Kennedy's 4 Week Check In

My baby girl is almost a month old (or is a month old, depending on how you look at it... but I'm going with almost).  I know I say it every week, but I really can't believe how fast the time is flying.

How cute is this little tush??

 How Big Is Baby?

• No official weight, but she has to be 10 pounds by now.  Grow, baby, grow!!
• She has outgrown a few of her newborn size onesies and one NB dress... sad sad day.
• Still in size 1 diapers... and we have also started using cloth diapers part time.  She is in size small or one size for cloth.

Development & Milestones

• Kennedy tracks wonderfully now... it's really exciting to know she is actually looking at me and watching me when we interact now.  So cool
• She has been enjoying lots of tummy time and like to scooch on daddy's chest.  This little girl has some strong legs, just like her daddy.
• She has also been working really hard on her smiles.  Absolutely love them!! 

Diet/Nursing

• Kennedy continues to be a rock star with breast feeding.  She eats every 2-3 hours during the day and every 3-4 at night.
• We introduced the bottle a few weeks ago and continue to give her one bottle feeding per day.  Hopefully. this will make the transition to daycare a little more smooth for her when I go back to work.

Sleep

• Kevin and I are still working on our bed time routine, but things are getting better.  We *try* to get K into the bath around 7 then lotion (which she HATES), nurse, sing some lullabyes and hopefully get her to sleep by 8.  This almost never happens as planned, but it is a work in progress.  Lately we have been able to get her in the bath by 7:30-7:45 and get her to sleep by 9.  We have managed, for the most part (knock on wood) to avoid her witching hour.  Hopefully this week will be even better.

PP Mommy Check In

Loving my $12 dress!!!

• Physically I am doing great!  I still haven't gone for a run yet.  No real reason... now I'm just plain being lazy.  :P  I have been doing lots of ab work and stretching, which is always tough for me to get motivated to do... but feels great once I am done.
• I have been a bit weepy/emotional lately... I blame the hormones.  It's never a sad cry... as a matter of fact usually a happy cry, but crying nonetheless- which is weird for me.  Lately it has been the book "Guess How Much I Love You" which Kevin reads to Kennedy every night (and I cry every night when he reads it, lol).  It's such a sweet book and gets me all teary eyed.
• Oh- I almost forgot- Kevin and I have a wedding to attend next week and I have been holding onto a dress that I was hell bent on wearing.  I bought the dress last year and it fit perfect... when I got pregnant, I kept it as my motivation to lose the baby weight quickly.  Well, it fits great... except for my humongous nursing boobs.  :/  This has never been an issue for me.  I was stressing out over how I was going to find (and afford) another dress to wear.  Well... I managed to score a gorgeous dress on clearance for... wait for it... wait for it... $12!!!!  It fits great and will contain the ladies no problem.  Totally made my week!
• Right now I weigh about 136lbs.  
• *For reference, my highest pregnancy weight was 162, my pre-pregnancy weight was 130 and my goal weight is 125*

How Is Daddy?

• Kevin is doing great!  He was supposed to start back to work this week, but managed to swing an extra week off... and boy am I glad to have him around for another week!  I am very very lucky!  We decided to start using cloth diapers this week and he has been a champ with them!  He is excited to learn and help and do anything he can to make Kennedy comfortable and mama happy.  I've got the best husband ever!

Any appointments, visitors or outings?  Anything else new?

Kennedy rocking some cloth

• Kennedy enjoyed her first trip to the NY State Fair this past Thursday.  Our little family of 3 ventured out on opening day (are we nuts?) and had a great time!  Kennedy snoozed in her stroller through the majority of the trip, but Kevin and I really enjoyed eating all of the delicious fair food.  We didn't go through any of the animal buildings (Kennedy hasn't had any shots yet and I was a bit nervous)... but I can't wait to take her through next year when she will be really alert and interested in the animals.  All in all a great day!
• Like I mentioned briefly above, we started using cloth diapers this week.  I did tons and tons of research (there is SO MUCH information out there) and spent hours bargain hunting to try to get the best deals... and finally just dove in head first.  So far, we are only using cloth when we are at home and during the day time, until we build up a good stash, feel completely comfortable with it and actually feel like we know what we're doing... but it's a start.  We are hoping to be able to do cloth full time by the end of September.  So far, so good though! 

  Love/Hate: 

Kennedy loving her Hip Bums cloth diaper

• Love:  My new cloth diapers... in particular the ones from Hip Bum, a locally owned business.  Such a shame that these cute things are made to be pooped and peeed on.
• Hate:  ???

Any upcoming developments, milestones?  What's next?

• Next appointment isn't until her 2 month check up.... how awesome is that?  
• I have a post partum checkup in early September.

Picture Time!!

 

The GREAT NY State Fair is here!!

