January- Month Four

    The months are FLYING by, its so not fair! I saw a little 8 week old baby at the gym today and I literally got tears in my eyes, TEARS! Winona was that little only a few months ago, and now look at her! She's growing too fast, and its wonderful, and fun, and exciting, and if we're being honest..a lotta bit sad at the same time.

    January was just so much fun! And so busy! For some reason I thought having a baby I'd be less busy because I'd be stuck at home or whatever I thought. It has been SO busy! Zoo dates, park dates, mall dates, family dates, Gilmore Girl dates (obviously with Winona, not Taylor). Honestly, I feel I've made some of the best mama friends around and I love having girl friends! And I love that Winona will grow up with little baby friends! SO. FUN. The beginning of January we were in Jackson Hole for New Years and family time and it was perfect! 

    This month also brought a lot of firsts, and a lot of changes!

- First tummy to back roll-over (1.25.2015 at 16 weeks old)

-First back to tummy roll-over (2.4.2015 just before her 4 month birthday (monthday? also, I know I say January, December, whatevs...I count from the 6th to the 6th, so you'll get a little of the next month in each post..just simplifying things)

-Started REALLY chewing ON EVERYTHING, especially her ball toy, sophie, and her fists, and its not sucking, its gnawing, biting. I guess she was doing this in December, but it turned a little obsessive this month.

-THE wiggliest! She's moved several feet just wiggling, not rolling, or crawling..just squirming, its pretty impressive!

-She is super hyper observant. Loves to watch me eat (like, she tracks the food from the plate/glass into my mouth). And really pays attention to picture books!

-Loves her squats just like her mama. Her favorite games are peek-a-boo and airplane! Sometimes she'll pull her wubby over her face and literally shake in excitement waiting for someone to ask "where's Winona??", I LOVE IT!

-Graduated out of the swaddle! She was breaking out of EVERY swaddle (we tried all those fancy velcro ones and everything) within minutes, so we decided it was time. At first she had a hard time falling asleep without it. Crying it out didn't work, she would cry for 10 minutes and then just start playing. But she's a champ now! And actually I think she's sleeping better without it! It takes her a little while to fall asleep, but she can, and then she's only been waking up around 3;30-4am to eat, and then not again until around 7:30.

-Is the best conversationalist around, loves to chat, and squeal. She's been compared to a dolphin, and a hot tea kettle. Both are accurate.

- I CAN EAT COW'S DAIRY AGAIN! She grew out of her reflux issues and we have ZERO issues when I eat butter, or milk, or milkshakes, or cheese! It's fantastic!

-Has to wear a bib every day (this isn't new, I just don't think I've documented it before.) to catch all her spit, drool, etc.

-Size 6-12 month clothing, depending on the brand

-Size 3 diapers (she has a big booty)

-Loves everyone, doesn't have any issues with strangers and loves to be held by new people (have had one or two exceptions to this, which have been so odd..I don't know why, it's really only happened twice.) LOVES puppies, her own and Auntie Stephanie's two goldens!

-Her feet are so freakishly long I had to go buy 1-2yr old socks because every other pair won't fit over her heel!

    At her four month appointment, Winona had to get more shots. Boo. But she did okay! I took some great advice from my cousin Michelle and right when we got home I filled the bath up and let her kick for a good half hour. Then I massaged her legs with lotion afterwards to help the medicine move out of her chunky baby thighs. It seemed to help a lot! She was still a little clingy/cuddly, but without the screaming, which made mama so happy! This photo was taken before the shots, but it was like she knew what was coming, poor thing. 

Winona at four months old:

14 lbs 13 oz

24 3/4 inches

16 1/4 inch head

December- Month Three

    If November was busy, then December was off the charts! The first weekend of December, my cousin Bryce married his beautiful Brittany and a wedding was attended! Winnie got to see her McClellan cousins (my brother Dallin's daughters) Oakleigh, Hurley, and Coral at the wedding and it was so fun! My mother, grandmother, Winona, and I also decided it was a good opportunity to take a four-generation photo! We got our first Christmas tree as a family of three, Winona tried out her special Bumbo seat, Taylor and I went on our first post-baby date (to see Handel's Messiah performed by the Phoenix Symphony with Sam and Susan, Christmas time tradition!), Winona hung out with Grandma Flossie some more (she's 98 guys!), we went to our friend Greg's ugly-sweater-birthday-party, I played in Susan's Bell Choir, and Winona came along for the performances, Winnie met Santa, and we flew to Jackson Hole on New Years eve to spend some time in my very favorite place and introduce Winnie to a REAL winter! WHEW. Not to mention, Christmas DAY, which was quite with just the three of us, but could not have been more perfect! Busy busy month! OH I ALMOST FORGOT: that red dress on Winona up at the top?? MINE from when I was a baby!! So glad my mom saved so many of my cute dresses!!

    Mama FAIL: totally didn't weigh Winona this month, first off there is no three month check-up, so I had to find a scale and figure it all out on my own...sooooo it didn't happen. But three month Winona was TONS of fun!

November- Month Two

    November was crazy busy, I finally felt up to getting out about with just me and Winona, and we went on a lot of mall walks, loop walks, and out to Mesa and Gilbert so Winona could meet some of my favorite people! I had my 6 week appointment with my OBGYN and got the go ahead to start working out again, so Winona made friends with the caregivers and swings at our gym's child care. I have to say, going back to the gym has been so good for me! I didn't realize how much I've missed my weights! I had already lost almost 40 lbs when I started going back, but it really kicked me into gear and by the end of November I was down to 2 lbs over my pre-pregnancy weight (distributed VERY differently than before though). 

