2 month birthday!

making breakfast- eggs, bagels and bacon over the fire- yummm!
Grandpa Steve hanging out with Coranelle while we ate breakfast
making mint chocolate ice cream in the ice cream ball
hanging out in the motorhome with gammadele
our 17 mile bike ride around twin lakes on the Colorado trail. A hard ride for my first ride -post baby.
We took a dip in the lake to cool off during the bike ride. It was so fun to have Rachael to bike with! She rocks on a mtn. bike and now I have another girl that will bike with me.
The lovely engaged couple. They are so fun and we are so happy for them! Rachael is going to make an awesome sister and auntie!
Proud daddy in the am. His little girl slept well in her plastic box!
Waking up with my precious family in the tent.
Love this photo! All smiles and sporting her buff hatt!
This was Coranelle's bed- a clear plastic tupperware. She loved it. She slept great! 7 hours one night, 7 1/2 the other. We bundled her up in 3 blankets and a hat and she must have loved the mountain air and the sound of the rain. She was quite a trooper!
Auntie Rachael has a magic touch with Coranelle. So fun to hold a peaceful, sleeping baby!
Gammadele hanging with Coranelle, blocking the sun and swatting away the mosquitos. Grandma and Grandpa had a good time with their granddaughter!


So, Coranelle turned 2 months old on Sunday. She'll be 9 weeks old tomorrow! To celebrate, we went on a family camping trip. We took Coranelle up to Twin Lakes, Colorado- just past Leadville. It was gorgeous and we had a blast. We stayed at Perry Peaks campground with my mom, Steve, Rachael and Stefan. It was a great, first trip for Coranelle. It was wonderful to have lots of people there so that Coranelle could be passed off from one person to another. She was a little fussy in the evenings, but between the 6 of us, someone could always walk/bounce/cuddle her in order to soothe her. Saturday, Mom and Steve offered to take Coranelle so that we could go bike riding. It was so fun to be able to take off on our bikes and not have to worry about her. We knew she was in great hands. So, while we rode, Coranelle went hiking with her grandparents. Steve carried her in the baby bjorn and she did awesome. They also fed her a bottle of pumped breast milk. I hear she was really happy and playful! Meanwhile, I took my first bike ride since March. Whew! It was a hard one, but gorgeous. We rode down into Twin Lakes from our campground and all the way around the lakes and back up on single track (the Colorado Trail). We stopped at mile 6 and jumped in the lake to cool off. So fun! It was a beautiful and fun trail and I loved having Rachael to ride with. We both got tuckered out by about mile 13 and struggled through the end. It was great to have another girl with me so that I wasn't the only one playing catch up. Ryan and I are so glad that she and Stefan have each other! They are such a perfect match for each other and seem to be so happy.
Saturday afternoon, we took bucket baths after getting so sweaty from our ride. It was cloudy and cold, so the water from the drinking pump in the campground was extremely cold. But, it felt good to be clean. We also took the ice cream ball and made vanilla ice cream with mint dark chocolate chunks. It was a delicious treat. We then enjoyed hours of rain and hung out reading, chatting and playing games. Coranelle was enjoying all the attention and giving lots of smiles. She has been a lot of places and seen lots of people in her 2 months! She enjoyed a fire and making eggs, bacon, and toasted bagels and muffins for breakfast. Unfortunately, I-70 was like a parking lot on the way home, so we were all a little restless after a 2 1/2 hour drive took us 5 hours. We had to stop and feed her in Idaho Springs, but she did awesome!
Today, she went into the pediatrician to get her shots. Ugggg! Not fun. She was crying the whole time we were there- way before the shots. She got herself so worked up, it was hard to hear our doctor. She's doing well. She's got some eczema and craddle cap, but nothing too serious. She is gaining weight at a good rate, but is still very long and skinny. She now weighs 9 pounds 12 ounces. That puts her in the 22nd percentile. (She was born at 6 pounds, 6 ounces). She is 23 inches long, which puts her in the 75th percentile. Her head is 15, 33rd percentile. So, a thin child. Her weight to height ratio makes her underweight, but since she is gaining weight at a good rate, we have nothing to worry about. It is so funny- how could I (someone short and round/curvy) have a tall, skinny baby? It will be so interesting to see what a perfect, gorgeous girl she grows up to be! For her shots, she got HepB, HIB, Polio, DTAP, Prevnar, and Rototeq. Two shots- one in each thigh and an oral and she really screamed! Whew! That is hard to watch! But, we cuddled and she calmed down- nursed it out when we got home. Now she is sleeping soundly. I hope she doesn't break a fever or become too fussy in the next day or so. Man, it's hard to watch someone put your baby in pain. But, much better to get the shot and be a little sore and get any of those horrible diseases/ viruses.
Not much else to report. Coranelle is doing great and becoming more attentive and more fun to play with. We are enjoying her so much!

Some adorable pictures

Classic Coranelle Wide Eyes. No wonder she gets over stimulated!
Shake it sweetie! She's a-dancin'!
More smiles. She's getting a chubbier face- making her look a bit more like me. ;-)
Grams is boring her here.
More dancing!

