13 weeks - We survived the first week!

Weight: 11 lbs-8 oz (as of 1/8) - no weight gain this week but thinking that could be due to the change of schedule and starting daycare

Eating: 3oz bottle every 2.5-3 hours during the day, nursing every 2-2.5 hours after work, 6 hours at night

Sleeping: Constantly 6 hours at night, a couple 20-30 min naps and one 1+ hour nap during the day

Typical Daycare Day: Wakes up at 4:00am to eat, back to sleep until we wake her at 6:30am to get ready for daycare, drop off at daycare at 7:00am, (3) bottles and (3) naps at daycare, Mommy picks up around 4:30pm, playtime at home, goes to sleep around 7:30/8pm, all go up around 9:00pm, change into PJs, story time, night feeding, and in bed for the night by 9:30pm.  (we need to get better about getting her PJs on and doing the bed time routine before she falls sleep the first time but also don't want to miss out on playtime or the 9:00pm night feeding/cuddle time)
Typical Nondaycare Day: Same as before

Development: Grabs and holds on to things, sits in bumbo, doing great at daycare

Life with a 13 week old - Hands always in her mouth!

We both survived the first week of daycare/work!  I very much enjoyed having Wednesday and Friday off.  It made it so much easier to get through knowing I only had to get through 2 days before I got a day with Braelyn instead of 5 days.  I am not looking forward to February when I go back full time, 5 days a week. 

Braelyn has been great at daycare and the teachers say that she is a very easy going baby.  Though we already knew that! I am very proud of our little girl for adjusting so well at daycare! She is so worn out when we get home that we don't get much playtime before she is ready for bed.  That has been tough but we try to take full advantage of the time we do get and eat dinner late so we aren't worried about trying to play and make dinner.
We have been very happy with the daycare and the teachers so far so that makes the transition much easier.  On Tuesday when we picked her up Ms. Sarah said that Braelyn had fun with tummy time and that she had put Braelyn facing another friend so they could look at each other...couldn't get that experience at home!

Everyone says that the first day is the hardest and then they get easier.  I will agree that they get easier but I think the second day was the hardest.  The first day I prepared for, I thought about, I made sure we brought everything, it had a sense of excitement in a scared, worried, unknown kind of way.  But the second day I wasn't prepared for it...I hadn't thought about it, prepared for it, worried about it.  So Tuesday came and I didn't know what to do!  What do we bring?  What do we do? And had the overwhelming feeling of  "Wow, this our new reality!" Yes, day two was the hardest for me, but like day one I got through it and Braelyn had a great day at daycare.

Each day has had its own challenges but with time I'm sure we will get into a routine and it won't be as hard to leave in the mornings.  Monday was the first day, Tuesday was the realization that this is the new norm, Thursday was the first day I didn't do drop off and had to leave the house without her, Today I had to leave before she woke up and though I tried to get her to wake up and eat before I left she wasn't interested.  Today was probably the second hardest day, not really seeing her before I left.  But she did wake up long enough to give me a smile.  I am going to have to leave to go to work before she wakes up so I can leave to go pick up her and since she isn't interested in eating I'm just going to rock and cuddle with her with her for a few minutes before I leave. At least then I can get some time with her, even if she is half asleep, because there is no way I could leave in the morning without getting at least a little cuddle time in.

Braelyn has been grabbing and holding things way more this week. She has definitely discovered her hands and is exploring what they can do.  Its is so awesome to watch her grow and develop!  I love it! Jason has also noticed that her face muscles are becoming much more developed.  She is able to hold her smile longer and bigger and also when she cries her open mouth is much more defined.



Of course I do!



Sitting up against the bobby
neck and head control getting better and better each day!



Worn out after a fun filled day
with Mommy on her day off





Made it through the whole day at
daycare in the "blow out" outfit. 
The got home and had a blow out. 
Clearly she doesn't like wearing this
outfit around Mommy and Daddy! :)







Grabbing and holding on to things!





Mesmerized by the TV



Doing so well sitting in her bumbo!



Our happy little girl!

On Saturday afternoon we went car shopping to get Mommy a new car since my lease is up in March.  We were planning on just going to look again but they gave us a much better deal than we were expecting, so we ended up buying the vehicle on Saturday.  It took WAY longer than we had planned on or expected but Braelyn did awesome!







Absolutely Love this girl and her smile!





What?! You have to go back to work tomorrow?