.Hollis Parker Week Two.

-WEEK TWO-
MONDAY:

Mommy and I played on the playmat! I can follow the mobile with my eyes. Those butterflies are fun to watch! We relaxed and wore sweats! 

TUESDAY:

 On Tuesday I visited Stella. She has been having meltdowns. So, I thought it would be nice to go visit and take Hollis to visit as well. She loves her baby Hollis! It was so cute to watch her try to show Hollis EVERYTHING she owned. She even put her Sofia the First sunglasses on Hollis. Adorable.

John had to tutor. Hollis and I joined him. He tutors in the Kroger, so we walked around for a while. Then, we decided to head outside to take a little walk. I can't wait until the weather gets nice enough to go for more walks. Ohio is being a bit sassy this year and winter seems to keep lingering. 

We have been blessed by a church who set up a meal train for us. It is so nice to not have to cook every night. We have been blessed with so many delicious meals. Running Joke: Karmon doesn't cook. (she actually does, and John loves her food! haha.) But, we decided to go out to dinner with Karmon and Alex and our great friend Jamie. They treated us to Son of Thurman. It is the newest food in Delaware, and Thurman's (the original) is famous! So... Hollis handled it well. //insert sarcasm// She was a fuss, but I finally got her to sleep. Whew!

 Aunt Karmon loves to snuggle with me! 

 Uncle Alex does too! :) 

WEDNESDAY:

We had a big day on Wednesday. We went to the doctor for a follow up. I weighed 9lbs 15oz. I have officially surpassed by birth weight. We talked to the doctor about the regurgitation. We are to keep her upright after eating, burping her, and making sure she try to eat slower. (how is this possible?) 

 Not only did we see the doctor, but a nurse came to our house as part of the hospital's Welcome Home program. It was nice to have some questions answered and get an update on her weight again. haha. She was eating a lot that day and she did it. She made it to 10lbs! We got a goodie bag with swaddle sac too!

The rest of the day consisted of a bit of tummy time in our tutu! :) She has rolled to her back ONCE already, and she pulls her knees in and can push up on her hands to lift her head off the ground. Yikes. Too much too soon!

Tummy time is exhausting, so we napped. The puppies joined in on the action. They like to nap all the time. 

Swinging in my tutu! <3

THURSDAY:

My Social Security Number came in the mail today! It is so nice to be a 'person'. Now I just need to get mommy to send in my birth certificate information. Daddy thinks that they have started over, because my SSN starts with ONE! Crazy!

FRIDAY:
Daddy went into work today to get a few things done and he went to baseball. So, Hollis and mommy hung out. It never fails, as soon as daddy leaves, shit goes sideways! I am not exaggerating. For example, I will be nursing and Aspen and Adi BOTH need to go out. Or, they need water. Or...

I rest so peacefully...

and have a blowout! Only for mommy! :) 

Daddy laid out an outfit for the day, so I got to wear all pink! I worked on sucking my thumb while he was away. I am getting pretty good at it. It is mostly my knuckle that actually makes it to my mouth!

Just hanging out. 

 SATURDAY:
Friday Night was a really bad time. Hollis screamed for four hours until we finally got her to sleep. It was so bad, I called the on-call doctor and he made us an appointment for the following morning. Whew! John met us at the doctor after cleaning. The doctor weighed Hollis again. 10lbs 2oz. Still growing. So.. he said I didn't have to wake her up anymore for feedings! YES! I am excited to see how it goes! We talked about the regurgitating and the painful cry after. He mimicked the sound EXACTLY! Amazing. So... he prescribed Zantac. He said to give it two weeks to work. Here goes nothing.

I got to spend my time with Aunt Michelle! It was so nice to cuddle and fuss for her and give mommy a break! I (mommy) appreciated the time to just sit and talk to another adult... and it happened to be my best friend! <3 

SUNDAY:
Sunday, we decided we could try to make it to church. We love our church family, and it has been John's dream to hold his baby girl and sing the worship songs to and with her! Here we are! All dressed in our Sunday best. We even made it on time! We weren't late... we even got to get breakfast before!

I wore my Ugg Mary Janes! 

I slept through all of church. Mommy had to feed me for a few minutes and change my diaper, but other than that, I was a perfect attendee! :) 

The big girls were EXCITED to hold me. Elliana was first!

