Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Wedding!

Our long weekend in Florida was jammed packed- almost a little too jammed packed-
but we had a blast.
Here is a recap of all our events....


Thursday
Thursday was a busy day for us.
After landing we headed to my Aunt Michelle apartment.
 We changed, fed Collin, and napped.
We then headed to lunch with my dad's side of the family.
Collin got to meet his great grandmother and his great Aunt as well as my godmother.




After lunch we headed back to the apartment for a little rest and some more feeding Collin and then headed over to my mom's parents house.  
Here Collin got to meet his only living great grandfather and his other great grandmother, as well as two of his grand uncles.  

Four generations....

We headed home around 9 pm and had Collin in bed by 9:30, after which Joe and I passed out.
He did great sleeping in the pack and play.
It was a little weird sleeping in the same room as him since we did not do that since the first night, it is amazing how many little noises they make.
He pretty much stayed on schedule- which surprised me a little.  

Friday
We decided to take it a little more relaxed on Friday.
My mom was staying at our condo down in St. Augustine which is about 45 minute drive.
We slept in, had breakfast and then headed down to St. Augustine to have lunch with my mom and take Collin to the beach.  This place is something special for Joe and I as we have vacationed a great deal here over the years.





Friday night we headed to the rehearsal dinner...
Which was great times....


Baby in the Bar.


Everyone wanted to hold Collin that Joe and I actually got to party a little.  
The first time I had a couple drinks since before I was pregnant!


We were home by 9pm and Collin was asleep by 9:30.  
Then all the girls stayed up and chatted till about midnight... good times!

Saturday
We slept in and my mom decided to come up from the Beach so we walked down to the water on Riverside in downtown Jacksonville and went to the Arts Festival/Farms Market that they have every Saturday.   They had food and music- very relaxing.  

After all of that, we came back and got ready for the wedding.



















Joe and I were really nervous about 
1)Him behaving and 
2) Not having to leave so early. 

Collin ROCKED the wedding!!!  
He is already party Clemson TIGER- he knows how to party!

He was so good, and let everyone hold him.  
He was alert and awake and so happy!
The wedding was beautiful and amazing and the wedding planner was so nice- letting me come in early to pump and feed him.  
I even got to have my first dance with him!!!










We ended up staying until 10:30 pm when Collin started to get a little fussy so we then headed back to put Collin to sleep.

Sunday
We headed out early early to the airport and our trip was done...
Thank god for a sleeping baby!



Amazing trip!!!!!





























Tuesday, April 16, 2013

You Fly So High you can touch the sky

My cousin got married last weekend, and when they announced the date, I knew that Collin at most would be a month old.  We decided to wait until really 3 weeks before the wedding to make the call whether we were going as the wedding was in Jacksonville, FL which is a 12 hour drive from NOVA.

Joe and I started talking about it and decided that driving was out of the question- having to stop every 3 hours for feeding, pumping, etc was going to be too hard especially since Joe could only use one day of leave because projects he was working on.  So I started to look online and found direct tickets out of DCA to JAX for $199 a person.

Were we crazy to fly with a one month old?
Everyone said yes-
But I thought this would be the easiest time to fly with a baby.
They sleep, eat and poop!

***Make sure you add the airline to have an infant ticket issued for the baby, and bring their birth certificate copy in case they ask for identification.  I ended up not needing this but my friends who have traveled with infants have needed it- better to be prepared!

So last Thursday we headed to the DCA with 1 month old Collin in tow.
Here are some things I observed/recommend from my limited experience.

1) Give yourself plenty of time.
Our flight was at 7:30 so we left the house at 5 which ended up being perfect.

2) Plan ahead especially if you have people helping you.
My mother was flying with us.  
So Joe dropped my mother, Collin, and myself off at the terminal with the stroller, the carseat, the diaper bag, the pumping bag, and our one big suit case that we were going to check while he went and parked the car.    
This elimiated having to get all the gear on the shuttle plus a baby.  
My mom watched Collin while I checked our one bag.  
The pumping bag fit under the stroller and the diaper bag on the stroller so really all I had to do was push the stroller.  Joe traveled with a back pack which the Ergo actually fit in.

3) Travel early.
We had both early flights coming and going which was great because it meant that security was less crowed- we actually did not have to wait at all- and it is less likely that your flight will be delayed.  These are both key with traveling with a baby.

4) People really are nice to people with babies.
Joe was stressed about getting thru security especially since we were traveling with breastmilk and so much gear.  The people at security were great and actually helpful, they broke down the stroller for me and helped me set it up again while Joe went with the guard to check my milk.  They check your breastmilk with some sort of testing strips to make sure there is nothing "dangerous" in it.  The guard at DCA actually walked up thru to make sure everything went well- talk about customer service.  In the Jacksonville airport they actually had a completely separate line for people with children.  

5) Go in with low expectations
I had no idea how I was going to pump and was prepared to go into a restroom stall to do so.  I was pleasantly surprised when I walked into the bathroom at DCA and they had a breastfeeding room.  It has a seat, a outlet, and a changing station- OMG- Totally made my day.  The JAX airport had something similar- not as nice but it was called a family restroom.


I also had no idea how Collin would be on a plane.  
Joe and I were ready for screaming so we surprised that he slept thru most of it, fussed a little when he wanted to feed, and then had his alert time before we put him back in the Ergo for landing.

