One Month Old

How is Layla doing one month later?

Weight: She was 5lb 13oz at birth, and last time she was weighed she came in at 6lb 7oz (we go to the doctor this week and we are hoping for somewhere in the 7 1/2-8lb range).

Length: She was 19 inches at birth, and last time she was measured she was 20 inches long.

Diapers: She has moved on from preemie diapers and has transitioned nicely into newborn diapers (except for the occasional leak from the side).

Clothes: She is slowly transitioning from preemie to newborn clothes and I am sure she will be fitting into all of those newborn clothes soon!

Favorite hobbies: Eating, Looking at her friend zebra, eating, being held, eating, laying on her back and kicking, eating (she does eat a lot!), sleeping in her swing, listening to stories, going for walks, and riding in the car.

Not so favorite hobbies: Having her diaper changed, having her outfits changed, laying on her tummy (sometimes we can win her over with zebra), and any kind of wait for food when she is hungry!

Happy 4th of July!

What is in a name?

Many people have been asking us how Layla Rose got her name. Unfortunately, we are not huge Eric Clapton fans like most people think. We do enjoy the song Layla by Mr. Clapton but we actually found the name Layla in a baby name book and it quickly entered our "Top 5" list of names. In order for a name to enter the "Top 5" it had to be a name that we loved and that neither of us had encountered in our schools. This was quite the task, but we are happy with the name and think that it fits our little girl perfectly. I am sure we will meet many Laylas now :-)

Rose has much more significance behind the name. My Grandma Sloan's name was Rose. Grandma Sloan was a very special person to our family and she LOVED babies. She passed away in February 2006 and we all still miss her very much. My sister and I often think about how wonderful it would be to have our Grandma here to enjoy this special time with our babies. Today would have been Grandma Sloan's 77th birthday and I thought this would be a very fitting day to explain Layla's name.

Below is a picture of Grandma Sloan and her sister Yolanda. My grandma is in one of her wonderful laughing modes that we all remember so well.

Below is a picture of Layla and her Great Grandpa Sloan. She is so lucky to have a wonderful Great Grandpa.

Layla's New Friend

Layla has been awake more and more lately. She normally is really awake after her late morning feeding and then from dinnertime on in the evenings. We have been trying to do more tummy time with her and she normally cooperates if her friend zebra is nearby. She is starting to focus on our faces and objects and loves anything black and white. Howie is also fond of the zebra but so far we have managed to keep Mr. Zebra in one piece.















Nighttime has been going pretty well (don't worry I already found wood and knocked on it). Ryan and I do some major teamwork throughout the night. I feed Layla and Ryan burps and changes her as needed. She normally cluster feeds in the few hours before bed (eats a lot in a short period of time) and then has been sleeping for a 5 or 6 hour stretch followed by another 2 to 3 hour stretch. We completely realize this is most likely temporary but we are trying to take advantage of it while we can.

This past weekend we went to visit super aunt Joan and Layla met her Great Grandma Baader for the first time. We really enjoyed our visit and below is our four generations picture (me, my mom, Grandma Baader, and of course Ms. Layla)

Happy Due Date to Layla & Cousins, Cousins, Cousins!

Yesterday was Layla's due date and we have already been lucky enough to have had 18 days with her. Yesterday was my first day "alone" with Layla. We kept busy all day today. We went to a breastfeeding group together, met dad for lunch, and went on a nice long walk with Howie. After yesterday's outings, I am feeling a little more confident with all of the baby equipment that is necessary to go out and enjoy the summer with Layla.

Last night Layla met her 1st cousins once removed for the first time (I have no idea if that is the accurate title, but Ryan's first cousin Jessica had twin girls). The three girls share the same birthday. The twin cousins (Elizabeth & Alexis) were due about three weeks after Layla so we

never expected all the girls to come on the same day.


A picture of the three girls is to the left.

Here is a picture of Shea & Layla together. They are almost exactly four months apart in age. They seem worlds apart in size and abilities right now but soon enough things will balance out and I hope for them to be great playmates and friends.

And last but certainly not least is a picture of Layla and her cousin Kelsey. Not only is Kelsey great with Layla, but she is also great at giving the pets extra love and attention when she is over.

Two Weeks Old!

Layla hit her two week mark yesterday. I feel like the two weeks flew by and I am already worrying that everything is going by too quickly. I am trying very hard to live in the moment, but I just love how little and cuddly she is right now and I do not want it to go away. Everyone assures me that the other stages will be fun too.







Family Picture from week 2 with Ms. Layla
















Dad and Layla after an eating session for Layla












Yesterday was Layla's doctor appointment. Her weight was up to 6lb 6oz! Last time we were at the doctor Layla was 5lb 11oz so the doctor was happy with her gain, but we still have to go back in two weeks to make sure she is still gaining weight.

Below are some pictures with visitors that came this past week. The first picture is of my mom, my aunt Ann, and my aunt Joan. It was a very fun day we spent together and as an added bonus the laundry was done, the dishes were washed, and every diaper was changed before I could even get off the couch. It was like having three doulas :-)

The second pictures are of my college girlfriends Katie and Stephanie. It was so much fun to share Layla with them and I am so glad they came and spent the day with us. Katie is a nurse that takes care of mom and baby so I asked her about a million questions while she was here. I also acted like she was my own lactation consultant! Thank you Katie (and to Stephanie for being such a good sport).

The Morning After Layla's Appetite Kicked In :-)

Ryan thought Layla and I were very funny this morning in our similar sleeping positions. Me in the bed, Layla in the bassinet (but within an arm's reach!). Notice the pacifier next to me "just
in case." As you might be able to tell from my slight exhaustion in the picture, Layla's appetite has finally increased. She was always eating but constantly needed help with the waking up to eat part. Since last night, every two hours (if we were lucky to make it that long) she is waking up to eat. We like to tell her, "Don't get mad...get hungry!"















Tomorrow we go for Layla's first photo shoot and Friday is her next doctor's appointment to make sure she is gaining enough weight. We will update you on these eventful days later this week.