Cornish Hens and Baby Bellies

Last night our sweet, sweet neighbors Ms. Jill and Mr. Carl brought us the most amazing meal. They knocked on our door bearing gifts for the girls, wine, Cornish hens, and ice cream sandwiches, among other things. I really have to brag on this amazing couple; they continually impress us with their generosity and kindness. We are SO blessed to have them living in our building and “doing” life with us. Thank you SO much, Jill and Carl, we love you!!!

As you can see from the pic above, Baby Ella is filling out! I am encouraged by her growth and am feeling pretty good about breastfeeding. Honestly, it is a tougher job than I ever expected. It is very demanding in the beginning (more so than later, I’m told) and I really look forward to having longer stretches where I am “free”. I do love the bond it gives Ella and I, and I’m sure that will only increase as we all get more sleep and get through this first stage…but I’m not going to mince words and only talk about the good parts of it. If I’m going to be authentic in my blog (something I strive for), I have to share all of the down and dirty details. We thought we might make it to church this morning (I was really needing some worship and fellowship) but after deliberating, we just couldn’t figure out the schedule and how to get out the door with both girls and my sanity. Right now I guess we just have to accept that we are in survival mode in the Bischoff house. This is hard when you are used to going, going, going…but there could be a light at the end of the tunnel. We’ve officially started Ella on a schedule and are crossing our fingers for that first night we sit straight up in bed and realize she’s slept through that 2 am feeding. Oh, sweet relief, I can’t wait to sleep longer than two hours at a time.

Christmas Cheer

Yesterday was my lucky day. I was able to get my hair done due to a small surplus of stored milk…thank the LAWD because it was about time. I was also able to make a stop at Lululemon (thanks, Ms. Jen for the hoodie reco!) and the Gap for a little shopping. It felt so great being out alone knowing I had a good five hours before I had to be back at it.
There is a little Christmas market in our neighborhood this weekend, and we had the best of intentions to at least get Charlie out for a spin, but it’s been SO cold and we are all so exhausted…I’m just not sure it’s in the cards. Oh well, Charlie is still debuting her skinny jeans and buffalo plaid top from Baby Gap. Have you seen those adorable Christmas commercials??(P.S. That huge box in our entryway is our new BOB Revolution Duallie stroller. We found it on Amazon on sale!! Who knows when it will actually get unpacked, but hey, it’s here whenever we’re ready. Can’t wait to break that bad boy out!)

A Date with Charlie

My sweet little girl has had a bit of a tough time dealing with her new baby sister. It’s really hard to know how to discipline her right now, especially when we want to be aware of how she’s feeling and “processing” the changes. Today she and I had a Mommy/Daughter date at Starbucks, and I think it was really good for the both of us.

We shared a cinnamon scone and talked about Christmas and trees and other fun things. She loved the fact that I let her roam around without the stroller. We even ran back to the car, hand in hand, in an attempt to keep warm. I think special one-on-one dates with Charlie are going to be just what the doctor ordered.(On a sidenote: Charlie is sporting her “Cherish the Season” sweater from Janie & Jack’s winter ’08 line. I just love this little sweater…so sweet. She insisted on wearing the bow under her hat.)

Movin’ On Up

We have huge praises in the Bischoff house: I took Ella in for a weight check this afternoon and she’s now a hefty 6 pounds, 6 ounces!! One of the reasons this news is so great: I’ve been doubting my milk production and have prayed for an encouraging sign that all is going well and she’s getting what she needs. I never thought I’d be so happy to put away the preemie clothes. Looks like the girlie is movin’ on up to newborn size!

A Heart Filled With Gratitude

If you did one of these things over the past three weeks, you know who you are:

Treated Vann and I to a delicious and decadent sushi dinner in the hospital, spicy tuna and all!Answered question upon question about breastfeeding with a joyful heart and a willingness to help and listen…Came over and held Ella while I sat and relaxed…and also blessed me with a belly full of laughter…Sent sweet gifts for Ella, along with thoughtful additions for Charlie…Handed me kleenex and prayed for me while I wept in Mom’s Group…Called to say you loved me…Gifted me a $25 gift certificate from Amazon, just so I could buy something special for myself…Offered to bring over a meal, just because you wanted to…Sent me encouraging messages over Facebook…Filled my heart with thankfulness and unbelievable gratitude. God knew exactly what we’d need during this time of change…and the friends He has blessed me with, along with my mom (who has been invaluable this past week), have kept me going. I could not have gotten through these past few weeks without the generosity and faith of my sweet friends. You know who you are…and you mean the world to me.