Jaden's Message

Jaden has something she would like to tell you:

Three

Baby girl is now 3 months old. Wow! Time is going too fast. I enjoy every minute with her. She is currently going through a growth spurt so we are spending hours on end attached to each other. She is in an anti-nap, eating all the time, one poop a day, hold me phase. She is still sleeping pretty well at night but last night she insisted on keeping my nipple close by for an all night feeding frenzy. Luckily I have no problem sleeping through this behavior. 

Jade weighs 11 pounds 5 ounces and loves to suck on her hands and chew on my finger. She loves to play and talk to her animals on the activity mat. She still won't drink from a bottle or suck on a pacifier but will let us play with it in her mouth while she licks or chews it. She's a boob girl and we can't trick her!

This kid is changing and growing too fast.  Babies don't sit still so pardon the bluriness!

Happy Monday!

Ricki 

12 week things

The rare belly laugh that brings tears to my eyes. 

Daily conversations in baby language. 

Sleeping 5 or more consecutive hours during the night. 

Operation nap not on mom has commenced and we have had some success. 

On to 3 month clothes. 

Morning smiles. Afternoon smiles. Night smiles. 

Recognizing mama. 

12 weeks of pure joy. I love you baby girl.

Xoxo,

Mama and baby jade 

 

babies and schedules

Today we (jade) woke up at 5:37AM.  This is a little bit earlier then the usual 7AM morning party, but I can't complain because she puts us to bed promptly at 8PM.  So, 9 1/2 hours isn't bad. I've heard I am supposed to instill a schedule for naps and nursing and so on, but she has managed to create her own schedule.  I've just followed her lead with a routine that she sort of just fell into. I feed her on demand, which some days is every hour and others it is every 3 hours.  She naps 30-90 minutes 3-4 times a day.  She is a growing, healthy, and happy baby so I don't really feel the need to force any changes.  It's working for us and I feel grateful for that.  I kind of expected to be up all night with a crying baby, but knockonwood, that hasn't happened yet. 

Our only challenge so far is that she has decided the bottle is not for her.  (She wants to be just like her big cousin Quinn!)  After trying 6 different bottles over the course of the past eight weeks, I am coming to terms that Jade is a boob girl and we will be attached until she decides we are done breast feeding, or we reach her first birthday, whichever comes first.  I am ok with this.  I know it is only short term.  One thing I am learning about being a mom and watching my baby grow is that NOTHING lasts very long.  Nothing.  Each day comes and goes so fast.   I keep getting excited for the next milestone and then need to tell myself to stop and enjoy where we are at.  

xoxo,

ricki

P.S.  It is now 7AM and Jade has fallen back asleep...

grow baby grow...but not too fast

Jade is now 2 months old.  I had all these wonderful intentions to take beautiful "month" pictures and then do some pinterest-worthy artwork with them.  I'm just not that talented and where do those people find the time?  I'm lucky I showered today.  Here are some photos I have taken of our little monkey during her first 9 weeks.

xoxo,

ricki

our birth story

Jade has been here a whole 2 months and I am finally getting to share our birth story.  Arriving 2 weeks early on March 5, Jaden MaryJane Howell was born at 1:09pm, 6lbs. 15oz, 19 inches long, and with a head of dark hair.  Labor lasted 13 hours and after pushing for over 3 hours, Jade was vacuum assisted due to being stuck and face up.  We spent a quick 24 hours in the hospital and were happy to get home and love our new baby girl.

Our birth story was captured by a wonderful photographer, Catie.

xoxo,

the howells

Our Newest Addition

HELLO Everyone!  Well, if you haven’t heard, Ricki and I have been a little busy.  I am sure the wife(Ricki), will update everyone a little more properly later on, but while she is busy… lets not kid ourselves, she is either sleeping or feeding the baby, I will give you a short update and share some photos off the ole’ trusty iPhone. 

Jaden MaryJane Howell was born March 5^th, 2013.  She weight 6lbs 15oz and was 19” long.  Everything went relatively smooth, and we were in and out of the hospital by the next day.   We did lose a sock on the way, that didn’t take long!

Now I am a dad, and I have a baby girl, Sooo… I took her to In N Out, bring her in to the world right!

 Ricki and I have really tried to get out and about as much as possible and have brought her around everywhere with us.  Jaden doesn’t seem to mind, because she really isn’t saying anything.  She did remind us however, that her actual due date was March 18^th and that she did everything she could to be here early so that she could enjoy her first St. Patrick’s Day.  And did she ever.  We invited over her soon to be BFF who came in to this world about a whole 24hrs early and they went to town.  I think they learned their lessons though, a little too much, too fast, too early.  They were both passed out before 6pm.  Which was probably a good thing, because all of the adults were out by 8pm anyway. 

We do have another kid at home, can’t forget about this stud.  Our big Ace.  Right when we brought her home, I went and sat on the floor with Jaden, and Ace came right to the front and laid out on his belly.  He sniffed, looed, and then over the next 5 minutes continued to army crawl closer and closer.  He gave her a nice lick and put his head on my thigh right next to her just taking her in for a while.  Then, he decided to celebrate with a cigar!

Well, that’s all I have for you.  I am sure there will be plenty more to share as time goes on.  Ricki and I still have lots going on and lots coming up.  We are heading to Philly and Washington DC at the end of April with Bryan, Jen, and Quinn.  Then I am heading off to go river rafting down the Cataract River (we’ll see how that goes), and then we are heading to NY and Philly again in July for family and wedding.  So, lots more to tell.