g+g peltier

It seems the days keep passing by so quickly...not a ton to update.  Adilyn has been sleeping pretty well at night, usually giving me a 5 hour stretch in between one of her feedings.  Though as soon as I said that last time, she woke up about 4 times in the night! Serves me right I guess...
Other than that, we're getting more experienced at venturing out. Two Saturdays ago, we went to Grandma & Grandpa Peltier's house while Dan went to shoot guns with his friends.

This last Saturday, we celebrated G+G Peltier's birthdays at our house.  We had lots of great food, played some games and had lots of laughs!

It's crazy how fast our sweet little girl is growing and changing.  Yesterday she made a couple of cooing noises while in her swing - which I thought were pretty cute.  I try to make sure to talk to her throughout the day, even if it feels kind of silly - at least it's a step up from when I used to talk to the dog...
Adi has also been much more alert and awake longer during the day.  I don't mind, except for the fact that it means I usually have about 10 minutes to eat at some point during the day because she definitely wants to eat more frequently since she's up. 
We are now officially out of the preemie stage - no more onesies, diapers or outfits fit our growing girl.  It's exciting to see how much she's already grown - but I also miss how tiny she was not so long ago.  I guess this is life as a parent - watching your precious little ones grow.

sunny days ahead...

I know I've said this a million times, but it is hard to believe it's already been 6 weeks since this precious little girl came into our lives.  Here are a couple of updates through pictures.  Adilyn has been getting bigger and stronger every day.  She has officially outgrown her preemie onesies - but her newborn clothes are still a tad long for her.  That's ok, she'll grow into them before we know it I'm sure.  Also, we've graduated from her preemie diapers to newborn size - though those are still big on her too.  I know I shouldn't be so surprised at how quickly she's growing, but I remember holding that tiny 3lb 11oz baby and thinking she'd never get bigger...

Auntie Laura thought it was funny that Adi looks like this beanie baby...

She's taking up a LITTLE more of the bed than she did before.

Adilyn has been sleeping longer at night - we usually get a 5 hour stretch between some of the late night feedings, which has been great for me.  The feeding frequency just kind of transfers to the day though, so I'm feeding her around every 2 hours during the day.  It gets to be tiring, but somehow God has given me strength to continue to nourish her as much as she needs. 

We're so thankful for how flexible little Ms. Adilyn is - we've been able to take her to friends' houses, a wedding shower at a restaurant and on multiple errands now.  We're getting to be pretty proficient at loading/unloading her - but I will be thankful when I can take her around in her stroller (we discovered our stroller doesn't fit in our trunk without taking it apart) :(

I was getting excited for warmer weather and am hoping this snow starts to melt now that I'm approved to start exercising again. Hoping for sunshine.

I realize it's been a little while since I've updated...I will try to get something up in the near future - but for now, I ask that you continue to pray for our dear friends, John and Kristen.  They just suffered the loss of their stillborn daughter this past week, after losing Kristen's father earlier this month.  My faith tells me that this is all God's loving plan - and that He will work all things for His glory.  Right now, I'm having a VERY hard time resting in those truths...I know that God is our loving heavenly Father, but right now I don't understand why this is happening.  I find myself just stopping and crying for their loss - Kristen is like my second sister, so this isn't something I can easily put out of my mind.  I feel so helpless - because I can't even comprehend what it would be like.  I just keep thinking of how strong Kristen is - even though her heart is broken right now. I know there's nothing I can say or do to help make the pain go away - I just continue to cry out to the Lord -- in anger, frustration, pain -- while trying to rejoice for the many blessings He has given all of us - that we do not deserve.  We are not promised a life free from pain; so please pray for understanding.

