First comes love...

Then comes marriage...



Then comes a baby in a baby carriage!  (Okay no carriage.)


Exactly two years ago today, I went on my first date with David.  He took me shooting (which later he admitted was because he wanted to be able to wrap his arms around me to help me hold a gun.)

It is crazy to think how much has happened in the past two years.  I still fall more and more in love with him everyday.  He is the best husband I could ever ask for and the best daddy to our baby girl.  Happy 2 year dating anniversary Davey!

That's right...Gretchen and I had our first date night on Friday and we let Dave tag along.

...Just kidding!  David and I had a date and loved the company of our beautiful baby Gretchen.  What an eventful/entertaining night!  It made me love being a mom even more.

So on the 4th of July we had taken Gretchen out to Red Robin and she slept like a champ the whole time (she is a big fan of noise - especially large crowds, excessively loud rap music, and the vacuum cleaner) so we figured we could reenact that experience.  Just to be sure I was going to tank her up for a long nap so I fed her twice before we left.  We got into the car and she fell right asleep.  As we pulled up to The Oyster Bar on Chuckanut Drive (which the food was mediocre and ridiculously overpriced) she started crying.  I immediately told Dave to keep driving since we had called and told them we would be late due to traffic.  So Dave drives for 5 more minutes and she thankfully fell back asleep, but right as we parked for the second time, she started crying again.

Dinner went alright.  Dave and I were both a little stressed because she woke up and was fussy and when we made reservations they told us that generally there is an age requirement of 9 because they don't want crazy loud kids ruining everyone else's experience, but they generally don't care if the kids are under 6 months.  I fed her again at the restaurant to calm her down a bit and then we laid her on the booth seat between us with her Longhorn Bull Wubbanub so we could eat and be gone.


After dinner we decided to head up to Bellingham to get ice cream.  It was time to feed Gretchen again so I nursed her in the car.  I put my feet up on the windshield so it was easier to support her body.  As I was nursing her, this 70ish year old man walked by and didn't see what I was doing.  He pretended to tickle my feet through the windshield and then walked over to my door to say something to me.  As he looked in the window he saw I was nursing a baby and was very shocked and embarrassed.  He quickly turned around and immediately smacked his head into the awning of the restaurant.  It was hilarious, but we did feel a little bad for him because it looked painful.

On our way to get ice cream, I noticed that Gretchen's car seat was buckled wrong so I had Dave pull over so I could fix it.  As I was fixing it I noticed how full her diaper was and said we should just change her now before she fell asleep.  As I picked her up, I noticed that I had poop all over my hand!  She had blown out her diaper.  Dave gets out to help me change her so I could clean the cars seat.  That is when we noticed we only had 2 wipes left!  Oh no.  So Dave uses the wipes to clean Gretchen and I luckilly found some antibacterial wipes in my back seat that I used to sanitize everything.  As Dave was changing her, she starts to pee all over herself.  It ran down down her body and even got into her hair.  Both of us were cracking up.  After about 20 minutes we were back on the road and Baby G was fast asleep.

Finally, made it to Mallards for icecream.  SOOOOO DELICIOUS!  I got the Cookies and Sour Cream.


Saturday we went to the Arligton Fly-In.  Boy was it hot.  We were both so hot that instead of walking all the way to the runway for the show we found a plane and made camp under the wing for some shade.

She slept most of the the airshow.

We all know what this face means...

Gretty started to get fussy after a few hours so we packed up and left.  She was crying in the stroller so Dave strolled her on the bumpy grass instead and she fell asleep in seconds.

Oh and the best part of my weekend is that my babe started making this face on Friday.  Love her mucho!

Gerber 6-Ply Cloth Diapers - These are without a doubt THE best burp cloths.  They are crazy absorbent and long enough to drape over your shoulder.  No they aren't the cutest, but they do the job better than any other.  Not to mention, they are very inexpensive.

Newborn Pampers Swaddlers Diapers - I love those diapers!  So many people told us that our baby probably wouldn't fit into newborn clothes or diapers, but Gretchen was (and still is) tiny!  I love that they have a cutout for the belly button so you don't have to fold it down before the umbilical cord stump falls off.

Aveeno Lavender Vanilla Baby Lotion - Newborns have really dry skin.  I love that this lotion is mild and gentle enough for our little munchkin and it smells so good!  We put it in her hair too because she has a dry scalp and it doesn't make her hair greasy.

Medela Contact Nipple Shield - This is a savior when starting to breastfeed.  It is annoying to use, but your nipples will thank you as it helps maintain the integrity of your skin and protects you if you have a "chomper" and "jaw clencher" like me.  Make sure to talk with your lactation consultant to get the right size and learn how to use it properly as it can affect your milk supply.

