Baby's Room

Earlier this year, we began to convert our guest bedroom to a nursery for Kaitlyn. We wanted her to have a room that was girly, but not too frilly. Colorful, but soothing and not too loud. We slowly created and collected the various pieces, and we're really happy with the final product! 

First on the to-do list was the paint color. I love neutrals and wanted to go with a warm gray for the walls. We settled on Sherwin William's "Dorian Gray" (though we color-matched at Benjamin Moore. Their Regal Matte finish is fabulous — it's scrubbable, has no sheen, and goes on smooth like butta!).

Next we worked on the furniture and found a dresser (Land of Nod), changing table (Ikea), crib (PBK), and glider/recliner (Little Castle, ordered via Buy Buy Baby). Because we started on the nursery so early, we were able to wait for sales/promotions on all of these pieces except for the changing table — don't pay full price if you can afford to wait for something to go on sale!

We decided on the Brooke bedding from PBK and bought the crib bumper and a couple of shams for the daybed. It looks so pretty against the gray walls and white crib! The crib sheet is green gingham and also from PBK. 

My mom and I made a trip down to Fabric Row in Philly to find curtain/pillow fabric that would complement the bedding. We ended up finding a beautiful plaid at B. Wilk Fabrics and sewed large panels for either side of the main window in her room (we even lined them...so fancy!). I had a little bit of fabric leftover and, at the suggestion of an interior designer friend Ashley, made simple panels for two small windows in the room. I then used a complementary pink gingham to sew ribbons to tie up the panels during the day. Basically, they're a cheap and easy variation of a roman shade. Perfect!

We also found a lovely pink quilted fabric to make euro shams for along the back of the daybed. And the pink gingham went towards a lumbar pillow for the glider. 

My parents gave us the beautiful cross-stitching that hangs above Katy's changing table. It was something that I recognized immediately, as it was made by my late godmother, Aunt Patti, when I was born. My parents had it re-framed and gave it to us on Easter. Ever see a room full of Italians cry over a cross-stitch? I have! (The changing pad cover is from Target and the baskets underneath are from Home Goods.)

The lamps were my grandmother's, who passed away recently. They're a beautiful, antique milk glass, and my dad re-wired them so that the cords/plugs were up to snuff. It's so nice to have some old family pieces in our new little girl's room! 

So far, the room has been very functional and a lovely place to spend time with Katy! And it even accommodated my in-laws, who visited us in September. We're hoping that Kaitlyn is able to grow into the room without a lot of updates too.

Dear Kaitlyn: Two Months

Dear Katy,

You're two months old today, and we continue to be amazed at how much you've grown, learned, and changed since just one month ago!

Each day, we are overwhelmed by your cuteness, the brightness in your eyes when you smile, your curiosity, and your awareness of the world around you. I find myself saying over and over, "She's so sweet, I can't stand it!" But it turns out that I can stand it, and I've loved the time that we've spent together. I'm already dreading returning to work and leaving you with someone else all day.

You have smiles for me when you wake up in the morning and from naps. And sometimes when you're eating, I'll look down to see that you've been staring at me with a huge grin on your face. It's the sweetest! I'll miss those smiles so much when I go back to work.

Sleeping: You are a sleeping champion! We are continually amazed (and are keeping our fingers crossed) because you sleep so well. This month, we started a bedtime routine with you. First we give you a bath around 7:30pm, and then I feed you, and then I put you down. You don't always fall asleep right away, but usually you're in your crib asleep by 9:30pm or so, give or take an hour. And then...here's the best part...you sleep until anywhere between 6:30am to 9:30am! In the beginning of this month, it was closer to 6:30am, and then I would feed you and you'd go back to sleep for a few hours. As you got closer to two months old, you started sleeping through that early morning feeding and often wake up between about 8am and 9am. Thank you, little girl! Mommy sure does appreciate all of the sleep she's able to get!

