1 Month Old!!!

Sayler Jaye...you are one month old!!! (Actually you are 6 weeks old today...Mommy was just a huge slacker and didn't get this post drafted until 2 weeks after the fact.) I can't believe it has already been 6 weeks...you are changing so much every day right before our eyes and I just want to push pause and take a few more moments to soak it all in. Here is what you have been up to:

• You wear a size 1 diaper...but you could still fit in the newborn size too. We just don't have any more as people told us not to buy to many of those b/c you wouldn't be wearing them for very long.


• You still wear all newborn clothes but there are some things that will probably not get any more wears out of you because you have grown out of them...I don't know why but that makes Mommy sad :( Guess I better suck it up and get used to it huh?


• You are a GREAT sleeper and take several long naps throughout the day and sleep 3-4 hour stretches through the night. You have done that since you came home from the hospital and Mommy is so grateful that you are such a trooper when it comes to catching some zzz's. Mommy gets up with you in the night since she gets to stay home with you all day and Daddy has to get up early to go to work. Even though Mommy gets a lot less sleep she gets SO much love during those late nights with you...I will actually miss getting up with you when you start sleeping through night. Crazy huh?
• We have you on Enfamil AR formula. It has helped so much with your reflux and spitting up. The Dr. diagnosed you with reflux about 3 weeks ago and it has been so hard to see you struggle with it. After you eat you just arch your back and kick your legs out and let out the most painful cries. Mommy has cried too just watching you be in pain. Dr. Paruolo prescribed Prevacid solutabs for you and they were working terrific for the firs 3 weeks and then in the last couple of days you have been struggling again. Mommy gave you 3 doses instead of 2 and added some Gripe Water to your bottle and it seems to have helped a lot and I am so thankful.
• We call you the following names: SaySay, Toots Magoots, Big Woman, Little Mama, Birdie, Mama's Big One, Lover, Pumpkin, Say Jaye.
• You took your very first trip to Nebraska to spend Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa in Omaha. You were an ANGEL for the entire trip...both ways. The drive was about 13 hours one way and for the trip up and back you slept almost the entire way and hardly fussed at all. Mommy and Daddy were so proud of you and couldn't believe what a good little traveler you were. Grandma loved on you the entire time we were there and I am sure is missing you like crazy. She and Grandpa got you a doll baby, a tea set and elf on a shelf for Christmas. We are so excited to play with all of them when you get older.
• You have started to smile a bit when Mommy or Daddy talks to you and when I tell you it melts our hearts...I mean melts them. We can't wait for you to start cooing and smiling more and more.
• You love tummy time with Daddy and will lay on your tummy on a pillow on his lap while he jiggles his leg and fall fast asleep.
• You HATE taking a bath...it makes you madder than a hornet. You never scream louder than when we are giving you a bath and then putting lotion on you afterwards. I know you will start to like it soon enough but Daddy and I will dread bath night until then :)
• We tried to take a walk with you in the stroller on a nice day...it lasted about 15 seconds. Let's just say you were not a fan and we promptly turned around and went back inside. Hopefully you will love walking with us very soon as we can't wait to take you out and about.
• You are SO strong. At your 2 week Dr. appointment the Dr. made the comment that you were really strong and that you could hold up your head so well for being so young. You hold your head up for long stretches and look around the room. Mostly you look at the ceiling fan...Daddy and I think you have a crush on the fan as you will stare at it for 20-30 minutes and smile and flirt with the fan. You heart the fan and we get jealous watching you pay so much attention to it!!!
• You are the light of our lives and we cannot imagine living one day without you. We love you Baby Girl!!! Can't wait to see what you are up to next month!!!

Love,

Mama

I thought I knew...but I had no idea.

Sayler Jaye Doss...you were born on November 19, 2009 at 8:42 pm. You weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz. and were 20 inches long. You had a full head of black hair and were the most precious baby your Mommy and Daddy could have ever dreamed of. How could we have ever imagined a love like this? Both Daddy and I ask God every night how we could be so lucky to be the recipients of God's most perfect creation. You are the best thing to ever happen to us...we love you more than words can express.

Here are some pictures of your birthday and your first days at home.

Mommy posing with you still in her belly the morning we left for the hospital.

Mommy all checked in at the hospital.

