I Don't Want to Forget....

...3-8 weeks.

Three weeks and five days!

It was so nice to get into a routine of our own, and learn your needs in a way that would help us understand each other.  The routine came with great ease.  We would wake up after Dad would leave for work, and start our day preparing a pot of coffee.  Our day consisted of nursing, changing your diaper, snugly naps(I couldn't sleep but loved holding you), singing, and a whole lot of Netflixs.  We are so blessed to be able to have lunch with Dad everyday, and he was always so eager to have you in his arms.  Lunchtime was always a nice break in the middle of our day, and we all looked forward to those 35 minutes of family time.  Dad loved changing your diaper as it was his time to have you all to his self.  You were always so animated and intrigued by all he had to say to you.  The changing table was your favorite place to be, and it is where you seemed to be able to express yourself the best.  You took your naps for the most part in the Pack n Play that sat in the corner of the living room, that way you weren't to far from me in those early days.  The swing and bouncer seat were always there in case I needed to do something and couldn't hold you, and you were always soothed by the vibration or constant movement.  We read every book many times over, and I began to learn them by memory.  Those first weeks were so special, and I made sure to pay close attention to every little detail and tried my best to learn every coo and cry so that I could fully know you and attend to each of your needs. 

At three weeks we headed up for your first trip to Lake Geneva to celebrate Easter with the family.  It is amazing how much stuff you need for someone so tiny!  Grandma D had just had hip surgery, and was cruising the house in a wheelchair.  She loved holding you as you slept against her chest.  You slept great in the crib, and in the early morning laid between dad and I as you slept soundly.  I loved watching the two of you, and found it hard to fall back asleep.  The second night there, you proved you weren't perfect and got a bit fussy as we were getting ready for bed.  Dad rocked you and walked with you, and finally you were fast asleep.  It was new territory for us, as you weren't much of a crier.  There were a couple nights like that, but not many that we can recall.  It always startled me as it was out of character for you, and Dad is much more patient than I.  He would calmly shhh shhh in your ear and you would fight it for a bit, and then finally surrender to his tight hold and fall asleep.  Uncle Timmy and Aunt Bethany came up to join us for dinner, and it was so great to have family together!

Between four and five weeks you began to give us little glimpses of your smile, and we looked like fools trying every little thing to bring it out of you!  By the end of your fifth week you started really smiling, and haven't stopped since!!  You have such a big, gregarious smile that always catches everyone's eye! 

Between four and five weeks!

Tummy time was a breeze from the beginning, I think in part to the fact that when you were an itty bitty we always put you on your belly for naps as you seemed to sleep best that way.  You had good head control from day one and would always push up with your little arms and move your head from side to side.  We were impressed! :)  At about five weeks we started putting you on your play mat, and you were smile and stare up at the hanging animals.  It was amazing how in tune with your surroundings you were, and to this day are extremely observant.  You can spot the tiniest speck of dirt on my freshly mopped floors, EVERY TIME!  You study every crack, crevice, corner, and under every piece of furniture.  It is the cutest thing as you are always so serious and concentrate so hard with your little butt high in the air!  Anyway, back to little Zaylee moments.....

At five or six weeks you and I made our first duo trip to the grocery store, and you were AWESOME!  You sat in your carrier and just observed every little thing I did, and never made a peep.  I was so thankful, as I was a little nervous you were start crying and I would have to leave my cart in the middle of an aisle and make a run for it!   As if no one had ever heard a baby cry...I had issues! :)  Thankfully, you were beyond great, and it was a fun outing and the start to many.

As the weather started getting warmer, we began taking walks around the park after dad got home from work.  It was so fun to push you and watch you take in the fresh air and scenery around you.  You thoroughly enjoyed staring at the trees above you as we passed under each one.  Baseball season had started and we had fun watching the little boys and girls play tee ball in the park, and dreamed of what you will want to be a part of as you grow up and explore all the options of activities offered.  We promise to never push you to do anything, but hope you will find things you enjoy and want to partake in.  If you do, we will be your biggest supporters, and always cheer you on louder than any other parent around! :)  Grandma D and Grandpa D were at every (most) game we played as kids, and it was always so special to have them there cheering and coaching (Grandpa) from the sidelines.  I loved going to my older siblings games when I was young, and always had so much fun running around the gym with all the other kids.  We just hope that whatever it is you decide to do, whether sports, band, math club (hopefully not..) you will have fun and find joy in it without feeling any pressure from anyone!  Just have fun!

