Trip to Arkansas

Well, Perri and I are still in Arkansas. After a week here I just couldn't decide whether we should stay or go back, but finally Craig and I decided it would be best if we stayed. He's been going in to work most mornings at 5am or so and not getting home until 8:30 or 9 so that would equal long, lonesome days for Perri and me. So, we're still here. I get to go out occasionally on my own, get my meals cooked for me and have adults to talk to all day. Pretty nice haha. Perri's doing great and changing so much that I know Craig is going to be in shock at how much she's grown and changed in just two weeks' time.

Good news- Perri is just about sleeping through the night now! Yay!! After her 8:30 feeding I put her down around 9:30 and then I get her up at 11 or so to give her a "dream feed" where she's still asleep, then she's down again and I'm not getting her until 7am after that. There's still some crying as she'll wake at the time she used to eat, out of habit, but usually she'll just whimper a bit and then go back to sleep, or I'll give her her paci and she'll fall back asleep. This works most the time, however last night she woke around 4am and was on and off crying up until I finally went and got her around 6:45. But then she spit up all morning so I think her reflux was really bothering her. I was feeding her this morning and as I was joking to dad about her burping on me while she eats and sometimes spitting up, sure enough, she spit up ALL over me. Gross. I'm pretty used to it though with the reflux but this one was extra nasty and cold and wet. Eww.

I am so not used to this cold weather anymore and didnt bring a heavy coat so I've been pretty much holed up the last couple days for the exception of running a couple errands and getting out to run. Brr. Most schools around here are out today for the ice, but Benton is still in session. Though, it's supposed to do more tonight. I pray we keep electricity too. That would NOT be fun at all.

It's been a wonderful visit here but I am looking forward to being home and seeing Craig and Amos!! It's so pitiful that Craig's working so much he's getting home at night and said some nights he's fallen asleep on the couch without even eating dinner because he's so tired. We are very thankful to have such a hard working daddy and blessed that I can stay home with Perri. Thank you Craig, we very much appreciate your hard work and love you very much!! Thankfully, this busy time should be over after this week!!!

That's about it for an update, I'll leave you with a few pics of my little princess, or "Shorty" as my dad likes to call her.



Riding in the new stroller we got to keep at my parent's house. We can't fit hers in the car when we come here since we bring Emma so she now gets to have one here all the time!! She always falls asleep when I put her in her carseat that snaps in the stroller so I thought I'd put her in the actual stroller. She is tiny in it and even with the straps at their tightest, they were still loose on her. But, she stayed awake throughout the whole thing and thoroughly enjoyed it.


Getting her nightly bath from her Lu Lu


Hanging out with her Pops


Visiting my grandparents


Several pics in her new outfit her cousin Caroline got for her. We love it!!

2 Months!

I honestly cannot believe our little Perri girl is already two months. She turned two months on Monday and we celebrated with, what else, but her two month doctor visit haha. Everything is going great with her- still on reflux meds and will be until atleast 6 months he said, booo. It is helping though so that's what matters. She still spits up but it is NOTHING like it was, and it hasn't come out her nose since we started the medicine. That was gross/scary. She is still a little shrimp, weighing in at a whopping 9 lbs. 13 1/2 oz and 22 1/2 inches. So in a month she gained one lb. and grew an inch and a half. Itty bitty head too haha, 10th-25th percentile. Craig's glad about that one though because he was so worried before she was born that she would get his on-the-larger-side head. So for weight she's in the 25th-50th percentile and 50th percentile on height. Pretty small!

Usually at two months they give babies a whole slew of shots, which is ridiculous I think at that young, and babies are getting over 50 percent more shots than we received as kids. Anyhow, we are vaccinating her, don't worry, but we are following an alternative schedule, giving her only two at a time. Her Dr. has been great about this and while letting us know due to medical studies, blah blah that it's safe, that he respects our wishes and will work with us. The nurse, however, couldnt believe we were doing this and willing to her her "so many shots!" Well, we feel its better to be on the safe side, and she's a tough little girl. She cried for hardly any time at her one shot and the other was oral. So not bad at all. The downside to this is we have to go almost every month and get shots since she's only doing two at a time. Not a big deal, though, since we have to go check in about her reflux monthly right now too.