I'm not asking for sympathy - simply asking you to pray...for understanding and rest for J + K.  I'm asking you to cherish your family and friends...I'm asking you to think on life eternal - because I know that if we didn't have the Lord right now, there would be absolutely NO hope.  Although it's difficult to see and feel that hope, I know that it is there - to come. 
We love you and will always remember you, Natalie Lynn.  We know that your Grandpa B is taking care of you in Heaven. 

heat wave

Well for those of you that do not reside in MN, we have been experiencing a bit of a February 'heat wave' - with highs in the 40s and even 50s the last few days!  Although I haven't gotten out a TON to enjoy the weather, we did finally get out for a walk this afternoon.  Dan came home from work and convinced me that it is SO nice outside - so we decided to try out our curbside buy jogging stroller.  Unfortunately, it was a VERY short walk, since the breeze was a little stronger and colder than Dan recalled. :)  Needless to say, we only made it around the block.  Here's a quick snapshot before we were all miserable and wishing we were still inside.

For anyone reading this right now - please pray! I just got a call from my best friend telling me that they lost their baby...I don't really know what to say right now - but know that they need prayer - for comfort and peace in knowing that the Lord is loving.  It's hard for me to say that right now - since my friend just lost her Father this past week...I know that the Lord is good and wants good for His children, but it's hard for me to grasp what He's doing in this situation...Please pray...

trying to keep up

I feel like I'm living in a little bit of a time warp - most of my days and nights blur together and I'm usually not sure what day it is.  Since Adilyn calls the shots and is on her own, ever-changing feeding schedule, I pretty much am here to make sure she's fed when she's hungry.  Don't get me wrong, I love it - it's just kind of odd trying to operate in the 'real world' when I find myself waking up at 3am, eating lunch at 2 or 3pm, showering whenever I think I have a spare 15 minutes and I'll be honest - spending a LOT of my time in sweatpants! :)
So, what I'm trying to say is - I'm a little behind...trying my best to keep you all updated, but more importantly, making sure my little girl is nourished!

Dan surprised me with these beautiful flowers on Valentine's Day!  Adi and I tried to get a picture..though we had some trouble getting a good one of both of us :)

Also, I'm a little late on this too, but here's one of Adilyn at one month old!

Today we ventured out - unfortunately, I had to take Adilyn to the Hospital to get another metabolic test.  She only cried a little bit when they pricked her foot to get the blood; but she calmed down right away and was fine the rest of the time!  I am SO thankful for that, because I was very anxious to take her there alone, since the last time around was quite traumatic - for her and for me.  She cried the entire time - they did it wrong the first time and had to prick her other foot too...This time was smooth and we were able to run some other errands and enjoy the beautiful weather too!

I'm starting to feel a little more like a 'normal' human being these days.  Adilyn has been sleeping about 5 hours in between her overnight feedings the last couple of days - which has been AMAZING for me!  I'm feeling pretty spoiled, but am thankful for the rest!

1st..

Yesterday we took Adilyn to church for the first time - for our monthly communion service.  It was great to get out and fellowship with all of our brothers and sisters in Christ - especially to thank those who have been serving us so graciously while we've been shut in with Adi.  Despite my anxiousness, Adi did a great job and pretty much slept or sucked on her pacifier throughout the whole service.  I feel like SUCH a proud mama - with the showers of compliments we got about how cute Adi is (though we obviously already knew that). :)
My gracious husband also allowed me to get some rest yesterday - which was great - so thanks Danny!

Today is Adilyn's first Valentine's Day!  I know - it doesn't really matter to her, since she has no idea how this day is different from any other - but I think you get a pass to make a big deal about all of your child's first Holidays for the first year of their life - so that's what I'm going to do! :)
We're planning on staying in tonight to celebrate as a family - Dan and I still can't believe how in love we are with our beautiful little girl!

Wishing you and your loved one a very Happy Valentine's Day!

month: 1

Well, our little peanut is officially 1 month old!! it's hard to believe, since we've really only had her home for 2 weeks - maybe that's why I'm not overly eager to part with her.  Dan asked if we should get a sitter and go out for Valentine's Day - to which I almost instantly said, I'm not ready...so we'll be spending the Holiday at home, the 3 of us :)

This week has been pretty crazy (hence the lack of updates here).  Adilyn seemed to take on a new schedule this week - wanting to eat roughly every 2 hours during the day - meaning that's about all I've spent my time doing...so I've been feeling the lack of sleep a little more this week...We're just SO thankful for all of the friends who have provided us with prepared meals these past couple of weeks - it has been a HUGE blessing to us - THANK YOU!

