Back to work

I've been back to work for 2 1/2 weeks. The first day was very hard. By the time I got up to the surgical floor I was bawling. One of the nurses told me all about her return from maternity leave and how hard it was. That helped. And my friend Erin gave me a hug and she usually doesn't hug people!
So now we are in our routine a bit more. Holly, our summer nanny, comes at 7am by which time I am long gone. She and Isla play and go for little field trips to the Old Port. Holly is awesome and I wish she would quit college so we could have her for the next year. I am a little worried about finding someone else to start in September.
Isla had her 2 month check last Thursday with her pediatrician Dr. Bennett who is really good. She said that Isla has a very pleasant disposition which I totally agree with. Isla only cries really when she needs something and occasionally when she is overtired. Isla weighed 13 pounds 3 oz which is 96% for her age!! What a big baby. I guess my milk is very nutritious. The doctor said that for her weight she should be sleeping at least 4 hours at a time but Isla didn't read the books I guess. She sleeps more like 2-3 hours at the most. Which makes for a long night but I really love breastfeeding and can't imaging giving up a feeding at night yet for her to get a bottle from Mark. He has off erred to take turns feeding her. I'm scared my supply would drop off.
At the appointment Isla got some of her shots. Holly and I couldn't watch. She cried and did the silent wail! So we got some Tylenol which I think helped.
When I'm driving home for work I get so excited to feed and see Isla. I am so glad to be breastfeeding because I feel like Isla and I really have a close bond because of it! And it's something that Holly can't give her so that she can't get confused and think that Holly is her mommy. That was my biggest fear to be honest. I know it's silly but these are the things I worry about.
Isla is growing up and doing lots of new things. It seems there is something new everyday! She is smiling and giggling more. She makes lots of cooing noises. She can grab onto a rattle and hold it for awhile. She loves to look in her mirror. Tummy time isn't her favorite but she loves her baths and cries when we take her out!
This weekend is my first call weekend which I am totally dreading. I can't image being away from her for 30 hours. Hopefully she'll make a little trip to the hospital with her daddy!

Fun summer weekend

My last weekend of maternity leave was a fun one! Friday night we went to a Sea Dog's game (the local minor league baseball team.) Not sure Isla caught any of it as she was facing me in the baby bjorn carrier and sleeping. But her mom and dad had a good time!

On Saturday we went to the beach with Isla. We have to enjoy the ocean while we live in Maine!

Waterpark

Here are some videos of Liam at the waterpark in Apple Valley! Can't wait until Isla is old enough to splash around on hot days...but I don't want her to grow up too fast =)!

Tummy time!

Isla's tummy time lasts about 30 seconds. Then she gets a little upset! But she loves to look at her mirror!

4th of July!!

For the 4th of July Isla attended two parades. One was Jessica and Joel's neighborhood bloch parade. Sophia and Aiden were part of a covered wagon float!

The second parade was in Apple Valley. Isla wore a cute 4th of July outfit to celebrate!

Baptism

On Friday, July 3rd Isla Marie was brought into the family of God. Father Tim baptised Isla in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

Many friends and family members were present. Megan and Joe O'Sullivan are her godparents and presented Isla with a beautiful candle inscribed with the details of the day. Isla was filled with the spirit and cried through the ceremony!

Another special part of the ceremony was when Isla wore a kerchief of grandma Ollie's as the traditional bib worn in the Catholic baptism. Because I had missed her funeral this part was very important to me. Father Tim also blessed our marriage in the Catholic church as part of the ceremony.

Afterwards Barb and Marty hosted a lovely luncheon. Thank you!!

6 weeks old!

Where does the time go? I haven't posted since Isla was 4 weeks old! That's because Isla Marie has been traveling. Over the last week we went to Minnesota to visit family and friends. First of all Isla did a great job on the airplane. Fortunately Mark was able to get a gate pass to help us on the plane since he flew separately on a later flight. She nursed on the way up and down and slept the whole way between!

Once in MN we met Isla's new friends Sacha, Taylor, and Wil. We had brunch with my Gustavus and high school friends.

Next we drove to Moorhead and had a great time seeing old friends and new friends for Isla. We saw Jenny's girls, Haley and Addison. We also saw Jeremy's kids- Libby and Grant. On Sunday night we had a get together with all the Krabbenhoft relatives. Johnna did such a good job of holding Isla!

One of Isla's favorite parts of being in Moorhead was spending time with her gma and gpa K. After her 5 am feeding gma K would bring her into their bed and gpa K would sing songs to her. Grandpa K even got out the guitar and sang to her! It reminded me so much of my childhood.

On Wednesday Mark picked up me and Isla. He was so happy to see her. He said that he never wanted to be away from her again!

That night Jenny Zurich and Carol Bjorklund had a party for Isla! Lots of people were there for her to meet and Tommy made chicken on the grill.

Isla also got to meet her cousins Sean and Liam. We had a fun time playing at the water park. Isla had a great time in the cities meeting her new friend Maxwell Kelso (Mel's baby.) Isla also loved being with her gma and gpa Stapleton. They made her smile and giggle for the first time!

4 weeks old!

Part of this video shows Isla sticking her tongue out! She learns something new everyday I feel like!

We had a rough night last night. She just didn't want to sleep more than 1 hour at the most. Finally at 9 this morning she really fell asleep. I slept with her for most of the day. We did get up and go to the breastfeeding support group. I like going to that group because we all breastfeed together and ask questions about different things. Isla was the only girl today...her friends Warren, Carter and Jackson were there!

1st week videos

Dirty Isla

We had a very laid back father's day. We watched the US Open and ate pizza. I also decided to take Isla's hand and foot prints for this cute frame that one of Mark's co-workers had given us. So I inked up her hand thinking it would be simple enough. Not with squirmy pants. I had to call Mark up to help me because by this point Isla and I were both covered in ink. We got it done eventually with "father's" help. But a bath was in order.

Saturday night I went by myself (without Mark and Isla) to the "Chief's Liberation Party." We bought a breast pump on Friday and so decided to put it to the test. I pumped Saturday morning and got about 3 oz of milk total out. We wanted to do a trial run of bottle feeding before I left. Mark fed her so as not to confuse things and she did great. Gulped down both bottles in record time. So I left and when I got back she was still sleeping and didn't even need any more pumped milk. I pumped again this morning and got another ounce. I'm afraid to pump too much because I don't want to not have enough to feed her by breast during the next feeding.

I finally put all the videos from the last three weeks on my computer so I'll be uploading them soon. The first I'm going to load is her three week birthday video. Enjoy! I think she is so dang cute!