Three Week Check In: Chase
Chase is up almost two pounds from his birth weight and heās gaining some adorable little rolls that I cannot help but kiss every day. He absolutely loves to eat and eats often. Right now weāre feeding on demand which means sometimes Iām feeding him every hour when he seems to want to snack more than eat a full meal, but heās typically eating every two hours or so.
Earlier this week we began to implement supervised tummy time on Chaseās activity mat!
Chase seems to love being on his belly and we have a little too much fun watching him pick up his head and move it from left to right. (If you wouldāve told me that watching a baby move their head wouldāve amused me before I became a mom, I wouldāve thought you were crazy. Now itās basically the best thing ever. Oh how things have changed!) It seems to take all of his effort and his little grunts and coos are so entertaining.
Also entertaining? Sadie!
Her whole being wanted to be involved in our first round of tummy time and she took every opportunity to bring us toys to try to distract us and turn our attention onto her instead of Chase.
With every day that passes, Sadie is getting more and more used to her little brother. She still doesnāt love his crying (she moves to the opposite end of the couch when he starts wailing) but sheās also started checking on him when he starts to stir in his Rock nā Play. Iām so impressed with how sheās handling everything!
Iāve already seen such a big change in Chaseās level of alertness since we brought him home from the hospital. The first few days were filled with sleeping and eating, but now Chase has longer spells where he loves to just be awake! He needs constant entertainment when heās awake and seems to love bouncing, swinging on the swing outside, silly face games and kisses. He isnāt smiling yet (I canāt wait for this!), but he has a million different facial expressions that amuse us to no end. I love his big open-mouth face and pursed lips most!
(And yes, Chase is constantly naked ā with the exception of his diaper ā because we keep our house rather warm and itās still quite hot in Charlotteā¦ Plus, Iām a little too obsessed with skin-to-skin time!)
Ryan and I have been playing a nightly game with Chase where weāll ask him a question and then turn his face toward the other person. Iāll say something like, āChase, do you love Daddy?ā and turn his face toward Ryan and weāll crack up because his facial expression will inevitably be a scowl, furrowed brow, serious stink eye or a judgmental baby faceā¦
File this game under āGames That Would Only Entertain New Parents.ā
Three Week Check In: Julie
As for how I am doing, all is well over here! For the first two weeks, I feel like I was riding the new baby adrenaline high. I felt so happy and some how the crazy exhaustion I read about eluded me, but by Monday and Tuesday this week, I was hit was some serious tiredness.
I suppose never sleeping for more than two hours at a time was bound to catch up to me eventually! I wish I was better about napping during the day when Chase naps, but I cannot seem to get myself to sleep and tend to use his nap time to blog, check emails and get stuff done around the house, but perhaps Iāll eventually be sleepy enough to have to nap during the day at some point. I have a feeling that would help me a lot!
(The above pic was snapped on one of the three days where I actually took the time to do my hair and makeup since Chase was born. And yes, Iām in my pajamas. All day every day. The fact that Iām even wearing a t-shirt is a small victory since it seems like I spend most of my days in a nursing bra or topless right now!)
Our daily routine around here almost always includes a walk with Sadie and Chase in the morning before the heat of the day sets in. If feeding works out well and weāre able to get out super early, Ryan will join us before work which makes me love our walk time even more.
Since I wasnāt able to walk for several weeks toward the end of my pregnancy due to sacroiliac pain, the ability to spend time outside walking with my little gang is so special to me. Plus, my walks are basically the only time I get out of the house, so they help a lot with cabin fever, too. (Also, all of my hip and lower back pain went away completely after birth! It was amazing.)
My body seems to be healing fairly well (I had two stitches post-delivery) and Iām doing my best to keep myself fueled with mostly healthy food. Iāve been a snack machine between meals (Iām attributing this to breastfeeding hunger) and feel like Iām eating my bodyweight in nuts, nut butter, trail mix and fresh and dried fruit. I am so grateful to my mom for her help during these first few weeks as sheās dedicated a lot of time to making all of us delicious and nutritious meals. (You guys were so right about encouraging her to come ASAP after Chase was born. She has been amazing not only for her help with Chase and around the house but also for her support and company.)