    November also brought a lot of family into town for Thanksgiving! Since everyone was already here we decided to bless Winona that week as well! She wore a vintage Robinson blessing dress (we aren't quite sure who wore it, but its the only one that fit over her huge baby fists, and would close around her big baby neck without choking her!!). It was the most beautiful blessing and I am so grateful to have the priesthood in our home. It was a wonderful happy day with our family! 

    Winona started smiling this month, big ear to ear grins that leave you feeling all mushy and soft! She met her great grandma Flossie Robinson, her aunties Cari and Annie (from whom she received her middle name, Ann), all her fun cousins, pretty much the whole McClellan side, and our dear friends Brenda and Mariah Tanner this month! Lucky girl!!

    At her two month appointment, Winona got her shots. Everyone told me she would cry for a few minutes and then be fine, so I was really surprised when she hardly made a peep and thought we were fine! After her appointment we went out to Mesa to see family, but two hours later out of nowhere she started screaming and nothing (nursing, rocking, changing her) helped her. She was inconsolable, and I was a wreck with mama guilt not knowing how to help my sweet girl. Luckily my mom was there and told me sometimes babies legs hurt after their shots (why did no one warn me?!?!?) and that it can be delayed for a couple hours. She ran to the store and bought us some baby tylonel, which helped calm her down enough to get her home, take off her clothes which were irritating her, wrap her in a soft blanket and rock her to sleep. The poor dear, my heart was broken, it was the worst. She was crying, I was crying. It was a rough couple days from there, as her legs continued to bother her for almost 3 days. It was THE worst, I am sooooo dreading the 4 month shots next week...boo.

Winona at two months old:

12 lbs 7 oz

23 inches

15.5 inch head

October- Month One

    October was both incredibly challenging, and perfectly blissful. We brought Winona home to Sam and Susan's guest house a few days after she was born and settled right in. Taylor stayed home from work for the first week, and the second he only went for half days, and it was so nice to have him around. Winona is lucky girl to have him for a papa!
    Winona came out on the big side, and with the biggest appetite! She was constantly nursing or sleeping, and the amount of snuggles and cuddles she received is ridiculous! At first we thought she might have colic, because around week 2 she started being soooo fussy and nothing would calm her down. But my BFF mentioned her sister's baby's being sensitive to dairy, and since I had another couple weeks before we saw Winona's Dr. again I decided to try cutting it out of my diet to see if it helped. Enter, angel baby Winona, who never cries, doesn't have a 'witching' hour, sleeps at night for 6-8 hours a stretch, and is, over-all, the happiest baby alive! And she was so much happier that I didn't even notice that I was missing dairy in my diet! Which, if you know me at all, is extremely surprising; my top three food groups being cold cereal, milkshakes, and cheese.
    Every one told me two things: One, that nursing would be the hardest thing ever and that I was going to hate it and have to force myself to get past the first few weeks. Two, that I was going to hate my body and it would take at least 9 months to lose the weight I had gained.
One: FALSE. Winona latched on perfectly the very first try, just minutes old! And sure, we had some over-supply issues (while feeding her on one side, I would hold one of her diapers under the other and literally fill the thing up with milk!), and some sore nipples. But those things really only lasted a week, and hello boobs! Plus, whatever hormones my body was producing while I was nursing Winona made me soooo happy. Endorphins! Feel good stuff!
Two: FALSE. I never was upset about my body! Yes, I gained 52lbs. Don't try and tell me I was all baby, I wasn't. My face. MY FACE, guys...PUFFY. Super puffy, fat face. My smile? totally not my smile, and when I got home from the hospital? Still had an extra 40lbs at least, still didn't have my skinny face back, definitely didn't fit in ANY of my clothes (boobs, butt, belly.) But you know what? I gave birth to the most perfect human on this Earth. I gave life to the sweetest, squeakiest, squishiest baby alive and she's half me, and half the man I love most. She is perfect, and my body is so incredible for being able to carry her and birth her, and I'm proud of my body, and when I was still carrying around the weight I was happy with my body. Also, I recognize I'm probably lucky, because I did lose most of my weight very quickly, but I attribute a lot of that to the fact that I went to the gym 6 days a week right up to my due date, I ate healthy and never let myself use any pregnancy excuse to go crazy indulging my "cravings". I have extra width in my thighs, my boobs are heavy and not perky, and I have a layer of loose skin on my stomach that I don't think will ever go away. I LOVE MY AMAZING, STRONG, body that brought my Winona into this big beautiful world!

Winona at one month old:

11 lbs 2 oz

22 inches

15 inch head

Introducing

Winona Ann Robinson

10.6.2014 || 9:57pm

8lbs 7 oz || 21 inches long

If you follow me or Taylor on Instagram you've already met this sweet baby bear, but I thought it was about time we catch up on the blog! (She IS 4 months old next week after all...).

Childbirth is hard, and beautiful, and incredibly painful, and I am so blessed to have this sweet angel to show for it! We are so in love with our little Winnie Bear, she is sweet, and fun, and silly, and smart, and so so sooooo strong!