Finally!!!  ::happy dance::

It's no secret that I'm kind of a big fan of the fair.  Every year, we complain that it's hot, crowded, stinky, over priced, full of "as seen on TV" crap and terribly greasy food... but every year we go and we really love it! 

Every year, also, I set out on a mission to enjoy a humongous piece of roasted corn (aka "Crack Corn" because I swear they put crack in their butter) and 3 new fried things.  This year was no exception.

mmm.... crack corn... times 2!!

Me enjoying my amazing crack corn.  God I love fair corn.  What makes it soooo darn good?

deep fried pizza

I only tried one new fried thing so far... but we are going back to the fair this week and, rest assured, I will complete my mission then.  But, so far... my first fried thing was fried pizza.  It was... well... it wasn't very good.  Way too much fried batter stuff and not enough pizza.  It has potential though.

mmm... wine slushie

I also enjoyed (of course) a delicious wine slushie from Montezuma wineries.  Love my wine slushies!!  

This one was layered Diamond and Fat Frog.  Sooooo amazing!!

Kevin with his pepperoni lollipop

 Kevin found himself a pepperoni pop.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is a giant pepperoni lollipop.  

mmm... bacon bomb

mmm... frozen cheesecake

He also found something called the "Bacon Bomb"... which was pulled pork, hot and sweet sausage, cheddar cheese- all wrapped in a bacon blanket and smoked, then sliced and served on a roll.  I had a bite or two and, I have to agree, it was pretty fantastic.  Kevin was a happy man!

Last, but not least, frozen cheesecake on a stick... from the dairy building (which, by the way, the chocolate milk in the dairy building- for 25 cents- is the absolute best chocolate milk in the whole entire world).  This, also, was yummy!!

butter sculpture... yep... that's all butter

I'm never a fan of fair rides... the idea of hanging upside down from a contraption that I saw driving down the thruway last week just doesn't sit well with me... and since we had Kennedy with us, there was no riding of rusty clunky fair rides anyway.  We also skipped the animal buildings because K hasn't had her shots yet and I wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not, so why risk it.  I am pretty excited, though, to take her next year when she will be alert and really interested in all of the animals!  That's going to be awesome!

sand sculpture... still in progress

 We did wander through the Center of Progress building and all of the cheesy "As seen on TV" displays as well as the health building (No VA booth this year... what gives/) and a few other buildings/displays.  We managed to avoid buying anything unnecessary (food doesn't count.  Fair food is absolutely necessary) as well as any cranky meltdowns from Miss K.  

A few things I learned about fair going with a newborn... 

• People, in general, are idiots and will walk into, in front of, over and through a stroller.
• Grab a map and scope out where all of the cooling tents are.  It is hot hot HOT and these little tents of chilly air conditioned goodness are a god send for mama and baby.  Also a great place to nurse, if necessary.
• Invest in a battery operated fan for the stroller.  We found one at Babies R Us that clips onto the stroller.  Well worth every penny to keep my baby girl comfortable.
• Bring extra batteries for said fan.  :/

All in all a great day!!  Can't wait to go back next week!!!

My hubby loves me!!!

It's been a crazy week.  Actually... it's been a crazy month. ACTUALLY... it's been a crazy year.  Ok, you get it... my life is crazy... blah blah.  Anyway... DH only has every third weekend off.  The past... I dunno... 6 or 7 or his "weekends off" have been packed.  This is the first weekend off that we don't have a full schedule since... April?  Yay for a weekend OFF together!

Last night, thanks to the best brother and brother-in-law in the world (oh crap... I forgot to mention that they left last week.  Yay for a newlywed house again)... yeah so... Mike and Chad surprised us with tickets to see Lady Antebellum at the fair Friday night.  LOVE me some Lady A!

Oh.. and just in general I LOVE the fair.  It's hot, over priced, over crowded... and it smells funny... but I LOVE it!!

We went last weekend with Mike and Chad and I fulfilled my 3 fried things requirement for the year.  My 3 fried things for this year were:
1.  Deep fried bacon wrapped Snickers
2.  Deep fried pineapple
3.  Deep fried chicken wing dip

And (of course) I indulged my ridiculously huge piece of corn smothered in real butter craving... twice.

This morning, we went to the farmers market and Kevin decided to try out some new veggies.  Anyone who knows Kev knows that he is strictly a meat and potatoes kind of guy... so ANY vegetables are a big step.

He then decided to surprise me with Eggplant Parmesean...

Ta-daaaaa!!!

It looked beautiful and tasted delicious!!!  I also got a salad with heirloom tomatoes and radishes, all fresh.  Yummy!!!

I am sooo lucky to have a hubby who is great in the kitchen!!!

Oh- PS... I asked DH for the recipe, so I could include it in my blog... but he won't give up his secrets!  P