Rylan was next! 

First Family Photo at Church <3 LHC <3

Tradition goes, visit GG and GP on Sundays. GG was astonished at how big Hollis was and both GG and GP were so excited for us to visit. Next week, we are going to take them some lunch. 

We had a big week. Doctors, family and friends. 

Both John and I start back to work on Monday. We will see how successful week three is going to be. 

Prayers appreciated. 

.Hollis Parker Week One.

-WEEK ONE-

Napping. That is what most of the day consists of for Hollis. I feel like we can actually accomplish a few things. Not that I have.. I like being lazy. I just had a baby right? She always looks so peaceful when she is sleeping. The girl sleeps through everything. Loud noises, the dogs barking, mom and dad yelling at the dogs. Amazing.

Aspen felt it was necessary to nap beside Hollis in mommy's arm. 

Adi is always right by Hollis. She follows her wherever she goes! 

TUESDAY:

I can't believe it is already Fat Tuesday! John got me Paczis! Delicious. We enjoyed Fat Tuesday by being FAT! :) 

WEDNESDAY:

We got our first bath! It wasn't pleasant. Hollis didn't appreciate being cold. I started to wash her hair and she stopped wailing. I then realized she was peeing EVERYWHERE! Nice work!

Daddy cuddled me to make sure I got warm. I did. It was nice. 

Check out my chubs! <3 Next stop, my first doctor's appointment! 

I am all dressed and ready to go to the doctor! (This is mommy's favorite outfit)

We made it on time... actually a bit early! 

Dr. Bomi is nice. She noticed how strong I am and that I am a mover. I was back up to 9lbs 4oz from my hospital leaving weight of 8lbs 15oz. We started Vitamin D drops and Dr. Bomi even said a prayer for us. We love the doctor's office we chose and their Christian beliefs. 

I handled that like a champ! 

After the doctor, we wanted to run to Target and to Motherhood Maternity for a few things. We walked around Target for a bit. By the time we made it to the register, I felt like my boobs were about to explode. It was so painful, I felt like I was going to pass out! Even the cashier asked if I was ok. Yikes. So, as soon as we walked in Motherhood Maternity, I asked to go to the dressing room to nurse. It wasn't time for Hollis to eat, nor was she hungry. But, she helped her mommy out! haha. Whew! I got fitted for a BellyBandit. I like how it fits and I hope it helps shrink my belly. 

THURSDAY:

Daddy took me on my first date. I was only 6 days old! We went to McDonald's for breakfast. He knew that is mommy's favorite and wanted to be fair. 

I wore my I Love Daddy Outfit for the occasion. I can't wait for more daddy-daughter dates!

FRIDAY:

Today was photo shoot day with Brooke! I have known Brooke since college, and I am so glad we were able to get her to take Hollis's newborn pictures! It was great. She came to the house, and Hollis participated. It was a rocky, fussy morning, so I was worried. She handled it amazingly! I will share more pictures later! 

Behind the Scenes <3

-Sneak Peek-

After four hours... we got what we were hoping for! Daddy and Hollis were a bit tired. Too many hair bows and outfits! They napped for a while. 

SATURDAY:

I am officially a week old! It was a busy day! I got to meet my cousins, Blake and Rachael for the first time, and my Aunt Dawn. Grandma Carol, Aunt Wendy and Kerrigan came to visit too! We got to spend the day together. Aunt Wendy and Grandma Carol went to see Phantom of the Opera and we got a lot of snuggles in. 

Blake and Hollis

Rachael and Hollis

Group picture! (we have the same picture from my shower... I'll try to find it for comparison)

Wearing my "Grandma's Favorite" sleeper and hanging out with Grandma Carol!

Just GIRLS on the Vargo Side of the family! <3 We like pink... ;) 

Someone couldn't get enough! Rachael is mommy's birthday buddy! 

Worn out from all the fun! I will smirk a little. :)

In the middle of my family visiting, we had Olentangy's MEET THE TEAM night!  All the boys were excited to meet Hollis. We decided we should go. So, here are a few pictures from the event. I already have boys that love me and are going to be my protectors! 

Drew and Grant met me at the door! <3

-Dad And I Are A Team-

Ready for the season to start! GO BRAVES! 