Iāve received a few questions from you guys about whether Iāll be documenting my āBody After Babyā progress or anything like that and itās just not something that interests me so itās not something Iām planning to recap weekly or monthly on the blog. I did weigh myself this morning so I had something to share with those who are curious and Iām down about 15 pounds since delivering Chase. Since I gained a little more than 25 pounds during my pregnancy (I think I was up to 28-ish pounds at 38 weeks?), I still have some weight to lose, but that is obviously to be expected and Iām not really doing much to help the process along right now since itās just not a priority as all of my energy and focus is on Chase, breastfeeding and recovery. Iād eventually like to get back down to a weight where I feel more comfortable and confident, but Iām giving myself plenty of grace and time to get there right now. Slow and steady!
And I think that brings us up to date! I hope you guys are having a great Thursday so far!
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You look absolutely fantastic Julie! And I’m happy to hear that you’re not going to be obsessed with the body after baby..that’s so refreshing from a Healthy Living Blogger (especially one with as big of an audience as you). You’re already such a fantastic mother and seem to have taken on that role so naturally. Chase is getting cuter and cuter by the day! Thanks for sharing š
He’s so cute! Love the updates on Chase š
I can’t get over how ADORABLE Chase is!! I am loving all of the pictures and the recaps you are giving us š
I love reading these updates! I’m 26 weeks along myself with our first and it’s so fun to see how life with a newborn is working out for you. Also, I’m impressed that you’ve had 3 days where you were up, showered and did your hair!
So excited for you!!
Thanks! We’re pretty excited too š
Impressive boobs.
And Chase is still outrageously handsome.
You’re welcome!
Haha!! Breastmilk = Giant boobs! They have actually gone down a bit from when my milk first came in!
I thought the same thing, but didn’t want to say it! Mine went up 2 cup sizes after I had my son. It’s amazing what our bodies can do. Chase is adorable and the baby rolls are the best!
Ha! I thought the same thing!!!! I’m only 31 weeks now and have already gone up two cup sizes, what am I going to do once the baby is actually here?!! AH!
I love reading these family updates! It seems like everything is going smoothly. Can’t wait to read more on Chase- he is such a cutie!
You look fantastic Julie!!! Congrats on making it to three weeks with such a positive outlook! Things seem to be going really well over there! I heart your little family.
You’re doing great Julie! You have a wonderful family and you are being a fantastic mom to Chase. He looks adorable and seems to be thriving very well. I think it’s great that you’re giving yourself plenty of time to recover and focusing more on your new role. You will have plenty of time to focus on working out and getting back to your former fitness level later and being a mom will actually help you to be even stronger than before. I didn’t think it was possible but I actually have a better body than before I even had my baby and am now in the best shape of my life. Thanks for keeping us updated on how Chase is doing, I love reading your updates about him.
Hello! I’m new to your blog and the blogging world and I just had to drop in to tell you that your son is SO adorable <3 I have a 21 month old son and baby girl on the way and just can't wait to experience the newborn stage again…it's magical! Congrats to you and your family š
You look gorgeous, Julie! As always! Thanks so much for sharing this little check-in – your little man is adorable! Oh my goodness! The face! š š Love Sadie’s interaction too – she is already a fantastic big sister!
You look fantastic and Chase is so adorable- he looks like you and Ryan so much already <3
Love the update !! also love that you aren’t doing body after baby I just feel that it is not necessary too many women put pressure on themselves already! And of course lastly I love that your mom has stayed with you I had no help with my newborns and would of loved any help!! it was so hard on my husband and I to be on our own with no idea what we were doing!!
You look amazing š Love the comment about your hair and make-up as I was going to say that you looked a bit *too* well lol.
I totally agree with the body after baby, it will come back down naturally but right now your priority is Chase and keeping yourself healthy to recover.
You look great and your little family is absolutely beautiful! Keep keepin’ on new Mama! You’re doing great. š
I have just loved following along your journey and experience as a new mom. I am almost 37 weeks and am coming to the realization that my little boy could join us at ANY time! Crazy! It seems like you, Ryan, and Sadie are doing really well adjusting to life with a newborn. And, after reading about what a huge help your mom has been, I am really glad that my mom will be around to help during those first few weeks!
