Rice Cereal?

So I thought I'd try giving Rhowan her first serving of rice cereal tonight. I had noticed this weekend that she was nursing every 3 hours rather than 4 and her sleeping was way off...she wasn't sticking to her routine as well. Then come Monday Auntie Nichole, noticed that she was way more hungry and more often as well. So last night I figured ok, well maybe its time to go to 6 oz, she was doing 4 oz every 4 hours. So I brought out all the big girl bottles and told my sister to try doing 6 oz today and see if she lasted longer. Well...she gulped it up and wanted more. So another few hours went by and she ate again. So I think she is in a transition and growing spurt. I thought I'd try the rice cereal, even though the Dr told me wait til 4 months, cause I am exhausted and she was getting up every 3 hours which was very unusual for her. Before she was sleeping from 6 to 2:30 am then back down til 6:30 ish.

Needless, to say she wanted nothing to do with the rice cereal...she spit it out and made the nastiest face ever! I will try again tomorrow, but in the mean time I am just hoping she goes back to her nightly routine of sleeping through the night, waking up just once to nurse! She still won't take a bottle from me, but that is ok. I enjoy nursing her and am sad when I'm at work and have to pump. I do get to nurse right before I go in the mornings and right when I get home, so it's working out.

Next week our little princess will start a new schedule with a new person watching her because her baby cousin Alexa should be here any day. Rhowan has been so spoiled to get to stay in her environment while Auntie Nichole came here every day for the past six weeks, but the person who will be watching her is just down the street and has a 7 month old of her own, Emily. So we are going to try out 3 days a week and hope others will pitch in the other 2 days a week until my long term assignment is over.

Well that is it for now, we'll catch you up with more later. I've been slacking on the blog, with work, house duties, being a wife, mommy, etc. It's crazy how fast time flies.

We love you and miss you all.

xoxoxo

Our Growing Princess...12 weeks old tomorrow

Hello everyone,
Our little princess is getting so big every day. She will already be 12 weeks tomorrow, but won't be 3 months until the 20th of this month...that is so weird how that works out. Anyway, she is always full of smiles, even when she wakes up for her middle of the night feedings and in the morning when she is hungry and has a dirty diaper, you can still get a beautiful smile from her the second you look at her. I absolutely love it...it makes waking up when you are dead tired so worth it. She has even giggled out loud for us a few times when we are making her laugh and playing. She is just such a good baby. She is always wanting her entire fists in her mouth, which the Dr says is ok, it develops gross motor skills apparently. She is a spitter upper, but a happy one...you just have to make sure you have that spit up rag/burpie there at all times! She is now in her crib all night, just up twice to nurse and goes right back down. She loves her new mobile that sings lullabies, if she cries for longer than 7 seconds it automatically turns on and she can usually put herself back to sleep with it playing. I have become obsessed with watching he sleep on the monitor. I am always watching her and waking up to look at her and make sure she is still breathing...I know, I am paranoid!
I went back to work as most of you know, which was one of the hardest things I had to do. It's been great because my sister comes here in the mornings to watch her, we are very blessed for that cause I'd be a wreck if I was having to leave her in day care. Since I am back at work Rhowan has finally gotten herself into a routine...I love it and it has made things so much easier. She is in bed by 6:30 and will go for a long stretch, waking up at about 1 or 2 for a feeding, then she goes right back down until about 6:30 or 7. I feed her at 7:30, then she watches Baby Einsteins in her swing or vibrating chair while mommy finishes getting ready and Auntie Nichole gets here and I am off to work by 8. By the time I get home I only get about 2 hours with her, but she needs the sleep and routine, so I can't complain.
I just never realized how hard it would be to be a full time working mommy and wife. I feel so overwhelmed...I cried every day my first week back. I just feel like I am not giving either one 100 % because I am always stressed about lesson planning, grading, prepping for the next day, or my mind is on wanting to be with my daughter. It's so tough, I am still working on balancing it all, but I am sure I will adjust. All our parents did it, so I am sure I can too.
Baseball season is right around the corner, so our lives are going to get even crazier. We sure will miss having daddy around so much.
Well now its just the waiting game for Rhowans baby cousin Alexa to arrive. :)
Talk to you all soon.
xoxoo,
The Bruces

