One Month!

Today marks Quinn's one month birthday! While the first two weeks did really FEEL like two weeks, the second two weeks flew by. At her four week check up on Thursday she weighed in at 8 pounds, 8 ounces and measured 21 and 3/4 inches. Even though she is up a pound and a half since birth and a whole inch longer, the girl still can't wear pants that fit. She has chicken legs. I still wonder daily what color her eyes will come to be...some days they look blue and others like they might turn to brown. She still has all of her dark hair. The doctor says she is still perfect!

She loves eating and sleeping, her black and white picture book, and her true friends are all the lights in the house. She's also quite verbal. She's always making noises both when she is awake and when she is asleep. I like to think she enjoys my comedy, and I know she enjoys when Matt talks to her and reads with her every day after work. She's not the biggest fan of tummy time or baths, and changing her diaper has the potential to send her into a tizzy. Even though she doesn't like tummy time, she can lift her head and turn it from side to side. The doctor was impressed with her head control last week. She is challenging us with burping and spitting up, and she's not really sure what to think of the vacuum. She started taking one bottle a day from her dad this week too. She is fussy in the evenings and wants to eat the whole time, but then she has a LONG stretch of sleep each night when we go to bed. 

I can't believe how quickly the time already seems to be going and that our scrawny newborn is already at the one month mark! Even though she is little, she is already a BIG COUSIN! Matt's sister and her husband had a baby three days ago! There been lots of excitement in her first month. We obviously think Quinn is just the best and we love her so. I just want to squeeze her and keep her little for a little longer. 

Recipe of the Week!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Spinach, Onions, and Craisins

I got the general idea of this recipe from Wegmans. We went one busy Sunday before I had a baby and they were making a similar recipe and handing out samples. I decided to try it at home. It's pretty easy and it's definitely delicious. I think it would be a good one to add to Thanksgiving if you are feeling inclined.

Also...two things mentioned in this post...Wegmans and cooking. Both have become more difficult since October. We were about to take Quinn to Wegmans for the first time so I could feel like a normal person at the grocery store when she spit up ALLL OVERRR her car seat. She was then grounded from leaving the house (or the car seat was out of commission for the day) same thing. Cooking is just hard unless both of us are home (like on the weekends) because it's dear sweet Quinn's fussiest time of day, so just eating dinner is hard enough. Thank goodness for the frozen meals I did, and generous friends!

Ingredients:

1 pound butternut squash, cut into bite sized pieces

Half a medium red onion, sliced

2 handfuls of baby spinach

1/2 cup of Craisins 

olive oil

salt

pepper

Directions:

Place butternut squash and onions on a foil lined cookie sheet. drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 450 degrees until tender. Once tender, place roasted squash and onions into a skillet over low heat on the stovetop. Add spinach and Craisins. Saute until spinach is wilted. 

Friday Love

It's been awhile since I had a {Friday Love} post. Mid-week I started to feel the cabin fever pretty badly, so I decided to start keeping a to-do list (this post will help me check something off) to feel a little more productive in Quinn's downtimes. I feel way better with my little list of projects. Here's a little list of some things I have been enjoying. Beware the 'new mom problems/items.' Sorry! Enjoy your weekend

{ONE}

The Boppy. If you don't know what a {Boppy} is, it's a 'C' shaped pillow marketed toward pregnant people so you put it on your baby registry. At first I was like, "Boppy, schmoppy, I am no fool, I will use a regular pillow." Then I was like, "What the hell, just scan it and put it on there." OMG. I seriously can't live without the boppy. I am so glad I have this thing. I don't know how I will go anywhere without it. How will I hold a baby for extended time in public without the support of the boppy? I'm nervous. Also...I have one improvement for the boppy. You might see me on Shark Tank featuring boppy with cup holder.