At six weeks, we celebrated our first year anniversary!  Dad planned a dinner date and had Grandpa D and Grandma D come down for the night to watch you while we had a date night out.  When you are nursing a baby, a date is a total of two hours, and that was just about the length of time that I could handle being away from you.  We went to The Melting Pot, and had the best waiter which made our time so much fun!  We laughed so much, and just had the best time eating and joking and talking and just being together.  It was special and perfect.  You were a little fussy taking a bottle, but mostly you did great and slept with Grandpa on the couch.  We were so happy to have you to come home too!

When you were seven weeks old, Kimmy and I took you on a little midweek roadtrip to Lake Geneva.  You met Jill Piniotes for the first time, and we all had lunch with Aunt Erin and Grandpa D at the new Crepe restaurant in town.  It was really warm that day, and Grandpa D takes any excuse for an ice cream treat, so we walked down the street to the frozen yogurt shop and had some good fixings.  Your cousin Kendrick wouldn't stop holding you, and thankfully you have always taken well to being her little dolly.  She still loves carrying you around! :)  We even made a quick trip to Grandma D's office to say hello, and she was very happily surprised!  It was a fun little change to our regular routine and as usual, you did great!

We also had one of your first play dates in your seventh week.  We met Aunt Erin and kids at "Auntie" Jacki's house in Palatine.  Deanna and Parker, along with Aunt Diane, were there too, and we had so much fun watching all of you kids fill a room with so much noise!!  Although you were still a quiet little thing, so we just snuggled you and stared at your cuteness.  The following day, we met up with Grandma D and Grandpa D at Palos Hills Assembly where Grandma had spoken about their time in Honduras.  We joined all the women for lunch in the basement, and had fun showing you off to all of the people that had held me when I was your tiny size.  We met Quintin that day, and soon you two would become buddies as we continued to meet most months for playdates!  That weekend was a busy one, and on Sunday we were able to meet another little friend named, Kylan, at Linnea Carrera's graduation party.  So many little baby friends all born so close together! :)

Right before you turned 8 weeks, we celebrated Mother's Day in Lake Geneva!  It was a beautiful weekend, and we enjoyed walks to town with the whole family, and took lots of pictures, and just enjoyed being with the family.  Dad made me a sweet photo collage, and bought me some new perfume.  We both LOVE perfume and never get tired of receiving new scents as gifts.  We could spend hours smelling different scents in the department stores, and never grow tired, but most definitely grow an ache in the head! :)  We loved our weekend celebrating Grandma D, and of course ME!, and even got to skype with Mamie to let her know how much we love and appreciate her!  We are so very blessed with two wonderful, loving, caring mothers that do far more than we could ask for!

The first eight weeks were so fun, and filled with so many memories!  We went out to eat multiple times with your Aunt Bethany and Uncle Timmy, introduced you to open house, began leading Alpha Course every Sunday, you discovered your hands, and overall we just fell more and more in love with you and your sweet little personality that brought us so much joy! 

Laughter Love

Daddy always gets you laughing, and I love every minute of it!! :)  I always joke that you love him more, but really I'm just jealous of the fun you guys have. 

I hope you always find him funny and never grow up too much to find him "uncool", because he is the coolest and loves you the best!

First (official) Word

Although you do say Mama, and occasionally what we think is Dad, you don't always say it appropriately or intentionally.  Lately you have been communicating so well, and it is amazing to us the amount of words and things you truly do seem to understand.  You have started signing please, but we are still working on how and when it is used.  The sign for more is so cute to watch you use, and you are using it more intentionally these days, when you aren't overly frustrated.  In a frustrated state you just swing your hands while whining and yelling, but you are learning that gets you no where and fast! :) 

Last week your dad was lighting a candle, and in the process was showing you the flame as he kept repeating the word "hot".  He was holding out the 'H' and emphasizing the word as you closely watched what he was doing with his mouth.  "Hhhhhootttt!" And then from your cute little mouth with a whole lot of concentration you said, "Ot".  The best!!  Dad yelled to me with great excitement and gushed on how smart he thinks you are, and he isn't just biased he says.  Ever since then, you say it every time I have my coffee mug in hand, or we are close to the stove, or lighting a candle.  You get it, and it is the coolest thing!  

Your mind is on overdrive these days, and it is so wonderful to be able to watch you learn and discover.  I say that a lot, but it is the truth and I love it.  And you!  :)

I Don't Want to Forget....

