Finally an update

I've had a little break from bloggy world and I think I owe you all a big photo update. Emilia will be 4 months old in a week and is getting cuter and more hilarious by the day. My mum has been staying with us from New Zealand for the last month which has been absolutely amazing. We got to spend much needed quality time together and I know Emilia loved having her grandma Maree around. Mum left a few days ago and we are all missing her so much.

Here's whats been going on in our world.....

Our little girl is just hilarious and so full of character and personality. I love it when she pokes that little tongue out at me!

Emilia and her grandma Maree (mum) are like two peas in a pod. It was such an special, emotional time when they meet each other in person for the first time at Frankfurt airport.  Emilia was completely taken by mum and it was like she automatically knew she was her grandma.  I get all teary eyed looking at this photo of them together. 

It's meant to be playtime with mama but papa has stolen the show again. 

Mum got to join us for Easter lunch at my in-laws. Polish food is sooo delicious!

Emilia was Baptist in the very same church that Rob and I were married in two and a half years ago. It was such a special day.

Emilia's baptism day was full of traditions. She wore the same dress that mum wore on her baptism day over 60 years ago! My sister and I also wore this same dress when we were baptisd. She looked so beautiful. 

Emilias Oma bought her this gorgeous little crochet hat which matched perfectly with her baptism gown. 

Three generations. 

This was about the 100th attempt of trying to get a decent family photo and this was the best we could come up with. Emilia kept putting her hand in her mouth and all the pics Rob looked good in, I looked terrible in and versa. 

Emilia's New favourite thing is listening to me sing and play the guitar. She watches me intently and makes these adorable cooing  sounds like shes singing along.  Maybe I have a little future musician on my hands.  

Last week I turned 28. I can't believe i'm officially in my late 20's! eeeeh

It was a bitter sweet kinda birthday as my mum flew back to New Zealand later that evening and I was feeling quite emotional for the whole day. On the other hand I was so lucky to spend that day with 3 of my favourite people in the world, mum, Rob and Emilia. 

 Here's a pic of the delicious meal my hubby cooked me on my birthday. New Zealand lamb fillet, mint sauce, spicy pumpkin, caramelized pear and onions and baby spinich.  This was followed by mouth watering creme brulee. I'm a lucky girl! 

 Antoinette x

Baby etsy wishlist

Baby pink canvas and canvas shoes - by Kid Culture

Baby girl floral dress - by For The Love of Smocking

Organic baby gift set - by Tree fort Naturals

Hand-knitted baby cardigan - by Boutique De Marcipan

Elephant mobile - by Sisters Dreams

Organic Baby Butt Balm, 2 oz With Essential Oils - by Sunny side Skincare

Antoinette x

A little update

Add caption

Yes I know I'm a terrible blogger and haven't posted in weeks. I would actually be surprised if anyone actually still reads this little blog of mine.
The truth is when it comes to spending time on the computer and spending time with Emilia she wins hands down every time. Things like Facebook, emails and general 'life admin' have really been pushed aside since Emilia was born. I'm really not too bothered about it cause spending time with my family is my number one priority.
 I actually feel like I'm starting to finally get the hang of this motherhood thing now that Emilia is sleeping for longer stretches at night, so i'm not so exhausted all the time. I'm trying to get as much done as I can during her nap times in the day so hopefully I can start blogging more regularly as it's something I really do enjoy.

Enough rambling..here's a little life update..

• The weather is finally getting warmer and we have beautiful blue sky and sunshine after months of gray. Apparently it's been the darkest winter in Germany on record and it really has felt like it. There is still a chill in the air but I've been wrapping Emilia up warm and taking her out everyday for long walks in her baby carrier which she loves! I'm really looking forward to spring and summer so we can spend more time outdoors.
• Every single day Emilia gets more aware and curious about the would around her. It absolutely amazes me to see how fast she is growing, changing and learning. I feel like I don't wanna miss a second of it. 
• My poor baby was sick last week with a sore throat and fever. It was just horrible and broke our hearts to see her so unhappy and not be able to do anything to help her feel better. It was the first time she was sick so Rob and I totally over analyzed every little symptom thinking everything was so much worse than it was. Thankfully she is back to her happy self again and we all had a nice weekend enjoying the sunshine. 
• Now that Emilia's a little older It's so much easier to take her out and about and to catch up with family and friends. I just love having my little sidekick with me all the time. 
• Who knew that my dream job would be..unpaid...pooped on....peed on and slobbered on all in one day. The funny thing is that I wouldn't change any of it for the world. Oh the joys of motherhood! 

