how we doin'

Els is almost 7 weeks old, which means I am not so new at this anymore! Although it's not an official milestone, I feel that the little one needs an update as she is growing so fast.

Els LOVES to lay on her playmat and look up at her toys- with her legs kicking one hundred miles an hour!! She loooves to kick. Her arms join the party too, and after 5 minutes it makes for a very tired baby. Sometimes she is calm and could just stare up at the lights as long as I let her. She is a content little bug.

She likes to be in her k'tan carrier when I do work around the house and weed the garden. It's so cozy for her in there, and I like to be able to get things done and "hold" her at the same time.

E is still a great sleeper, that is until I want to go to bed. She does get a little angry before bedtime, and falls asleep best with a lamp on so she can stare right at my face as she drifts off. I only really swaddle her at night so she knows it's time for a long stretch of sleep, or if she gets fussy during the day and can't fall asleep on her own.

She loves baths!! With her poo diapers most times I just rinse her off, it's just faster and less abrasive with the wipes. I don't even have to undress her all the way, I can just tuck the jammy legs up into the back and clean her up all quick like. She is kind of a perfect fit for the smaller bathroom sink right now.

She hates tummy time but is getting better at it! She can prop herself up enough to look at me for a minute or two before she gives up or cries for me to rescue her from such torture.

The girl has almost outgrown size 1 diapers and eats like a little piggy champion.

Els loves to talk! She is started to make all kind of different noises when she yells. I would like to think she will be an early talker with a complex vocabulary. Which is why we listen to NPR together. Also so I don't feel completely disconnected from the world and am able to still hold intelligent conversation with my husband.

As a momma I think the hardest thing is outings. It's a little nervewracking to figure out where and when to nurse in public settings....We are working on her taking a pumped bottle but she isn't quite sure what to do with it. Plus with the carseat, if the bink falls out when you are driving and she gets upset you have to wait until a stop light to lunge back like superwoman and pop it back in. It's hard not to be able to help her right away! I was so nervous the first time I took her out by myself and even googled how to put the carseat in the shopping cart... ( I just set it in the main compartment as I am to mortified it tipping over). I just try to run errands between feedings when she is most likely to fall asleep. She isn't a huge carseat fan but if she is sleepy enough it goes just fine.

I love it when  she sees me and smiles! And when she snuggles into my shoulder and goes to sleep. I even love her spit up breath. And if someone made a car freshener called Elsie Lou Spit up I would freaking purchase it. And everyone would gag and leap out of my moving vehicle because they are not her momma.

She's a spitty one

I am in love with being Elsie Lou's momma : ) 

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easter and such

Well. I decided to host easter.Instead of deciding whether to spend it with Husband's family or mine, I decided both families are small enough to smoosh into one dinner event.  I always have these big ideas about hosting dinner parties and whatnot and then I realize that Elliott and I are pretty much hermits and anti social level 5. It turned out really lovely. I had 11 guests, and I even stayed up until one ironing cloth napkins into little rabbits. Completely worth it. I was really surprised at how fun and nice it turned out!!

 
I made Southern Living's " Best Carrot Cake"... The title says it all. It was seriously THE BEST carrot cake and moist and gorgeous and mmmm....Els loved watching all the new faces eat their Easter meal and was adored by all.

off to bed!

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update!

I've just got my little Elsie Lou sound asleep next to me in her cradle, and thought that I had better jot a few things down about these 5 weeks of motherhood I now have under my belt while I can.

Els is a big sweetheart. Unless you don't feed her within 5 seconds after she decides she is hungry, or if her stinkin bink falls out while she is falling asleep. She loves to lay on her playmat and kick her little legs. She gets them going so fast! She likes to yell happy nothings and has the cutest little voice. She is a good little eater, and some of our favorite times are cuddles after she gets a good meal and a good burp. She likes to nuzzle into my shoulder and we just snuggle as I savor being a momma of an Els at 5 weeks. I want to remember every stage! I just want to savor it. B(reast) feeding is kind of really rewarding. Watching her little thigh chubs grow, and knowing that I have everything to do with it gives me some kind of happiness. And I just thought hey its free and it's best for baby, so lets do this, but it's kind of really sweet. She stares at me like I am the best thing, and it makes all of the work worth it.

She is growing like a weed! We said goodbye to newborn clothes and diapers about 2 weeks ago. Her daddy is saying that her 3 month jammies are already getting too small. They really are! At her last checkup she was in the 92nd percentile for height and 84th for weight. She loves "bouncy time" with hubs, when he lifts her up like she is jumping on his lap. Only she is really getting the hang of it and does these cute little jumping movements. I can't wait till she is only enough to stick her in a johnny  jump up and watch her go!

She sleeps most the day between feedings, but has a period of awake time for about 5 hours!! I have been trying to align it with when I would like to go to bed, and have been having some success. She has gone to sleep at 11:30 two nights in a row. She sleeps until about 7. We do her little nighttime routine where I wash her face with a warm washcloth, feed her for the last time before bed, put her in her jammies and swaddle her up.  I sing to her a little bit, put her in her cradle, and turn off the lamp. It usually does the trick and she is out. Yes, we are lucky/blessed. She is good.  She does have angry Els time though. Sometimes she just likes to scream. Usually when she is overtired and needs to be rocked to sleep, or is a lil gassy.

I started doing light workouts two weeks after having her and have been building up to get back on the horse... by the time all was said and done in pregnancy I gained nearly 50 pounds! Ha! Never thought I would see the day. Or laugh when I did. I lost 20 when I had her, and it has continued to slough off. I am left with 9 measley pounds today. Getting back into healthy habits and working out a little + nursing will melt it off in no time. I am excited to get back into running if I can figure that out. You cannot take a jogging stroller on country roads unless you wish to be hit by a semi.  Just you, you know, you can run into a ditch bank. But those days are over for now. Looks like I might  have to start getting up before Elliott leaves for work and can watch her.  I do kind of catch myself wondering when I am going to have "me time"... probably in 20 years?

My talented sis took some photos of us and I am so very happy with them!!

I have started a new instagram account where I post food stuffs. Because remember how when I got married my repertoire consisted of no-bake cookies and eh.... that's it? And now I make good food on a consistent basis? Anywhoo I am still learning, but am proud of making a weakness a strength and am sharing recipes and whatnot. The account is goodrichfamilyeats if you want to follow along!!

Around the farm things are a happenin'! I am working out in the garden with Lou, and Elliott has my watermelon patch all tilled and ready to go. And. We got pigs. And unfortunately they are adorable and very sweet. Because, you know, they are friends until they are food.

xo,
farmwife

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post partum

In all of the advice on life post-partum, nobody ever said to me, "you know, it might just be really good."

Your body will probably snap back quickly.

You will survive your first sleepless nights.

You will learn how to get things done with a little one.

You will be a good momma.

So if I ever give anyone new mom advice, it will be to trust yourself. You were meant to do this, and you'll figure it out.

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