Ummm, hey there. Meet my daughter!

Has it been 5 months since I published a blogpost? Really? 5 MONTHS? Sorry about that. Life has been a little crazy and awesome and I just haven't been able to take my eyes off my daughter.

Introducing to the blog Evangeline Marie Tison! My heart, my joy, the light of my life...even her name means 'good news'!

7 pounds 14 ounces and 20 inches long. Born at 11:37am on February 13, 2014

More pictures of Evangeline's b-day from the hospital can be found at Aunt Leslie's blog - The American Zimmigrant

Interesting Fact:
Evangeline was born to the You've Got Mail soundtrack.

First thing both her grandmothers commented on (besides her beauty):
Wow, she has big feet!

Everyone's favorite question is: 
What are you going to call her??

Our answer: 
We call her Evangeline, but you are welcome to call her whatever you want :)

Her many nicknames:
Little birdie, bug, bear, squishy girl, nugget, sweet cheeks, chunky monkey, angel girl, ladybug...
Baby girl, little bit, Miss E, Evie Marie, Mah-re-re --- to name a few!

 (3.28.14 - one month-ish)

(4.4.14 - two months-ish)

13.4 pounds and  24.5 inches

(5.20.14 - three months-ish)

(6.19.14 - four months-ish)

18.6 pounds and 2 inches long

E at 4 months: She is very social. She loves to smile and when she does it lights up a room with those dimples. She loves to be talked or sung to. She is rolling over. She is beginning to laugh, but right now it sounds like a snort. She is grabbing at everything - my hair and earrings, her toys. She even tries to grab patterns on t-shirts and ends up just scratching. It is pretty cute. She eats every 2.5-3 hours and is very particular about the temperature of her milk when we feed her a bottle. She loves her daddy so much that when she sees him she starts jumping in your arms.

Childcare:
Right now everyone is pitching in to watch baby E - My mom (DeeDee), my MIL (Mammaw Chris), and my sis (Aunt Lauren). They are AWESOME! Starting when she is 6 months old, at the end of the summer, she will be going to a nanny recommended by our friends Shelley and Cory. Evangeline has met the nanny already - Memaw and Papa (they want to be considered another set of grandparents) and they get along swimmingly.

Her daily schedule typically looks like this:
(obviously some variation if she's hungry earlier or later)
6:30 am feeding (in bed with me)
9:30 am feeding (with DeeDee, Mammaw Chris, or Aunt Lauren)
12:30 pm feeding (I go to her at lunch)
3:30 pm feeding (with DeeDee, Mammaw Chris, or Aunt Lauren)
6:00 pm feeding ( at home with me)
7:30 pm bath time with Dad
7:45 pm feeding and rocking to bed
8:00 - 8:15 bed time in big girl crib (moved from bassinet next to my bed to crib on 6-14)
possible 1am need for a pacifier/comfort
3:00 or 4:00 am feeding
and then we start all over!

The things I have learned about being a mother so far:

• She is always changing - our routine, what she needs and when, so I am learning to take each day for what it is and learn to adjust to the changes as they come. Even though we may have just gotten used to doing it one way - I am learning to adapt to the never ending cycle of change.  For example: when I went back to work in May it was incredibly difficult on all fronts, but especially because we had just established a routine. I thought there was absolutely NO WAY I could squeeze anything else into our day and be on time, looking professional, and have a mind to do work - come home and have any energy left to offer my little girl ... and now, 7 weeks later, I am amazed at all we do in a day. Which brings me to....the support from my husband and our family. I don't know if I would still be standing if it weren't for our family! From the second we brought Evangeline home from the hospital to this very day, I have felt nothing but loved and supported by everyone. They love our baby girl as much as we do. She is so lucky to grow up surrounded by this much love and so are we. 

• I need my husband's support. Tison has never questioned my mothering. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to know that he trusts me- even when I'm not sure I should trust myself. He believes in my motherly instincts and not only tells me that I'm a good mother, but never questions my abilities. We are learning together and it is the most challenging and bonding thing we have ever done together. He is an amazing dad and husband.

• I never thought I could love this much- with my whole heart. instantly and always.

• Sometimes I look at her and I can't believe she is mine... for like- ever...

•  Not everyone wants to see baby pictures (even though it is the most adorable baby photo in the entire world and they are really going to miss out)
• Running errands with a baby carrier is kind of the worst and is biggest ordeal. 

Things I never thought I'd say:

•  That purple tube of lanolin is the best! Am I right?
  
• Can you give me just a minute I have spit up in my hair?

•  I'm going to be about 15 more minutes - I need to pump. 

•  Sorry, she's hungry. We're all girls right? (as I pull my shirt off)

•  Is that your baby's poop or mine? (smelling a stinky diaper)

•  Oh, these Target nursing tanks are a-mazing. I wear them every day.
• I can have another scoop of ice cream. I'm nursing.

•  Whoo-hoo! I pumped like 8 ounces!

•  Oops, I forgot to brush my teeth.
• Tison- I just feel asleep in the bath tub!

•  Do I have my breast pump, bottles, nipples, bottle caps, burp cloth, bib, pacifier, extra set of clothes, matching headband, socks, shoes, snack for mom, car keys, wallet, my sanity??

Side note: You know I have taken a million pictures and it was really really hard for me to narrow this down, so expect a million more soon. I am trying to get back in the routine of blogging! Thanks for understanding my hiatus :)