Antoinette x 

Emilia's 6 weeks old

• Baby Emilia is 6 weeks old tomorrow and is getting cuter and cuter by the day. My midwife weighed her last week and she was 9 lb 9 oz. She is now wearing size 0-3 months clothes and I have piles of clothes that she has already grown out of. It feels like she's growing before our eyes!

• She's so alert now and has started making eye contact with us. She's fascinated with colour and light and is becoming more familiar with her surroundings. A few days ago she starting smiling at us when we talk to her but we can never seem to catch it on camera. 

• This little girl keeps me extremely busy during the day and when shes not attached to my boob or sleeping she wants lots of cuddles and my full attention. My sister sent me the Ergo baby carrier a few weeks ago and it has been an absolute life saver. I can now get work done around the house with her still being attached to me. It's so much easier to get out and about with her too and she usually falls asleep pretty quickly once she's in her baby carrier. Baby wearing is Gods gift to mothers!

• 5pm and the weekend can't come around fast enough for me as I just love having Rob around! He's such an amazing hands on dad and Emilia just adores him. I love our little family so much!

• Every Sunday afternoon we visit Rob's parents for Sunday lunch and Emilia gets totally spoiled with love by her Oma, Opa and Aunty Katharina. They all absolutely adore her and are always arguing over who gets to cuddle her. I can see her little mind ticking and taking in all of the different languages she's surrounded with. 

• I'm getting so ridiculously excited about my mum arriving from New Zealand for a whole month in late March! She gets to see Emilia all the time on skype but it's just not the same as in person. I miss her so much especially now I'm a mother myself.

• Rob, Emilia and I are flying to New Zealand for a whole month in July/August. I can't wait for my family and friends to finally meet our little girl! 

• It's no lie when they say that motherhood is a full time job, but it's definitely the most rewarding job I've ever had. 

Antoinette x

My post pregnancy (gluten free) diet

Breakfast - 7pm

Gluten free muesli, milk and half a chopped banana
Strawberry yogurt
Organic breastfeeding tea

Snack - 10am

Roasted pistachio nuts

Lunch - 12:30pm

Gluten free toast with Gouda cheese, tomato, free range egg and gherkin
Orange juice
 

Snack - 3pm

Grapes
Sliced apple
Organic breastfeeding tea

Dinner 6:00pm

Grilled wild Salmon steak, sweet potato mash, grilled zucchini red pepper and onions,
fresh strawberry 

Dessert/snack 7pm

Strawberry yogurt
Apple
Kiwi fruit


Snack - 8pm

Organic dark chocolate

During my pregnancy I made a conscious effort to eat as healthy as possible, mostly for the well being of my unborn baby but I also didn't want to gain too much unnecessary baby weight.  I definitely indulged in cravings like ice cream and chocolate sometimes but for the most part I ate a pretty well balanced healthy diet. By 40 weeks I had gained around 10 kgs and my stomach was so huge! I felt like I was the size of a house and it was impossible for me to imagine ever getting my figure back. I just excepted that it will probably take at least another 9 months to look anything like I did before I became pregnant because that's what I hear so many women say.
Emilia is now 5 weeks old and to my total surprise I am just 2 kgs away from my pre-pregnancy weight and my stomach is almost back to how it was.
I think the fact that I'm exclusively breastfeeding helped the weight drop off as well as eating a well balanced gluten free diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. If I feel like eating something sweet and not particularly healthy I definitely don't deny myself of it, but I make sure it's in moderation

I took some pics of everything I ate yesterday. Obviously my diet varies from day to day but this is just one example of the type of food I eat on a daily basis. Breastfeeding makes me extremely thirsty so I try to drink around 8 glasses of water a day not including other drinks like tea or occasionally orange juice.
I'm gonna try and do more of these 'what I ate posts' from time to time as I have fun doing them.

Antoinette x 

New mama ramblings

We sit and stare at Emilia and wonder how we created something so beautiful. I'm so pleased we did! 

When I look at her I can't see any of my features but I know she's mine. I love that she looks just like her papa and Rob loves it when people tell him that. 

I used to take half an hour to get ready in the morning, now I take 10 minutes. I haven't straightened my hair since she was born. 

I can't stop kissing her cheeks.

I wonder what language her first word will be in.

The longest I've been away from her is 15 minutes when I went to the supermarket. I knew she was safe and happy with her Oma and Opa but I was dying to get back to her.

