Adventures and milestones.

2 Months-

Is it really possible that our little Nutmeg is already 2 months old?  The past few weeks have simply flown by and Autumn continues to thrive and grow with each passing day.  While week 7 came and went without an update, I will attempt to backtrack and make light of all the little milestones that she has begun to reach! 

Her smiles are ear to ear at this point and just when we think they can't get any bigger they do!  Chris and I both struggle with trying to capture as much as we can on camera because we really are two live in the moment type of people, yet we want to share and capture each fleeting milestone as well!  You'll typically find us both relishing in the moment then stumbling and racing to grab the camera to capture what we can if the moment hasn't disappeared.  Thankfully if we didn't capture it the first time the chances of her repeating it are pretty good!

Her vocal cords are developing rapidly and she is truly saying her first word, 'HI'!  We are positive that we hear her utter it when we verbalize it to her and couldn't be more proud!  We're pretty sure she's quite advanced and let her know that every day. 

Autumn absolutely adores her bath time.  In an effort to get her to sleep soundly through the night we have come up with a nightly routine that soothes her right into dreamland.  First it's bath time where she splishes and splashes cooing at us as we both focus trying to scrub every little inch of her.  There is nothing quite sweeter smelling than a clean baby!  Next, I usually try to follow with a little baby massage if rubbing her little legs, heart tummy and tiny hands and feet.  I'd like to think that she adores this time where she gets her nightly rub down but there are moments when I think she is ultimately looking forward to the next event, the feeding!  We feed her and then swaddle her mid-feeding to continue to soothe her into a sleep.   Usually half-way through the feeding she is beginning to get those tired eyes and it's the perfect time to snuggle her up in her swaddle and begin to move into her nursery where we typically finish the feeding in her rocker singing her to sleep or putting on her white noise that will eventually lull her into dreamland.  After her feeding there are plenty of kisses and good nights before she gets put soundly into her crib and where she will typically sleep for about 6-8 hours!  We are told that this stretch of time at only 2 months old is amazing so we're hoping that this nightly routine continues to work!

We're proud of ourselves as parents that we have had the self-control to keep her in her crib and begin to allow her to do some self-soothing.  There were several nights there where we couldn't resist and brought her into the pack-n-play in our room, but those nights have been behind us for several weeks and we feel she is comfortable in her crib and we love that we are now able to get a bit more shut eye during the night.  We are counting our blessings as I have heard other mom's talking of sleep regressions which can happen in the coming weeks.  Fingers crossed we skip that phase perhaps!

We took Autumn on her first beach trip last week and we think that she loved it!  It was still a bit of a chilly Florida winter day but we let her dip her booties in the sand.  A wave ended up sweeping up to our surprise and getting those little booties a bit wet but Autumn didn't seem to mind at all.  We noticed her sticking her tongue out even more as she lapped at the sea salt air.  We're pretty certain she's going to love the beach just as much as her mom and dad do and can't wait for all the beach trips this summer will hold.  Her little swimsuit is calling her name already!

Adventurer's at heart, Chris took us on our first family hike this past week as well!  While she spent the entire hike completely cozy inside her Ergo, we are positive she is developing a love for the outdoors already.  We notice a peacefulness and calmness about her when we take her outside and we love that.  Toga and Lola took advantage of a creek that we discovered and would you believe that this is Toga's first experience swimming with three legs?  She never ceases to amaze us with her capabilities.  Needless to say we'll be returning the doggie lifevest that we felt she needed.  She's living proof that with the amazing heart, spirit, and determination, one is capable of absolutely anything.

My dad, Autumn's Grandpa Hale, stopped by for several hours of oohing and awwing over her cuteness.  We enjoyed a morning of conversation over doughnuts and catching up on all that has been happening with Chris and I's pride and joy.  It's remarkable how Autumn's mere presence becomes the center of almost every conversation we have.  It just makes me swoon even more as a new parent, something both Chris and I are still relishing in.