These pictures are all of Coranelle hanging out with Grams (Heido) while I went over to CostCo to get my annual eye exam so that I can order some contacts. I thought I took care of all of those things before I had Coranelle, but didn't realize that my prescription only lasted a year. Oh well, Coranelle had fun with Grams and Grams got some great photos of her.
We love Coranelle's smiles and happy times in the morning! She is addicting when she smiles that big! She is also growing up a little and she seems to do a little better in the swing and the stroller now. I am not sure if it is because of the zantax or because she is just a bit more content. Whatever the reason, it's nice. She even held up through most of a mommy and me stroller class at the rec center today. She and her little friend Adalaide were super entertaining. As soon as one would fuss, the other would feel empathetic and fuss along with the crier. When Adalaide's parents were over at our house on Saturday, it was the same situation. It will be fun when the two girls are aware of each other and can interact with one another a bit more.
I had another post-pardom moment this weekend. I had received an e-mail from Ryan a month ago about a deck party one of his co-workers was having. He asked if I wanted to go, and I said "sure!". So, I wrote the date down in my planner. But, after the pediatrician fiasco, I decided I needed a new system for keeping track of engagements. So, I transfered everything from my planner to a wall calendar in the bedroom. Now that I am not at work, I look at that much more frequently than my planner. The only problem was... the weeks on my planner go from Mon-Sun. The weeks on the Calendar go from Sunday to Saturday. So, I put the deck party on Fri night instead of Sat. But, I was all ready to go and even had Heidi stay with Coranelle so I could go buy lots of fancy fruit for a good fruit salad to bring. So, Friday night, we loaded up the brownies, the fruit salad and got Coranelle all cute and ready for a party. When we arrived to the party half an hour after it should have started, there were no other cars at the house. And, the hosts were just getting home from work. Ummm, ooops! They got out of their car and looked at us- very confused. They told us the party was Saturday night and we left feeling humiliated. I had another melt down. I wasn't allowing myself to mess up another date or time. I had done it once- how did I screw it up again?! I can look at it now and laugh, but it seemed horrible at the time. Oh well, we made it the next night breifly- with a new fruit salad and blushing faces.
Not much else is new. We are taking Coranelle camping this weekend, so I am really excited for that. I skipped my first feeding yesterday when I went into Boulder for a friend's bachelorette brunch. Ryan successfully fed her a bottle of pumped milk and did great with his daughter. It is nice that I can leave her for more than three hours- if necessary.
Thanks for reading and have a great week!

7 weeks +

Gotta love the smiles and the adorable bow! Seriously, that smile melts my heart!
Climbing rocks at Garden of the Gods with my cousin's kiddos.
Grandpa Steve wearing Coranelle in the baby bjorn.
My cousin Gibby getting Coranelle to take a bottle.
Wide eyes (as always!)

Why is it that a simple smile can bring sunshine and joy to your heart in an instant. My daughter's smile is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Just thinking about it makes my heart swell with joy. Coranelle has been smiling a bit more and I love that! The medicine seems to be helping some- as her cries are not as pained and not as often. She is still fussy in the evenings, but that is normal. She also seems pained right before she poops. One of Pam's friends was holding her today when she was crying. She said she felt her stomach get really hard and then she blew out and dirtied her diaper. It's like her system is still not fully mature and she is in pain sometimes. Poor girl. But, everyone keeps telling us that it goes away by 3 months. I hope for Coranelle's sake that this is true. I want her to be happy. We have so much fun when she is happy- and it makes me sad when she is upset.
She has been a busy girl. Yesterday, Mom, Steve, Coranelle and I went to Colorado Springs to visit my aunt, my cousin and my cousin's 4 kids. We went and explored Garden of the God's and hung out at my aunt's house. It was a big day for Coranelle, but she got to meet lots of great people. Today, we went to Longmont to see a friend's new home and go for a walk with my mom and Heido, Pam and her friend Laura.
Tuesday, we went to our breast feeding group. Coranelle is now 9 pounds and continues to gain an ounce a day! I am very thankful that she is gaining weight and the breastfeeding is going well. Anyhow, I took Coranelle's diaper off and put her on the scale. I picked her up to take her over to the "circle" to put all of her clothes on. As we were walking, she decided that it was an opportune time to pee- all down mommy's front side. It was a bit shocking, and it kept coming, soaking through my light colored khaki shorts. I had to laugh, as I had never experienced that before. I have extra clothes packed for her, but not for me. Needless to say, I did not go out to lunch with the other mothers- as planned. I looked as if I had peed myself. Funny child!
I have started going back to body pump at our Rec Center with a friend who has a 4 month old. It feels great to be able to lift and do classes again. Ryan has agreed to take Coranelle Tuesday evenings so that I can go. I hope to tone up a bit and try to get my stomach to go back to normal a bit. The first few classes have been hard, as I haven't done abs or lifted anything for 8 months! I also got out for my first little runs these last few days and that has felt great. I cannot wait until Coranelle can sit up and I can take her out in the running stroller.
Not much else to report. I am enjoying motherhood more and more as time goes on. I leave my daughter for an hour and my arms feel empty and I miss her. I am so addicted to her!

