They don't grow up fast enough!

I know that is an odd title for a posting from a new mom, but I have a reason... Never in a million years did I ever think that I would have a small baby. My whole pregnancy, Jeremy's mom told me that he was a 10 pound baby and I was convinced that Autumn would be big as well. When she was born weighing 6 pounds and 7 ounces, we had to go out and buy clothes that would fit her because in that full closet that I had ready, not one thing would fit her! The 0-3 months-sized clothes were enormous and so we went and bought a couple of shirts that were newborn sized (that are supposed to fit up to 8 pounds). I was convinced that she would wear them for a week or two, and then we would be able to dive in to the clothes that we already had. Well, here we are 4 weeks later, and the newborn clothes are just now fitting her perfectly! So it's going to be a little bit before we get to all of those precious 0-3 months clothes that we already have.


The same goes for diapers. I was ready with size 1 diapers waiting for my new baby, which are for 8-14 pound babies. Needless to say, we had to purchase some size N diapers, which are for 7-10 pounders. I had a stockpile which I was going through and had decided that we were going to go up to the size 1s when I went through them. Yesterday was the day! My little girl was going to be out of her Ns and in to her 1s, and I was convinced that the timing was right. While I was out of the house, daddy put her first size 1 on and when I returned, mentioned that he thought it was a little big. When it was time for the next changing, it was my turn. The diaper was so big, it went half-way up her chest! We powered through the night with the huge diapers, but needless to say, I made a trip to Target today to buy some more sized N diapers.

Sharon and I went to Walmart the other day and saw a teensy baby. It had to be fresh out of the belly. After I got over my shock at seeing a brand new baby in the most germ-infested place in the entire world, it made me realize just how much my little one has grown in the last 4 weeks. And although she is a whole lot bigger than she was, she is still my little bird. I told myself today to just enjoy these little days, as I know I'm not going to get nearly enough of them.

First Milestone?

Tomorrow Autumn turns 4 weeks old! I cannot believe how fast she is growing. Her little personality is just popping up everywhere and I am still loving every second of it!

Today, I am convinced that she smiled her first real smile and that it was not gas, as everyone keeps telling me that these are. She had just finished her breakfast and had given me a very productive burp. I had her on her back and was talking to her and making funny faces like I do every day. All of a sudden, there was the first ounce of recognition in her eyes and she looked right at me and smiled! At first, I thought it was just a coincidence, but then she did it again! I couldn't get her to do it a third time, but I know that this had to be the real thing.

According to the mommy articles I can't get enough of, it's normal for a baby to start smiling at 4 to 6 weeks, and Autumn has been ahead of the curve from the get go (except for in the weight department, which we are seriously working on). When she was 3 weeks old, I received an article in my email that said that by the end of 3 weeks, she should be able to lift her head during tummy time and turn it to the side. Well, we started tummy time the first week she was home, and she was able to lift and turn her head at the end of 2 weeks! It just proves that we are raising a little superstar!

A Very Merry Christmas Photo Shoot

Having a new baby at Christmas was really fun. On Christmas Eve, Jeremy, Autumn and I celebrated our little family Christmas at home where we exchanged our gifts. Autumn really raked it in! Here is a pic of her with all of the loot:
While we still have a couple of weeks before we can go out in to the world, we did get to go over to Aunt Kate and Uncle Ron's for a wonderful dinner of turkey and dressing on Christmas Day. I must say, having a sister that is a photographer is definitely a plus! Here are some of our favorites from our Christmas Day Photo Shoot.

Thank you Jennifer Montgomery for the Canadian baby hat!

Jeremy and I dressed up purty so we thought we'd get a picture of us as well.