It is amazing how motherhood has brought me even closer to my mom now more than ever.  I almost need an entire post dedicated to just how much I have learned from my mom as I embark on a journey that she has been on already for almost 28 years!  As I watch and observe all the little ways in which she cares for Autumn I can't help but smile.  I feel so incredibly fortunate that during this time in Autumn's life I have my mom so close to me.  Not only can I pick up the phone at all hours of the night if I needed to, but I can hop in the car and be at her doorstep in 45 short minutes.  As a woman who boasts herself at being incredibly self-sufficient and independent, I have thoroughly enjoyed the past few days that I have gotten to spend with my mom as she snuggles and cuddles with Autumn while I complete sewing some much needed curtains for our bedroom.  I now embrace more than ever the time I get to spend with her just hanging out, talking and cooing over little Autumn's cuteness!
 

And as one chapter begins another one ends.  We made the executive decision to close Absolutely Fabulous Weddings with the birth of little Autumn.  We came to the conclusion that while we designed some incredible memories and thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of owning our own business, our business model at this point in time and in the economy was not fail safe and the birth of Autumn confirmed that we could not sustain the long hours of nights and weekends that we were putting into sustaining AbFab.  Team AbFab on the other hand will not disappear.  Lauren, Alaina and I have developed a bond that will sustain any test of time and we are all taking this opportunity to open the new chapters in our lives.

Lauren has taken the opportunity to take her personal training to the next level by starting her own blog titled Strong.Healthy.Balanced and is honing in on building up her clientele in the area and pursuing her love of fitness.  I simply can't wait until Autumn gets a few months older and we can collaborate by doing some group fitness and boot camp classes.  With our love of the outdoors, we have seen a need in this area to get people outside and exercising and what better place to do it in than in a state that is sunny 12 months out of the year!  I have missed my roots which are deeply embedded in fitness and becoming a new mom has made me recognize just how flexible my prior fitness career was with my schedule.  I look forward to a yogafit training I have coming up in March and testing to renew my Crossfit Certification officially becoming a Level 1 trainer in May.  I'm motivated beyond belief to find my fitness routine pre-baby and will be posting updates soon on working out with baby in tow!

Alaina is continuing to pursue her true passion as a makeup artist and is already developing a following of her own to no surprise at Alaina Mitchell Makeup Art.  The way that her Midas touch makes a woman feel is truly one-of-a-kind and it astonishes me the way that she can bring out a woman's true beauty with the touch of her brush.  I captured this picture of Alaina putting Autumn in her mirror 'trance dance' and would you believe that little girl just can't get enough of her own gorgeous face?  And neither can we!

And as I find my own true calling as a mother of little Autumn Rose, I couldn't be more proud of both Lauren and Alaina for pursuing their passions and continuing to dream big.  Motherhood has truly has forced me to reflect on how fast paced my life was, (more on that later) and realize that while I will always be a dreamer and a do-er at heart, there is something beautiful about taking in a single moment.  If you knew me, you knew I was consistently multi-tasking at every turn.  Since the birth of Autumn,  I have begun to cherish every single moment for what it is worth, taking one day at a time. One breath at a time.  And what am I discovering?  Life in the slow lane is a beautiful thing.  While I may hardly find the time to take a hot shower, or cook a warm meal, just being with Autumn, learning from her and caring for her adorable self every single day has given me an entirely new perspective of self-fulfilment and self-realization.  She doesn't seem to mind that there are days when I barely make it out of my pajamas or that my hair is tossed up 99% of the time.  So long as she has a shoulder to snuggle on, she's content and happy. 

Happy 2 month birthday to our sweet little Autumn Rose!  Each and every day she never ceases to amaze Chris and I with her inner and outer beauty.  No amount of dirty laundry, spit-up on clothes, or sleepless nights will ever change that!  Thanks to Lo-N for creating this awesome 2 month onesie at the Welcome Autumn party!  Autumn loves her big sisters Lola and Toga already!

Celebrations of life.

6 weeks-

It really is remarkable watching Autumn's developments week-by-week.  I know we're new parents and every little move she makes truly astounds us, but she is already growing so fast!  It seems as if we have blinked our eyes and she's already practically sitting up on her own in her Bumbo chair and gripping things like she's superwoman.

