She Gets It From Her Daddy

Don't let her petite body fool you...this chick can snore like a freight train. The only differences between Riley and Hallie snoring are about 100 decibels and that I don't feel the need to kick her or elbow her in the back when she snores. Her snores are cute and intermittent...dad's snores are not so cute and constant. Lol! She has a little bit of congestion at night which the doc says is normal. He told me not to use that bulb sucker thingamajig to clear out her little nose...but I had to this morning. I think she forgot that she could breathe through her mouth and panicked when she had trouble through her nose. Mommy to the rescue....OR NOT. She hated me after I stuck the thingamajig up her nose. Attack of the paranoid mommy Part I.

Please Mom! No!!

Last night was just like any other typical night at the Fanning house. Riley and Hallie in the chair. Riley pretending that he doesn't want to watch the Bachelor Pad and keeping in on that channel just for me. Me running around like crazy trying to get things done that I can't do with a baby in one arm. :) But there was one thing that changed.....we got to eat a whole meal TOGETHER without passing a screaming Hallie back and forth. It was nothing short of romantic...lol! Usually we eat in shifts!

She is taking her first nap in her big girl crib as I type. She has either been sleeping in her bassinet that great grandma got her or on her favorite lamb pillow that great uncle Johnny picked out for her. At night I lay the pillow on the ottoman and I sleep next to her on the couch. It's definitely no Sleep Number bed, but I'll take it if I can get sleep. :) And yes, I am in denial that I haven't got to sleep in my own bed for 5 weeks. While I'm still not working it doesn't seem so bad, but we will have to put an end to this when I join the working world again. The reason she "enjoys" the living room so much is because mom gives in and turns the light dimmers on so it's not too dark...oh yeah and the television so it's not too quiet. So peaceful. I am digging myself a big hole, aren't I? Well I think she enjoyed all of the room in her crib.....

Before nap

After nap

Anyways, I was loving that we got all of our errands done this morning so we could enjoy the dark, stormy weather outside by cuddling together inside. So I wrapped her up in her favorite blanket and she fell asleep right away in my arms. Precious thing happened...I love talking to her when she's sleeping so peacefully and today I got an unexpected response when I said "Mommy loves you." She gave me the sweetest smile in her sleep and my heart melted right then and there. :)

Hallie's Corner

I woke up super early today! Even before dad gets out of bed! Mom didn't seem too excited to get up at 4. Hmm. I thought mommy and I should get a head start on the day. I took a bath and put on my pretty dress. That's two dresses that fit now! My wardrobe is growing along with me! We packed up in the car and the country music put me right to sleep. I sure like that Jason Aldean. :) I got to meet mom's work friends and see the therapy gym from outside of mom's belly! The biggest difference was that mom's belly was warm and that gym was freezing! I was not happy! But I did get to hang out with the girls while mom did important mommy things at work. After we left there we went to pick up my birth announcements. They turned out pretty good if you ask me! When we got home I took a nap in my big crib. Once I realized how much room I had to stretch out, I definitely took advantage of it. I think I like thunderstorms because I took an extra long nap! You can thank me later, mom. Now I'm awake and ready to celebrate my 5 week birthday! Can't wait for dad to get home!

"5 weeks? Really? I feel like I slept through it all..."

HAPPY 5 WEEK BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL!!!!! She is going to celebrate with a nice, big drink of milk....

What's in a Name...

I know that I have shared the story of how we decided on Hallie's name with a few people, but I thought I would let everyone in on the story. I was around 5 months pregnant and really anxious to find out the gender of our baby. We had a boy name picked out before I even got pregnant, but no girl name. I think it was because we were both 99% sure I was having a boy. Wrong! I got to the point where I was not even going to try to think of a perfect girl name because we always hated each other's suggestions. During church the following week, we were singing during praise time and all of a sudden the name came to me...I leaned over and ran it past Riley and he didn't made a bad face! I had the approval! I googled the name immediately when I got home to discover the meaning of Halle. Low and behold, the Internet is telling me it comes from the word hallelujah, meaning "to praise God." COOL!!! We definitely took it as a sign that it was meant to be. I think we changed the meaning a little when we added the "i" to her name....BUT, I do believe her name was sent from God just like she was. :) Our heaven sent angel...

The 3 of us enjoyed a lazy Sunday at home. Hallie was lively and curious all day! Hallie and dad did their exercises while mom did hers. Riley kicks her legs out and counts to 10 for her. They are hilarious together and keep me laughing all day for sure. Case in point....

My Supermodels

I even got a 3 (yes, 3) hour nap while dad watched the 3 babies (dogs included). I was pretty shocked that I heard no noise for the full 3 hours. Around here it is hard to go one minute without Emmi barking for no reason. We call it SBDD.....Sporadically Barking Dog Disease. She has a bad case of it. And she seems to be reverting back to her childhood...............

