asher is 3 months!

Asher is 3 months! 

...or he's been for 3 weeks now.  har har.

i've been debating for a long time whether or not I should post, since he will technically be 4 months in a week. but after looking through all of the photos from last month, I was reminded how eventful month 3 was so I figured...better late than never!

this has been such a fun month, full of lots of changes and lots of outings! 

here's a quick recap (or as quick as I can make it) full of lots of pictures!

this month, we had a lot of reflux drama. asher was throwing up substantial amounts 2-3 times a day for about 2 weeks before we took him to see the doctor. he wasn't fussy, didn't have a fever, and didn't change much apart from the fact that crazy amounts of vomit were exiting his body throughout the day -- soaking me and making his clothes all dirty! 

we were concerned he was gonna get dehydrated so we decided to take him in to see the doctor. she ordered an ultrasound and that was an adventure! mr. bottle rejector even refused the bottle of sugar water they offered for his ultrasound -- and the US tech said that had never happened in her entire career. stubborn boy. <3

everything came out okay and we have attributed his reflux to over-eating (lol!) but thankfully it has gotten better!  he has been deemed a 'happy spitter'. we did a lot of laundry but we were thankful that he was okay! 

asher loooooves to go out. after the 1 month mark, and especially after he got his vaccines -- we went out almost every day (half for my sanity and half because I ran out of things to entertain him with!) thankfully he loves being in the car, stroller rides, being carried (as long as its outward-facing) for walks, etc. 

it's funny because he was so used to go out, that he would get antsy and fussy if I had not taken him out by noon. it was awesome because he would immediately fall asleep a few minutes after being in the car and take his best/longest naps while we were out. he always suggested that I enjoy some coffee and desserts while he snoozed, so I just took his advice and tried to enjoy some quiet time. he's so thoughtful!

he also grew to love, love, love his elephant doll whom we so lovingly named "elfie". initially we forced him to be near it because we saw how he was starting to suck his hands -- but he's finally grown to love elfie and now will lovingly suck on elfie's nose to soothe himself. 

we went to target to buy a spare (just in case!) especially since he had grown fond of it and found out that they were out of stock in EVERY target within a 30 mile radius. people were selling it on ebay for $40+ (smart people...) but then one day randomly, eugene found one and immediately purchased it. unfortunately there was only one. I would have bought every single one on stock and sold it for $40 too. hehe.

our friends moved back from japan and asher was able to reunite with his beautiful friend H (@babyhphotos) it was a short but sweet reunion and it was really fun seeing our babies together!

Asher got used to really long car rides and went on a lot of outings with me. We went to LA multiple times, went to his first wedding out in Corona (!!!) and went to cerritos go have a sweet coffee + lunch date with these aunties. I got used to changing his diaper in the trunk, nursing him almost anywhere/everywhere (in the car, in the back of a restraunt, on a bench in a shopping center, at a corner of a cafe) and just got used to filling our days while we waited for daddy to come home from rotation. 

we even spent the entire day in SD with uncle kenny and his family and went to the zoo! 

daddy finished his last rotation during this month, and is now practically done with pharmacy school (FINALLY!) which means that he can stay at home everyday with until his graduation!  it's been awesome!

being able to have him home and present in these early months of asher's life makes the 3 last years of being MIA/super busy/away from home worth it!

Asher went to his first family picnic at church and even got his own name tag! 

He's improved so much on tummy time this month (thanks to the help of the boppy!) 

And spent a lot of time with family this month (even did an overnight trip in LA at grandma's house!) We didn't get that much sleep that night (Asher totally knew that we weren't home and kept looking around in the middle of the night!) but it was so much fun and so worth it! 

This has definitely been a fun month - he definitely learned how to smile socially and we heard his first laugh (daddy is the best at making him laugh!). He has finally started to hold onto things (although he drops it when he's not looking at and forgets about it!) and loves playing with his O ball.  He loves being held by everybody and no signs of stranger anxiety yet! He started putting himself down to sleep at around 8:30pm, no matter where we were (i.e. at home, in the ergo during an evening walk, at bible study etc.) and has been such a good baby overall.

We can't stop cuddling and kissing him and we love him so much! 

We feel so thankful everyday and praise God from whom all blessings flow.

See you in a week for his 4 month post, lol! 

xoxo

{friday faves}: for a new mama

 can't believe I've been a mama for over 10 weeks already.

