Breastmilk Storage (and Lipase Issues)

Breastmilk is very resilient and typically stays fresh for the following amount of time:

Baby Stuff, Baby Stuff, Everywhere

For some reason I always thought that when they showed houses in movies and tv of families with new babies, they just staged baby stuff everywhere so you would know they have a baby. 

Well turns out that is real life! Call me naive, that's fine, I just didn't realize we would need some baby item in every room and on every piece of furniture.

I thought it would drive me crazy, but I don't mind it one bit. No matter where you are in our house, there are toys and books within an arms reach!

We are not ready to move anytime soon so have to make our little condo work. We have been rearranging periodically as needed. I've started mentally preparing to baby proof. We have all sorts of fragile stuff the baby height. It's on my to-do list.

Here's our "movie set" house of family with baby...

Keira loves all her toys and books!

Keira @ 18 Weeks

Keira is having all sorts of fun now- giggling, grabbing (and throwing) toys, making silly faces and noises, and reading magazines and books.

I think we've all finally adjusted to the time change and also finally figured out Keira's natural schedule, it goes a little something like this:

6:30/7:30am- good morning!

9:30/10:30am- eat milk brunch and then take a snooze on moms lap 

1:00/2:00pm- mom and baby both lay down for a nap

4:00/5:00pm- baby takes nap while mom walks

7:30pm- get in PJs and have milk dessert before falling asleep

3:00/4:00am- wake up for a mid-night snack 

I'm sure this will all change on vacation but we will probably try to stick to it as best as possible. Keira is flexible on the nap times, as long as she gets three and they total 3-4 hours. Bedtime is non-negotiable for her. It's been like clockwork if we don't have her in PJs at 7:30 she starts crying hysterically. We prefer non crying baby, so we stick to her timeline :-)

Overall everything is going great. I'm enjoying my time home with Keira. Here's some pictures from our week:

Isn't she precious when she's sleeping?

I love it. I love her.

A Presidential Welcome for Keira!

Who better to welcome baby Keira to the world than the President and First Lady?!

You can get one, too!

(Instructions from: http://m.thebump.com/new-mom-new-dad/newborn-basics/qa/letter-to-baby-from-president.aspx?MsdVisit=1)

I heard from someone that you can actually get a letter for baby from the U.S. President. Is that true? How can I get one?

A.

Yes, you can actually get a presidential letter for giving birth! Apparently, U.S. presidents like newborns. And a lot of new moms like the new president. Oh, the circle of love. To get baby an official letter from the president write to:

The White House
Attn: Greetings Office
Washington, D.C. 20502-0039
 
Include:
[  ] Baby’s name 
[  ] Date of birth 
[  ] Your name
[  ] Phone number
[  ] Mailing address

You can also fax your request to: 202-395-1232.

Take note: Baby must have been born within the past 12 months and requests should be made after baby's birth. A minimum of six weeks is needed to process your request.

Four Month Appointment

Today was Keira's four month appointment ( a few days late...)

Her growth is continuing right on track! 

Here are her new measurements :

Height = 25.5"

Weight = 14.31lb

Head Circumference = 16.75"

She was given several shots (again) so she is safer around other kids but we are still supposed to be vigilant about hand washing (for her, us, and visitors).

Her next appt will be at 6 months.

Chocolate CocOatNut Dairy-Free Lactation Cookies

I am so happy that my dairy-elimination diet is working (more on that in another post) but I missed my favorite lactation cookies. I googled a couple different recipes and took pieces from each to make these chocolate, coconut, oatmeal, almond, and walnut cookies.