Ashlyn at 8 weeks

Yep, it's late. And that's okay, because as Ashlyn gets older, she sleeps less and wants me to play with her.

Like this: 

(I think something is wrong with her eats though...she likes it when I sing...).

Ashlyn had a big second month of life too, and here's some highlights:

She decided she's a once-a-week pooper. And it's usually Thursdays. Her first blow out was in this cute little ballerina onesie, and it was during dinner and she fussed and Grandma Alice picked her up...and the poop went all over.

At six weeks, I got cleared for all activity by Megan, so we came home and took the BOB out for our first run together. I ran a mile at the park just under 12 minutes, and she slept through the whole thing.

Ashlyn has been around long enough now that Cole has adopted her as part of his pack. I think he took it seriously when Tim told him that while Daddy was in Florida, Cole had to protect Mommy AND mancub.

We started tummy time while we were in Carp. I would put her down on her tummy and she would wake up for a diaper change or feeding. No so now. She takes at least one nap a day on her tummy.

Ashlyn has also started to grow out of her newborn clothes. :( Bye bye, King of the Mountain red polka dot dress picked out by Papa. Bye bye little hand-me-down onesies from Bekah. Bye bye tiny socks. Now I'm trying to get her to wear her remaining fitting newborn outfits as much as possible, including this cute little dress from Mimi.

And because she has outgrown so much stuff, I get to get her a few new things, including this thuggin' hoodie, because the newborn one was way too small, and the 3-6mo ones are way too big, this one's juuuuuuust right!

Grandma Alice and Pa Jack came to visit Ashlyn for the very first time. Here's 4 generations of Tregea women :)

AND the best...she started smiling!!! I love it!

As Ashlyn has started sleeping less and being more aware of her surroundings, she actually likes to look at the elephant toys on her elephant seat (second to the dogs of course, if they're around, she's looking at them)!

With all that activity, she still loves her carseat. She has slept through church every week we have gone, and usually falls asleep in her carseat on the way.

Actually, she'll sleep anywhere, including Pappy's arms while he throws the frisbee and ball for all the doggies! 

Happy 2 months, baby girl!  We love you!!!

When the baby's in bed

When the baby's in bed, I should be blogging, telling you about her last 3 weeks (or is it last 5 weeks?).

But there are so many other things I want to be doing! 

Cuddling with my doggies

Using my new "A Beautiful Mess" photo doodling app. It's so much fun!!!

Reading blogs on "Bloglovin'"...finally I have an app where I can read blogs from my phone. Just in time for vacation. 

I also need to paint my toes. I'm thinking OPI's "Purple with a Purpose" next. 

Oh, and sleep. I'd also love to be sleeping right now, but Tim is trimming and marinating tri-tip for tomorrow night, so I'm keeping him company. 

Don't worry, I'll tell you all about Ashlyn's accomplishments soon, but right now, she's crying. 

At Papa and Gigi's

Ashlyn had her first vacation over Memorial Day!!!  Tim and I had said we wanted to take her somewhere before we started traveling for the summer so we would know how she traveled in the car and how she slept in a new place with her routine different.  She did great!

While we were there, Mom & Dad hosted a "Baby Party" for their friends to come meet Ashlyn.  I made these yummy cupcakes and everyone loved them!  

The chocolate ones are yellow cake with pudding in the middle with chocolate buttercream frosting, a la Boston Creme Pie.  The Oreo ones are, well, Oreo, with Oreos in the cake and Oreos smushed on top of the buttercream frosting.  

Ashlyn wore her whale dress for the first time for her party.  How cute is that?!?!

Walking Again

After one month, I finally feel like I'm ready to work out again!!! I'm daydreaming about going running again (okay, and maybe a little inspired by the new workout clothes and shoes I got yesterday at the Camarillo Outlets, yay!)

Ashlyn and I have the privilege of spending some time with Papa and Gigi this week, which means while my mom was finishing up the school year we got to go on a walk by the beach! 

I had a hat for Ashlyn (I'm so excited it actually fits), but I borrowed a hat from my mom.  I picked a purple Cal Poly one because I knew Tim would like it.  

Shameless selfie of his girls that I sent to Tim

We went down to the end of Linden and I parked and put Ashlyn in the "roo pack" (as Tim has named it).  Ashlyn doesn't seem to mind cuddling with her Mommy, but the way her feet hang right in front of my hips makes it hard to walk quickly, which the doggies don't like.  

