5 on Friday

I can't believe it's already Friday! I used to countdown the days until Friday so I could enjoy the weekend but now I'm begging time to slow down because it means Anna Claire is another week older.  These are truly the sweetest days. I wish I could bottle them up! I promise my blog will not turn into all baby but right now that is what is consuming our life so here are 5 thoughts about our sweet baby girl! 

One. Anna Claire is already 2 weeks old! These two weeks have FLOWN by! She is the easiest baby who loves to cuddle, is always hungry and makes the cutest faces. I have taken about 4oo photos in her first 14 days of life. I don't want to ever forget a thing about her tiny self! 

Two. They say it takes a village to raise a child and I am convinced we have the best village around. We have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of love our friends and family have shown us and the eagerness of so many people who want to meet Anna Claire. She has met so many family members and friends. She is just adored by her grandparents! My dad and sister have even made the 3/4 hour drive down two weekends in a row to sneak in kisses and help me out. Justin and I are both in a bible study small group who teamed up together to start a meal train for us. We haven't cooked dinner once since we came home from the hospital! It has been SUCH a huge help! FYI- If you ever want to start a meal train for someone check out the website www.mealtrain.com. It makes the whole process so easy!

Three. One of the things I dreamed 0f the whole time I was pregnant was long walks with our sweet girl. The May weather has been perfect for our strolls. I splurged on the bassinet attachment for our stroller and I am so glad that I did! 

Four. Our little pea has run us through all the emotions regarding her weight. She was born at 9 lbs 3 ounces. We were all  bit surprised with big she was although we shouldn't have been because I was a 9 lb baby also! I was expecting 8 lbs so she really wasn't that far over but so many people would constantly remark what a big baby which started to make me feel like it was "bad" or maybe even my fault because of how I ate during my pregnancy. (I know-crazy thoughts but to a very hormonal new mom it happens!) Fast forward three days and she was down to 8 lbs 8 ounces. Newborns typically loose weight in the first days of life so I wasn't surprised or worried at all. When we had our first doctor appointment on day 4 of life she weighed in at 8 lbs 3 ounces- a whole pound lower than her birth weight. My doctor suggested supplementing a small amount of formula until my milk came in. This was devastating for me to hear. On one hand I really did not want to introduce formula because I am committed to breastfeeding but on the other hand the thought of my baby being dehydrated or hungry broke my heart. Cue the tears in the doctors office..... We did what we had to do supplementing some formula and me pumping for hours to only get mere drops. And then... just like that, my milk came in and we headed back to the doctor on day 6 of life. Little one was up 7 ounces and doing great. We dropped the formula and have been exclusively breast feeding since. She has now passed her birth weight which makes my mama heart so happy to know she is thriving! 

Five. I am so excited for my first mothers day! We have plans to get out to eat with our parents at a local waterfront restaurant and then head to Wilmington to a paint your own pottery place where I am going to paint a plate with her footprint on it. Becoming a mom makes me think about my own mom raising me when I was a newborn. It is something you can't truly imagine until you become a mom yourself. I just love her so much! Happy Mothers day mom!