Burrow In a Hole

Nola365 is going to become Nola52

2013-01-06T16:56:00.000-08:00

I think it goes without saying that I can't keep up with a blog every single day. Days just get too busy and unpredictable with a 4.5 month old. Therefore, I am making the executive decision to turn Nola365 into Nola52 and do a weekly update! I will still try to blog about non-Nola subjects in between (though, they'll probably still involve Nola!). I think I'll do these on Tuesdays since that's when she turns another week old and Jan 1 was on a Tuesday! But for today, here are a few pictures of Nola from Birth to 4 months! It's crazy how much they can change!

In the hospital, only a couple hours old...

1 month through 4 months...

In the hospital and 4 months...

Nola365 1.5.13

2013-01-06T09:41:00.000-08:00

I think this happened on Friday but it was just too exciting that I almost forgot (?) !! I got Nola to laugh! It was the funniest thing I've ever seen! I had to work her up to it but once she got going she was cracking up! I'll let the video speak for itself!!

Nola365 1.4.13

2013-01-06T09:37:00.003-08:00

Nola got to hang out with her daddy today! I went to take advantage of a Christmas present from my in-laws and got a manicure and pedicure! I think she survived but this was the look she gave me when I got home:

Nola365 1.3.12 - The Swaddle!

2013-01-03T16:17:00.002-08:00

The swaddle, it's a blessing and a curse. Nola has been swaddled for sleep since she was born. When we brought her home from the hospital we swaddled her that night and she has slept great as a result (aside from the lovely 3 week growth spurt that lasted...well about 3 weeks!). The swaddle has been great at getting her calmed down as well thanks mostly in part to Dr. Harvey Karp's The Happiest Baby on the Block (I may make a separate post to discuss how well the 5 S's worked for us during Nola's first 3 months!). Recently, though, I decided it was time to start transitioning out of being swaddled at night. She's about 4 1/2 months old and she's pretty much grown out of the swaddle blankets that we have, so rather than buying new ones that we wouldn't use for long I decided that was a good reason to start.

I was dreading it, I didn't want to lose the precious 8-10 hours of straight sleep that she was giving me. We started last Friday night with swaddling one arm out. To my surprise, she slept great! I knew there was no turning back. I did this for a few nights and the other night when she kept trying to get the other arm out I knew it was time to go for both arms out. Last night we went for it and overall, it went better than I expected. She went to sleep around 10:30 and had some trouble when I first laid her down, but after she got herself to sleep I didn't hear a peep out of her until about 5:15am. Once again, she had some trouble getting herself back to sleep so I decided to pick her up and help her, I got a few more hours out of her before she was ready to nurse.

I'm pretty excited and surprised at how relatively easy it's been to transition her out of the swaddle. I think once she figures out what to do with her arms and hands while she sleeps we'll be good to go! Next challenge...getting her to sleep in her crib at night! (She sleeps in the Pack N Play in our room right now).

Nola365 2013 - 1.2.13

2013-01-02T10:13:00.002-08:00

Nola loves her Baby Einsten jumper! I purchased it in November after I figured out that she was getting bored with her swing and bouncy seat. She loves to sit up and it has really helped her develop the skills to reach for things. When I first brought it home, she couldn't reach the floor, but after a while we figured out that if we put something under her feet, she could reach and enjoy jumping as well!! When she's really awake and in a good mood, this is easily one of her favorite places to play!

There's so much to play with!

Before - Can't reach!

After - Jumping away!!

Nola365

2013-01-01T17:45:00.001-08:00

I saw someone else explain this idea so I thought it would be a good way to really get into blogging more! Everyday this year I'll try to get one here and blog about what Nola is doing and how she is growing and learning. I'll throw some updates on the rest of us in there also! (Disclaimer: No guarantees that I'll actually post something every single day, but I sure will try!)

January 1, 2013

Nola is 19 weeks old today! That's 4 months, 1 week and 4 days old! As cliche and it sounds, it really has flown by so fast! I can really see the wheels turning and her learning how to do so many new things!

She's getting a little too big/old for her bouncy seat! Here she is telling me, "Mom, this thing is for babies, look how easily I can get out!" I think I'll be strapping her in from now on!!

For good measure, here is her 4 month picture...she's such a ham!

I used to blog a lot more!

2012-11-15T09:47:00.001-08:00

Before we got married, but after we met, I had a blog that I actually updated. Feel free to read! Sweetly Broken...

All Smiles

2012-10-09T10:34:00.001-07:00

Nola's newest skill: Smiling!

Before last week, the only smiles we saw were in her sleep. I got her up one morning after not sleeping for very long and she gave me a little smile. It turned any fatigue I had into instant energy and brightened my morning! Since then she is a smiling machine. Her smiles mostly come out in the morning. More recently she's added cooing into the mix. It's so exciting to see her learn new things. At least I know when I haven't had enough sleep that I can look forward to sweet baby smiles!