Boppy Pillow - I must say if I didn't have one of these, I would be so buff from holding up an eight pound baby for half an hour 8-12 times a day to feed.  It is nice not having to get millions of pillows to prop up your arms and the baby.  Just wrap this around your waist, and wah lah, arm rest and baby rest in one.

Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump - Most people don't know that one of the perks of Obamacare (maybe the only perk) is that most insurances cover a breast pump 100%.  Talk to your doctor or midwife to get a prescription and get a breast pump for FREE!

Lansinoh HPA Lanolin Cream - Chapstick for your nipples (also works great as actual chapstick).

Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads - Even if your nipples aren't leaking milk, the Lanolin cream will stain your bra if you don't have them.  They are also soft and protect you from harsh fabrics during the "toughening up" faze.

Aden + Anais Muslin Swaddle Blankets - I now get why everyone raves over these pricey blankets - they really are the best especially for a summer baby.  They are big enough to wrap your little one into a tight tight tight burrito and thin enough to not feel like you are overheating them during those hot summer nights in a house with no air conditioning.  Not to mention, the fabric is super soft!

Marc Jacobs Eliz-A-Baby Diaper Bag - This was my birthday splurge present.  I am obsessed with this diaper bag.  It is stylish and big enough for all of my things.  Who am I kidding, all of Gretchen's things...it is really her purse that I carry around for her and has a little extra space for my wallet, phone, and sometimes my keys.

Fisher-Price My Little Snugabunny Rock n' Play Sleeper - This is the best.  It is super portable and great for toting around to our family's houses.  We also use it as a bassinet because it vibrates and she sleeps better in this than the Pack 'N Play.

...and because no post is complete without this sleeping beauty...

Gretchen is one month old today!  This has been the fastest month of my life. I can't believe she is growing up so fast.

...and end photo shoot.

Weight:  8 pounds 3 ounces

Height: 22 inches

Clothing Size:  Newborn

Eating:  Exclusively momma's milk.  The past three weeks have been a huge struggle nursing wise and we have been seeing a lactation consultant at least once a week.  Gretty had lost weight because I lost so much blood giving birth and my milk wasn't fully in.  After a lot of struggles - not to mention cracked/bruised/scabbed nipples -  we are finally back on track. More to come on our nursing struggles in a later post.

Sleeping:  She does not follow the sleep patterns of a typical newborn.  She will maybe take a few short cat naps during the day and sleeps really well at night.  It is hard for me being at home with her during the day because when she is not sleeping or eating, she cries a lot and I feel like all I do is try to soothe her.  It is literally impossible for me to get anything done and it is so stressful hearing her cry all the time.  I have noticed though that this is slowly but surely getting better.

Health:  Super healthy and super strong!  No vaccines yet.

Speech:  She makes some cooing noises sometimes (especially in her sleep).  She also likes to grunt when she is nursing which is probably her just trying to pass gas...it's really cute.

Nicknames:  Greta Lou, Gretty, The Beast, Lou Lou

Personality:  This is hard to tell right now because she cries so much.  I would have to say though that she is pretty sassy.  She likes to save all of her big poos for her dad...she even had a huge blow out diaper on him the other day.

Baby Gear Love: My Little Snugabunny Rock n' Play Sleeper. It easily folds up and is perfect to take places.

I also love the Summer Infant Comfy Bath Sponge.  It stays warm and she doesn't slip around on it which is perfect because newborn babies, when wet, are slippery little buggers.


Milestones:  She can hold her head up for an insanely long time while we are holding her up by our shoulder.  She also has a strong grip and can suck on her hands - one time when I was nursing her, I was in the middle of switching sides and she latched on to her own arm...it made me laugh.

Likes:  She is obsessed with the bath tub.  She loves to sit in there and be pampered as we pour warm water over her.  She NEVER cries while in the tub!  Definitely a water baby.

The sponge started to slide down, yet Gretchen didn't care.

She also likes to suck on our pinkies, ride in the car, and get her diaper changed.  Lately she also likes to stare at the sheep on her swing. Oh and she love love loves the vacuum cleaner. It puts her to sleep every time.




Dislikes:  I just had to ask Dave this and he said exactly what I was thinking, "it is hard to tell because she is always so cranky."  We have come up with...when we take her out of the bath.  Haha.  She also hates when her diaper is dirty and she hates it when she has a big burp that she can't get out.

Things I Don't Want To Forget: 
Her first 4th of July!  Although neither of us got to watch fireworks because she was cluster feeding.



Her big blowout on daddy.


Her first bath in the sink.  She looooved it!

This look is called "Blue Steel".

Her Baby Blessing on July 6.

Great Grandpa.

I love to watch her stretch when she is sleeping...oh and this pose...


Me thinking everyone has a giant head after spending all day alone with her.  Every day when Dave comes home I think, "wow your head is giant!"

And a few more pictures...

Buddha belly.

I spy a froggy in the backseat.