Just yesterday, I was hanging out with a few of my friends over coffee and she said "I can't believe you're someone's mommy". I can't believe it either! It still sounds weird to say it and the idea of it kinda freaks me out! 

These last 10-ish weeks have been full of lots of learning. I realize that there's really no way to learn how to take care of a baby until you actually have one. We literally had no idea what to do or how to do anything until our little human came into our lives. I've been so thankful for my BFF Google. What did we do in life before google? I literally google things 10 times a day.  

There have been a few things we have grown to love and appreciate over these last 10 weeks and I wanted to share it with you! These are some of my faves - things that have helped me tremendously in my transition to mama life. They have saved me on certain occurences, have made certain tasks (i.e. nursing and preventing diaper rash) much easier and helped me stay afloat and in line even when my mind is only functioning at 12% because of sleep deprivation.

Here they are!

1. Breast Friend Nursing Pillow - This is truly every mama's best friend. Boppys are nice, but the makers of the Breast Friend pillow had ergonomics 101 in mind. It provides amazing back support for mama, secures well onto the waist via clip and a great base for baby to lay on while nursing (with grooves to match baby head/neck/back contours and all!). Also has a handy dandy pocket for who knows what! On cluster feeding days, I literally have this pillow clipped onto my waist all day except for when I shower and use the toilet, lol. sorry, TMI but I'm telling you, it's amazing!

2. HPA Lanolin Ointment - I applied this before and after every feed for the first few weeks and it helped so much! Prevents cracking and helps soothe during those very painful first days. It is also safe for baby so you don't have to wash it off before feeding! 

3. Nursing Tanktops - Although they run a bit pricey, this has probably been the best new-mama investment thus far because they are literally all I wear. Under my shirts, jackets, cardigans, dresses, you name it! Provides easy access for baby and convenience for mama! If you've seen me out in public in these last 2.5 months, 98 out of 100 times, I was wearing this tank underneath my clothes.

4. Aquaphor - The ointment made from unicorn pee for the real. It heals all things for both baby and mama. Prevents diaper rash, promotes fast healing for scratches/dry patches, etc. When you have some excess on your hands from putting it on baby, it works great for dry heels/elbows.. bam, moisturized. Magic. It's seriously the bomb! 

5. Boba Wrap - This saved me in those first days alone at home with baby. I don't think I could have gotten anything done without this wrap. The tight wrap puts baby right against the chest which makes the baby really happy and comfy and immediately made baby fall asleep! Easy to do chores and walk to places (i.e. to get the mail or to pick something up at Target) with baby tightly wrapeed onto your body. I definitely had to watch many youtube tutorial videos and practice at home before feeling comfortable with it, but after a few times, it's like muscle memory!

6. Aden + Anais Swaddle Blankets - My co-worker got this for me because she said it was the best kind of swaddle blankets ever, and it's true! They are made out of 100% cotton muslin, the material is breathable (NO SIDS AND OVERHEATING PLS!) and they are really large and stretchy and provide a tight swaddle. They are also like fine wine and get better in time - with every wash the material gets more and more soft and snuggly for some reason. 

7. Boudreaux's Buttpaste - Okay, I must admit that I bought this specific brand because it's called "Buttpaste" but this high-dose zinc cream helps treat diaper rashes beautifully! :) 

8. MammaBaby App on iPhone - I don't know how I would have survived/functioned/remembered anything without this app during those first few delirious, sleep-deprived weeks. You can record how long baby feeds (including which side!) and record wet/dirty diapers, and sleep time too! It has been a lifesaver for me! (Thanks CJ for the rec!!)

9. Dreft Stain Remover - Baby poop has the most powerful stain-capacity ever. That yellow ink is like nothing else in this world. One time, the baby's poop sprayed onto my phone case and left a mark that required ACETONE to remove. ACETONE!! This stain remover spray has saved so many of our clothes, blankets and onesies. Thank you, dreft! PS. you smell heavenly.

10. SwaddleMe - If you have a baby like ours who has monster strength + houdini ability to get out of the tightest swaddle ever, this will come in handy. The velcro makes it harder for the baby to escape out of and has helped our baby stay wrapped tightly and sleep well at night.

I have a lot more faves so hopefully will be able to do a part 2 soon. 

Cheers! 

2 months!

Happy March!

