love, katie photography » Milwaukee wedding, family and children's photographer

Alright, kidney stones. You won Round 1. Fine … you also won Rounds 2 and 3.

It seems as though pregnancy left a few tiny gifts in my kidneys for me to unwrap this past week. Well, “tiny” in a “I feel like I’m dead” kind of way. I’m not one to swear, but holy hell, that was aaaaaaaaawful. The circus began Tuesday around noon. Tommy came home for lunch — I quickly handed over Gracey and proceeded to lie in the hallway, rolling in pain. About an hour later, we made our first trip of the week to Urgent Care. Several days later — after numerous IV’s, a handful of drives to the ER, a CT scan, and one surgery — I think I’m finally over the hump.

Kidney stones are somewhat common during and after pregnancy — it’s from calcium buildup, they say. I had a stone in college, but these bad boys overstayed their welcome this time around. I never would have gotten through it without my angel husband and some incredibly supportive family members. Tommy is Super Dad, really. We loaded Gracey into our car around 3 a.m. one too many times this week, but he never asked questions — he just listened and was entirely supportive. As for Gracey? She was as good as a 2-month-old can be, lying next to her mommy in the hospital. She cast her spell on every nurse around, I believe.

To any moms or moms-to-be who may be reading my blog for advice or insight — here’s my tip of the week: If you’re breastfeeding, build up a freezer stash of milk for unexpected times like these. Thankfully, I have a pretty good supply in our freezer, which we’re now putting a dent in because I can’t nurse Gracey while I’m on such strong painkillers and antibiotics. In the photo below, Daddy took his turn at feeding.Every time Tommy feeds her and then puts her on his lap to burp her, I just about die of cuteness overload. She looks SO adorable and tiny from behind, sitting in his big hands. She’s usually drunk on milk and just completely content — it’s a memory I never want to forget.

As for today — now that I’m recovered (knock on wood!), we’re going to enjoy this beautiful weather! Enjoy the sunshine, everyone.

Is it wrong to take your two-month old outside to play in the snow? Yup, pretty much. All this pretty white stuff coming down a mile a minute has me super excited for next winter — I’ll have an excuse to build a snowman with little Gracey Girl.

This week, we made the big transition from Gracey’s bassinet in our room to her very own crib. She’s actually doing quite well! Mama probably had a harder time with it than baby.The first night, as Tommy and I fell asleep, I said to him, “I don’t hear any noises … the monitor MUST be broken.” Even though she’s in the room right next to ours, it’s tough to let her be “so far” away. She was a part of me for nine months, and then, when she was finally born, well … she’s basically still a part of me. But the crib is the safest, most secure, sturdiest bed for her, which offers even more peace of mind.

During the day, Gracey is playing a bit more and sleeping a little less. Baby Girl is growing up! Which brings us to an entirely new challenge. What exactly do you do with a two-month old? We read to her, sing to her, make crazy facial expressions above her, hold her, walk around with her, let her sit in her Nap Nanny chair and watch us eat (must be thrilling), and we play with her on her play mat. But sometimes I wonder, “Am I doing enough? Does she really like staring at a dangling lion rattle for 20 minutes? Is this play mat making her smart or boring her to tears?” I mean really, let me know in the comments section, my friends: What are your favorite toys for babies? What works and what do they love?

I’ll leave you with a picture from this past Sunday — we went to go visit Tommy’s grandma. It also happened to be Gracey’s two-month birthday, so I put her in her two-month birthday dress. She loved it … she told me.

Have a great weekend, enjoy the snow and drive safe!