Other than that, not a lot to update on! She's been going to the gym some with me and staying in child watch. As they like to tell me "she prefers to be held." Uhm yeah, she'd "prefer" to be held all day long but that's not gonna happen or I would get nothing done. The only thing is she will not nap there and gets pretty fussy when it comes time for her nap and she's not sleeping. At home, though, she's a bubbly, very happy little girl and smiling and cooing like crazy! Perri, Emma and I are making the trek back to Arkansas on Saturday so please pray for a safe trip for us. Of course I'm not driving, that'd be quite a difficult drive to do alone. If I didn't have to stop and feed her, that'd be another story. But doing that and dealing with a dog isn't easy, so Craig is driving us half way and meeting my dad. I can't wait to be there again! I hate to leave Craig but it's really for the best since he is working so dang much and going to have to work weekends this month in addition to staying late on the week days. Thankfully it's only for this month. So, please keep us in your prayers and for those of you in Arkansas, we hope to see you!!

ps- I'll try and post new pics soon... sorry, theyre on my other computer and phone!!

Smiles

Perri has become quite the happy baby. She smiles and coos at us all the time, especially when she's getting her diaper changed. For some reason she loves getting her diaper changed. Probably because she knows she's getting another cute, soft, cloth diaper on. Or it could be that she is hyper sensitive to being wet... haha

Its hard to believe she is already 8 weeks and will be two months old on Monday! Wow how times has flown. Her little personality is starting to come out now and she cracks us up every day. She's super ticklish and will smile and throw her arms up and jerk her whole body when we tickle her. I love it!!

We go to the doctor Monday for her two month check up and I'll try and remember to update next week to see how much she's grown!!

Here are some pictures of Perri smiling. But first, let me explain that God-awful bouncer chair she's in. My mom got that at a consignment sale to keep at their house for Perri. Well, she LOVES this thing and will sit in it forever. It vibrates the crap out of her and plays horrible music and is quite the eyesore, but she loves it. So guess what came home with us from Arkansas? You betcha, the creepy clown chair.

Finally a new one

Okay so I am officially awful at blogging. There are plenty of times I think about it, but carrying it out is quite the task for me. There are so many other worthwhile things I could be doing instead of blogging, such as drinking coffee while searching the internet for new diapers for Perri. Yes, it is still something I do. I just ordered her 6 new customs that should be here soon and I can't wait to get them!! She's super sensitive to being wet and these have velour inners so that should be oh so soft and wonderful on her little bum.

We went to Arkansas for a week for Christmas and it was so wonderful to be around all the family and have everyone meet our little girl. We werent able to do much, as the little one got a cold, which she's still fighting, but it was nice to relax and have others around who would gladly watch Perri and give Craig and I a little break every once in a while.

The trip to Arkansas was quite interesting, usually lasting about 7 hours with stops for me to go the bathroom. Add in a dog, a baby and rain, and it took us over 10 hours. I had such a good time though and miss my family so much, Perri, Emma and I are going back next weekend to stay the week with my parents. Craig is extremely busy at work this month and having to work late and some weekends so I figured it would be a great time for me to go back and visit, have someone else cook for me and get free childcare!! Yay!!! I can't wait!

Here are a few pictures of our trip


Here's Perri meeting her great grandma. She's 92 can you believe it!! She and my grandpa are such wonderful people and I am so very thankful that Perri has been able to meet them! Perri doesn't look so tiny compared to my grandma! haha


Craig and Eli relaxing at my parents' house


Craig, Sarah, me and dad decorating cookies. This is a tradition for us. We decorate all sorts of cookies but always have our own gingerbread cookie to decorate as ourselves.


4 generations and Perri in her onesie gown her Lu Lu made for her and got monogrammed for Christmas!


Perri and her cousin Caroline. I love this girl to death and hate being so far away from her. We grew up together and were quite the pair when together haha.

My brother and his fiance Lauren were down from Reno and met Perri for the first time! Here's Zach hanging out with Perri



Craig, Perri and I at my parents' house


Perri stretching in her Pop's arms (my dad)


Craig's brother Jonathan and his wife Patty with me, Craig and Perri.


Perri in her Auntie Sarah's lap


Perri showing off her sweet boots my great friend Cortney got for her when she found out we were having a girl. They don't match the outfit but we had to get a picture of them!!


My mom made Perri a tutu and we were trying to get pictures of her in it. Clearly she loves it, can you tell?


We finally got a picture of her in her tutu where she's not wailing!