It only took a week, but I finally got the "It's a Girl" sign on my /E/. I love this door hanger. All I do is switch out the small embellishment for the occasion. Super easy because I just use velcro!

SUNDAY:

On Sundays, we decided we would visit GG and GP. Hollis is eight days old in this picture. GG is 96 years old and GP is 97 years old. It is amazing the love that they have for their youngest great-grandchild. She is the 15th! GG loved holding Hollis. They were in the downstairs lobby getting ready for dinner, so we had a lot of little old ladies coming over to visit. GG kept saying, "Look at her little boots!" and "She is EIGHT days old! Can you believe it!" GG was astounded at how big she was. Aren't we all. ;)

PURE LOVE in a picture<3

On Sundays, we do laundry. Hollis helped.... kind of. 

My first week was exhausting, fun, and full of love. I can only imagine what week two will bring! 

I'm Coming Home! Welcome to Linwood Street!

Hollis was born on Saturday in the afternoon. After one day in the hospital, John and I were ready to leave! I was feeling great and bored out of my skull. I did enjoy just sitting and staring and holding Hollis. So, when we finally got the go ahead from the pediatrician and my doctor (who came to the hospital the next day in real clothes and it threw me off big time!), we were ready to go! Monday was the date of our departure. John had a dentist appointment that morning, so they were gracious enough to postpone it until a little later when he returned from the dentist. (No cavities! Success!) The morning we were leaving, we packed up, stacked up, and got her pictures taken. It was nice and relaxed. No rush. We even took advantage and ate one final lunch from the room service. John got the meatloaf and I got delicious chicken alfredo pasta. We even got ice cream to eat with our pizza cookie from Pete and Tiff. We were ready to go! Here are a few pictures and some captions on our way home!

All packed up at the hospital! Ready to head home! (The hospital provides wagons for you to fill up with stuff to take to your car. So convenient!)

First time in the car seat. It was a cold day, so we had on our winter hat!

With mommy, ready to go home!

With daddy, ready to go home!

Daddy got me all in and ready to go in his car. Perfect fit! My cheeks jiggled the whole way home! It was funny for mommy to watch. Everyone talks about how when you are driving her home, it makes it real. And that car ride is kind of scary. It wasn't scary per say, but it just felt right! It was so cool to know that we are a family of three. Something we had been planning. It was awesome. I was a bit sore on the ride home. Not sore pain wise, but it was like all my insides were just sloshing around inside of me. John did not miss the speed humps in our neighborhood either. Yuck. 

We had to stop at Babies R Us to get more nipple shields. One was not going to cut it. Can you believe they are $10 a piece! So annoying. Funny story about this picture... when he was walking out, the song "I Need a Hero" was on. Perfection! John is an amazing daddy but he is an amazing husband too!

When we came home, we made sure we greeted the dogs first. Hollis hung out in the car while we met them. They had a blanket from her birth for her smell (thanks Jamie for all your help with that!). They were obsessed with the baby blanket when we were still in the hospital. So, when we got home, we had some worries that Adi would not like her. Adi is a big dog and intimidates a lot of people. We know she is a sweet dog but others get really nervous around her because of her deep bark. She is doing her job by protecting us when someone comes to the door. I appreciate her when I am home alone. So, in order to make it smooth, we made sure it was just us coming home. That eliminated a whole can of worms. After we greeted the dogs, John brought Hollis in to meet the dogs. They were waiting at the door!! How adorable! They loved her immediately. They were all up in her face and Aspen was jumping up and down! It was adorable. We have a video. I will have to find it. 

-Adi meets Hollis-

Once we got settled in, we were exhausted. So... we took a family siesta! John, Hollis and Adi napped on the couch. Aspen and I slept on the recliner. It was glorious! Little did we know that Hollis had a surprise for us! 

SURPRISE! It was poop! So, our first night home, we had our first blow-out! Because she still had her cord, we weren't able to just stick her in her bath... so we had to improvise. After figuring out how to get her "over the head" outfit off and 40 wipes later, she was clean and happy. Whew! I wish I would have had our reactions on video. It was so funny. We laughed the whole time. She didn't think it was as funny. 

We were also super excited because we got to put her name on the wall to complete the nursery! I told you... perfect! I am so in love with her nursery. It is so much fun! 