In my post last month, I had hoped that I would only be 5 days late for our 2 month post - and here we are...only 4 days late. Woohoo! It's amazing how quickly time passes by, especially since all of the days and weeks sorta blend together. It's so easy to lose track of time. We are loving our little guy to pieces. He is growing and changing so quickly, I'm trying so hard to memorize and love on every detail of his face, his chubby body, our time together, etc. It's been amazing!

At his '2 month appointment' (in paranethesis because he was 6 weeks old at that time), he weighed 11 lbs and 13 oz (quite a jump from before!) and is growing and fattening up like a champ. He still loves to eat and sleeps pretty well at night (sometimes 5-6 hour stretches). I've learned to never, ever, ever make blanket statements about your baby. (i.e. He is such a good baby, he is sleeping through the night, etc etc.) because they can change at any time for no apparent reason. Exhibit A) He slept his first 6-hour stretch this week. We celebrated. Exhibit B) He slept in 3 hour intervals last night and was awake for 2 hours after 3am, smiling and as happy about being as awake as can be. Lesson learned. I've decided to celebrate his little victories day by day and not have crazy expectations. Everyone is happier that way.

While I was pregnant, I wrote letters to baby every now and then -- "dear baby" posts. I'm hoping to continue that here as we commemorate each month! 

--

dear baby,

here are a few things we've loved about you this past month:

1. This month, you finally learned the difference between night and day. Good golly. It took a lot of intentionality, but we did it. Bright lights, loud noise and sunshine-y trips outside during the day, and almost nonverbal interactions in the dark at night. We are so thankful :)

2. When you are really hungry and you finally get to eat, you put your pinky up in the air while you're eating (just like mommy!). It's hilarious. It makes me laugh and melt every time. I always want to take a picture but that would probably be inappropriate.

3. You love love love staring at lights. You will bend your head completely back when we are holding you to look at a lamp somewhere. And you love the wall in our living room. We have been calling it "the wall" because for some reason it is the most entertaining thing for you. You can sit in your boppy lounger and stare at it for an hour. It's awesome. I am never changing anything on that wall.

4. When you turned 1 month, we took you out with the stroller for the first time and I was so nervous and overwhelmed. I was so stressed about using the stroller frame, daddy and I watched so many youtube videos. And then I had to nurse you in public and I thought I was gonna have a heart attack. Since then, we have been going out almost every day (walk to Target or Peets, etc) and you love it! Even though it's a bit tiring putting together/taking apart the stroller, carrying you up 3 flights of stairs, etc -- we've had so much fun exploring new places together and I always appreciate the fresh air and coffee break! 

5. You love napping with your buddy Elfie. Well, sorta. We've been forcing it on you since you've found your hand and have been sucking on your fist like a mad man. Daddy says no hand sucking so your new little buddy will have to do.

6. You've had a lot of spit up and vomiting episodes this past month (boo for indigestion and regurg!) but you smile through it like a champ and make mama so proud! 

7. You love music and love it when we sing songs to you! Sometimes when you are fussy, we can rock you while singing you a hymn and you will quiet down right away. Also, you love it when mommy acts out musical numbers with dance moves and the whole shabang. Well, I think you love it. You stare and stare while staying completely still and quiet. You either love it or you are really confused and maybe a little freaked out! I hope you don't get embarassed of me!

8. Your favorite time during bathtime is when we wash your back and your hair. You also love when mommy and daddy sing "rinse, rinse, rinse!" while pouring water on you at the very end. You have the funniest smirk when we're doing that. (You really don't like getting your face washed but its important! Otherwise, you will smell like cheese curds and that's yucky.)

9. You love/hate our "bbo bbos"! 

10. You hate tummy time but you love lifting your head up and looking around when you're over our shoulder. You also love doing informal tummy time on daddy's chest!

11. You have incredible leg strength. Sometimes we will stand you up on the dresser or the bathroom counter and you'll push against it with your legs. You amaze us! 

We love you so much and we are so thankful for the ways you are growing (and fattening up!) We're trying our very best to enjoy how little you are now. Even though we are looking forward to teaching you new things, taking you out to see and explore new places and have you sit up and try new foods with us when we go out to eat, we are loving how cuddly you are and how new everything is for you! 

P.S. Yesterday you smiled at daddy for the first time and really melted his heart. He talked about it nonstop for 2 hours! We cant wait to finally see more smiles this week! 

Love,

mama