I'm baaaaaaa-aaaaack!!!! "Weekend" Update

Linking up with the lovely Sami's Shenanigans for a long over due weekend update...

and then some!

Hello all!!

I know, I know...it's about time right?!

I'm saying the same thing right about now, but I had no idea how many new and different things I'd be doing with a newborn at home.

And yes, you read that correct, Emily is home with us!!!

On her 40th day in NICU her amazing doctors discharged our little girl,

letting her come home 2 days before Thanksgiving.

Believe me, Laz and I and our family were more than thankful to have our healthy girl with us for the holiday.

And now that she's been home for almost 20 days now, things are somewhat becoming second-nature to us.

We moved in with my parents over Thanksgiving weekend, which was easier than expected,

and has overall been a big help for us new parents.

We also found a larger house for us all to move into next month, 

so we'll each have our separate spaces but still be together helping each other out.

I'm still technically on maternity leave, and will continue that until the new year.

Since most of my maternity leave was spent in the hospital, I felt like I needed this extra few weeks for some true bonding time with Emily.

And she really is a crazy little girl, just like we all thought she'd come out like.

She's alert, wiggly, and loves to snuggle.

Everyday she's changing and growing, 

one day looking like me and the other looking like Laz.

But she's got these huge blue eyes from someone else...maybe my mom...or the mailman...?

Here are some pictures since she's been home:

She makes some of the silliest faces I've ever seen.

I might like playing dress-up a bit more than she does right now, but that'll change soon I'm sure.

The holidays are just so much fun with a baby to share them with. <3

She snores. It's adorable.

Those eyelashes still amaze me every time I look at her!

So there's my update...I really do wish I got to this way faster than I did, but I'm so glad y'all decided to stick it out and wait for me to finally make my return to the blog world.

Now, I'm not making any promises that I'll be around as much as I used to be,

I can promise to make a better effort at it.

Especially when I get back to work and have baby-less free time,

just don't tell my boss. 

I really did miss you all.

And if you guys really want more of me,

(cause who doesn't?!)

I use Instagram a whole lot these days.

So add me: leeeasha 

***Christmas cards!!!***

I'd love to send out some Christmas cards to my bloggy friends,

so if you'd like to receive our adorable card from my family

message me your address!!!

A little introduction...

Emily Marie

6.14oz

18 1/2 inches

born on Wednesday 10/10/12 at 12:25pm 

She was off her oxygen on her 3rd day.

 

 Day 2 - Day 6

Getting nice and chunky already!

Her crazy little mohawk!

 I'm already playing dress-up, even if it's just with hats and socks for now!

As you can see, she's already posing in most of her pictures!

Laz's beautiful tattoo he snuck out of the hospital to get to surprise me, that's Emily's first footprint!

   October 10th was an interesting day. Laz and I both woke up after only a few hours of sleep to rush over to the hospital at 6:30am for my pre-op before my schedules c-section at 8:30am. And then of course we get informed that I was put on the B list, also known as the "bumpable" list, and my c-section was pushed back 4 times, and I didn't get wheeled into the OR until noon. Then at 12:25pm our little girl finally came into our lives,  Emily Marie was finally born and we were both so excited to meet her! Her belly was a little different than we were expecting. Her stomach, along with her intestines, were outside of her body, and there was also a gap found in her intestines. We were notified of this and she was brought to NICU with Laz to start her treatment. Everyday the amazing staff worked on her and pushed her organs back into her tiny tummy. Emily responded so well that her surgery to fix the gap and close everything up was scheduled for 7:30am Tuesday morning, when she was just 6 days old. That morning we arrived super early to be with our daughter every step of the way, and  just 90 minutes after the surgery started we got the call that Emily was being wheeled back up to her little room in NICU. She did amazingly well and for the first time ever, our baby had a real belly. Since her surgery, Emily has been recuperating so well that they lowered her pain medication so she could wake up and play with us. We wash her little face, change her diapers, and her daddy gives her kisses and nosies for hours! Laz is already wrapped around her little fingers. It's so crazy how just 9 days ago she was still in my tummy, and now I count down the hours until I can get back to the hospital to visit her. We love her so much already, our little princess!  

Whoaaaaaaaa...

Only 10 more hours until I become a Mommy!!!

Laz and I, and our entire family, are super excited for out little girl finally making her entrance into the world!

So let's see if I get any sleep at all tonight.

I'll be back as soon as I can to introduce y'all to our little bundle of joy!!

Friday Letters!

Linking up with Adventures of Newlyweds!!

Dear 1st Week of Maternity Leave, you're amazingggggggg!!! Seriously, I haven't been this relaxed, tan, and not swollen since before I was pregnant. GRACIAS!

Dear Mommy, thanks for making my last week of pregnancy so fun and enjoyable, even if we just crisped up by the pool for the few days, it was fun and I love you.

Dear Little One, 5 more daysss! And Daddy and I finally get to see your face! Your kicks have been getting harder, so I know you're just as anxious to see us too, just be careful not to break a rib in there!

 Dear Panera Bread, I can't wait to visit you for lunch today. You finally opened up in my town and now I get to enjoy a bread bowl filled with cheddar broccoli soup goodness before I have to get the baby weight off...great timing!!

Dear Hubby, it's almost time to be real adults/parents finally, no more talking to a big belly...I just know you're going to be amazing with our daughter and I can't wait to see your first interactions with her. I'll most likely be blubbering like a fool, but that's ok because I know it will be beautiful. I love you!

Dear Instagram, way to be so addicting. Get everyone here to follow me: Leeeasha

Dear All My Sweeet Followers, as you can read I'm still alive around here, just trying to take it easy, and hopefully get a schedule down with the baby girl where I can blog a bit a day for all of you to read!
You're all the bestest!

M&M cookiesss!

Nesting is fun when you have the time to enjoy it. 

Being at work and wanting to craft all day nearly killed me, I kept coming up with Christmas gifts I wanted to make, or sweets I wanted to bake, but was stuck at my desk for 9 hours.

Then by time I could do anything I'd pass out on the couch.

Not very productive.

But nowwww that I have 8 days til the babe comes, I can nest all I want!!!

So today I bring you some yummy M&M sugar cookies...enjoy!

Ok, the real reason behind my baking adventures was this half devoured bag of M&M's.

I didn't want them still lurking around after the baby was born, tempting me to keep this yucky figure.

So I turned them into a few delicious cookies that me and the hubby can enjoy before I go on my post-baby-body regimen!

 Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1 1/2 cup of sugar

1 1/4 sticks of unsalted butter  (I use margarine and convert to tablespoons)

2 teaspoons of vanilla

2 large eggs

a bunch of M&M's

How to:

First, preheat you oven to 350 degrees.

Then, mix up all the dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Next, cream the butter and sugar together, then add the vanilla and eggs.

Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients slowly, til well combined.

I took my sheet pan and covered it with aluminum foil and sprayed it with baking spray so no cookies stuck.

I took a tablespoon size of the batter for each cookie and made sure I left room for spreading.

Then, I took a bunch of M&M's for each cookie and pressed them into each of them.

The batter is too sticky to roll in the candies.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden.

Let 'em cool for as long as you can stand it, and then munch away.

OMNOMNOM  YUMMY!