Catch up series: Rowan's newborn pictures

So....

I'm starting a series of posts that basically is catching you up on our lives between NICU and now. I have posted about the big stuff and random musings, but not the fun, little things in between.

There is so much to cover! Such as:





-her newborn pictures
-our first mother's and father's day
-my birthday
-our first family trip
-her physical therapy and why she started it in the first place





Phew, that's just some to name a few! I have my work cut out for me! First up, her newborn pictures.

Wow, this didn't go quite how I expected it to be. In my mind, back in the preggo days, I thought I was going to deliver at term or later, a few days later meet up with Simply Bee Photography and get our pictures done.

I still laugh how you CAN'T plan things in life. When we brought Rowan from NICU, we all had a hard time adjusting and it was stressful. In hindsight, it probably wasn't that bad, but cue in stress, baby blues, and sleep deprivation, well, everything is heightened by 10. We did Rowan's pictures 3 weeks after she was home.

We met with Simply Bee Photography at our home. Rowan was NOT willing to fall asleep! What a stinker! Normally (and still now) she is a great napper but on the day you needed it to count, well she was being stubborn.

Rowan was very vocal about being naked in the shots, and she wasn't having it, LOL!!! She was squeaky and complainy, but at the end, she delivered and did totally great. I will admit, there were more shots I would have liked to have been done, but I guess I can't complain! The pictures came out beautiful and I was happy with how they turned out! I get pretty emotional looking at them, seeing how tiny she was then and how different she is now.  For example, some of those headbands were too big on her sweet head! Now, some of them are too tight! LOL! I'm so thankful for my beautiful girl!

Here they are!

I love these detailed shots. It is a sweet and wonderful reminder of how little she was!! 

I love them all, but the next two are some of my super favorites!

 

 And of course, a Star Wars picture HAD to be taken! 

 

And we ABSOLUTELY had to take a HP picture, our namesake! I just love the HP franchise!

 

                                                                  That baby booty!

Wow, I was having a decent hair day, LOL! Love this one!

This just gets me every time! Love these two!

 

Another fave! Born at 7:22 a.m.! 

Happy 4 months Rowan!

Happy 4 months Rowan!

Where on earth has the time gone?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

It seems like I blinked and today she is now 4 months! I feel like I just posted about her 3 months! I have been doing a lot of reflecting as a new mama lately. It is amazing that over a year and half ago, if you would have asked if I wanted babies, I would have snorted and said heck no! Now that I am a mama to this gorgeous baby, I can't imagine my life without her. I have done a full 360! Rowan is such a gift,  and such a sweet, fantastic baby. She brings so much joy and I feel I must have done something right in life to get this incredible blessing from God!

Rowan is growing and growing! At her 4 month appointment last week (which for some reason scheduled early), she weighed 13.13 pounds. Now, there is a error on the chalkboard pic. I weighed her this morning and it said 14.10 pounds, which I thought was a bit much, not even a week ago she was 13.13. So I weighed her this evening, and she really is 14.3 pounds, which sounds much more reasonable. So please ignore the mistake on the chalkboard, LOL!


Okay, back to the program...She is at 50th percentile for everything, which I am told is excellent and just right, especially since she is a preemie. Her doctor doesn't even pull up the preemie chart, because she is off the charts with that! Her doctor is beyond pleased with how she is growing! We have come a long way from our NICU days!

Rowan started preschool last week (big yawns, lol!)

 My mom runs her own private preschool out of her home. She has been doing preschool for over 15 years and 10 years ago, she opened her own so that she could care for her grandchildren. I am beyond blessed my own amazing mother watches Rowan while I am at work. I am so relieved and beyond thankful. My mom works really hard with her little ones, and when her little students finally head off to kinder, they are always well ahead of the game with their learning. I can't wait for Rowan to also learn from her!



Last weekend we did a "belated 3 month" photo shoot. I waited to do this late on purpose, so she could build up on having good head control, etc. We worked with Jamie Cardoza Photography, who was amazing and excellent. Highly recommend her! Jamie sent me these sneak peeksies and I just can't:

Oh my heart. Oh how I just love this yummy girl!

 

Rowan has been lovingly dubbed"the grumpy cat" by our family. Rowan is EXTREMELY smiley, but lately with the camera, she makes the grumpiest of faces! Its hysterical! She isn't a grumpy baby, but if she doesn't feel like getting her picture taken, she will let you know. She was like this during her photo shoot, lol! Case in point:

 

 

Some updates about my little darling:

 

Name: Rowan Decaris Potter

Rowan's age: 4 months old, adjusted age 10 weeks old!
 

Weight: 14.3 pounds! She is a big girl! Her rolls are extra fluffy and kissable! LOVE!




Clothing size: So....3 month clothing is a thing of the past, it seems. I hold up her 3 month shorts and wonder how we will get her chunky thighs in them, LOL! She easily fits into 6 month clothing. YIKES, I need to go through her closet! She is nearly in a size 3 diaper. Size 2's are starting to be a little too snug, sheesh!
 

