Avalynn’s 2 Month Update + Freshly Picked Giveaway!

Wow! I seriously can’t believe that TWO WHOLE MONTHS have literally flown by since Avalynn was born! I find myself trying to hold onto every little moment…. each first, every cuddle and all of those adorable sleep smiles. I already miss the newborn stage. It went by WAY two quickly. If I had a time machine, I’d go back and relive those first couple weeks again and again.

She is already developing her little personality and she’s such a sweet baby! I can’t believe how strong she is already! What used to be sweet little cuddles is turning into her trying to climb up and run away.

Sleeping:

She started sleeping through the night a few weeks ago which was AMAZING! After Aidan not sleeping through the night for an entire year, I was bracing for the worst. Early on she did sleep, but she just had her days and nights mixed up. We had so many family members visit us in shifts during the first month so it was nice for me to focus on being on her schedule and sleeping when the baby sleeps since I knew the boys would be in good hands. And with the third baby, you don’t have to tell me twice! I’m in my bed before you can say, “nap!” But now her schedule is great! She typically goes to bed around 9-10pm and will sleep until around 8 or 9am. The past couple of nights she’s woken up with some tummy issues but after about half an hour of hanging out, she’d go back to sleep.

They are SO sweet when they are sleeping. I mean, they are sweet all the time, but there is something so precious about seeing their perfect, peaceful little faces and knowing that all is well. I can’t help but admire how amazing she truly is. I literally thank God every single day for keeping her safe despite my pregnancy complications. I am also beyond thankful for her big brothers. It’s so hard to believe that we are a family of 5! And to think I was told I would never be able to have children due to severe Stage 4 Endometriosis. That just goes to show you not to ever give up on your dreams!

She has about 3 or so long periods of awake time and she’s much more alert now!

Oh and she is a super quiet sleeper! The boys both made these cute little “gremlin” noises while they slept. I can’t think of any other way to explain it. But she doesn’t do that. When she sleeps, she is almost completely still and completely silent with occasional little kitty meow sounds that are adorable!

Feeding:

She typically eats every 3-4 hours except while she is sleeping. She will wake up for a feed maybe once or twice a week but that’s it. I’m totally fine with that! I definitely feel “normal.” I could always use a boost of energy, but I’m out of the sleep deprived zombie stage. Woohoo!

We are still breastfeeding. We have supplemented a couple bottles here and there simply because my supply was a little low and she was hungry and I’m not going to let my baby starve. But as long as I keep up with making my yummy lactation cookies and drinking Mother’s Milk Tea, everything is great! My Medela Harmony pump stopped working (this is the 5th one!) but my Medela Pump in Style Advanced is still working, thankfully. We’ve done a combination of breastfeeding with pumping so I can take occasional naps while my husband feeds her.

Loving:

Avalynn LOVES the ceiling fan. It’s like her BFF. She smiles soooo big every time she sees the fan! She also loves looking at the curtains in our bedroom. Not sure if it’s the bright color or the curtain rod, but she really enjoys them! She also LOVES her daddy and her big brothers! It makes my heart smile SO big when her brothers come in to see her and she starts cooing at them! She still loves being worn in her LollieWrap carrier. It makes me so happy because the boys didn’t like being worn and I love the extra cuddles!

She loves to be part of things! Luckily the noise of her brothers doesn’t bother her at all. It’s so nice being able to take her places and not have to worry. Andrew loved going out when he was a baby and Aidan did not at all. We go to the planetarium a couple times a month and she really enjoys looking up at the big planets!

She also LOVES to lay on the bed with me at night while I’m finishing up my work. She still loves to be swaddled, but only her Daddy can do it correctly. Mine last for about 5 minutes, but he’s got a method down that is breakout proof! I keep telling him he needs to make a tutorial video for all the dads out there! She still enjoys her bath. We get the biggest smiles and coos from her when we’re changing her diapers. It seems like the stinkier the better and she just loves it! haha

Features:

She has the sweetest smiles! Just like her brothers- her eyes can light up the entire room! She also has dimples like my sister and they are adorable! I love her Good Morning smiles when she first wakes up and goes through all of her stretches. Such a happy little girl!