We awoke early this morning to take our morning walk. She goes right to sleep in her stroller and usually sleeps the whole time. She has met most of our neighbors and they know her by name already! The weather was beautiful and no crazy dogs chased us so I would say it was a success...our neighborhood is apparently the place to be for stray dogs as well psycho dogs who have superhuman power that allow them to jump fences. Dog party central!! I have yet to go on a run through our neighborhood without being chased or followed by canines! A pit bull mix jumped a fence the other morning and I think my life flashed before my eyes. Once I realized he was not going to kill Hallie and I, I screamed at him and he ran away with his tail between his legs. That one had me scratching my head for sure...

Hallie made momma proud this morning...we went on a shopping excursion to Walmart, then ran some quick errands to the bank and post office. She did great and didn't cry at all! I liked going mid-morning because it was empty and not a lot of people were around to breathe on her. Lol! Good thing she was sleeping soundly when the man/woman whom I will call "Pat" approached her to take a look in her carseat.... I think the sight may have scared her if she had been awake. I would have felt it necessary to give Hallie her first lesson in managing facial hair appropriately. :)

I am in need of some motherly advice. Please. HOW ON EARTH DOES ONE UNLOAD 20 BAGS OF GROCERIES WITH A SCREAMING BABY? I mean, they have to go in the refrigerator quickly so I can't just let them sit there. My solution....carry the baby and unload everything with one hand. Ten trips to the car and back. Unpacking was even more fun....one handed food storage....I definitely used my mouth, feet and forehead to compensate for my missing arm. She seemed entertained so I guess it was worth it....:)

She already has a busy day planned tomorrow so she is getting her beauty rest as I type. We are going to my work to meet everyone and then to Riley's work to meet the girls in the office. I can't wait to introduce her to everyone!

Looks like someone is getting squirmy and ready to eat. It looks like most of my blogs will probably end with "baby is hungry and ready to eat." Lol! Thanks for reading...

Like Night and Day

Our little night owl has transformed into a day time diva! Pros and cons come with this change; however, I welcome it with open arms. Hallelujah! 7 hours of sleep! She had earned the nickname "Hallie Monster" after her first night at home. She only came out at night and the first night she gave us quite a scare. We did not see how such a little person could cry that much without something being wrong. Poor thing has had her days and nights mixed up since then. I have been commenting to Riley that she is spending more time awake during the day but it didn't dawn on me until the middle of the night when she woke up to eat around 2 and fell back asleep immediately. I thought it was a fluke so I didn't even get my hopes up...but sure enough, here came 5 o'clock and she fell right back into dream land like a pro. This made for one happy mommy. And I'm sure Riley appreciated not having to deal with the Saturday morning grouch that I usually am. Dad still has to get used to this "no napping all day" schedule. He is used to hanging out in the chair with her...now the "new Hallie" wants to roam around the house and check out the outdoors. She is becoming so much more alert and her little eyes are constantly wandering. It's so much fun to see her little changes everyday!

Nanny Kathryn and Aunt Kylie stopped in for a visit last night to visit Hallie Bear and brought dinner. Yum! Every time Nanny Kathryn cooks for us in our kitchen I am reminded of how I need to make a trip to the grocery store and Bed Bath & Beyond. My kitchen if missing quite a few cooking essentials. :) In other words, it is evident that I only cook meals with 5 ingredients or less. It is becoming quite comical to me as I realize how much I don't have in my kitchen. Kathy is quite the resourceful cook and always works with what little I have....but each time I end up making a list of things I need to buy. Hey, I guess it gives me an excuse to go on a shopping spree!!! I will put that on my list of things to do this week....

                                                                         Aunt Kylie

Nanny

Bye bye premie clothes!! Hello closet! She is really growing! Today we were searching for a pretty outfit to wear to a bridal shower....I didn't expect to find anything that fit her...everyday I flip through all of her pretty clothes that she can't fit into....I take different outfits over to her changing table and lay them over her to see if she is any closer to wearing them...and they always swallow her stubby little body. Most of the dresses and pants are longer than her entire body with her legs stretched out. :( BUT, I think she had a growth spurt overnight because we found something that fit!

Hallie had her first "social" outing today! We went to my friend Jamie's bridal shower and Hallie got to meet some of my friends from PT school. I cornered my friend Julie, who has an 8 month old son, to get the mommy "low down." It was nice to have someone to talk to and ask questions like "so did your newborn ever want to eat for 4 hours straight?" Lol. It was good to get out of the house, wear something other than a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt, and spend time with good friends.