....sleeping pattern. 

We swaddled you from day one, and I am so glad we did!  You were so active from the start, always kicking those little feet of yours, and the swaddle calmed your little body down so that you could rest and sleep soundly.  From those first days on our own, we started a night time routine.  Each night at your 8 o'clock feeding, we would swaddle you half way through and would hold you close immediately following your feeding.  You would fall asleep almost instantly, and we would lay together on the couch in the basement until it was time to go to sleep.  Most nights you would wake as we went up to bed around 11-11:30, in those first weeks, and then again at 3:30.  You fed for about 20-25 minutes each time, and I would often play Phase10 on my phone while dad laid half awake next to me ready to put you back in your cradle.  You always went straight back to sleep, and I was so extremely thankful for your kindness in the nighttime routine department!  By four or five weeks you would stay asleep until 1:30-3 after your 8 o'clock feed, and then wake again around 5:30-6 and other times 7:30 to feed.  I didn't mind, as you would always fall right back to sleep which meant we would sleep in until between 9-10am most days.  I felt guilty, but at the same time felt so thankful to be getting the rest I needed.  Aunt Erin and Grandma D said to take advantage of this little fact, as it would be the only time I would ever get the luxury of following your schedule, because with the next baby I wouldn't have the same luxuries!  I stopped feeling guilty :)

In the beginning  you would sleep anywhere, and it took very little to get you to sleep.  We would snuggle you close, shhhshhh in your year in our own special rhythm with your bunny close to your cheek and nuk in your mouth and within minutes you were out!!  It was wonderful, but by five or six months this was no longer the case, and you definitely preferred your bed or carseat.

On the night you turned 7 weeks, you slept for 9 hours straight!  I thought it was a fluke, but indeed it was the start of a whole new routine.  At this point, we started swaddling you and putting you down for bed in your cradle at around 8:30.  It was so hard for me to leave you in the room instead of holding you for hours on the couch, as you would sleep so sweetly on my chest.  You would sleep until around 5-5:30, eat, and sleep again until between 8-9.   On May 21st we put you in your crib in your own room for the first time!  I was a mess, but it was time.  You woke up three times that night, and I felt so bad!  The next night you slept great, and my mind was put at ease once again.  I had started putting you down for naps in your crib a couple weeks earlier to get you used to the room and mattress, and I think that helped the transition process.  I'm not sure exactly when you dropped that 5-6 am feeding, but it was right around 2 1/2 months.  At that point, we started moving your bed time up closer to between 7 and 7:30 so that we could start getting into a more set routine that would be more feasible for our days.  You would sleep until right around 7:30-7:45, which was perfect for your dad as he was able to see you quickly before he would leave for work most mornings.

The morning after your first 9 hour stretch!

It was a wonderful night time schedule, but your naps became a point of frustration right before you were two months!  You were a 40-minutes-on-the-dot napper for what seemed like forever, but in reality was probably the better part of a month.  I tried everything, from feeding you immediately upon awakening for a week straight to see if it was a hunger issue.  It wasn't.  I would let you cry for a while to see if you were transition between sleep cycles.  It wasn't.  I shortened your awake time after feedings to make sure you weren't over stimulated.  You weren't.  It was just a phase, and I learned to get used to the short breaks in the day to get what I could done!   The day you finally took a 2 hour nap was right around 3 months, and I had to go peek at you to make sure you were still breathing! :) You were, and I was elated with the huge jump in your sleep schedule and freedom to actually get something done while you rested.  You took three naps a day until you were around 7-8 months, most days, and slowly transitioned to a long morning and afternoon nap.  You are still taking two naps, and for the most part they are still close to two hours each.  Some days one of them is significantly short, but you are so content to just stay in your crib talking and entertaining yourself, and that is fine by me! :)

When I started putting you in your crib for naps, I started a "sleep routine" each time I would put you down for both naps and bedtime.  I would swaddle you, put your bunny up next to your cheek, give you a Nuk, and sing to you.  It set the tone for sleep time, and I think it really helped your body to relax and get into a sleepy state.  I would place you in your crib while you were still awake, and I would sneak out while listening to you moan and soothe yourself to sleep.  I was extremely blessed to get by without having to listen to you cry it out (until 8 months and only for a night or two--so hard!), as sleep was something you thoroughly enjoyed.  The routine was great, and truly helped both of us stay joyful through out the day!  You are a little lady of habit, and like your routine, just as much as I do.  It helped us know one another and be comfortable and flexible.  I never felt clueless as to what was wrong when you would start fussing, as you always gave me a clear sign of what you needed, and it always coincided with our schedule.