We are blessed to have a new baby girl. We are beyond grateful that she is healthy and happy. We are so excited to start this new journey! I will try my best to keep updated weekly. You can always follow me on instagram to get some daily Hollis pictures! I am starting a #hollis365 and uploading one picture a day. I hope to compile them at the end of her first year for a fun book and look back for her birthday! 

Thank you for all the love and support you have given our little family. 

-Alexis, John and Hollis-

Breastfeeding...Fake Nipple?

I am not one who was GUNG-HO on breastfeeding. I am going to be honest... it is still strange to me. But, I know that it is what is best for Hollis, so I told myself and John that we would try. I also knew, going into this whole process, that I had strange nipples. I vaguely remember being told when I was younger that they were inverted. So... I knew that it may not work. I always said I would pump and give it to her if necessary. Judge me if you want. I just think that the whole process is weird. I just feel like an animal. Yes... I know. I am technically an animal. But I do have a thumb! Everyone talks about the bond, etc. Eh. I dunno. I love to hold her. So, I get to. Every 2-3 hours. I also like to sleep. So I was a bit nervous about how our nights would go. I need sleep. So, waking up so often could be disastrous.

Moving on...

So, at the hospital, Hollis was doing pretty good nursing. She was sleeping well and I thought we were being somewhat successful. She wasn't doing well on one side, so I did have a lactation consultant come in just to talk to her. She watched me feed Hollis and revealed that I have FLAT nipples and there is nothing for her to 'grab' onto, so to speak. Interesting. She handed me a nipple shield that in essence is a prosthetic nipple (my interpretation). She said to try that next feeding. She also said I should try to pump before every feeding to "bring my nipples out". John and I were officially in over our heads. We both looked at each other and said, that sounds like it would be a waste of time/silly. If I am going to pump, I could just give her the bottle. I am not too keen on the whole thing anyway... etc. So we kind of gave Hollis an ultimatum. Either, you eat with the shield or you get a bottle. haha. Great parenting, we know! I have just seen/heard of so many mothers that are caught up on the breastfeeding and get discouraged, unhappy, frustrated. I see the importance, yes, but I also know the importance of my mental state. So.. I wasn't going to let myself get worked up about it. It is what it is. I technically am not 'formed' the right way.

I digress...

So, that next feeding, Hollis got the memo. She latched on and ate for 20 minutes! This has since only happened a few times. She has been a great eater. It is an extra step, a bit of dishes at the end of the day, but it works. My newest challenge is keeping the shield ON! Hollis can get a little handsy and just yank them off.

So far, our feeding has been a success. Hollis was four ounces away from birth weight after just a few days after leaving the hospital. They did warn me my milk would come in and she would cluster feed. That would be the first night home. Every hour, on the hour, someone was hungry! She makes the funniest sounds when she eats. She definitely gets that from her dad! When he and his brother eat, they make sounds. Just an Edmonds' thing I suppose.

Currently, Hollis eats about every two hours during the day. Sometimes hourly. Then, at night, she is my favorite! She sleeps from about 10pm-3:30am, eats (barely awake) for about 7 minutes, then drifts back to sleep until I wake her up to get ready to go to work. Amazing! She rocks! She knows mommy needs her sleep.

**Disclaimer**
We noticed Hollis doing this weird gagging/regurgitating thing. We brought it up at her appointments and were told to keep an eye on it. We did... and we realized that our 2-3 hour battle of getting her to fall asleep every night was caused by this gagging. She would be asleep, gag, and then SCREAM! I mean... the scream that makes you put your baby down in the swing and walk away. We have been back to the doctor and she was given Zantac. I see some success already. I am hoping it helps because NO ONE wants to see their child in pain. It was hard to watch.
--I have researched and one potential reason is because she eats too fast! I have an oversupply of milk. It is a blessing and a curse. They tell me not to pump because then my body thinks I need more milk. Curse. My daughter gags while feeding at least once a session. Curse. I have enough milk that I could pump and continue to feed but have a bottle backup. Blessing. My boobs are huge and look like they are implants. Curse/Blessing?

Since this whole post is about boobs, I will let you go with a sweet picture of my girl. <3

Milk Coma and Milk Mustache :)