Happy Birthday to ME!

I turned 28 on Friday so Sam and I celebrated that milestone with one great date the next day. We headed up to LA in the morning and dropped off Kaitlyn with her aunt and uncle, Paul and Debbie, for the day. We had tickets to Wicked waiting for us in will call at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. We sat in so much traffic on the way to the theater that I pretty much knew that there was no possible way that we would make it in time. The show started at 2 and by 1:30 we had not even gotten to downtown, let alone find a place to park, pick up our tickets, or eat lunch. Somehow we sat in our seats (with a full belly and after finding free street parking) 30 seconds before the play started. A miracle! I went in with high expectations after hearing great reviews from everyone who has seen the musical. I was not disappointed. The music, acting, costumes, set, special effects, etc. all came together beautifully to keep my attention for the whole 2hr45min production.
After the play we picked up Kaitlyn and headed back to San Diego where my sister, Heidi, was waiting at our condo to watch her for the night. We went to Bucca de Beppo for a nice dinner with great service (Thanks April!) and then headed to The Sofia Hotel. We won the room at a silent auction fundraiser a few months back and decided that this would be the perfect night to use it. Sam slipped in that it was my birthday when he checked us in so we were upgraded to a suite and found a complimentary bottle of champagne chilled in ice when we arrived! I guess it never hurts to ask! This was one of the nicest hotels I've stayed at. It's a boutique hotel so it has little details of charm that made the stay wonderful. It also probably helped that we didn't have a crying newborn to worry about!
To top off my birthday extravaganza, when we arrived back home the next morning, Kaitlyn greeted me with a huge smile and laugh. It was probably the happiest I've ever seen her, and it made me feel GREAT!

A pic from the "Orchid Suite":

These are a few of my favorite things

Here is a list of the most useful baby things I've found so far (in no particular order) and why I like them so much:

- Sling (Hotslings): Kaitlyn ALYAYS without fail will go to sleep in it within 5 minutes. This makes it easy to take her places during her nap time (or bedtime).
- Baby monitor (Sony Baby Call): It shows when the baby is making noise by lighting up lights. The more lights lit, the louder she is crying. This is great for the shower when you can't hear it and can only see it.
-Swaddling blanket (Swaddle Designs Ultimate Receiving Blanket): This is no ordinary blanket that you just wrap your baby in. It is large and lightweight so that you can get a tight wrap that our little Houdini can't work her way out of at night. Would never have thought to buy this pricey blanket, but we've used it every night since we received it as a gift from Sam's office.
-Sleep sack (Kiddopotamus): We use this under the swaddling blanket for extra protection from a middle of the night escape.
-Breast Pump (Medela Pump in Style Advanced): This double electric pump works on both sides and works fast. I can now pump a whole feeding in less than 10 minutes. Since I used it about 7 times a day for the first 2 months of Kaitlyn's life I've gotten my money's worth already. I know it will come in handy for me as well when I go back to work in a few weeks.
-Quick Clean MicroSteam bags (Medela): You can put all of your pumping equipment as well as bottles and nipples into the bag and pop it in the microwave for 1 & 1/2 minutes. Everything is disinfected without having to scrub or run the dishwasher. Good for traveling too. My sister in law turned me onto these (Thanks Deb!).
- Baby 411: This has been my go-to book for all q's relating to babies. From sleeping and eating to growth and developmental milestones....this book has it all.

Photoshop Fun

Sam played a bit with Photoshop yesterday and this is what he made:

BVH Tennis

Kaitlyn and I headed down to Chula Vista yesterday to watch Bonita Vista play Otay in Tennis. My sister, Heidi, is the coach. Kaitlyn wore her #1 Fan outfit to the match that Heidi had custom made for her. On the front it says BVH Tennis and the back says #1 Fan. This was an important match for Heidi's team since Otay is a good team. They beat Otay earlier in the season and ended up beating them again yesterday. We'll probably be heading down again on Friday when they play the Catholic school (who beat them in a close match earlier in the season...they're the "team to beat"). GO BARRONS!

Breastfeeding breakthrough

Many of you know that Kaitlyn has had a difficult time breastfeeding ever since birth.  We have been supplementing with a bottle of breastmilk after every feeding since she has never been able to get a full feeding on her own.  I've been going to a breastfeeding class 1-2 times per week.  At the class I can weigh her before and after breastfeeding to see exactly how much she's eating.  The scale is very sensitive and measures in ml.  She was stuck eating 2 1/2 ounces for a while (normal feeding size would be 4 oz).  Last week she made some progress and ate 3 oz (now a typical feeding should be 4-6 oz).  Today I took her in and she ate 5 oz!!!!  That's a full feeding.  This will now allow me to stop giving a bottle after she eats and also frees me up from pumping as much (I had been pumping 7 times a day for a while).  I feel like all the hard work we've put into getting her to eat normally has finally paid off.  It's taken her 9 weeks to get it, but better late than never.

More pictures

A gift from grandma

Grandma now has her hands full

Grandma came to visit

One of Kaitlyn's first smiles (around 5 weeks old)

Having fun with her cousin Gideon. They are only 4 weeks apart! (7 weeks old)

Marks family vacation to Dana Point

On our way to church in her new dress (8 weeks old)

It's taken me 8 1/2 weeks....

Well it's now here.....a blog for our family....but in all honesty, it's mainly to post Kaitlyn updates and pictures! My brother and sis in law just announced that they are pregnant and already have a blog going (check it out here www.familymarks.net), so that's what really made me realize my procrastination.

Here is a quick recap:
Birthday: 8/9/08
Weight: 8 lb 15 oz
Height: tall (I forget the exact lenght)

At 2 weeks she was 1 lb under birth weight, diagnosed with acid reflux (prescribed Zantac), and we started supplementing her feedings with a bottle.
At 4 weeks she got cradle cap pretty bad and it caused her to go partially bald in spots.
At 5 weeks, hematoma on head went away, colic-like behavior ended, reflux seemed to improve, and she started smiling. Week 5 was GREAT!
Favorite song: If you're happy and you know it....

2 month checkup:
Got 1st set of shots
Weight: 11 lb 11 oz (55%) (gaining weight well now, but still using bottle every feeding)
Height: tall (again...I forget the exact length, but 95%)

Ok, enough with that stuff....here's some pics:

Happy because I have my epidural in (one of the best decisions I've made in my life)

Our new baby (with our doctor)

3 generations

She slept A LOT at the beginning

Still in womb possition