Yesterday, we ventured down to Rochester as a family for our first official 'road trip'. Unfortunately, the reason for our trip was not a joyous one - we attended the funeral of my best friend's Dad, Bryan Halling.  It was an incredible celebration of Bryan's life and all of the people he impacted throughout it.  I am inspired by my friend, Kristen's words of remembrance during the service -- no, it isn't fair that her father fought cancer for 3 years and died at the age of 57...but as she reminded us, we aren't promised a life without pain or hardships - and it really isn't fair that we ARE promised HOPE in the Gospel - and ultimately eternity in Heaven with our Lord and Savior.  I feel privileged to be surrounded by our friends and family - especially as we watch our daughter grow. 

I've been trying to do 'tummy time' with Adi for a few minutes each day - but she is NOT a fan.  She has been holding her head up briefly when we have her up on our shoulders - especially when she's really hungry :) but we can definitely tell that her neck is getting stronger!  It's pretty amazing to think of how much she's grown even over the past 30 days! 

We had another Dr. appointment yesterday and Adi weighed in at 5lbs 9oz!  She gained 21 ounces in the two weeks in between her appointments - so roughly 1 & 1/2 oz a day.  The Dr. also gave us the 'ok' to let her sleep for longer stretches at night, as long as she makes up for it by eating more during the day (which doesn't seem to be a problem).  So, here's to a little extra sleep in between feedings for me! :)

venturing out

Not too much new to write about.  we've basically been taking advantage of the cold weather and staying inside.  We did venture out today to visit our friend Ashley who is in the hospital - please pray that her little one would stay put and that she'd be able to go home soon! 
It was kind of fun venturing out - though definitely more of a process than I'm used to - loading up the stroller, putting Adi in her carseat, packing the diaper bag, warming up the car and heading out!  It definitely made me realize that simple little errands that I used to run are a thing of the past...I won't be running into the store to grab one or two things or running into Starbucks to get a coffee - because now that means I have to load up and unload and carry our little one in her car seat too! Maybe when it's not so cold out, that will be less intimidating to me - but for now, I'll use caution as a reason to stay in as much as I can :)

On top of our adventure out, I was able to take a nap today - only to be awakened by...the dog. Oh well, here's a pic of the little one for today - she's finally starting to fill in her preemie clothes a little more!  We'll see how much she weighs in at on Friday. 

superbowl sunday...

To be honest, I'm not that interested in the game today - though I appreciate the entertainment factor, I have no strong feelings about who should win.  Since Adi still isn't supposed to be exposed to large numbers of people/potential sickies - we are armed with junk food and the couch is ready for us to spend our day relaxing and watching the game. 
It has been fun having more and more visitors - so as long as you aren't sick, please feel free to come on over!  For now, we have gotten pretty good at enjoying the quiet time - as you can see here.

Enjoy your Superbowl Sunday everyone!

work hard...to rest...

Since we haven't been able to bring Adilyn out yet, we've missed Church the last few weeks.  Today, we finally got caught up on the latest messages and I was extremely blessed by this one...
http://www.vimeo.com/19375623

Adjusting to life as a mom has been difficult - not only the lack of sleep or very brief time slots to shower or eat or go to the bathroom during the day; but the act of doing nothing at all in between.  Most of my day/night is dedicated to making sure our daughter can eat when she's hungry.  Since she needs to eat roughly every 3 hours - I'm basically doing it all over again every 2 hours.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, it has just been a big adjustment for me.   When people ask me what I did today, I don't have much to say other than feeding, changing and holding Adilyn.  I couldn't really pinpoint why, but every time someone asked and I had to answer, I felt guilty.  After hearing this message, I think I realize that I feel guilty because I don't have an impressive report to give on how productive I've been; especially when I seemingly have all of the time in the world!