Rowan milestones (for her adjusted age):
-Rowan is rocking tummy time! All of sudden she super enjoys it! One awesome thing is that she is starting to reach for toys while on her tummy. All of this is great, according to the physical therapist!



-Rowan rolled on to her back! She was caught off guard but didn't mind it! YAY BABY!!!!!!!! You hit a huge milestone!!!!



-On her back, Rowan is good at putting her hands to her mouth. She likes to swat and hit, and is starting to grab toys if you put them in front of her face. She will pretty much bring anything to her mouth, lol.



-On her tummy, if Rowan sees something she wants, she will literally drag/scoot/inch her way to whatever it is. However, this super wears her out, lol. It kinda sorta looks like the makings of crawling! YES, I know she is nowhere near that, but it looks like she is working her way up to that.



-Rowan is babbling, cooing, and kicking up a storm! She recognizes people more than ever, and is super expressive.

Rowan loves:
-her food! She is eating about 5-7 oz every 4 hours.
-bright colors/objects/fans/lights. OH the smiles! Who needs toys? Just entertain her with these!
-loves to see out of her stroller.
-loves to be sang to, sing away people!
-loves when people stick out their tongue at her! It becomes a game!
-enjoys bath when she isn't hungry.
-people in general. She loves to smile and coo at people who walk by her. She of course, gets a ton of attention. People always complement on how beautiful and chubby she is, which makes this happy mama so proud!

Rowan doesn't like: same stuff like last time, but this girl doesn't like being hot. She gets so hot in her car seat. We took out some stuff from the car seat that she didn't need, but she still gets very hot, poor baby. She gets so angry.

With that being said, she doesn't like being confined when we are out, even when we have her looking out. She loves being held instead, and sharing her gummy smiles with strangers. Oh this girl, so high maintenance!

How is Rowan's spit up?: Still so much better! Thank you Jesus!

Sleep: Well....we were doing pretty dang good. Still same routine, in bed usually between 7-7:30. She went about a week and half of sleeping through the night. Then in the last 3 days she will cry around 3:50 am. We would go in and try to keep it low key as possible, and usually she falls back asleep pretty quickly. We ended up upping her ounces earlier in the evening, and graduated her in a bigger swaddle. Somehow this is helping! We shall see! One thing I will say is Rowan is great at putting herself to sleep. After her bottle, I will rock her but usually she will squirm and  fuss. Kinda makes me a little sad, because I love rocking her. I end up just putting her down and she falls asleep herself. Good job baby!




Naps? She's a great napper! She also falls asleep on her own! Go baby!!!
 

Rowan's personality so far: This girl is such a sweetie! She is so snuggly and is easily entertained! She is also a total morning person, which she so DIDN'T get from me, lol! One thing though, if she is angry, she is extremely vocal. Lately she has inserted "big girl" esque screaming in her crying. Oh Rowan!






A photo dump of our pretty girl:

 

Love you forever my sweet Rowan!!!

Rowan's nursery reveal!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I have been beyond excited to finally reveal one of most favorite things, Rowan's nursery!!!!

It has taken awhile to get her nursery complete. When I was happily pregnant, I had big plans over the last few weeks of my pregnancy to "git r done". And well, that didn't happen, thanks to my psycho baby drama. Note to self, don't put it off!



When I was in the hospital and going through NICU, I felt all time stopped and EVERYTHING  got put on the back burner. Getting her nursery done was not a priority any more. However, once the dust settled, I focused back on everything else. When Rowan was close to 3 months, her nursery was finally complete. I ADORE her nursery. I love to  interior decorate and this nursery was a labor of love for me! I personally feel its my favorite of the whole house! Its bright, cheery, and full of whimsy. It is hard to have a bad mood in her room!  In regards to her theme, I can't place an exact title. The one word that comes to mind is whimsical. Her main colors are mint (the pictures seem to show it's green), gray chevron and coral.  Originally I wanted a rustic, shabby chic room. I went against it because my whole house has that theme. I saw that I was gravitating towards mint and other cheery colors. I pored hours over pinterest, gathering ideas and looks of what I wanted her room to be like.  I would also like to point out that  I did a dang good job staying on a very low budget. I probably spent maybe a little less than $200 on her room (numbers later). Okay, enough talking....here it is!



The entrance to her room! Damask "mirror" was a Michael's purchase and the  "R" was a gift!

The feeding corner and book shelf area! The chair is an 60's vintage family piece! I love this corner as its cozy and a perfect place to feed Rowan! I am in love with her lamp! Rowan is very fascinated by the bright colors. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another view of her bookshelf. She got so many books from her sweet cousins Sam and Abby! I'm hoping to add more as time goes on! I also love the frames on her shelf. I also would like to add one or two more frames. In case you are wondering, the picture in the black frame is of Rowan holding her daddy's finger in NICU. She wasn't even a week old then!

Another side view of her room! I LOVE LOVE LOVE her gallery wall. I wanted to put up fun, whimsy pictures, as well as encouraging type of sayings. Except for the "Follow that dream" sign, I either made the wall art or got it for FREE off of pinterest. I am always sharing, so I will post about those! You can easily spend a ton of money on wall art, but going the free route is better! The frames (except the "follow" one) were purchased at Walmart and cost between $2-$4.