Thatās great that you have been able to go on daily walks as a family. I really hope to do the same thing, as my husband will be taking some time off work and working from home. Were you able to walk immediately after you got home, or did you need to take a few days off to heal? Are you experiencing any pain?
Thank you for the wonderful updates!
So glad things are going well for you Julie! As someone who’s a few years behind you without a sister, it’s incredible helpful to have someone detail out these life experiences before I go through them š
Chase is adorable and I am so happy for you and your family. Thanks for always being so positive, honest, and inspiring!
This is such a wonderful post on so many levels! Quick question, What kind of nut butters do you like? Besides peanut butter that is š I’ve been wanting to give different ones a try but I just stand at the store staring at the different butters and brands and have no idea what to pick.
He is the cutest little man!
Glad to hear everyone (including Sadie) is adjusting and happy. š
Thank you for checking in with us, Julie! Of course, I’m so curious to know how things are going. Chase is just adorable, and I love that your little family of four is finding its way. So nice of your Momma to be there as well! And yay for pajamas all day!
Recovery takes a while! Much longer than I had wanted… at 3 months postpartum I am just now (this week) starting to ease back into running. And yes, nursing makes a girl crazy hungry, especially the first several weeks! It made me super thirsty, too. Still does. I drink at least a gallon of water a day–no joke! I didn’t nap during the day much either. I don’t care what people say, nothing would get done around our house if I did…
Keep enjoying your time with that baby! So happy for you guys š
Julie, so glad things are going well with your beautiful family! I wanted to say that as someone who is so intrigued by body after baby posts, I am so happy to hear how secure you are in not getting caught up in that. You look beautiful and your body is doing amazing things right now and that is more than enough. So grateful for your voice in the blog world.
It sounds like you’re doing great! I can’t imagine how tired you must be- it’s refreshing to see someone admit this š
Loved reading this little update! So glad things are continuing to go well. You look beautiful and he is just darling. Days and weeks literally flash before your eyes with kids – it’s crazy. Embrace every minute!
I love the updates! And am so glad that Sadie is warming up to him.
Your new little one is so cute! I love hearing the updates and those pictures of Sadie with Chase just melt my heart.
I’m 3 months postpartum and I’m still in my pajamas way too much, haha! Nursing is just so much easier without a million layers – that’s my excuse at least š
Chase is a doll – congrats on such a happy, healthy little man
What a gorgeous photo of you and your little guy! š Beautiful family, beautiful post š
I’m the same way with naps. I can not seem to get myself to nap unless I’m sick. It just doesn’t happen. Makes things super hard when you have a newborn
This is why I love your blog so much, you have a healthy approach to life. I just gave birth to my second child 4 months ago and have received many of the same questions from my readers as far as posting “body after baby” posts and I have not and will not. I am practicing grace with my body and love the fact that regardless of what weight I am at, it allowed me to carry an amazing little boy and girl for nine months and provide nutrition for them after. I have much more to focus on, then “my body”. Please be kind to you! You are beautiful no matter what weight you are.
Well said š
Wow 3 week already!?! Time sure is flying! Glad to hear that you and Chase are both adjusting wonderfully. You look absolutely gorgeous in these photos…motherhood suits you well! <3
He is so beautiful and you all look so happy <3
Good for you for not focusing on that whole ‘body after baby’ thing. That’s not important and frankly no one’s business. š I was just ecstatic to hear your back issues went away after giving birth. I felt so bad for you! Sadie is a crack up!
I was always terrible at napping while my babies napped during the day. There was a few times I was SO exhausted that i forced myself to lay down and sleep… and then couldn’t!!! Finally I just gave up. Just laying down and resting will help a bit if you find you can’t actually nap. <3
I never slept when Luca did…too much to do!
Glad Chase is gaining well; he’s adorable.