We have yet to have Autumn on a specific routine and it seems to be working for us.  She does typically eat every two hours as of right now but her sleep is fairly sporadic.  Her personality is blossoming and in order to keep up with her visual and tactile demands, we make sure that she gets plenty of activity and play time throughout the day!  She is completely thriving and we couldn't be more proud.  She is rolling over, standing up with assistance of course and she is still rocking her tummy time.  Most days she loves it.  She can practically turn her head completely around at the moment, taking in all that she can in this big world.  Every sight and sound is still so incredibly new to her and watching her take it all in is something that Chris and I spend the majority of our 'newborn filled' days doing.  Just watching her in amazement and awe has become one of our favorite pastimes.  

Last Friday we celebrated Chris's 27th birthday! We kept it low key and ended up going out to eat to Gugliamos (which was a feat in and of itself with a 5 week old!) and finished with cake at my sisters house.  The whole evening was a surprise for him (or at least an attempt at me to surprise him which is incredibly hard to do) and even more of a surprise when he opened up his gift from all of us, a new handheld drill!  Chris had been eyeing Andy's for some time and anxious to get one of his own to work on all the 1,000 or so household projects that we have on our plate.  They had been put on hold with the addition of miss Autumn to our family, but day-by-day Chris has found time to accomplish small projects here and there.  He is a multi-tasking master and some days I envy all that he seems to get done.  This was his first birthday celebrated as a father and I would say that fatherhood completely suits him what do you think?!

 ~here comes the airplane Chris! (pretty soon we'll be feeding Autumn like this!)~

~Mama sneaking in some baby love!~

My multi-tasking abilities on the other hand are something to be desired but I am working on catching up to Chris!  It is all I can do some days just to make sure I have had 3 meals and taken a shower, but I know that 'this too shall pass' as my mom so lovingly reminds me constantly.  While it is frustrating for two adventurers to slow their life down, take things one day at a time, and have more patience than has ever been required of us, we are reminded each and every day when we hold little Autumn that every second is worth it.  We cherish even those moments that we are completely exhausted, holding her snug in our arms, because we know those moments are fleeting and will be gone far too soon.  With every blink of our eyes she is growing and becoming even more amazing than the day before.   

Sunday besides being my love's birthday, the power decided to go out on our block.  Quite the shock to both Chris and I as I woke up to feed Autumn at 4am and then put her back to bed to a flickering nightlight and the eerie playing of the white noise that soothes her to sleep.  Needless to say I was a bit terrified and called for Chris right away.  He promptly went into 'fireman' mode, gathering wood by headlamp outside and building us a glowing fire.  We spent the morning playing cards, cuddling with Autumn and just enjoying spending time as a family fireside.  It is amazing how the simple things feel so good.

That afternoon the ladies at the yoga studio had a Meet-N-Greet for Autumn and I must say it was so wonderful to see all the fellow instructors that I had not seen in months!  My mom and Lauren joined as well and anytime I get to spend with them lately I cherish.  They adore seeing their grand-daughter and niece!   The time spent at the studio was lovely and I can't thank the ladies enough for welcoming Autumn the way they did.  She was so content being passed off to each one of them that I knew she was definitely feeling the positive yoga energy that was present.

One thing that was so special was a 'good wishes' box that they created.  Each person wrote on a rock one wish that they had for Autumn.  We passed around the box as each person recited their wish that they had for her and dropped their rock into the box.  It is a treasure box that Autumn, Chris and I will truly cherish and I can't wait until she is old enough to understand just how precious each one of those wishes are for her.  It is so important to Chris and I that she is surrounded by love and positivity and that she always dreams big.  Her wish box will serve as a constant reminder of all of those things that she should hold near and dear to her heart.  Thanks again ladies for such a wonderful afternoon full of good vibes and positive energy!

Falling in love with Autumn Rose.

1 Month Old-

I can hardly believe that it has been so long since I last recorded an entry on here.  So much has taken place since January 1st, to include the arrival of what has become Chris and I's pride and joy...Autumn Rose.  I will take this post as an opportunity to dive right into parenthood and what week 4 has held for us thus far.  As far as what has happened since my last post, I know I have MUCH to catch up on and so much I want to record (to include her 'Birth Story'!) but will save it for a rainy day, or several days for that matter when I'm in between feedings and entertaining the little sprite.

After some unanticipated recovery time post delivery, I am finally back to society and loving every waking (to include very tired, but still awake) minute spent with Autumn.  I heard from several friends that your child will become your greatest teacher and that couldn't be more true.  While Chris and I spend time attempting to 'perfect' certain methods that we have read about or heard about, Autumn is busy switching up her game, throwing us a few curve balls and teaching us that she is the one that is in control and I have had to stop and truly smirk at this factor.