Life before Adilyn: fill up the day with as much 'stuff' as possible - work, laundry, dishes, dinner, reading, visiting with friends, paying bills, attempting to go back to school, exercise...

Life with Adilyn: fill up the day with as much 'stuff' around the house as possible - for about 3 days - when I realized that living that way would lead to me being virtually non-functioning during our 2 or 3am feeding.  Now I've been trying my best to truly rest in between feedings - though I still struggle with feeling guilty that I'm not doing laundry or cleaning the house or reading something or going somewhere.  It has been a blessing that we have been limited in where we can go with Adilyn, so I don't feel AS guilty for staying inside, mostly on the couch.  However, as we get closer to being able to bring Adi out, I can already sense that I am going to struggle with saying no or just staying home and resting. 

It's amazing how much of life before Adilyn was made up of DOING everything and anything possible - to feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.  I'm not surprised that my achieving personality has led me to a life of constantly trying to earn grace and all of the benefits of salvation instead of just RESTING - really resting in the promises and truth of the Gospel. 

While I say this and feel it - I know that it's a process.  Maybe today I will take a nap and not feel guilty that I'm not putting in another load of laundry like I had planned...We'll see what tomorrow brings :)

I should take the lead from the rest of my family - who happen to be excellent nappers :)

We also had a special visit from Adilyn's Great-Grandpa John and Great-Grandma Grace (Dan's Grandparents).

happy happy...

birthday to my dear old dad!  We're so thankful that Adilyn got to meet her Grandpa Dale during her first week of life - but are sad that we can't be there with you to celebrate.  Here's the best alternative we have, Dad!

We love you and hope you are having a wonderful birthday!

Also found out today that our great little sleeper's new habits will have to wait until she has put on a little more weight.  The last few nights, she's gone about 5 hours between one of her feedings, but the Dr. confirmed today that I have to wake her up until they're comfortable with her weight...Glad to keep nourishing our little girl, but a little sad to have to give up some extra sleep :( Here's to Adi gaining some major LBs! :)

due date

well, today marks what was supposed to be a very significant day - and no I don't mean the Groundhog 'telling' us that spring will come early...today was my original due date for Adilyn.

Instead, we are celebrating 3 weeks of our beautiful little girl's life today!  Adi has adjusted her feeding schedule a little bit over the past few days - eating more frequently during the day and sleeping a little longer in between one of her late night/early morning feedings (which Mom has appreciated)! 

It's still pretty crazy for me to realize that she's 3 weeks old already - especially when I think that I've really only gotten to spend all day and night with her for about a week and a half of that time.  I'm loving every minute with our little girl!

I know it might be hard to believe, but Dan and I have noticed that she's been filling out a bit - here's a picture of her on our king size bed for some perspective on how little the peanut still is :)

In honor of Adilyn's original due date, I thought we should snap some photos of her on my belly (instead of in it, where she would've been had everything gone according to 'plan') - whatever that means at this point.  I've definitely been learning that despite my best efforts, I could not have prepared for this little girl - and I'm SO thankful for that.  It has been incredible feeling my heart literally grow with love for her more every day!

curious...

So far, Cade (our dog) has been pretty low key about our newest addition to the family. 

He is typically pretty calm when we have her out of her crib or bassinet and hasn't seemed very interested in her yet.  We've been trying to let him explore when he has been curious (aka - sniff her) but all in all he hasn't shown much interest.  Last night, Dan was holding Adi on the couch and Cade ran away when Dan moved her toward him. That was the first time Cade has really acted like he even noticed she is a living being...So, Dan called Cade back on the couch to sniff/see Adilyn and here was the result. 

It seems that Cade pretty much was only interested when Dan showed interest (looked at Adi or talked to her).  We'll see how that relationship continues to grow - but for now, I'm ok with Cade keeping his distance a bit...