Being a girl mama

Is pretty much the best thing EVER!
Yesterday, I took the girls to the splash pad.  Adi had to stay in her stroller with a towel over her.  I wet a onesie to keep her cool.  I didn't put it on her!  I just used it to wipe her face, hands, and feet.  She was so happy the whole time.  I am extremely grateful for that.  Monday she got VERY sick.  If she was awake, she was screaming.  I took her to the doctor on Tuesday and found out she has a pretty nasty ear infection.  She was also terribly constipated despite all of the karo syrup and juice.  FINALLY, Wednesday morning, she filled 2 diapers... oh how we love when our babies poop as mamas of infants. :)  By last night, she was pretty much back to her happy smiling self.  She's now had 5 doses of antibiotics and it really seems to be helping.

Bailey is a challenge these days but she is OH SO SWEET when she wants to be.  She absolutely ADORES Adilyn and is such a good big sister.  Of course, I didn't take the camera to the splash pad yesterday, but there will be MANY more opportunities to go this summer.

Yesterday, I was bored and decided to look at Halloween costumes for the girls.  If I can find something inexpensive enough, I think Bailey will be Doc McStuffins and Adilyn will be Lambie.  If you haven't seen this cartoon, it's just adorable and Bailey's new favorite.  I am NOT a fan of Halloween but now that I have 2 girls I want to dress them alike or "themed" :).

OK, here is a collage of what I looked like before I got pregnant with Adi, and the pictures in green are from a couple weekends ago. 

We have 3 days of school left and I CANNOT wait. 

I hope you all have a great summer. 

A few thoughts...

~ I hate the new blogger lay-out.  If anyone knows how to find the dashboard, PLEASE share.  I can't figure out how to find the blogs I follow.
~I finished a novel this week.  I started it last Friday and finished it on Tuesday.  I'm embarrassed to share this next part (due to my career choice) it's the longest novel I've ever read at 368 pages!  I know, I know.  It's not that I don't like to read, it's just that I HATE starting something new.  But, this book is SO good.  It's a trilogy and the 3rd one comes out in November.  It's called Matched.  The 2nd one is called Crossed (which I hope to start this weekend)  and I don't remember what the 3rd one is called.  It's about a Utopian society and... welll...just read the synopsis!  It's a great book!  I can't wait to read the other 2.
~Our Adi is 12 weeks old today.  Almost 3 months!  Can you believe it?  I'm still amazed that I thought I would be pregnant FOREVER.  She is just adorable.  She still won't sleep through the night but she is doing a lot better.  We are only up 2 times instead of 3 and Tuesday night, she only woke up once.  She still sleeps in a playpen beside the bed.  I'm doing good not to put her in bed with me but moving her to her own room is hard...
~I know I had more to say but can't think of it now :)

Hello!

I've never done this before but I'm linking up with Kelly this week.  My name is Melody.  I'm 30 years old, I have 2 beautiful baby girls.  Bailey is 4, Adilyn is 11 weeks.  I teach eighth grade English in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  I'd love to make more friends.  I'd also love to make this post longer but my 4 year old is begging to play Doc McStuffins on disney.com :) 
Hope to hear from you soon!

Adilyn's first Easter

I have about a million and 1 things I have to get done this morning before my students arrive.  So, I will add captions to all of the pictures later.  But, these are for you, mom!  :)

                                                                       Mid-Sneeze, SO CUTE

                                                              The next 2 are my favorites :)

And how's mommy?

This is a post by me, about me. 
Today is my first day back to work.  I'm doing great.  But, lets rewind a little...

After Bailey was born, I had HORRIBLE PPD (post pardum depression).  I never got to the point that I wanted to end my life or end my baby's life.  But I was constantly crying and depressed.  It was a horrible time in my life.  And, it lasted OVER a year!  I called the doctor several times.  I finally changed doctors and she did put me on an anti-depressant.  My OB with Bailey refused to give me medicine and kept saying "if it continues, call me back."  After 6 months, I was beginning to wonder how much longer it needed to go on.  I had a new doctor this time.  I told her about my depression with Bailey and she started me on meds at 28 weeks pregnant.  However, I was a little worried about taking it so I didn't start it until 34 weeks.  It has been a LIFE-SAVER! 

Breast-feeding has been an issue.  Part of my problem with Bailey was that when I would breastfeed I would get ridiculously depressed.  Later, I discovered that this is a newly discovered disorder.  Some women release a hormone that causes severe depression while breast-feeding.  This, combined with the fact that I had no medication, was a HORRIBLE combination.  Also, I don't produce much milk.  Even now, with Adilyn, I only pump about an ounce per day.  When Adi was about 2 weeks old, I called the doctor and had her up my dose of anti-depressants b/c I was starting to feel panic attacks when I would breast-feed and was feeling violated.  However, things are great now.

Breast-feeding is great for 2 reasons.  1. it benefits my baby.  2. I have dropped 41 pounds since Adilyn was born.  I only gained 7 while pregnant which means I'm 34 pounds lighter than I was when I GOT pregnant!  It's an awesome feeling and most of my pre-preg clothes are loose!  I will continue to pump before work and after work as long as I can.  I'm on supplements and I've been trying to exercise but I just don't have a lot of milk.  I wanted to share this because I know that PPD is something so many women go through and you should not feel bad or guilty if you have to be put on medication!

That's all for now.  I'm doing well and think I am going to enjoy being back at work.  I have a great job that allows me to be home during the summer with my kiddos.  I feel like I have the best of both worlds :)

2,3,4 weeks and a birthday

I'm really behind on blogging.  I basically keep up with our life happenings on facebook.  This isn't actually a good idea because things are impossible to find on there after your page gets full.  Anyway, here are Adilyn's 2,3, and 4 week photos.

2 Weeks

3 weeks

4 weeks

She is really growing and changing.  We are SO in love with her!  She went to the doctor last Monday and weighed 9 pounds 3 oz.  She goes back on Monday so I will know how much she weighs again then.

Today is Zach's 32nd birthday. He was 25 when we got married and I can't believe he is 32 now and I am 30 and we have 2 beautiful little girls.  I love him so much and appreciate how much he has helped me with Adilyn.

Here are some pics I snapped of the girls last night and today :)

 Helping daddy blow out his birthday candles



 Loving her baby sister. 



1 week old

So far, this has been he easiest week with a newborn that I ever thought possible.  God really knows that this mama had enough stress with the pregnancy.  Adilyn is the best baby ever.  I was thinking this morning that I'm sure there will be days when she is not perfect but she and Bailey both have been SO SO wonderful the past week.  Memaw found out that Adilyn had no newborn dresses and fixed that!  Here is her 1 week pictures (or the 2 I have taken so far) :)

I would also like to say that as of this morning I am 24 pounds UNDER where I started when I GOT pregnant!  That is SUPER crazy to me but the weight just keeps falling off.  I know this is due to breastfeeding and the fact that I was SUPER swollen.  And I STILL can't get my wedding rings on :(  I'm really missing them since I had to stop wearing them at about 13 weeks due to swelling.  Same thing happened with Bailey.  However, take a look at my all-back-to-normal ankles!  I love my tiny ankles!

So happy for the first week with our little miracle.  For those of you who may not know, the doctor told me to abort her at about 6 weeks.  She said my pregnancy wasn't viable.  Can you imagine had I listened to her?  I am so so so very thankful for Adilyn Cate!