{TWO}

Family of Three. So it's a pretty big transition going from our simple couple life, to a family of three. We are still majorly learning about everything, but so far things are pretty good. If it weren't for the night, things would be easy most of the time. While Matt and I are both learning to deal with extreme tiredness some days, Quinn is very worth it. She is a great baby. I consider her a good sleeper, and even then I say you don't know tired until you live with newborn. It's so fun to think about what she will be like and think about the things we will do as a family. I'm so excited it's the weekend so that we can have our family of three time for the next two days.

{THREE}

Butternut Squash. I have been enjoying some roasted butternut squash in our vegetable line up the past couple weeks. I suggest you buy some this weekend. Toss with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, roast in your oven until tender, and enjoy. I have a better recipe than that for next week :)

{FOUR}

Microwaves. I mentioned in my last post that our microwave died a terrible death and I've been missing it. With baby Q, I can never finish a cup of coffee while it's hot, and now I can't just stick it in the microwave to heat it back up. We are also eating lots of leftovers recently...another reason to miss the microwave. Our new one gets installed on Monday!

{FIVE}

The Return of My Legs. You might remember from my weekly pregnancy posts that my legs were formally beyond recognition at the end of my pregnancy. Someone even called them memory foam legs. The nurses at the hospital poked at them all the time. I'm so excited to tell you that I'm back to my former skinny toed, narrow heeled, tiny ankled, and non-inflated limbed self. So great. I'm enjoying wearing shoes again too!

Today vs. Four Years Ago

4 years ago

Four years ago, Matt and I got engaged on Skyline Drive! It was quite an adventure! We told Quinn the story today, and it only seemed fitting to point out both members of my family have tried to kill me. Just kidding (sort of!).

Today we decided to venture out to celebrate our four year anniversary, and the new member of our family. We had been wanting to try the new farm to table restaurant, Birch Kitchen and Bar, up the street, so we went for lunch. I had such high hopes for this place, but was so, so disappointed. Both Matt and I were. Quinn slept the whole time, so she was pleased. I mean maybe it will improve, but as of now I definitely would not go back. It was still nice to get out and about, and to be able to spend the day as a whole family :)

Today

In the Past Three Weeks

In the past three weeks:

• I've had a 40 hour labor followed by 5 hours of pushing
• I've had a C-Section
• I HAD A BABY GIRL!
• I hemorrhaged a few hours later
• I've had a blood transfusion
• I have some unexplained high blood pressure
• I had a 6 day hospital stay (I've never been happier to leave a place, and I'm pretty sure this made coming home with a newborn seem like the easiest thing in the world comparatively). 
• Between Quinn and I, we have had more doctor appointments than I've had in years
• Our toilet broke
• Our microwave broke (I don't even love microwaves, or use mine that much, but really you never know how convenient one is until you are living without one)

It's been a crazy whirlwind for sure. To say that motherhood started off a little rocky (mainly with the birth, medical emergency, and lengthy hospital stay) is putting it lightly. Matt and I are getting use to our new normal. What a huge learning curve! We have already learned lots of lessons, and continue to learn new ones each day. All of the crazy events have been worth it though. Quinn is doing great and I am recovering slowly but surely. Matt is doing a great job as a new dad, Quinn loves listening to him talk to her. 

Today is our first day by ourselves. Matt was home with us for the whole hospital experience and the first days we were home from the hospital, and my mom stayed with us last week. My mom took care of some serious business while she was here...the laundry (since she's the queen of laundry), groceries, making all the meals, cleaning, taking care of our appliance issues, and just helping us take care of baby business so we could have a little break. 

On our first day alone, Quinn and I successfully made it to one of my doctor appointments and Quinn was such a good baby! Really, Quinn is a very good baby in general. I feel like I might jinx myself, but she's usually very pleasant, easy to soothe, and obviously we just think she's the cutest :) 

We have also had some fun in the past two weeks we have been home. Quinn exercised her right to vote on election day, she's strolled around the neighborhood, and had quite a few visitors. We are very thankful for our friends and family to have sent us/brought us dinners, sent us cards and gifts for Miss Q, and for everyone who has thought of us and sent messages offering love and congratulations! We are very lucky to have so many wonderful people around us!