Also, kudos to you for NOT focusing on body after baby. I’m grateful to fit in my old clothes and look relatively the same now, but documenting the changes? Seems too time-consuming and obsessive to me! Take care if yourself & that sweet baby. š
Congrats, Julie! Chase is so adorable. It’s been so fun following along your pregnancy story and now he is finally here! Just wondering what kind of camera you used for these pictures? They are beautiful and I’m in the market for a new camera myself! š
So cute …. all of you! Moms are the best!
He is so adorable.
I’m so jealous of your boobs. I’ve been breastfeeding for almost a year and they went from tiny to small. :-/ sorry, sleep didn’t happen last night, I’m all crankiness today, but your blog did make me smile.
Chase is so adorable! This post made me think about the perks of summer versus winter babies. My daughter was born in November (and I’m expecting a baby boy this December) so we were bundled up all the time. So many layers to unravel for nursing and diaper changing, and had to skip our daily walk a few times due to inclement weather! I am looking forward to experiencing the newborn stage again with my son, especially the fascinating and ever-changing facial expressions!
He is just too cute. Sadie will definitely get used to the crying (so will you – sometimes it barely even registers with me anymore, especially if it’s a bored or attention cry) our dog hated it as well, but now when my son wakes up in the morning and I’m in bed delaying the inevitable, the dog comes in and barks st me..
I love reading your family updates; makes me nostalgic for the baby days. Keep enjoying every second of your ‘goofy parent games’, you will cherish them after he is grown up! You look fantastic, and you’re right not to obsess about after baby body, the weight will come off and you and Chase are healthy and happy. That’s all that matters.
I know it’s not for everyone, but have you considered pumping a bottle so Ryan can take over a night feeding for you so you can get a longer stretch of sleep?
Yes! My pediatrician encouraged me to begin pumping and feeding Chase one bottle a day at three to four weeks. I still want to get through another week of breastfeeding so we’re well-established after his frenulum clipping but plan to do this next week!
Congrats Julie! You look great. Chase looks so happy and healthy. Hope he loves tummy time! Congrats on taking your time and putting all your focus on Chase! You are a great mom! Hope the little guy continues to grow. It’s funny how such small things can make a new parents day! Our son is 15 months and is talking a few words but can make animal sounds when asked.. Oh I love it!!
You look great Julie! And Chase is adorable. Kudos to you, for just enjoying this moment with him – not worrying about your weight, how you look, etc. Just keep feeding that babe and loving on him!
What a fun post! Your journey validates all my days spent in jammies and my lady bits hanging out to air dry. Ha! Thank you so, so much for not fueling the whole body after baby phenomenon. I seriously thought I would magically “snap” back to my old body since people told me that I would throughout my entire pregnancy because I am petite and active. Well, there was no snapping. I’m still very much soft and gooey 8 weeks later despite healthy eating and moderate exercise. On good days I can remind myself that all the extra fluff is baby food and is hanging on for a reason! PSā¦Lindsay Brin has a postpartum slim down DVD that is broken up into 10 minute segments for new moms. The workouts are efficient and fun, without the pressure to “get your body back.” She focuses more on a healthy, active recovery. But they still make you sweat and your muscles burn! http://www.amazon.com/Postnatal-SlimDown-Lindsay-Brin-Fitness/dp/B00HHITD60/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1440092876&sr=8-1&keywords=lindsay+brin
It sounds like things are going wonderfully in the Fagan household. Chase is such a cutie! Enjoy this time!
Chase makes the cutest faces! Love that Sadie is getting more curious about baby. I’m 16 weeks pregnant now and wonder how our dog will react with a baby, she loves being the star of the show.
You have that new momma glow, you look beautiful!
Looks like things are moving right along nicely!! Chase is a growing boy!! You look awesome and I loved your thoughts on post-baby body. How did you guys decide on the name Chase anyways, did I miss that story?
Naked babies are the best. So glad to hear these updates and that everything seems to be going so well! š
You seem to be handling it all so naturally and gracefully! I am impressed. I’m a bit worried about how breastfeeding will go for me, but fingers crossed it works out better than I am anticipating. Chase is such a cutie! š
I want to say thank you so much for not posting the before and after baby body pictures! I’m preggo with baby number 2, and it’s so encouraging and refreshing to see you trying to be healthy without being obssessed:)