PT school friends at Jamie's bridal shower

I was looking forward to a little relaxation after our outing so Hallie and I got into our comfy clothes and planted ourselves on the couch. She had just decided to give in to her heavy eyelids and take a nap.....meanwhile Riley was outside "playing." If you know Riley well then you know that he always has to be doing something "manly" in the garage or backyard..."projects" as he calls them. I tell him all the time that he creates things to do! He always tries to include me but normally it either has to do with painting, digging, mechanic work, or some other type of physical labor. Eh, no thanks. :) So anyways, Hallie is asleep and Riley is messing with his silly new horn for his old '60 Ford. When all of a sudden we hear this horrible screech...nasty, nasty sound let me tell you. Now I have two barking dogs and a baby who is terrified. The horn didn't quite live up to his expectations...it was supposed to sound like "OOOOOgah." Sounded more like "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee."

Hallie's Corner

• I really wish my mom would just let me wear a diaper all day wrapped in a blanket. I hate changing clothes and frankly I like being a naked baby.  I try to tell her....look how happy I am....

• I don't think dad will ever learn how to tell if I have a wet diaper. The 'finger' test is risky because mom sometimes finds out that I have left a present in my diaper for her...so I don't expect him to want to do that. He always asks mom "how can you tell when she is wet?!!??" Well the first clue I give him is screaming my head off...come on Dad, mushy diaper = upset baby. I still love him though...

• I really wish my Grammy Karen would feel better soon so her and Gman can come visit me....

• My sister Emmi is driving me crazy...she always comes in my room without asking and steals my toys that mom has stored under my changing table. She tried to apologize by giving me a kiss, but it'll take more than that. For now I'm giving her the cold shoulder....

Signing off now....Hallie is telling me that she wants to eat and Riley is needing help with dinner...the grill seems to be eating our hamburgers (they fell through the grill). Oops! Thanks for reading everyone!

My Pilot Blog

I feel like the last person on the planet who has a new baby without a blog. Apparently they go hand in hand. So here is my blog. Riley even suggested it...considering that he thinks I spend 3/4 of my life behind the computer wasting time, I jumped right on it. I feel like it's important to do this for several reasons: 1) I am not good at keeping a journal so this is a faster way to document my baby girl's every move, every "first", and give her something to read when she gets older 2) Grammy, Nanny and the rest of our family need a way to keep up with "their baby" from day to day and watch how she grows 3) I love to write 4) I need something to keep me busy during the day when Hallie is sleeping. Speaking of sleeping...it isn't happening today nor did it last night. Miss H was ready to party around midnight! As I type this, she is lounging in her Boppy beside me with a look of contentment...good, this may mean sleep is on the horizon. :) Our girl is one month old today! Everyone says that "time flies" and "babies grow so fast". Well I feel like this wonderful month I have spent at home has lasted a long while and my baby is still wearing her premie outfits...so I would challenge the above two statements. I am sure Grammy and Nanny would disagree that she hasn't grown. :) But the poor little girl can't help it that her parents are shorties! I would think she would be weighing in at 10 lbs by now based on the amount that she eats.

One month of maternity leave down, two more to go. I decided after one week of being at home that I didn't wan't to go back to work. If only virtual or online therapy existed. :) They have robots doing surgery these days, surely I could treat someone's hip over the computer. Lol! I am quickly running out of things to do at home though. I have stooped so low as to watch daily marathons of Housewives of NJ, NY, DC, and the OC. My brain is rotting away as a result. Hallie, Emmi and I go on a walk each morning. Then I go for a run when Riley gets home...gotta lose this baby weight! Easier said than done at this point. We spend most days just cuddling on the couch or rocking outside on the back porch. Naps are a must! She loves napping on my chest and holding onto my finger. My favorite part of the day! Hallie's favorite part of the day is relaxing with dad when he gets home from work........

Hallie visited Mandy (our favorite photographer) to have her pictures taken at 12 days old. She was the perfect little girl and slept through the whole thing. I did have my first "OMG moment" as a mom at the end of the session....we had taken her diaper off for the last pose and all of a sudden we heard some rumbling. Yep, she pooped on Mandy's blanket. Oops! Here is our favorite shot from her first "photo shoot" :)

Hallie's Corner: My little quirks

• I will only sleep in my swing, on mom's chest or on my lamb pillow
• I start crying before I have a wet diaper to prepare my mom so she can start making her way to the changing table so that I will have to spend the least amount of time with a wet diaper on :)
• I discovered my thumb but I prefer to suck on my whole fist
• I love to headbutt my mom while I am eating...it is pretty entertaining
• I smile if you rub the edge of my cheek
• I love being outdoors and music...easy ways to calm me down
• I burp and fart like a man :)
• I love to practice holding my head up and I'm getting pretty good at it
• I hate to have my clothes changed
• I LOVE BATHS...I just don't like the part afterwards where mom takes me out of the warm water and makes me get dressed
• I love to have my hair brushed
• I snore at night :0

Hallie has been the biggest blessing to both of us and we can't even remember what life was like without her! How could this little girl not make each day perfect??!