6) Have a plan.
The night before we kind of went thru the plan for the morning before we left, when we got to the airport and once we landed:
4 am - Get up and pump and feed Collin
4:45-5 am  Leave for the airport
5:30- 6am- Get thru security
6am- Get breakfast once on the other side of security.
6:30- Pump and change Collin
6:45- Place him in the Ergo for boarding
7:20 Take off- basically Joe and I decided to let Collin sleep until he was ready to feed.
8:30 Collin woke up and we fed him
9:15 Landed-  I went to change Collin and grab out bag from baggae while Joe got the rental car
9:45 On the Road

Obviously this was not timed down to the minute- but just a general schedule.  


7) Pack minimally.
We had the Snap and Go Car Seat Carrier and Care Seat Base, the Snap and Go Stroller, my Diaper bag, My pumping bag, one suit case that we checked and Joe had a back pack.  As I explained earlier after I checked the bag- everything else fit in/on the stroller while Joe carried his backpack and the Car Seat Base.
We gate checked the car seat and the base and the stroller.
So we carried him on in the Ergo, I had my pumping bag and my diaper bag and Joe had his back pack.  I did not feel like we were loaded down at all- in fact my pumping bag fit in Joe's backpack once we took the ergo out so really it was a baby, a back pack and a diaper bag!
For the record- I love my diaper bag so much more after this trip!


8)It pays to flight out of small airports.  
Both DCA and JAX are considered small airports when you compare them to Dulles or BWI.  
Everything is easier in a small airport- security, check in, parking, etc. 


9) Accept that you have an awesome baby and go with the flow because he can tell if you are stressed.
There is no other way to say this-
but Collin ROCKS!  
The people around us on the plane, in security, and in the waiting area all commented on that. 
A+ for our first flight.
The trip went better than we ever could have planned or wished!

However, I think as Collin gets older it will be a little more challenging!!!














Monday, April 15, 2013

Happy 1 month!!!


Happy One Month Collin!
Yes this is almost a week late.

The last month has been great and it is nice now to kind of be getting in to a daily routine.
For the most part Collin goes to sleep by 8:30 pm and sleeps to 2 am and then sleeps again until 5-6am at which time Joe goes to work.  I then either put him back in his crib or he naps with me until 8-9 when I wake him up to start our day.
You are pretty consistant during the day- eating at 9, 12, 3, 6 and then a bottle before bed.
You are starting to be more alert.
Our routine is eat, alert time for at least 1 hours, and then sleep time.
I am amazed at how more alert you are becoming every day.
We now have fun with our play mat, and our books that were gifted to us by friends.
Your favorites are "Snuggle Puppy,"  "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom," and "You are my Sunshine."    You are starting to be able to tract with your eyes which is great and also starting to smile- but I think for the most part that is related to gas.
You love being burbed and love waiting for daddy to get home with your dog brother Clemson.
You are tolerating Clemson at this point when he licks your forehead.
You love your stroller and carseat and immeditely fall asleep whenever you are placed in them.
This is the same for your bouncer!

My favorite times of the day with you are
1) In the morning when you lay on my chest in bed before we start our day.
This is when I go thru our plan for the day =0)
2) After bath time.
You are the most alert after bath time- it is amazing!




Things you have done this month

-First dinner out at Fan Fair followed by Alto Plaza
-First lunch out with Daddy at work
-First walk
-First trip to Wegmans
-First New Mommy Group at FairOaks Hosptial
-First Birthday party
-First time meeting both set of grandparents




-First Easter








-First time out of Virginia- visit to Maryland

-Many walks

-Many visitors
-May outings with Mommy and her friends.









You also received your first shot- and yes you did cry but I told you you needed it and you stopped shortly after.  At your one month appointment you were 10 pounds 8 ounces,  22 inches long and 15 inches for your head circumference- all in in 75%- you must get this from the Hecker side and not the Oliveria side.


Up next-  your first plane ride-
Were we crazy to do this with a 1 month old?  













Sunday, April 14, 2013

Getting back on the Horse


Or the treadmill....

I have been dying to run.  
I had to stop running around 28-30 weeks because it was just too uncomfortable.  
So I starting walking at a 4.0 speed at 10 incline which proved to be a good workout.  
I did this for 45-60 minutes at least 4 times a week up until I was induced.  
I am convience this is why I only gained 22 pounds this pregnancy and why almost all that weight is gone already.  While the weight is almost gone, my body is just different- 
aka the weight is in different places now.  
I am motivated to get back in shape!

I started running almost 7 years ago when I starting planning our wedding and when I was working at a private practice which was the most stress I have ever had to deal with.  
At that point, I could not even run a mile!  
Now I have run in multiple long distance races and basically loved it!  
Running is my outlet and I get frustrated when I can't do it.  

That being said the last couple weeks have been hard because my body just did not bounce back as soon as I WANTED IT TO.  Because of the Pre- Eclampsia I was still on blood pressure medication and still not feeling the greatest for the first three weeks postpartum.  
Week 4 felt alot better and I took 40-60 minute walks at least 6 times that week.   
So last week, being week 5 postpartum, I told myself it was time to get back on the horse- aka the treadmill.  I decided to start on the treadmill for two reasons.  
1)I can control my speed and distance and stop if I need to.
2) I can do this while Collin is sleeping- thanks to our wonderful Foscam I can put him on the TV and watch him on the montior while I listen to music.  

So Monday morning after feeding Collin at 6:30 and putting him back down to bed.  I jumped on the treadmill and ran at 5.0 speed for 36 minutes- 3 miles.  It felt great!  Though I am going to have to get a new running bra- =0)  Yes it was slow but I was doing it which is what mattered.

So Tuesday I decided to do the same thing-  6:30-8 am instead of going back to bed after feeding Collin I was going to have Laura time and run.  At least for the next couple of weeks I am going to make this my routine.  I find that having a routine, makes me stick to it!  

So here is to getting back on the treadmill.... and hopefully running a half marathon soon in the near future!!