Six Weeks Old!

2012-10-03T13:58:00.002-07:00

Our sweet Nola is already six weeks old! I can't believe it! She has changed so much since she was born, hard to believe they change so quickly. She smiles at us, and it's not just gas, she really smiles on purpose! I can tell that she's becoming aware of the world around her and I love the innocence in her eyes as she takes it all in. Sleep deprivation has been quite an adjustment but I know that I'll look back on these quiet moments in the middle of the night and cherish them. I love seeing Christopher with her. He turned into a puddle of mush the moment the ultrasound tech said "There's nothing sticking out! It's a girl!". He truly loves her and that makes my heart melt! Our little Nola has changed our lives and brought us so much more purpose and joy!

Then there's a baby in the baby carriage!

2012-10-03T13:29:00.001-07:00

We were on the 5 year plan when we got married, but like every other timeline we had set for ourselves, we decided we were ready earlier than 5 years!

December 28, 2011: I was in denial really, I knew I felt a little off, but I thought there was no way this was it. We had been trying for a few months and it honestly didn't seem real that we would actually get pregnant. I finally decided while I was at work that I would buy some tests on the way home even though I was convinced they would be negative. I didn't wait for Christopher to get home because, like I said, I just thought they would be negative. Imagine my shock when the second line we had been hoping for showed up before I even set the test down! I flipped. I cried. I danced around. Our dogs probably thought I was crazy, I just couldn't believe it. I knew I had to do something cute to tell him but I didn't have a lot of time, so a simple letter from Baby telling Daddy that they couldn't wait to me him would have to suffice! We were thrilled....and a little scared!

August 21, 2012: I heard the dreaded words during pregnancy...high blood pressure. Then I heard the other dreaded words...bed rest. With the combination, the doctors decided to induce labor at 38 weeks, so we went to the hospital to have a baby! After 15 hours of labor with 2 hours of pushing, Nola Caroline arrived at 11:16pm weighing 7lbs 14oz and 20in long! She was a red head and she looked like her daddy and she was beautiful!

Then comes marriage...

2012-10-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

August 14, 2008: It was Thursday, I was at work and I thought I was going to NC that evening to spend the weekend with Christopher. I walked back into my office to a package on my desk. I was really confused as I opened the package to find a scrap book. As I started to look through it I saw pictures of Christopher putting the scrap book together and I was even more confused. Then I saw him coming into my office...wait, he's supposed to be in NC! When the blind fold came out, I was officially stunned, almost too much to realize what was actually going on. He drove me to Charleston, SC and recreated our first day of "officially dating" that we spent there. I had been swept off my feet and had no other answer but YES on Folly Beach as he was down on one knee with a diamond in his hand!

December 6, 2008: I woke up that morning excited yet calm. It was our wedding day and I couldn't believe I was actually getting married! The day went off without a hitch (other than almost forgetting to get his ring to my sister right before she walked down the aisle, thanks for running Dad!). We were married and so excited to start our lives together! Our honeymoon in Mexico was a BLAST and it was nice to go somewhere warm in December! We had our whole lives ahead of us when we got home to our little one bedroom apartment and I couldn't be more thrilled with where we've been and how God has blessed our marriage!

First comes love...

2012-10-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

Looking back, all things pointed to us being together. You know, like it was "fate" or something. We just kept running into each other at what seemed like the most random times and places...

April 28, 2007: I was in the middle of finals and a week away from graduating college. I decided a day trip to Andrews, NC to see some friends in a band play a show would be a welcome break from studying. I made the (underestimated) 4 hour drive to the mountains of NC not knowing I would be meeting my husband for the first time. Christopher tells it different, he says he noticed me pretty early on...I really didn't notice him until the end of the night (in my defense his band wasn't the one I was going to see). He told funny stories that I still remember to this day and he says he still remembers what I was wearing. Little did we know we would see each other again.

September 23, 2007: I had moved back home after graduation and was working with the youth group at church. Christopher was still touring with Fighting Instinct. The youth pastor brought them to our Sunday night service for a concert and I wasn't sure if they would remember me. I knew I would ask the first member I saw if they did and guess who just happened to be that member. After that night we became friends on MySpace (remember that site?) but didn't communicate, until October.

October 11, 2007: I was up early that day because I had a Hanson concert to go to and a chance to walk a mile with the band. Once I got inside the venue and the show started I looked down from my spot on the balcony and saw someone I thought I recognized...but there was no way he would be HERE, much less by himself (which was how it appeared). I kept looking throughout the night but never approached him to confirm my suspicions. The next morning I had a message on MySpace from the night before and sure enough it was him. He had heard I would be there and he had to take his sister and her friends.

That conversation hasn't ended...

We're the Burrows!

2012-10-03T12:21:00.002-07:00

Our attempt at keeping up with those far away and introducing ourselves to new friends! Here we blog...