"Mommy, walk faster!"

Like three trains went by, and the doggies weren't too sure about them.  Cole always wanted to run to where he could see it, and they would both twist their ears so they could hear better.  

Kensi watching the train

This is where I get to walk in Carpinteria.  How lucky am I???  The doggies don't mind it either, though I'm sure they would rather be playing on the beach than walking on the bluffs!!!

"Beach, please, Mommy?"

This was Ashlyn's first glimpse of the beach...I'm pretty sure she slept right through it!

We got to the end of the trail where we turn around, and the doggies didn't want to drink water, so on the way back, they hung out their big, fat, pink tongues.

Little dogs, big tongues

I felt like we walked forever, and the roo pack totally makes me sweat, but it was so worth it.

Holding hands

Ashlyn Deane: One Month

Happy 1 month Birthday, sweet girl!!! 

May 28, 2013

We're enjoying you so much and you only get more fun! 

Ashlyn has had quite a few significant "firsts" in this first month:  

Meeting her doggies for the very first time

Meeting all her cousins for the very first time

Adjusting.

Everyone says everything changes forever when you have a baby.

Daddy's girl.

Mommy's world.

And I believe it.

Family photo on my first Mother's Day (2 weeks)

But its not  quite as much change as I expected.  Here's why:

• I started being a "stay-at-home-mom" at about 20 weeks, so by now I'm used to staying at home, doing house chores, and hanging out with the dogs. No anti-social shock.  

Ashlyn's first cuddles with the doggies

• Ashlyn has been a relatively good eater.  She usually goes about 3 hours before she wants to eat again, so I do feel like I can get out and go run errands or do something around the house.  (Except in the late afternoon, she just wants to hang out and eat and be held, aka, take a nap on Mommy...this may become my blogging time!)

Wiggle-time on the couch!

• I wake up less times at night to feed Ashlyn than I was getting up to go to the bathroom during pregnancy.  Win.  Too bad it takes so long to feed her.  

Ashlyn after her first bath (5 days).

• I feel bored because I made so many freezer meals.  I've been being really consistent at meal planning and grocery shopping only once a week, that now my Mondays seem empty and we just keep eating leftovers! I'd rather just make dinner.  

Cuddles with Mommy

• I'm back to walking the dogs (who are out of practice at leash-walking, grrr).  

Family walk with the rest of the Paulsens out
in Montana de Oro

• Ashlyn sleeps in her own room at night, there isn't a big Pac'n'Play clogging up our room. She sleeps in her room because she's noisy, and we don't want to listen to her little grunts and squeaks all night long, and then I can change her and feed her in the middle of the night without totally waking Tim up (we have decided this is best for us due to the nature of his job).  

One of Tim's favorite pictures of me and Ashlyn

Sweet girl at 2 weeks

Ashlyn Deane: A Birth Story

Ashlyn Deane Paulsen

April 28, 2013 at 6:23am

7lbs, 6oz; 20in

Some people call their birth stories, "labor stories".  This is definitely not that.  It's a birth story.  

Ashlyn after her first bath

Tim has been working a lot, meaning, all his Fridays off, most Saturdays, and he was supposed to work Sunday.  We had been looking forward to Miracle Miles for Kids on April 27th for a while (hoping we would have our baby by then, but also so that Tim and Drew could go kayaking).  Tim found out he had to work, and I decided to go up to Cayucos for Miracle Miles for Kids with the dogs anyways as a way to be distracted and not sit at home by myself all day.  

At 12:30am (Sunday now), I woke up with cramps and started watching the clock to see about how far apart they were, and at around 1:30am I woke up Tim when they were about 5 to 6 minutes apart with, "I don't think you're going to work today!" We started using an app on my phone to time the cramping, and got up to have something to eat, thinking we were in for a long day.  I ate some greek yogurt, and Tim made a fried egg, and sat down to write an email to people at work detailing what he was currently working on.  The doggies woke up (thinking it was morning) and wanted breakfast, and Tim actually did give them a snack (and gave Cole his morning dose of antibiotics for his ears).  Tim put the last of the things like phone chargers and the dog bed in the car.  

Around 3:30 we called Megan because although my contractions were only 30-45 seconds long and not too intense, they were 3 minutes apart.  Megan said I probably wasn't in active labor yet, because I could still mostly talk through the contractions, so to try and stay home and relax as long as I could, but to get to the hospital before I was in transition, because she's heard going through transition in the car is terrible.  

It is.