Family Pictures

This past weekend, Auntie Elizabeth came to see little Autumn and to visit. On Friday night, she was gracious enough to offer her babysitting services so Jeremy and I could have our first night out since Autumn was born. I put on makeup for the first time in a while and decided that it would be best to take our first round of family portraits! Here are the results, and I think that they turned out pretty good :)

2 Week Pediatritian Appointment

Today was Autumn's 2 week checkup (even though she is technically only 1 week and 4 days old). I am very pleased to announce that Autumn has officially surpassed her birth weight! She is now 6lb 8 oz (5th percentile) and 19 1/2 inches long (40th percentile). While all this percentile business is completely confusing to me, I'm told that this basically means that she is tall and skinny. I told Autumn to enjoy this time when she is tall and skinny, because the odds in this department are seriously stacked against her, my poor little dear.

The doctor is so pleased with Autumn's growth that she told me that I no longer have to wake her up in the middle of the night to feed her every 4 hours! This is a huge relief to me. Last night, I named myself the worst mother in the world because the 1am alarm that attempted to wake me up to feed my daughter didn't wake me up! I woke up at 3:30am to Autumn's hunger cries and felt so horrible about it. While I'm certain she won't sleep through the night, a longer-than-4-hour stretch of sleep tonight will be welcome.

The final thing to note about our appointment this morning was the 2 week newborn screening that Autumn was subjected to. I have been warned what was going to happen and that it would more than likely be completely traumatizing for me, but I really thought I could handle it. While my little naked daughter was held down on the examining table, she was pricked in the heel with a needle and squeezed until 5 little circles of blood were filled. She was lying there very peacefully and sucking on her pacifier and minding her own business and when the needle stuck her, I saw her eyes widen and she let out the most pitiful scream. I could practically her her saying "What the hell did you just do to me??"! Well, it turns out that I am not as strong as I thought I was, because I started bawling and didn't stop until about 5 minutes after the test was complete.

OK, enough of the small talk... it's picture time! Here is Autumn on Tuesday with her now famous after-bath hair...

Autumn with her friend, Abby...

Yesterday, Autumn got a visit from my Godmother, Jan, her Aunt Kate, and her Granny Nell.

And finally, here is my sweet little girl after her traumatic doctor's appointment today. She loves her lamb swing and the new pants that her Auntie E got her!

Photo Shoot #2

Aunt Kate came over to visit today and below are some of the pictures from Autumn's second ever photo shoot. I'm pretty sure that 2 things are now confirmed:

1) I have the most beautiful baby in the world, and

2) My sister Kate is the most talented photographer in the world!

1 Week Old

Autumn Leigh, you are one week old today! You are the most amazing little girl and I have no idea what I did without you. We are both learning lots and I love every second of it. I love to watch you eat, sleep, and explore the world around you. I cannot believe that you are little pieces of your daddy and me and that you lived inside of my belly for 9 months! I am having so much fun being your mommy and I am so blessed to have you. Watching you grow is something that I am absolutely looking forward to, although I wish you could stay this little forever. Your Daddy and I love you with all of our hearts, our little precious!

Follow-Up Pediatritian Appointment

I am so proud of my little girl. We went to the Pediatritian today and were pleased to find that she has gained 4 ounces since yesterday. My mom made the comment that if she keeps up this trend, she will weigh about 50lbs when she's a year old! I'm sure it will all even out over time, but we're pleased to now see that she's a healthy eater, just like mommy and daddy.

Everything is going really well here at home. My mom is leaving today, and Jeremy's parents are coming to stay over the weekend to cuddle with their new grandbaby and help out around the house.

Ironically, with all of the clothes in her closet, not one thing fits. My mom and I went to Babies R Us to buy some clothes for her the other day. We bought a couple of preemie outfits, but unfortunately they're too short for her. Thankfully, we did pick up some newborn long-sleeved onesies and I do have one pair of pants from Gymboree (sized up to 7lbs) that I never in a million years imagined that she'd wear. It's so funny. I honestly imagined that with Jeremy's mom telling me for the last 9 months that Jeremy was a 10lb baby, that Autumn would be a big baby too. With a million things that she'll eventually be able to wear, all we have right now are 2 white long-sleeved onesies and a pair of reversible pants. Needless to say, there's a lot of laundry being done in this household right now. Hopefully Jeremy's mom and I will be able to get away and go to the store this weekend to pick up a couple more things for her to wear.