Mommy and Daddy waiting for your arrival...I think I had the epidural at this point :)

After 13.5 hours of active labor you arrived!!! Mommy was so relieved to hear your loud cries.

Here you are letting everyone know that you mean business!!!

The Dr.'s checked you over and told us what we already knew...you were perfect.

Here is Dr. Livingston. He delivered you into the world and we love him for it!!!

Daddy went and spied on the nursery staff to make sure they were taking care of you and took this picture. He was protective of you from the very start.

Here you are in the hospital the morning after you were born...sleeping like an angel.

Mommy and Daddy took you home on November 21st...you wore the sweater and bonnet that Mommy wore during her baptism when she was a baby. You looked so cute!!!

Fired Up...Ready To Go!!!

This is one of your most favorite places on earth...laying on Daddy's chest always puts you right to sleep.

Grandma and Grandpa got there on that same afternoon and this is a picture of the first time Grandma held you in her arms. She is head over heels in LOVE with you and was a great big help to Mommy and Daddy for the first 2 weeks you were home.

Daddy rocking you. You were so alert for the first time!!!

Mommy's precious little woman. How cute are you???

Lying on the changing table after your first sponge bath...you are not a fan of the bath, or having your diaper changed, or getting dressed. Basically anything that causes you to be cold makes you madder than a hornet!!!

Mommy and Grandma took you to your first Dr.'s appointment on Tuesday, December 1st. They said you had a touch of jaundice but it wasn't serious. They had to take a blood draw from your heel and it broke Mommy's heart to see you so upset. Everything else was perfect and you are a happy and healthy baby!!!

The Dr. said in order to get rid of the jaundice we needed to put you in the direct sunlight as much as possible. Grandma called this your "sun therapy" and here you are sunning yourself on her lap.

Look at my precious girl...I could just eat you up and I never get tired of looking at that face.

Again...your most favorite place on earth.

Our little razorback!!! That bow is bigger than your little peanut head!!!

Grandma took this picture of you on our bed and Grandma, Grandpa and Daddy all saved it as their screen saver. I think it is a pretty adorable picture of a pretty adorable baby.

Mommy found this photographer (Miss Amy) over a year prior to you being born. I knew that I wanted her to take your newborn pictures. So off we went on December 2nd to have your pictures taken...and guess what??? It snowed that morning!!! Can you believe it...snow in TX!!! You were SO good for the entire shoot and the pictures turned out AMAZING!!! But how could they be anything other than amazing with such a beautiful model? This picture took some time to get set up. Daddy is actually holding this basket up off the table while Miss Amy shoots the pictures. His arm was getting tired...but he toughed it out an we got a pretty fantabulous picture of you!!!

How precious is this shot of you resting on Daddy's arm? About 5 minutes later you peed all over his arm and the floor :) Oh well...

Mommy loves this one of you with those cheeks!!!

And this picture brought tears to my eyes the first time I saw it. You look like an angel here...and you truly are Mommy's angel.

I love the little folds you have around your belly here...you are just delicious!!!

So what are you up to during these first few weeks? Well...you eat every 2.5 to 3 hours. And you take between 2 to 4 ounces depending on your mood :) Mommy is breastfeeding you and also supplementing with formula to make sure you are getting enough to eat. We took you to your 2 week well visit on December 4th and you weighed 8.75 lbs. and were 21.5 inches long. You gained almost a pound and grew an inch and a half!!! Mommy was happy and sad at the same time...as she wants you to stop growing so fast!!!

You are a good sleeper but Mommy thinks you might have your days and nights mixed up a little bit, as you sleep a lot deeper and for longer stretches during the day and lighter/shorter at night. But that is OK...Mommy cherishes those nighttime feedings as we get to share some good old Mommy/daughter bonding time.

You LOVE to go out in the car and have gone out on 2 lunch dates already. One with Mommy and Grandma to Corner Bakery, and the other with Mommy, Daddy and Grandma to Applebee's. You were so good and did not make a peep during either lunch.

We are learning more and more about you every single minute and just love you to pieces Little Miss!!! We are looking forward to our trip to Omaha for Christmas on the 22nd to show you off. Everyone keeps telling us how beautiful you are. They have no idea exactly how beautiful until they see you in person.

I will love you forever Sayler Jaye,

Mommy