I love her wall art. Rowan loves it too! She grins and coos at her wall!

THAT RUG. AHHHHHH I just love it! One of the more expensive purchases, it fit perfect in her room!

Her closet area...yes she has the old school mirrors! I used to hate them, but now I don't mind as she is noticing herself and loves it!  The banner and circles were a DIY project. I love the pop of color and cheer that it brings!

A super bright angle of her room, lol!

I love her curtains! Despite them looking orange, they are a coral ombre style! So cute!

Her crib. Her crib means the world to me, as her grandfather bought this crib over 10 years ago for her cousin Sam. He and his sister slept in it, and now my Rowan gets the chance! Aren't the pom poms cute? My amazing friend Eva made them! Rowan LOVES them, and will often stare and give them a gummy smile! 

Behind her door....we use the back of her door as storage for shoes, bows, and other small items. The twinkle sign was another fun purchase!

 I hope you enjoyed the reveal! I'm so proud of it! The best room in the house, in my opinion!

My girl and I, hanging out :-D

Happy 3 months Rowan!

One week ago, my little pickle turned 3 months!!!! It's hard to believe it's been 3 months! I have fallen so madly in love with my little girl!!! She is such a gift and we couldn't be happier with our new life with Rowan! I am amazed at how far our sassy pants has come from her early birth and NICU days. She makes my heart so full. I am so proud of her and how strong she is, inside and out!

It has been quite a month! She's still such a chunker and weighs over 12 pounds now, 12 pounds 11 oz to be exact! 7 pounds in less than 3 months, holy cow! She for sure isn't a tiny preemie anymore! 

Rowan is changing daily and making little milestones as we speak! It's really hard for me to not compare her to a term baby. Despite she is now 3 months, she is only 7 weeks old, according to her preemie adjusted age. I have to be careful and remember she is that age with milestones and to not feel something is wrong if she isn't making 3 month milestones! She was born a preemie and I have to remember that! We met with a physical therapist a few weeks back (more on that later) and Rowan is doing well and is also achieving some term baby goals! We will be meeting with the physical therapist monthly.

Some updates about my little darling:

Name: Rowan Decaris Potter

Rowan's age: 3 months, 1 week. Preemie age is technically 7 weeks.

Weight: 12 pounds 11 oz! She is quite the chubber! Rolls for days people, rolls for days! I kiss her so much!


Clothing size: Definitely 3 months! She is transitioning into 3-6 because her clothes, especially shorts, are getting too tight! She is super fluffy and definitely outgrowing her clothes.

Rowan milestones (for her adjusted age):
-Rowan for a minute, was not doing well with tummy time, in regards to lifting her neck (hence PT visit!), however, she made me out to be a liar because she is doing great with it! We learned some tricks and now she is tolerating it better.


-Rowan is great with tracking, recognizes faces with people she sees often, and kicks her legs in excitement when she sees one of us!


-Rowan is getting pretty good at holding on to toys. She loves to throw, hit, and flick them, and started to bring them to her mouth, which is great because that is what her PT wants her to be doing!


- Rowan holds up her head very well when we hold her and when she is sitting on our laps!


-I am excited about this one, but I think she is wanting to roll! When she is on her back, she arches her head and tries move her body to one side and actually got it up! YAY Rowan!

Rowan loves:


-being naked!


-EATING! This chubette is now eating 5-6 oz every 4 hours.


-Her Sophie the Giraffe...oh the smiles when I hold it up!


-her cousin Sam. She LIGHTS UP when she sees him!


-being sang to. She loves it! She also LOVES playing with toys! She grins, coos, and kicks when she plays with them!


-Starting to enjoy bath, YAY!!!


Rowan discoveries:
-This girl discovered sucking her thumb! It melts my heart but I am officially setting money aside for braces, ugh!


-her tongue! OMG she loves to stick her tongue out at everything, especially her dad!

Rowan doesn't like: still doesn't like to burp! She farts like a man, and sometimes it hurts her, so she cries! HATES BEING HOT!!! Oh, this girl is just like her father! Lately she has been hating the stroller and car seat, but ONLY because she gets so sweaty! Poor baby!

How is Rowan's spit up?: Still so much better! Thank you Jesus!

Sleeping at night?: I'm furiously knocking on wood as we speak! BUT....she is doing pretty good! Bath is at 6:30, goes to bed at 7 and sometimes she fights it for 20 minutes but eventually falls asleep. She eats between 11 or 12 at night, and then sleeps till 4:30-5! YAY baby!!! I am praying in the next month or so we can drop a feeding, but I will take it for now! I don't mind the 5 am feeding because I am needing to be getting up at that time to ensure I make it to work on time! Oh gosh, I hope I didn't just jinx it, LOL!




Naps? She's pretty predicable. She stays up and plays hard for 1.5 hours, sometimes 2 and then goes to sleep. She sleeps about 1.5-2 hours.

Rowan's personality so far: She is still an easy going baby and we learned she is a great traveler! We did an overnight trip to the beach and she did amazing! YAY!!!!!




A photo dump of our pretty girl: