2 Weeks Old

Would you look at that smile!

Hey everyone, here we are at week 2 with Baby Avery! It was an interesting week this week as Brandon headed back to work and I was on my own with Avery during the day.  We prepared for this transition a little bit in the week before by having Brandon be gone for a few hours at a time the first week so I could get a feel for what it would be like on my own with Avery.  How would I take a shower and still watch her?  What if she got hungry right in the middle of me making dinner? And how can I switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer while holding her?!  Granted I'm still in the "newborn"/"babymoon" phase, so I'm probably crazy for trying to be the one to cook dinner, do laundry, or do anything other than sit and rock her all day.  But it does help me feel more "normal" and like my old self again to feel like I can get something else done other than just changing diapers and nursing all day.  Any working girls out there, let me tell you it's quite a transition to go from  your 9 to 5 job and busy life to having a baby and staying home on maternity leave.  You're used to going non-stop and doing all kinds of different things (run this errand, file this paper, talk to this colleague, squeeze in a workout), but when your baby comes, your "To-Do List" gets slashed like nobody's business and you have one task: take care of your baby!  Don't get me wrong, taking care of my baby girl is the most exciting, rewarding, and enjoyable experience of my life and I am so grateful to wake up and see her sweet little face every day, it's just that I had no idea how much my life would change once I had her.  

So to keep my sanity, I do throw a few things on my to-do list each day, other than the obvious (taking care of Avery), and here they are:
1-Workout for an hour- When I get my workout in I feel happier, sleep better, and my body doesn't feel so tight and tense.  At this point I'm taking it easy with my workouts and either walking on the treadmill or doing pilates/yoga.  Also, this hour doesn't necessarily have to be one block of time, but just a total of one hour for the day. 
2- Take a shower-a must-have obviously!
3- Put on some make up- I'm not talking anything fancy here, just some eye liner and mascara...all I need to feel normal.

On top of this, I feel like as each day goes by, I learn a little bit more about her and about my new role of being a mom.  For example, one lesson I've learned is that it's usually best to wait and change Avery's diaper after I've fed her.  Not only because she will be happy with her full tummy, but also she'll probably probably pee or have a BM during the feed so no need to change it once in the beginning and then again afterwards.  A second lesson I've learned is how to be okay with not finishing a task.  I love to do things from start to finish and then cross them off my list, whether it be writing blog posts, sweeping the floor, or putting up a load of laundry.  Now that Avery is here, there are many times that I will be right in the middle of something and she'll start crying to be fed, changed, or just held an so I'll have to stop what I'm doing to take care of her...thus leaving a half-finished project or task.  Now this would have driven the "old Ashley" crazy, but "new Mommy Ashley" has learned to say, "Life goes on." Or, "I'll get to it later."  For anyone who knows what a perfectionist I am, you know that I've come along way to be able to say these things.   What can I say, Avery's helping me to change and grow, so thank you girl! ( :

Now onto some fun pics from the week...

Kissy face (aka "poopy face") makes it's appearance again.

Daddy and Avery having fun together.

Taking in some sunshine.

We see the most smiles while she sleeps...love it!

Hanging out with my girl (while Dad
cooked dinner!).

Well, that's all for this week.  I wonder what fun adventures await us in week three?