Autumn is such a laid back little baby. She is still eating really well and is really a pleasure to have around. She's not fussy and is starting to open her eyes a little more each day. It's so fun to see her checking out her surroundings. It is also so incredibly amazing to realize that this is the little person who was inside my belly for the last 9 months. I love her so much and absolutely cannot imagine my life without her.

First Doctor Appointment

I forgot to tell the story about leaving the hospital! On Monday morning, I was MORE than ready to go home. I got close to no sleep while there. There were constantly people in and out of the room, and just not being at my own home in my own bed did not help. We were waiting around to see the pediatritian before we could get released, and a woman came in the room. She explained to me that she was the Marketing Director for the hospital and explained to me that they had a film crew on site and were making a commercial for the hospital. They were looking for a new mom and baby to interview and I happened to be the lucky candidate. They were also willing to compensate me for my time. After I explained that I had not slept for 3 days and was really not in the mood for an on-camera interview, she told me that they had a hair and makeup artist on standby. I told her that I would think about it and she gave me her contact info. In all honesty, there was no way in hell that I would have given an interview after what I had just been through, but it was still nice to be asked. I wanted to go home so bad and the thought of staying at the hospital to have my hair and makeup done was not appealing. I kept the paper with her info and plan on putting it in Autumn's baby book to commemerate her first commercial. She is destined for stardom, it is a sign! As I was being wheeled out of the hospital, I did see the camera crew and in no way felt guilty for turning them down.

Autumn's very first doctor appointment was today! When she left the hospital on Monday, she was down to 6lb 1oz and today she was 5lb 11oz. We're going in the wrong direction!! The other number to note was that she measured 19 inches. It is important to remember that at birth, she was 20 1/2 inches long. After measuring her twice, the nurse decided that she shrunk because her head is no longer pointy :) Everything else looked good. She is perfectly healthy, but the doctor was just concerned about her weight. She has lost 11% of her body weight, so now it's time to start packing on the pounds. I was advised to see a lactation consultant, and made the appointment for the LC to come over to my house later that afternoon. I also was advised that we have to come back to the doctor's tomorrow and that Autumn has to gain one whole ounce. Autumn is also not allowed to go anywhere in public for the next 8 weeks because we're right in the middle of flu season.

The appointment with the LC was very helpful. She showed me what I was doing wrong, and gave me a couple of different feeding positions to try. I feel really confident after our appointment and am ready to go full force with the breast feeding. Our prescription is to feed every 2-3 hours and then to supplement with 1-2oz of pumped breast milk.

A funny side note is that while the LC was here, I explained to her that I requested to see one multiple times while I was still in the hospital. While the nurses were helpful, I did want someone with actual expertise. The nurses kept telling me that if she showed up, they would tell her that I wanted to see her. Well, as luck would have it, the staffed Lactation Consultant never showed up while I was there, and I just figured that it was because I was there over the weekend. She smiled after I told her the story, and then proceeded to tell me that she was the LC that is on staff at the hospital. While I was tempted to ask for a discount because I should have seen her for free at the hospital rather than for $120 at my house, I held back. Oh well, the appointment at the hospital would not have been as helpful as the one at my house in my own element. I realize this, I just feel a little jipped because I didn't get the benefit of a free LC that was one of the reasons that I chose our hospital.

Very First Photo Shoot

Aunt Kate came over yesterday to do Autumn's very first photo shoot. I think that she is an exceptional model!

Big Surprise :)

So I haven't posted in a while for a very good reason. We were surprised last Saturday with the arrival of our new little girl! My original intentions for last weekend was to update the blog with my 37 week doctor appointment and what had been going on that last week after Thanksgiving. I got up Saturday morning and was shocked when my plans changed after my doctor suggested I head up to the hospital because there was a possibility that I was in labor!

