Down Time

I have been so lucky to have this time off with Payten, and I cant imagine going back to work now. With the economy the way that it is I decided that now is a perfect time to go back to school to get an education so I can get a job that can support the two of us. Although I haven't exactly decided what to major in I have enrolled for this winter term and am excited to be starting school on January 5th!!! I got some really awesome Grants and should hopefully be able to focus on school without having to go back to work. I'm taking almost all online classes so I can still have a lot of time with Payten. I love watching all of her changes and can't imagine missing any of this right now. I feel like everyday is something new, she is so alert and attentive now. She follows things with her eyes and is super responsive to peoples facial expressions. She coos and talks with me and smiles and giggles when she is happy, which is getting to be a lot more often. The last few weeks have brought more sleep into my life and more personality into hers! Hope you all enjoy the pictures! Look at that adorable face!! She is growing up to fast.

She is so sweet when she first wakes up from a nap.

Little baby grins!

More cuddle time together. It is so special and I know it will only last so

long so I get as much in as I can!

A friend of mine Katie is due in February with her second little girl, so

Alyson and I gave her a surprise baby shower. It was a good excuse to

to get everyone together, including the kids! I think even Payten had a

good time!

Payten sleeping in a sun beam! She loves putting her bum in the air!

All Smiles!

I finally got one of Payten's great smiles on camera! This was about two weeks ago but the smiles are more and more consistent everyday! Not a day has gone by in the last three week where she hasn't flashed me a big grin! The smiles started about a month and a half ago but they were very sporadic. The first time she smiled at me she was eating and she stopped, looked right at me and smiled the biggest grin I'd ever seen. I think that would be in my top five best experience so far in my life! Now she makes everyday worth while with her little or not so little grins! She as started smiling at other people now too! She loves it when my mom says "Hi Payten! It's your GRANDMA!!" She gets a smile almost every time! Here is a picture of the adorable grin that helps me get through the late nights! Hope it puts a little holiday cheer in every ones day!

Thanksgiving and Start Of December!

I am up to date now! So hopefully if I keep up with this blog, this will be the last entry that doesn't have a matching date. Hope you are all enjoying the updates so far, there will be many more to come! One of the only picture I have of me with Payten! I love our snuggle time. That is how we sleep most nights too. We are slowly working her into her bassinet. VERY slowly!! It's difficult for both of us to sleep apart now that we are in that routine.

In the mornings we like to sit and talk to each other. Sometimes a couple hours will go by where we just sit like this and talk. I am so lucky to have had this time off with her! Everyday is a new experience and something new she is learning. The time is going by to quickly, she is getting so big so fast!


Just a cute picture, you can see how big she is getting! Look at those cheaks!

Payten in the front carrier! She loves it, although when i first put her in there you wouldn't know that by the way she screams! But eventually she calms down and nestles in! We walked down to the River with my friend Alyson and her son to watch the Christmas Kayak Float. It was beautiful, about 20 kayaks all decorated with lights paddled around after dark!

Payten's Aunt Whitney (Brandon's sister) gave her this adorable onesie!

Payten's first Thanksgiving! My uncle Pat and Aunt Charlotte came down from Portland with My cousin Heather her husband Dan and there boys Scott and Josh. My dad and Grandma and Grandpa also came over! It was a full house... lots of fun and good food! Payten seemed a little overwhelmed but by next year it should be even more fun to have her here!

I guess by the look of them in this picture you can't tell we had to much fun. What duds!! Actually Dad just had hernia surgery so he was tired and Payten looks ready for a nap!

Great Grandma with Payten.

My growing baby!

My other mommy friends and I went to lunch with the kids. It's nice to have friends enjoying the same parts of life that I am. I can't imagine doing this without them. They have been such an amazing support!

Trip To Portland

We think she is going to be a smart one, she loves to just look at you and take it all in!

She is so serious.

Payten and Aunt Erin making faces at each other.

She thinks her Aunt is pretty awesome!

This makes her aunt even better!

Payten and I were lucky enough to hitch a ride to Portland with Grandma Mollie who was headed there for a work conference. It was perfect since Auntie Erin lives there and hadn't got to see Payten since she was born. (No Erin is not really Payten's aunt by blood but since Erin is as close as I'll ever get to a sister Payten will grow up knowing Erin as her Aunt!) We didn't get to stay long just a day but Erin had most of the day free so she got to give Payten a couple bottles and they got to spend some good face time getting to know each other.

I wasn't sure how Payten would do on the drive, but she did better than I ever could have asked. To top it off she slept for her first full night while we were there staying at auntie Erin's! I got my first full night sleep! It was an incredible feeling! I woke up and checked the time... ah... 6:00!!!!

We spent the next day hanging out with Erin, we walked down to a coffee shop in the morning then Erin had class but when she was done we went for lunch and then to an amazing cup cake shop! Best cup cake I've ever had!! It was just nice to see Erin and it seems like before that it had really been a while since Erin and I had gotten to spend very much time just the two of us. I feel like right now since I'm not working or going to school my whole life revolves around Payten... as it should. However at times I don't even feel human, I giggle at myself because when people ask me "whats new?" I have nothing other than Payten's sleep, bowl movements or eating habits to talk about really. I felt like although I didn't get a long time with Erin it was great to get away and spend time with someone who knows me as more than a mom and could have some great laughs with me!

Halloween

Our Halloween was very low key. I had got Payten a pumpkin costume before she was even born. It ended up being kind of big on her but she looked adorable. Payten and I met a couple of my friends and there kids down at The Old Mill (one of our outdoor malls) where they were having some cute Halloween activities for the kids. Payten slept through the whole thing but I had fun still, just watching all the excited kids in there cute costumes!

Later that night I took Payten to see my dad, Grandpa Bill. He thought she looked great! She's melting hearts everyday! My little Pumpkin!

Katie with her little Bumble Bee Chloe

Alyson, Ayden and Clifford

Cutest Pirate

Sleepy Pumpkin

Umbilical Hernia

Some friends of Brandon and mine have a two year old who had a Umbilical Hernia. It is a weak spot in the abdominal wall formed when the umbilical cord is growing. That later becomes a tear where part of the intestines protrude through the abdominal wall. It is most common in infants but can also affect adults. It is usually harmless and typically just looks like an extra large outtie belly button. I saw our friends daughters and even read about it before Payten was born. I had, like most people never heard of it. It was almost like I knew to prepare myself. Sure enough when Payten's umbilical stump fell off within days she had a large outtie! The doctors say they typically fix themselves by the time children are one but if it doesn't they will operate when she is 4 or 5. Lets hope Payten doesn't have to have surgery!!

Being A New Mom

Nothing I've been through in my life, and no love in the world could have ever prepared me for this... The love I have for her is almost painful at times. It's scary to love someone so much that after only minutes of knowing them you know you would do anything for them, and that all of a sudden they are everything to you. I wouldn't trade being a mother for anything!



I have been lucky enough to have this time off work to spend with Payten. When I was planning for this time I thought of a whole list of projects I wanted to get done while we were at home. People kept telling me I wouldn't have time but until now I didn't believe them. It is amazing how quick my days go by just trying to get done everything I need to with her. It was almost overwhelming at first realizing that I had another human being who depended entirely on me, for her food, cleanliness, happiness and comfort. But the more time that goes by the easier it gets and the more routine it all becomes.



I find myself spending 20 minutes changing her diaper because I just love the bonding time, being face to face with her. She is so intense in her stare, it feels like she is trying to learn just as much about me through my eyes as I am about her. My mom and I have both said we think she will be very intelligent because she spends so much time just looking around and taking everything in. It is so exciting watching her grow and become a little person. Slowly I watch her gain personality!

Some Pictures From Our First Couple Days Home.

Grandma Mollie bouncing Payten.

Doing what she does best!! Eatting!

Brandon getting a good look at her.

All cuddled up. her first night home. We realized quicky

we were both more comfortable with her in my bed!

Welcoming Payten Home!

Sunday October 12th we got to bring Payten home! She wasn't thrilled about the car seat at first, but once the car was moving it quickly became one of our calming tricks! I was so nervous the first couple of days that I made three separate phone calls to the pediatricians office within her first 72 hours at home. She was great the first few nights home, I even had to wake her during the night to make sure she ate. She had lost almost a pound in the hospital so the doctors wanted her eating every two hours too make sure she gained the weight back.

The newness quickly wore off for her and soon enough she was waking me up!!! St. Charles the hospital where she was born requires all new parents come for an appointment with the baby two days after you leave the hospital. They check the babies weight, look at the umbilical cord and watch the mother breastfeed to make sure all is going well. She was back up to 8 pounds, her cord looked good and she was feeding perfectly! I was doing it, I was being a mom, a good one even. The reassurance felt so good, I could stop doubting myself!

People warn you about how exhausted you'll be but until you are going on almost no sleep for over a week and your sore from surgery you really have no idea. Exhaustion is something I had never really understood until then. But whenever I felt like I couldn't possibly go on, someone would stop by to see us or she would do something so cute my heart would melt and it would all feel worth it!

At her two week appointment she weighed 9 pounds 7 ounces! What a big girl! I couldn't believe she was getting so big and I really couldn't believe she was already two weeks old! Dr. Vaughn her pediatrician said she looked great. And sent us off with our next appointment set for her two month birthday! That appointment is next week... how is that possible?

Pictures with some of our visitors!

Payten and Brandon cuddle time!

Nana Kelly with Uncle Joel and Aunt Valerie.
(Brandon's mom, brother, and sister.)

My good friend Alyson and her son Ayden with me and Payten.

Aly holding Miss P. I cut off Drew's head. I'm a great photographer!

Silly Face

Brandon's sister Whitney her Husband Luke and Son GW.

He adores his cousin Payten aka "baby"

Proud Grandpa Bill!

Auntie Erin spent so much special time holding Payten, she even

held her while I took my first shower!!

We call him uncle Bunk! He was in the room waiting when

we came out of surgery!

Nana Kelly, Brandon's mom came to visit several times.