Her hair has turned from blonde to red, similar to Aidan’s at this age. Her eyes are still blue! That makes THREE blue eyed babies I’ve grown! Not bad for a brown-eyed girl!

Milestones:

Sleeping through the night was a big one! She also had her first laugh! It was super cute and I was lucky enough to capture it on video! (I’ll be posting that sometime in the future!) She can sit with assistance. (Obviously I’m not going to leave her by herself ever.) She started batting at her toys hanging down from her In Reach Mobile Lounger (which I LOVE by the way!), so that is exciting! It will be fun for her to “do” things because you can just see in her eyes that she is definitely trying to!

Looking Forward to:

I find myself totally torn between looking forward to new milestones but also wanting her to stay this little so I can cherish every moment. I am looking forward to when she starts eating “solid” foods aka baby squish because I’ve committed to making my own baby food this time around. I also think she’s going to really enjoy eating! I’m looking forward to when she does big belly laughs all the time because I think her big brothers will really enjoy that! I am also looking forward to when she can fully sit all by herself because it will be fun to have her at the table with us in her high chair so she can be part of things. Of course I would LOVE for her to say “Mama” but for now her little coos are music to my ears and I want to keep enjoying them as long as I can!

Mommy Update:

I feel pretty good! I mean, I could use energy always. But compared to how I was feeling at the end of my pregnancy, it feels SOOOO nice to be able to walk around without extreme pain. I can finally go downstairs to my office, which is my happy place when everyone is sleeping and I can put on some music and get my work done. I was definitely missing that while being stuck in bed for so long. I still have some back pain and I can’t do a lot physically, but I can go for walks and watch the boys play at the park so I’m very thankful for that. I’m even thankful for just being able to do household chores. I never thought I would say that, but it’s really nice to just have that ability.

As far as getting back in shape, I have a long journey ahead. I’m really not too surprised since it took me a year to bounce back with each of the boys. There are some mamas who look amazing 5 minutes after delivery, but I’m not one of them. I’m learning, once again, to accept that and just live in this season I am in and enjoy it for what it is. I have 35 pounds left to lose. (I gained 45 during my pregnancy, so I haven’t had much progress at all.) I haven’t lost any weight in the past month. It’s frustrating but I know a big part of it is diet and when I eat differently (less carbs) my milk supply starts going down. As much as I would LOVE to feel like myself again, and fit into all my clothes, I am putting my daughter first. I don’t like the way I look in a lot of pictures, but I’m still trying to be in them more. I want my kids to know that this was a special time in our lives and that we made some special memories together. So it will be awhile before I’m back to whatever normal is, but the time is passing so quickly so I’m not going to worry about that. I’m going to try to get all the baby cuddles I can as she grows and enjoy our first summer as a family of five even if I feel more “zoo” ready than beach ready! (I hope that made you laugh. I thought it was pretty clever.)

Freshly Picked:

Have you guys heard of Freshly Picked? Silly question, I know! They have THE CUTEST baby moccasins and Avalynn got her first pair, the Woven Teal, part of the new Desert Oasis collection:

Avalynn’s cute bows are from Chico Rose

Poor baby was not a fan of the sun in her eyes. Her newborn sunnies are still a little too big!

Guess what? We are collaborating with Freshly Picked on a GIVEAWAY! That’s right-

One LUCKY mama will WIN a pair of adorable Freshly Picked mocassins for her baby!

Freshly Picked Giveaway Rules:

This contest will run TODAY, June 29th until Wednesday, July 5th at 5pm MST. This giveaway is open to US residents only. Anyone who has won a giveaway in the past 60 days is not eligible to win. “Contest only” or spam/fake accounts are not eligible to win. This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram, Inc. No purchase necessary. A lucky winner will be randomly selected (via Rafflecopter below) on 7/5 and I will announce the winner on my Facebook page so be sure to Like it to find out! Good luck! (Please note, the winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize or an alternate winner will be selected.)

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

 

What’s your FAVORITE Freshly Picked moccasin style?

 

 

FTC Disclaimer: Special thanks to Freshly Picked for sponsoring this giveaway! Some links above may be affiliate links. That means if you choose to make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog and helping me bring you more fun content! As always, all thoughts are my own! I would never recommend anything I didn’t use and love personally!