Autumn Leigh Wallace was born December 6, 2008 at 8:17pm. I was 37weeks and 4 days along. She weighed 6lb 7.5oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. We are truly blessed.

We are all home and doing well. While this is a learning time, it's the most fun I've ever had. I am so in love with this little girl and can't wait to see her grow up.

Dr Appt Update: 34 weeks

What a wonderful weekend last weekend was! On Saturday, I rang in my 31st birthday in style with some beautiful roses from Jeremy, a visit from my friend, Char, and a fun evening at the Walburg Restaurant! We jammed to Loreli und Schatzi (who have been dubbed the female Smothers Brothers, haha) and ate everything in site! Here are pics of the Walburg gang:

On Sunday, my wonderful friends threw Autumn a baby shower and it shows once again how truly blessed I am! I received tons of baby items, and all will be extremely useful once she gets here. The highlight of the shower, though, was that I was given my nursery bedding that was made especially for Autumn. My mother in-law made a beautiful quilt that will hang on the wall and my friend Elizabeth's sister, Gretchen, made the bumper pads. I teared up when I saw them both, as they are so incredibly perfect! I can't wait until I'm able to actually set up the nursery!!I forgot to take my camera to the shower and I am so bummed. There are some that were snapping shots, but I wasn't really paying attention who that was. So whoever you are, share the pictures, please! I did take some pictures of the aftermath once I got home and have shared a couple of them here.

Yesterday, I went to my 34 week doctor appointment! It all started out normally with them asking me to get on the scale. I was absolutely shocked to learn that I have gained 4 pounds in 2 weeks!!!! Then they took my bp, which was a little high, but I told them that it was purely because I was not yet over the shock of my weight :) And then they asked me to pee in the cup, which unfortunately I am all too used to. Side note: my doctor's doesn't have her own office right now because she is getting a brand new one at the Cedar Park Hospital. She currently operates out of a local Urgent Care Clinic. I don't want to complain, but I really hate the hand soap in the bathroom!!! I'm sure it is some generic anti-bac concoction, but it just smells awful! That is the main reason I can't wait for her office construction to be done, haha. Anyways, back to the original subject. I think that they need to change the way that they do things. When a pregnant woman first comes in to the office, she needs to pee in the cup. Then, she can have her BP taken, and finally, she needs to have her weight recorded. Doesn't that make sense?


When my doctor came in the office, we talked about the normal stuff... She asked about aches and pains and the Braxton-Hicks contractions that I've been having, all of which are completely normal at this point. She measured by belly (which is still on track) and we heard her heartbeat. The highlight was when she rolled out the ultrasound machine! Unfortunately, at 34 weeks, it's harder to see details of the baby due to the cramped quarters, but I at least got to take a peek at my little precious. Her arms were in front of her face, so I didn't see anything there, but we did see an ear! I also saw a knee, a couple of bones, lots of ribs, and her strong beating heart. The best part, though, was that I now know what parts of her body have been poking me! At this point, she is in the head-down position with her back facing my left side. Her little butt is what has been up in my ribs under my left boob, and her little legs and arms are pointed to the right side of my body.

And finally, here's the belly (and my work-gear pjs) at 34 weeks and 3 days! Enjoy :)

for Autumn

I am currently 28 weeks and 5 days pregnant. It has been a looooong journey! I do not think of myself as a good pregnant woman. I am not going to miss most things about being pregnant! What I do love, however, is being able to just be with Autumn 24 hours a day. I love being able to feel her move and know that she is ours. I cannot wait to meet her. I cannot wait to see what she looks like and to get to know her personality.

Right now, we are being lazy on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. There are a million things that I should be doing, but we're just going to take it easy today.

Here is my belly at 28 weeks and 5 days!