I was reading on another mom blog that she has spent 11 weeks coming to the realization that they enjoy the natural flow that their little daughter Ada has come into on her own and it is something that I already feel with Autumn.  No need to force things on her, have expectations of certain things that she should be doing at certain times or truly try to dictate every waking moment of her life with what she 'should be doing'.  I like the idea of letting her just 'be' and figuring her out as the days go by.  I found myself nose first in the pregnancy books looking up every single thing that was happening every week she was in the womb and since I have delivered Autumn I have found that I hardly pick up a book.
 Chris has been Superdad and truly has a knack for fatherhood so much of what I have adapted into my motherhood style has stemmed from watching him with our gorgeous girl.  As the saying goes you take all advice with a grain of salt but eventually you come up with your own recipe and I can safely say that's what we have done with Autumn.    

So what is Autumn doing as a brand new 4 week old baby?  She is doing remarkably, if not stunningly well.  She can recognize voices like a champ.  Chris and I love getting close to her face and just talking to her as she sits there wide eyed listening to our words and seeing our faces.  She is also incredibly visual and gets bored pretty easily with things like the mobile, so she's progressed to staring at other objects like her wall mural in her nursery, ceiling fans (which she loves), and even her activity gym which has contrasting black and white toys on it that she is completely digging.  At this age their eyesight reaches about 12 inches and the more the contrast of dark and light the better they are able to visualize.  The faces she is making at this age astonish us both sometimes as well, just check this one out for instance! 

She is digging tummy time more lately because of how well she can hold her neck up.  Her outer strength is just as good as her inner strength (she inherited a very strong will so it seems) and so being on her stomach just gazing away at her toys has become a favorite past time and thank goodness it has because Chris and I were running out of ways to entertain a 4 week old in between feedings while she was awake!

Her sleep patterns are fairly predictable and she typically eats about every 2 hours, plays for a little while, naps and then repeats.  We have been pretty fortunate in that most nights she goes for two 4 hour sessions of sleeping so that Chris and I are able to switch off feedings and both get in our beauty rest.  We thank her dearly for this time and realize that it could be fleeting! (she is loving her boppy pillow at the moment too and it's a favorite place of Chris and I's to put her just to have her 'chill' time. And to snap some photos in several of her many styling outfits she has.  We're all about the hats and leg warmers right now!)

She LOVES her carriers.  While I want to post more about babywearing down the road, Autumn definitely enjoys being snug in her Moby Wrap and Ergo carrier.  No matter who wears her as long as she is being worn she is happy as a clam.

And in terms of our cloth diapering, our dreams have already been answered and she can officially fit into both the Fuzzibuns and Bum Genius All-in-ones that we got her!  While we still have some newborn disposables left from my one Amazon purchase, it's reassuring to know that we won't be needing to make anymore disposable diaper purchases after they are gone. Talk about a relief to the wallet!

In terms of post-partum exercise, week by week I can feel myself getting stronger and back to my 'normal' self. I'll go into detail later what I've been up to in terms of getting back to my pre-pregnant self but it has mostly included running, trekking, plenty of yoga and tons of patience!  I realize that there are only so many hours in my now shortened days but I hope to find time to catch up on all that has been happening with our lives these past few weeks just for the sake of my sanity.  I want to be sure to document those first few precious weeks that you never get back!

And when we're not entertaining the little sprite, we have found a few spare hours to get our room looking put together.  We finally found some decent nightstands on Amazon that we could both agree on, we love them! (the wall mural is coming along but is still half finished.)

Sigh.....she is already 1 month old as of today-Happy One Month Birthday Autumn Rose!  While Chris and I love to watch her development, a small part of us just wants her to stay this size forever...but then again doesn't every parent want that?!

Here Autumn is rockin' out in one of her 12 onesies that were made especially for her at the Welcome Autumn Party~she decided to be extra good for her photo shoot this morning which was amazing! P.S. How fricken adorable is that owl hat that my sister made especially for Autumn Rose?  We can't get enough of it on her!

 ~Fist pumps!~