You truly have spoiled us immensely and we are so grateful for the sweet little girl you are.  By no means are you perfect, and there have been a few rough moments (God bless your father in those moments for being the peace I was lacking), but even in those times that you are a little "off" we consider ourselves beyond blessed by your happy little demeanor.  Dad keeps reminding me that our next baby might be completely different, and may cry much more than you ever did, but I know it will be just fine no matter what, because we will learn and discover new things with the next one the same way we did with you Zaylee girl.  It will be a new normal, and if things are hard, I will just call Grandma D and Aunt Erin like I did all the time with you!! If you had a day of unusual fussiness, I would call and be frantic and they would laugh and think I was crazy.  It's all a learning game with the first baby, and I am so thankful to have two older sisters and a sister in law that had let me be a part of their families in their baby rearing days and taught me so much!  No matter how much I knew or learned through so many experiences, when you came and I was responsible for your life, it was a whole new world and I needed encouragement and guidance a whole heaping lot! :)

Thank you for being so wonderful my darling girl!  We love you and your good sleeping habits!  

I Don't Want to Forget...

...the first couple weeks! 

The other day dad and I were talking about how in a little over a month you will be ONE year old!!  It is hard to believe, and the time seemed to just fly by.  I started this blog for you when you were just about three months old, and I have loved writing in it for you.  It started out with mixed purposes and I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted out of it, but I knew I wanted it to be our secret and only for family eyes to see.  It is our personal memoir of our life with you, and I love that it is sacred.  Although I do all the writing, dad often reminds me of things to put down for memories sake, and this is one of them.  Since I started this well into your first year of life, he thought it would be a good idea to put down some thoughts from our first months with you so we had an accurate account of your first year!  Here are a few highlights, thoughts, adventures, and facts about your first few months, but I can't promise the true accuracy as it all gets a little blurry when looking back.

Going home outfit!  So pretty!

We brought you home on an unusually hot, eighty degree day for March.  It was Sunday afternoon on March 18, the air was muggy and the sun shining bright.  You slept the whole way in the car without making a peep, as I held your head in my hand to prevent it from rolling side to side.  Turned out, we had your carseat all wrong and what was meant to be your headrest was instead fit snug around your little baby butt.  Dad drove extra careful and we couldn't wait to get you home! We stopped at Caribou to pick up a Spicy Chocolate Mocha for me, and headed down the street to Bunker Hill Court.  The first thing we did when we arrived was open up the computer and skype with your Mamie, Papi and family in France.  They were overjoyed and wanted so badly to hold you right then and there.  As we were chatting, you my dear had your first blowout and made quite the mess.  A wonderful welcome home gift for us to receive! :)  Grandma D and Grandpa D were out picking up a few things for you, and shortly returned home.  It was so nice to have family around us, and later that day Uncle Craig, Aunt Janine, Micah, Avery and Cohen came over to meet you, as well as, our good friend David!  They all loved on you, and gave you many kisses and snuggles.  From the start Micah was so in love with you, and he is still just the sweetest thing when it comes to you!  It was a fun day and a great way to be welcomed back home with you my dear girl.

Our first night in our own room was so wonderful.  We went to bed right after your 11 o'clock feeding, and at 3:30 in the morning I woke up to find you fast asleep!  I woke your dad up and he gently took you out of your wooden cradle and changed your diaper to wake you a bit so I could feed you.  You ate well and went straight back to sleep until dad had to get up for work at 7:30.  I fed you as he got ready, and he was able to snuggle you before heading off for his first day back to work.  That would be the routine for the next few weeks.  You were a great sleeper from the start and we felt so blessed and most definitely did not take it for granted.  I was told by many women to not mention your good sleep pattern to other moms for fear they may hate me, so when people would comment about the sleepless nights, dad and I would just look at each other and say, we are blessed with a good sleeper and leave it at that.  You truly fell straight into a pattern, and would most commonly wake at 3-3:30 every night for those first weeks, with a few nights here and there switching it up and waking at around 1:30 and then again at 5.  Dad would get you out of your bed, change you, and hand you off to me, and then so graciously swaddle you back up and place you back in your cradle.  We made a good team, and I was so thankful for his help and support.  Often times when I was feeding you he would lay there with his hand on your head and say, "You are a good mom, thank you for all you do."  It meant the world to me!

