her 2 month appointment this week and she handled the dreaded shots so well! She's given us a few good wails in her 9 weeks so I thought I was sort of prepared for the crying but boy was I wrong. The first of the 4 shots went into without a flinch, I'm not sure she knew what was going on! But... then 2, 3 and 4 were brutal, for her and for me! Thankfully the shots are quick and she calmed herself right down and we were on our way!
Madelyn's 2 month stats:
Weight - 12 lbs 8 oz (90th percentile)
Height - 23 3/4 inches (95th percentile)
Our "little" girl is growing so well and sleeping beautifully! She's fully in 6 month clothes and has been sleeping through the night consistently since 6/7 weeks, which is oh-so-nice for mommy and daddy :) We're trying to move up her last bottle to get ready for to sleep 12 hours at night, at this point she's doing about 8 or 10 hours and going down around 9 or 10pm. My hope is that by the time I go back to work we'll be on a schedule during the day and at night so that transition will be smooth for everyone :) Wish us luck...
Miss M had her 2 month appointment this week and she handled the dreaded shots so well! She's given us a few good wails in her 9 weeks so I thought I was sort of prepared for the crying but boy was I wrong. The first of the 4 shots went into without a flinch, I'm not sure she knew what was going on! But... then 2, 3 and 4 were brutal, for her and for me! Thankfully the shots are quick and she calmed herself right down and we were on our way!
Madelyn's 2 month stats:
Weight - 12 lbs 8 oz (90th percentile)
Height - 23 3/4 inches (95th percentile)
Our "little" girl is growing so well and sleeping beautifully! She's fully in 6 month clothes and has been sleeping through the night consistently since 6/7 weeks, which is oh-so-nice for mommy and daddy :) We're trying to move up her last bottle to get ready for to sleep 12 hours at night, at this point she's doing about 8 or 10 hours and going down around 9 or 10pm. My hope is that by the time I go back to work we'll be on a schedule during the day and at night so that transition will be smooth for everyone :) Wish us luck...
Wrapping up 2011
The week following Christmas was a full and exciting one for us! The night after Christmas, Brian and I snuck off to Mohegan Sun for a night while Madelyn stayed with Grammy, Papa and Auntie Wa-Wa. We had a blast - a yummy dinner and a fun night at the slots and roulette and blackjack tables! We had a great night sleep while Madelyn kept Grammy, and her Auntie up late... our wonderful sleeper (we think) was going through a growth spurt at 8 1/2 weeks because she was only sleeping an hour at a time and then fussying and eating the whole night!
Then we had a visit from Tim and his new fiance Farrell to toast them on their engagement! So fun to have a wedding in the family to get ready for - we're thrilled for them and excited Farrell will be part of the family!! The following night - Phish at Madison Square Garden. Another night for Brian and I out on the town and we had a blast. Brian's the Phish fan, but I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed the show as much as I did! The marathon week of fun continued with the TK Christmas party the following night! It was a great night with our dearest and oldest friends, a time we always look forward to around the holidays!
Then... it was New Years Eve and we did nothing! After an awesome week of fun and late nights, we opted to stay home and hang out as a family and it was awesome! We popped M's collar for the festivities, never even made it to the champage, although we did last until midnight, and then we were fast asleep. 2011 was a fantastic year, though it seemed tough to top 2010! We feel so blessed and lucky to be surrounded by such awesome family and friends and to have welcomed our awesome little girl into the world as 2011 wound down! Cheers to a fantastic 2012!!
Then we had a visit from Tim and his new fiance Farrell to toast them on their engagement! So fun to have a wedding in the family to get ready for - we're thrilled for them and excited Farrell will be part of the family!! The following night - Phish at Madison Square Garden. Another night for Brian and I out on the town and we had a blast. Brian's the Phish fan, but I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed the show as much as I did! The marathon week of fun continued with the TK Christmas party the following night! It was a great night with our dearest and oldest friends, a time we always look forward to around the holidays!
Then... it was New Years Eve and we did nothing! After an awesome week of fun and late nights, we opted to stay home and hang out as a family and it was awesome! We popped M's collar for the festivities, never even made it to the champage, although we did last until midnight, and then we were fast asleep. 2011 was a fantastic year, though it seemed tough to top 2010! We feel so blessed and lucky to be surrounded by such awesome family and friends and to have welcomed our awesome little girl into the world as 2011 wound down! Cheers to a fantastic 2012!!
M's 1st Christmas!
Christmas really is more exciting when you have kids! Even if they're only 8 weeks old and don't understand Santa's visit and everything :) Maybe it's because as a new mom, I felt like there was nothing else in the world I could have needed or wanted this year for Christmas, I have it all! We spent Christmas with my family in New Canaan and it was perfect! We shared lots of laughs (and wine) and had a wonderful time together! Madelyn was showered with gifts and new ornaments to celebrate her first Christmas.
We've been celebrating Christmas with the Krippene's (Kurre/Lenkaitis) for as long as I can remember and this year we had our annual TK Christmas a few days after xmas day on Dec. 30th so that the Kurre/Lenkaitis families could be with their in-laws on the 25th. Not sure what we'll do next year since we'll technically be due to go to Florida for Christmas but the TK celebration will be on Christmas Day next year! Hmmm... Anyway, this year the gathering was held at my parents and we decided to do something fun this year and ask everyone to dress up. Brian and I were debating our outfits up until that day when my mom suggested we dress as Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus - perfect, thanks Mom!
Here are photos from our Christmas Eve/Day and the TK Christmas! Hope you all had a great holiday with your families!
Madelyn, Sophie and Quigley waiting for Santa :)
Dad and M before her Christmas Eve bath
All ready for church!
Our fam on Christmas Eve
Quigley giving M endless kisses!
YAY! Santa came :) Christmas morning
New wallet and new sunglasses - thank you Santa!
Papa and Madelyn
Poor Quigley :)
The Conductor and KEVIN!
Madelyn finally gets to meet Santa :)
Santa and his/her 8 awesome reindeer!
Uncle B loves miss Madelyn
Cheers to another wonderful Christmas!
We've been celebrating Christmas with the Krippene's (Kurre/Lenkaitis) for as long as I can remember and this year we had our annual TK Christmas a few days after xmas day on Dec. 30th so that the Kurre/Lenkaitis families could be with their in-laws on the 25th. Not sure what we'll do next year since we'll technically be due to go to Florida for Christmas but the TK celebration will be on Christmas Day next year! Hmmm... Anyway, this year the gathering was held at my parents and we decided to do something fun this year and ask everyone to dress up. Brian and I were debating our outfits up until that day when my mom suggested we dress as Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus - perfect, thanks Mom!
Here are photos from our Christmas Eve/Day and the TK Christmas! Hope you all had a great holiday with your families!
Mrs. Claus and The Conductor from Polar Express
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