As for napping, you generally take a snooze sometime around 11am for about an hour (earlier and longer if you didn't sleep in as late that morning). And you still like to take a longer snooze in the mid-afternoon and usually wake up around dinnertime.

Eating: You are still exclusively breastfed, but not for lack of trying. You are not interested in drinking from bottles and have done so as sparingly as possible. We think that this might be our biggest challenge, as you will need to eat from a bottle soon once you start daycare. Our fingers are crossed that you'll grow more used to it over the next few weeks.

I've discovered that when I eat/drink dairy products, you seem to be much fussier/gassier/etc. So I've been drinking almond milk and trying to avoid dairy for now.

Stats: You had a pediatrician appointment when you were about 6 weeks old. You weighed in at exactly 12 pounds, and you grew to 22.5 inches long! You also got your first round of vaccine shots (I cried with you!). You're still wearing size 1 diapers, but once we use up our current stash, I think we're going to move to size 2. You seem to be growing so fast!

Clothes Size: You are too big now to wear most of the 0-3 months clothes, except for a few items here and there. For the most part, you're wearing 3-6 months...and even some of those are starting to seem a little small!

Milestones/Firsts: Several times this month you have slept through the night — but I mean SLEPT. THROUGH. THE. NIGHT!! We're talking 9pm to 9am! You can hold your head up now pretty much on your own — you get a little wobbly every now and then, but for the most part you have full control. It's so cute to see you have your head up while you peer around! You smile all the time at us, but now you also laugh! It's the cutest thing, because you scrunch your face up and you get this adorable double chin.

We put you in an Adidas track suit (your Daddy's outfit of choice!) for the first time, and you looked so adorable! You did your Daddy proud in it!

Likes/Dislikes: You still love bath time, and you've learned that you can splash the water when you kick your legs! I love the expression on your face every time you do a few kicks. You look so pleased with yourself! Even when you're super tired and fussy before bed, you always enjoy your bath.

You love to fall asleep on my lap once you're done eating, and I love snuggling with you — we've taken a few good naps together!

You love to smile and giggle at Dad and me...and we love making you smile more! You have the sweetest sounding coos, and we can't get enough of them. You smile at Dad as soon as he comes home from work — and you love the sound of his voice! He sings a lot of special songs to you, and you like to fall asleep dancing with him. You also love to laugh at the birdies that hang from your bouncy seat — it's so cute to hear you laughing at them! And you've enjoyed sleeping in a swing that cousins Kate and John lent us.

You still love to eat, but you continue to dislike bottles. We'll keep trying! You still don't like pacifiers either. You still get a little upset when you're in your carseat or stroller and standing still — you like to be a girl on the move! (You must have inherited this gene from your Grandma Lydia!)

Your Aunt Susan make you a lovely quilt, and I just loved your stern expression when your Dad put the quilt over you for a picture! You like to look at the colors and do your "tummy time" on the quilt.

Visitors/Introductions: Your Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Dave came from Kansas to meet you! You loved snuggling with Grandma Kathy, and she sang you songs and hosted several naps on her shoulder!

And here you are with both of your grandmas! I think you may have sensed it, but you were surrounded by so much love that day!

You also met the Hollanders this month, as well as the Mittermaier side of my family. They loved you! This was your first time meeting your cousin Joey, who is about a year and a half older than you. We can't wait for you two to play together!

You are such a special little person, and it's such a joy being your mom! It's amazing how much personality you have already. You are perfectly and uniquely you, and I hope you always hold on to that, my sweet girl!

Dear Kaitlyn: One Month

Dear Kaitlyn,

You are one month old today, and Dad and I can't believe how fast time has gone. We call you our "sweet girl" because that's just what you are. You are such a good baby, and we feel so blessed to have you with us finally! We wondered for so long what you would look like, and you are just perfect. We think you look like a blend of the two of us, though some people say you look more like me or Dad. Time will tell!