6 + weeks

hanging out in the vibrating papasan in just a diaper trying to get rid of her heat rash
I love the chubby face here!
We were at a friend's house and Coranelle was enjoying the bouncy chair of her friend who is just two weeks older than she is. We loved how she matched the chair!


It's been a while since I wrote, so I need to catch up on how things have been for the last week and a half. We have been pretty busy- Coranelle is out and about quite a bit for a baby who is only 6 weeks old! We've been walking with a friend I made from prenatal yoga. Ryan, Coranelle and I went over to their house to have dinner with her, her husband and her daughter Adalaide. It is fun to meet some other young parents who know what it's like to have a baby start crying right as you're sitting down to dinner. They are a fun couple and we are planning to have them over to our house next weekend. I have also been going to a breast-feeding group with my friend Krista. It is cool because you get to weigh your baby on the hospital scales every week and see how they are gaining. Plus, it is a chance to talk to other moms and the lactation consultant. Coranelle is consistently gaining an ounce a day. On friday, Coranelle weighed 8 pounds, 14 ounces. She's doing great! After our group on Tuesday, I went to lunch with some of the other moms and babies. It was the first time I took Coranelle to a restaurant. She feel asleep on the way over there, so she did great for a while. When she got hungry, she had a bit of a melt down and so we went home.
Wednesday, I went to a New Mom's luncheon at Avista. There were about 12 other moms there that had delivered in May. Their babies were all there. Their babies were all calm and content and quiet. None of the babies were crying, except mine. Coranelle was upset from the moment that we got there. I tried walking her, bouncing her, getting her to take the pacifier, etc. But, she was just upset. So, one of the lactation consultants offered to take her so that I could enjoy my lunch. Coranelle proceeded to cry. Then she got passed off to another lacation consultant and later, to another nurse. They all tried, with no success, to soothe her. Meanwhile, I could not actually enjoy my lunch or listen to the other moms when I was listening to my baby cry. So, 45 minutes pass and I go to one of the lacation consultants to reclaim my baby. The consultant was very concerned about how much Coranelle was crying and asked me if I had taken her to her pediatrician yet. I then panicked- feeling like a horrible mom to have not done something sooner. I told her that people just kept telling me that babies cry, and that was normal. The lady proceeded to tell me that Coranelle's crying was NOT normal and it seemed as if she was in pain. Well, then I lost it. I felt terrible that my daughter has been in pain and I have mistaken it for fussiness. So, I broke down and started sobbing to this stranger, telling her how much it hurts me when she cries. She told me to see the doctor because she thought Coranelle has reflux. So, I took Coranelle back into the luncheon with a tear streaked face and got to face all of the moms who were giving me pitied smiles. I felt defensive- thinking that there was nothing wrong with my child- but at the same time wondering why all of the rest of the babies were so placid and calm. So, what was to be an encouraging luncheon turned out to be something that made me a super emotional wreck. I called my pediatrician on the way home and proceeded to do a bunch of research on reflux. Coranelle is not vomiting or spitting up a lot, but she does have lots of hiccups and cries and is fussy during and after feedings. It may be that there is a sphincter muscle in her esophagus that is not fully developed and it is allowing acid to burn her throat. I cried 4 or 5 times Thursday when I told Ryan, Amanda and my mom the situation.
I have truly realized what it feels like to have such a deep connection with your child. When your child hurts, it breaks your heart. It is an undescribable feeling that I never would have imagined before being a mom. And, my mom was crying on the phone while she listened to me cry because I was upset that my baby was hurting. 3 generations of tears and an indescribable bond.
We took Coranelle to the doctor yesterday. After asking lots of questions and watching her and listening to her and checking her out, our pediatrician told us that Coranelle has a mild case of Colic and is border line reflux. He said she reminded him a lot of his own son, crying so much and needing so much attention. He said the first three months of his son's life were really rough on them. His wife was dead set against giving him any medicine, but our doctor said he would have tried something. So, we decided (hesitantly) to try some low dose zantax for week to see if it makes her any happier. I hate to put my 6 week old on drugs, but on the other hand, if it makes her be in less pain, it's worth a try. I am really hoping that she can grow out of the reflux and be a little more content. The doctor was surprised when I told him that one day she cried for 9 hours- unless she was feeding. That is where the mild colic diagnosis came from.
Despite the challenges that we are facing with all of the tears, we love our baby more and more each day. The grandmas are determined that she is perfect and that there is nothing wrong with her. They are protective of her in such a loving and unique way. It is fun to see our moms interact with her because it gives us a glimpse of how they took care of us- 24 years ago. I couldn't do this without their support right now!
I think she will get happier as she gets older and bigger, but it is hard to see her cry so much. We are taking her to a wedding tonight- and I am worried about how she will do. She may end up in the baby bjorn all evening with me bouncing her around. Hopefully she doesn't disrupt the ceremony too much!