I love the cute fuzzy hair on her forehead.

She has a  little red birth mark (stork mark) on her face. I think it's adorable and gives her character. 

Nothing is hotter than seeing my hubby with our tiny baby in his arms.

I would do absolutely anything in the world for her. Crazy things i'm sure.

Antoinette x

What I Didn't Expect When I Was Expecting

Our baby girl Emilia turned 3 weeks old today! 
I can say without doubt that becoming a mum has been the most amazing, empowering experience of my life. The love Rob and I share for this little girl is indescribable and we can't imagine life now without Emilia. The pain of childbirth, sleepless nights, crying and poop is all totally worth it. We are so lucky that Emilia is such a happy, content baby and so far motherhood is far better than I could have ever imagined. 

When I was pregnant I read so much about labor, delivery and taking care of baby but there were some things I wanted to share that I really didn't expect after giving birth. 

Hormones 

For some reason I thought the the roller coaster of crazy hormones would be over once I gave birth but I was totally wrong. The hormones I experienced through pregnancy were absolutely nothing compared to the first few weeks after Emilia was born. I was so unbelievably happy but at the same time I felt like I could burst out crying at the drop of a hat. I felt totally overwhelmed by the intense love I felt for our little girl and the thought of anything happening to her was just too much to bear. My crazy hormones peaked about three days after giving birth which was around the time my milk came in which may have had something to do with it. Thankfully by the end of the 2nd week my hormones started to feel much more balanced and I could fully enjoy this amazing time in my life without being an emotional wreck.

Breastfeeding 

I always imagined breastfeeding would be the most natural thing in the world and wasn't aware that it can actually be very difficult to master. I was so happy that Emilia latched on my breast about half an hour after I gave birth and  I presumed everything was fine, but by the next morning my nipples were raw, cracked and so incredibly painful. I soon realised that I was in so much pain because Emilia wasn't latched on correctly. One of the nurses in the hospital spent some time with us and corrected her latch, but by this point the damage to my nipples had already been done. I was in absolute agony every time I was breastfeeding her, which was so upsetting because I always imagined breastfeeding would be such an amazing thing, but I was in way too much pain to enjoy it. I was so determine to master breastfeeding as I knew that it was the best thing for my baby and the only way for things to get better was to just power on and keep feeding her despite the pain. After about three days of agony my nipples started to heal which was such a relief.  She was latched on correctly and my milk came in which meant she didn't have to suck so hard and was no longer cluster feeding as I had enough milk to satisfy her.  It took over a week for my nipples to totally heal and now I can say that I absolutely love breastfeeding, it really does feel like the most natural thing in the world.

Visitors 

I totally didn't expect that we would need at least the first week to ourselves. I usually love being around friends and family but after giving birth the thought of visitors was just so overwhelming! I think it was the mix of crazy hormones, vagina pain, and the overwhelming urge I felt to bond with our baby and not pass her around all day that made me feel this way. All  I wanted was to spend the first week alone with my husband and our baby girl. By the second week I was feeling totally different and really excited about everyone meeting Emilia. At the time I felt really guilty about not wanting people around but now that I am out of the crazy hormonal phase I realise that my instincts were correct and we needed intimate family time and there was nothing wrong with that.  

Antoinette x

Emilia is one week old

Baby love

A week ago today I gave birth to my beautiful baby girl Emilia and I knew from the moment I saw her that I would never be the same again. I knew I was going to love her but nothing in the world could have prepared me for this love which has flooded my whole being. It's a love so deep and so strong that it's impossible to put into worlds. I can't believe this perfect little girl is mine and I have to pinch myself every day.

Husband love

I didn't realize that having a baby would make me love my husband even more. He is the only person on this earth that loves Emilia as much as I do. It is something that only the two of us share, this intense love for this little girl and it has strengthened and deepened my connection to him and my love for him.

Antoinette x

Emilia is here!

Emilia Maree Musik

2-1-13

12:19 AM

7 lbs

We are beyond blessed and totally in love with our beautiful daughter!

Antoinette x 

The waiting game....

To all my darling blogging friends, I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas where ever you may be in the world!! 
Today is my due date and I thought I may be spending Christmas in hospital giving birth but instead I got to enjoy an amazing Christmas dinner with family. I'm now starting to get very impatient and am so eager and ready to have my baby girl here with me!

Has anyone got any good tips for speeding things up?

Antoinette x