Sleeping: You are a good sleeper! You slept in our room with us for the first few weeks. While you were sleeping in our room, your "nighttime sleeping period" typically lasts from about 9pm to maybe 7 or 8am. Often you'd sleep for 3-4 hours before waking for a feeding, so you graciously let your mommy get a few hours at a time. Even though I was awakened 2-3 times throughout the night, I never felt helplessly exhausted this month — people even told me that I didn't look like a tired new mom...what a compliment! At exactly 3 weeks old, you slept in your crib for the first time — what a big girl! That first night you slept from 9pm - 3am before you woke up to eat!! Then you went back to sleep for several more hours before you woke up again. I think you like being in your own room, where it's quieter and you can fall asleep listening to a lullaby CD. Thank you for being such a good nighttime sleeper!

Napping for you is less regular, but you will usually take about two naps a day for anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours (you like to take a long nap in the late afternoon, which always makes me nervous that you won't sleep that night!). You've had some gas issues and a ton of hiccups, which I think makes it hard for you to fall asleep sometimes.

Eating: You were a great feeder from the start. We didn't have any latch issues, and you gained weight like a champ! It seems like you want to eat more often than the "average baby" — usually every two hours unless you're sleeping at night and then you're able to go longer. And sometimes you eat even more frequently than that, and I feel like I haven't gotten up off the sofa all day! So while I feel like a feeding machine, I'm so happy that you and I were able to have success with breastfeeding. We want to start introducing bottles to you soon so you get used to them. Grandma fed you a bottle about a week ago when I went to the dentist — you were a little clumsy with it but drank 4 ounces!

Stats: By 1 week old, you were just a half ounce shy of your birth weight (8lb. 14 oz.). I'm guessing you weigh around 11 pounds by now. We'll know for sure at your next pediatrician appointment in a couple of weeks. You wore newborn diapers for the first week or two, but only because we wanted to use the carton up that we had on hand. You quickly switched to size 1, and those seem to fit you much better!

Clothes Size: Some of your newborn clothes that we got as gifts were too small even when you got home from the hospital! You wear clothes that are mostly 0-3 months.

Milestones/Firsts: You had your first ride in the stroller when you were 1 week old on a warm summer evening. Dad and I took you for a stroll around the block, but it was a short walk since it was still fairly humid outside. You looked so tiny in that big stroller! We took you for several more walks in the following weeks too, and you enjoyed being outside in the warm sun.

You had several trips out this month — your first was to the pediatrician for your one-week check-up. You did great at the doctor until the very end when you got hungry. But I fed you in the exam room and you went back to sleep in the car. Dad and I ambitiously decided to try having lunch at Honey's Sit & Eat, one of our favorite neighborhood "joints"...you slept the whole time and we really enjoyed our lunch. I think people must have thought we were crazy to have a one-week-old in a restaurant! 

That following weekend, we had another outing to lunch at Chipotle and then to Buy Buy Baby to pick up some more clothes and supplies for you. You did really well! I fed you in the nursing room at BBB since you woke up a little bit upset. But you seemed content with me holding you in the store. 

You also made several trips out to Wegman's with Grandma and me for groceries, and you seemed to like being in the Moby wrap while we were foodshopping.

You also had your first trip to the Reading Terminal Market, one of our favorite places to have an early lunch and buy fresh produce/groceries on a Saturday morning. My friend Shannon met us there to meet you, and once again you slept the whole outing!

I also had my first outing by myself, and you stayed home with Grandma and Grandpa. They took you for a walk, brought you outside on the roof deck, and you did great! And I had some time alone for the first time in a while — I think it was good for the both of us!

You went to the annual August Birthdays Party at your Great Grandma's house — she turned 80 this year! She loves to hold you, and you two seem to enjoy each other's company! Since you were also born in August, you're the latest addition to the yearly photo we take of all the August babies.

You smiled for the first time (with it not being gas-induced) on the day you turned one month old! We had sensed for a few days that you were starting to show happiness via smiling, but we got a definite, purposeful reaction from you at one-month old. It was so exciting and made us do and say really silly things just to get another out of you.

Likes/Dislikes: You love to snuggle with Daddy and me, and we're not complaining! You don't mind being in the stroller or carseat as long as we're moving. You do not. like. standing. still! At least not as long as you're strapped into a carrying device. You really like to take baths, so we have a fun time each evening washing you up. You don't like having a wet diaper, and we find ourselves going through a ton of diapers! But once you're wet, you're super fussy and changing you seems to make that all better. You love to eat! And you're not pleased if eating is delayed. You just love when Dad sings to you, and his favorite tune to put you to sleep is Three Little Birds by Bob Marley. You like to watch lights and screens (you stare at the curtains/windows, lamps, the television, etc), and you seem to like music.

Visitors: You were a popular girl this month and had a lot of special visitors! In the hospital, Grandma and Grandpa were your first visitors on the day you were born. The next day, you were visited by your Grandma's side of the family (Great Grandma and Grandpa Puffy, Aunt Karen, Rich, Aunt Carol, Uncle Bob, and cousins Christina and Gina). And later that afternoon, Daddy's friends Alex and Rory and Ashlea and Tony came for a visit. Ashlea was only in town for a few days and was hoping you would be born before she left town — so great timing on your part, Katy! Once you got home from the hospital, you were visited by Ashley and Justin and took in your first roof deck sunset with them. A couple of weeks later, you met your cousin Lauren, Aunt Patti, and Uncle Don, who were in town to move Lauren into her dorm at Temple. You also had another visit from my friend Shannon.

All in all, it's been a pretty laid back month. But I must say that I'm glad that nothing too eventful happened! At about one week old, your skin started peeling, and your entire body basically molted! It was a little crazy that we could peel big pieces of skin off of your face/hands/legs/etc. And then you had a bout of baby acne, which made your skin look a little sad for a couple of weeks. But towards the end of your first month both things seemed to resolve themselves.

Thanks, Amy!

My friend Amy does a lovely thing where she basically records her cute baby girl's progress from month to month on her blog. Not only do I love reading it, but I would love to have that same journal to show Katy some day! So I decided to use Amy's idea for our baby girl. Thanks for the idea, Amy! I love it!

The Evolution of Katy

I love looking at my pregnancy progression photos...it's so fun to see how and when she (and therefore I) grew! A big thanks to my photographer, Brad. :)

16 weeks...

21 weeks...

27 weeks...

35 weeks...

39 weeks...

The last two pictures were taken on July 27th, and she joined us eight days later! What an adventure it was, and I'm so glad that we took these photos to remember where I started and how big I got! 

Welcome Baby Fisher

As we waited to be admitted to the L&D unit on August 4th, 2012, we took our last family photo before our baby girl joined us "on the outside." We were so excited to meet her! 

Kaitlyn was born August 4th, 2012 at 6:19pm. She was a beautiful, healthy baby girl, weighing in at 8 pounds, 13.5 ounces (the hospital rounds up to 14) and measuring 20.5 inches long. 

We couldn't hold her right away, but she looked right at her daddy while the pediatrics unit was checking her out. She was so sweet right from the start, and Brad and I had never felt so much love or joy. 

Our first family photo once I was finally allowed to hold her. Katy's pose/expression cracks me up! (I think she was trying to suck on her hand.) I also love how fabulously puffy I look! They don't mess around when they pump you full of fluids! 

One of my favorite memories was seeing Brad hold her for the first time — and I tried to capture it from the hospital bed. He says that she looked so deeply into his eyes when he held her — instant connection!

Katy was so alert from the moment she was born, and it was amazing to watch her take in the world around her. I'm sure it seemed chaotic compared to the warm, dark, safe place that she grew used to in our 9 months together!