Pregnancy Timeline

My very first Mother's Day

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!

This one was a very special one. Not only was it my very first one as a brand new mom, but we got to spend it with my own mom too who is here all the way from South Africa.

People freak out about leaving the house with a newborn and I don't know why. Sure, it may not be as easy to juggle diaper changes and feedings out in public but staying inside your house for weeks on end can get pretty claustrophobic. Perhaps I've just been blessed with a very well behaved baby, but so far (at only 2 and a half weeks) we've visited a craft store, gone grocery shopping, eaten out at a restaurant and our biggest adventure so far... A Mother's Day garden party at The New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx.

How did you spend your Mother's Day?

Where have you been?

When I finally found some time to log into my blogger account last night I discovered the UNPUBLISHED post that I had meant to put up on Monday to explain that I would be taking the week off, but since I forgot to put it up and it is now Friday, I guess I'll just explain whats been going on around here.

 

Little baby Zoey is 2 weeks and 3 days old, which would mean: 2 weeks and 3 days of sleep deprivation, approximately 10,000 diaper changes and adapting to my new role as a moo-cow lactating on demand 24 hours a day.

Zoey is such a wonderful baby and motherhood is more amazing then I could have ever imagined. Sometimes I just stare at her for hours and wonder how on earth I managed to create such an angel.

Have a great weekend and HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the Mommas out there. I'm so excited to celebrate my first one!

Today I'm over here...

Today you guys can find me blogging over at A Home Away From Home.

I've taken over Jenna's blog for the day while she is off on some fun travels back in Africa.
Jenna and I bonded over our similar yet totally opposite lives. You see, she's an American living in South Africa. Plus, she is just generally a pretty awesome person.

Please head over and check out my post where I share everything I love about New York!

Granny!

Yesterday afternoon we headed to JFK airport with lots of excitement because it was finally time to pick up my mom after her long flight from South Africa.

Zoey is my mom's very first grandchild and it is such an exciting time for our family, especially considering all the heart ache we have gone through in the past couple of months.

I am so happy she is here (and she brought with her SA chocolates, Wimpy tomato sauce, Trim and Pronutro! She will get to share these first precious weeks of her grand baby's life, partake in the never ending changing of diapers and stay up all night like the rest of us!

One Week Old

Little Zoey April is one week old already.

These past few days I have found myself conforming to every "brand new mom cliche" there is.

I can spend hours just staring at her, observing every expression and pointing out her daddy's features (I'm still hunting for mine). I miss her every time I put her in her bassinet to sleep and can cry on command every time I think of her growing up. (thanks hormones!) My stock pile of diapers is quickly diminishing and I'm trying to adjust to my new life as a sleep deprived, milk producing machine. 

Life has never been better and I'm soaking up every minute of motherhood.  

 

weight: 7 and a half pounds. She is back to her exact birth weight. (they loose 10% of their weight while still in the hospital)

length: 19 and a quarter inches with the cutest little frog legs!

Eating: She loves to eat. It took us a few days to figure out this whole breastfeeding thing, but I think we've finally got the technique down. I'm also pumping which is a lifesaver because "daddy" can help out with feedings a lot.

Sleeping: She is a great sleeper! Now that she is back to her birth weight I don't have to wake her up every 3 hours to feed. Her longest nap has been about 4 and a half hours.

Firsts: Everything is so new! She had her first car ride home from the hospital and first outing to pick up some Peruvian food for dinner. We gave her her first sponge bath the other day and I just love how blonde her hair looks when it is freshly washed. She was all smiles last night when she was sleeping and we would talk to her. I don't know if that counts as her first smile yet though?

Everyday of April

On my quest to document everyday of this year in pictures, I give you my compilation of April:

(see January, February and March too!)

 

April was the month that I had been waiting in so much anticipation for and what a month it was!

Pregnancy really took it's toll on me this last month and I was totally sapped of any ounce of energy I had left, but Spring sprung in full bloom and with it came the arrival of the most beautiful and tiny edition to my little family.

I also opened my Etsy Shop "The African Llama" and I've been having a lot of fun filling my first orders.

May is here and with it, my Mom, who flies in all the way from South African tomorrow. 

Hopefully May will also bring lots of warm spring days for walks in the park!