This year was a big year to finish out 2009. We were blessed with our beautiful daughter, making 2009 one of the best years of my life. Then my sister turned 30 and we celebrated that with our closest friends and family. December was Rhowan's First Christmas, which was absolutely a blessing. Then my closest friends and most dear to my heart, Amy and Ana turned the big 30 this year as well. We had a good time celebrating with them the night before New Years in San Diego.

We rang in the New Year wishing for an even more blessed 2010. I hope God has many more blessings coming our way as he watches over us and continues to help us strive to be wonderful parents and have a strong marriage. Then finally my birthday. It's tough having a birthday just a few days after New Years and a week after Christmas...everyone is exhausted, back to work, hung over and broke! LOL. That's ok though, it was a nice, low key and enjoyable dinner with our family.

Here are just a few pictures to share. We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year to you all. Thank you for everyone who was a part of our 2009 and that has always been there for us to love, support and celebrate life's blessings with us. We love you all.

Mommy's Birthday

This year I got to celebrate my birthday as my first year being a mommy. After the busy holidays, birthdays and New Years we kept it very low key and small this year...no biggie, just 28, wait for the big 30! :)

My Sleeping Beauty

I just wanted to share some pictures that Venessa took of our little angel. She did such an amazing job, just taking pictures of Rhowan sleeping, I am in love with them, so I thought I'd share them. Thanks so much Venessa, they are beautiful.

More Christmas Pictures

Rhowan's First Christmas

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and holiday with your families. We had a busy two days for Christmas Eve and Christmas. We always knew once we started a family of our own that splitting the time amongst our families would be even harder than it already was, but never anticipated how hard it truly was. It was really tough on us this year...we hate feeling like we are on a time schedule and don't get to spend as much time at each house as we'd like...however TJ kept reminding me that it's not about the hours, but the quality of time that we have with our families. So, we did the best we could and are continuing to try and set new traditions for the upcoming years as Rhowan gets bigger and as we continue to grow as a family.
I'd like to thank both our parents for spoiling Rhowan for her first Christmas and to all our extended families for all that they did for Rhowan and continue to do for her and us as our first holiday season together. We are so truly blessed and couldn't thank each of you enough for all that you have given and shared with her and us.
To my husband, thank you for your patience with me this crazy holiday season. You were my rock and kept reminding me that we are blessed with our new princess and with each other so nothing else mattered as long as we had each other. Thank you for putting up with me during this stressful time of year. You really showed me what family is all about this year.
Like I said we had a busy two days...Christmas morning we tried to get to my parents early, however with a baby it's no longer on our time or our wishes, but Rhowans of course, so we didn't get there until about 9am. TJ surprised me that morning, after pinky promising that we weren't exchanging, with a gift under the tree from daddy and Rhowan. I was stunned to open it and get my first "real" coach purse! Then inside was the most beautiful watch. Thank you for my gift and my beautiful card babe, you have really given me so much this year with our beautiful baby girl and showed me so much love with our new family.
After we had a short time at home to share our 1st Christmas together as a family, we headed to my parents for Rhowan to see her Oma and Papa and shortly after my sister, Nathan and Anthony came to begin the Christmas fun. In the afternoon we headed over to TJ's parents, so that Rhowan can see her grandma and grandpa and get spoiled all over again! :) Then off to TJ's grandparents, so Rhowan could get spoiled by her Gigi and Papa and all the rest of the family! We had a very busy and fun filled day.
We hope you all had as amazing as a Christmas as we did. We are very much looking forward to the new year and what 2010 has to bring us. We wish you all the best, be safe and Happy New Year!

Love,

The Bruces