The first week Grandma D stayed with us, and did more than I could have hoped for.  She was such a great help and encouragement to me.  I felt so comfortable and cared for.  My incision was pretty sore, so housework was not on my list of things, but Grandma D kept things so nice and even ironed all of daddy's work shirts for me!  I took a few naps while you laid snug on my chest, and we would both wake in hot sweats.  You were so tiny and perfect and I never wanted to put you down!  When you were 6 days old, Aunt Erin and the kids came to visit!  We took you on your first walk down the street to the little park while the kids ran wild.  Kendrick couldn't get enough of you, and wanted to hold you every minute.  

By the end of that first week, my emotions started failing me and I was quite the mess.  There were moments in the day that you were extra hungry wanting to eat every two hours, and I thought that was too soon because of things I had read.  Grandma D had went back to work, and Grandpa D was subbing in.  He too was a great help, and gave you your bath, scrubbed the floors, cleaned windows, and loved on you lots and lots!  I was a mess, and he wasn't sure how to handle it, but he did great and reminded me that it was ok to cry but wanted me to know I was doing a great job, and it was ok to feed you more if you needed it in the first couple weeks.  So I did, and all was right again!  That weekend we went out for the first time, and browsed Bed, Bath, and Beyond for a few things we still needed in the house to complete some of the projects we had started.  Aunt Diane and Uncle Fred met up with us, and we all ate at Chipotle together.  You were so good the whole time, and it was so nice to get out of the house for a bit!

We had our first day alone with you when you were 11 days old.  Dad took the day off of work to be with me, and we headed out to return a few boy items we had bought before you were born and exchanged them for some girlie things!  We perused the aisles of World Market, one of our favorite stores, and picked up some treats and a cute picture for your room.  People kept commenting on how sweet you looked nuzzled in to daddy's shoulder.  It was so fun taking you out and having you with us.  We were still in awe that you were ours, TO KEEP!  We decided because you did so well all day, we would go on a little "date" for dinner.  Well that was a mistake, and we learned quickly that we should wait a few more weeks to try that again.  We ate separately while one of us walked around with you, and I realized it was your meal time, but I forgot any sort of cover to nurse you.  So we soothed you by walking and checking out all that was around you!  :)

The following day, we went to O'Hare to pick up your Mamie as she had flown in to spend the week with us.  I brought a bottle so that she could feed you when she arrived, and she was speechless as she stared at you, tears of joy filling her eyes.  We sat and talked awhile as the hustle and bustle of the airport buzzed around us, and just gazed at your sweet little self in your polka dot, strawberry bottomed outfit! 

That week was so special with your Mamie as she soaked you in and kissed you thousands of times while snuggling you close to her.  She was mesmerized by you, and it was a joy to see.  I was at my peak of emotions and felt so off kilter.  I took long showers and sometimes let out my tears as the water hit against my face, all the while, you slept peacefully in your Mamie's arms.  It was so great to have her there, and we were so thankful that she made the long trip to come meet you and be a support to us.  She cooked, cleaned, and helped me immensely always making sure I was fed, well watered, and was able to take care of myself.  On the weekend, we took a day trip to Davenport to meet your Great-grandfather, Roman (Jack) Zay, and his family.  He had recently broke his hip, so we met the family at the nursing home in which he was receiving therapy.  He was tired when we arrived, but seemed very happy to meet you.  It was a short trip, but we were so thankful it all worked out to see him.  It was a three hour drive, and unfortunately your feeding schedule just so happened to be in the middle of both of the drives.  The road to Davenport is long, empty, and lacking many places to stop along the way.  I had an extremely hard time hearing you cry in those first weeks, and would start to tear up and feel heavy chested.  Mamie reminded me that it was ok for you to cry, and in fact, it was even good for you.  It was a wonderful day, and we were all exhausted upon arriving home!  You slept GREAT that night!  Our week with Mamie went quickly, and was very special to all of us.

The first two weeks went by quickly!  I was dealing with a lot of emotions, but was so extremely overwhelmed with joy that you were here and you were mine.  There were a lot of snuggles and kisses.  After the Grandma's left, we were on our own.  I was a bit nervous, but also very excited to start our own routine during the days, just you and me, sweet girl! 

Then it was just the three of us...