One week already?!

I can't believe it has been a whole week (and a day, since I'm late in posting this) since we met Miss Ella for the first time! Thank you so much for all of the congrats and well wishes! 

This first week has been a little crazy. 

I've lost 22 pounds from feeding her (!!! people were not kidding when they say it's the best diet ever!!!), but my hormones have been completely cray. My mom left Sunday, causing me to be a total basket case, and I have a hard time watching the Olympics because the commercials make me cry (and I also cried during the Opening Ceremonies if a country only had one athlete..."But, they're going to be all by themselves! They don't have any teammates! Their country is so small!"). Holy crap. Good news though: yesterday was the first day that I didn't cry! I really hope these "baby blues" are on their way out the door, because I definitely don't like crying at the drop of a hat! 

I'm still writing Ella's birth story, because as it sits right now, it is 3 pages long and a little too TMI for me to share with all of the internet! So I am still working on that...but here is what we've been up to!

Ella had her first photo shoot in the hospital on Tuesday, when she was approximately 32 hours old. Since I wasn't obligated to buy anything, I said sure, and threw a Carolina blue bow on my baby girl. When the photographer was done, she showed me a slideshow of Ella's pictures, set to this extremely SAD, SAD song about what a beautiful baby she is. I started BALLING. In fact, I am crying now just thinking about it. So, just a word of warning to anyone who gets the hospital newborn pics done: be prepared to cry!

I didn't buy any, so sorry...had to do a screen shot! 

We came home from the hospital on Wednesday, which was another emotional event for me. It was like a little graduation for my baby...she wasn't so new anymore! 

We also got our car seat inspected by the nice hospital security guard, which was relief! (PS-I installed it correctly!)

My sweet friend Kathryn surprised us by having this stork waiting for us in the front yard!

And then, we had to have another photo shoot, with Ella's "brand new" sticker...she did NOT like it. 

Ella had her REAL newborn pics done on Saturday, by our wedding/gender reveal photographers! She was not a happy camper for the first 90 minutes...then we got the bright idea to turn on the white noise machine. She fell right to sleep and we got some really cute pics in that last half hour! 

Here is a little preview from my mom's camera:

Ella has also had a few sponge baths (no real baths till her cord stump falls off)...which she was not a huge fan of. She also peed in the bathtub. Thank goodness my mom was here to clean that up.

What Ella does love?! Rocking in the Mamaroo. She loves that thing, and takes naps in it almost daily (in fact, that's what she's doing now as I sit here writing this!)...I am so glad, because I've heard a lot of babies don't like the Mamaroo!

We have taken quite a few walks (well, none today with this snow!). Ella loves to be outside and hear the birds...if she's getting cranky, I plop her in the car seat/stroller and she calms down instantly! 

We also had our first outing, to Buy Buy Baby. (I had to get stuff for my sore boobs. Ella is a very forceful sucker!) Ella shopped till she dropped--she dropped rather quickly though.

Ella also loves snuggling with her dad. She is so mesmerized by him, it warms my heart just looking at the 2 of them together. Without getting too sappy, Travis has truly been SUCH an amazing dad and I can't believe how wonderful he is with his little girl. Ella is a daddy's girl already for sure. 

Yesterday, we took our one week picture (don't worry, I'm not doing this every week forever...just for the first few weeks)

and of course, I'm still using that chalkboard!

{and yes, worst chalkboard design ever...it's a little different now; I don't have as much time as I used to! Also, I realize I look super tired!}

Ella is slowly learning her days and nights. She loves to party around 3am every morning (we think because that's when she was born). However, she usually just wakes up that one time, and sleeps 4-5 hours straight on either side of that!

{We were up at the exact minute Ella turned a week old on Monday morning!}

We found out today at the doctor's that Ella has surpassed her birth weight and is now 7 pounds, 10 ounces! She is such a good little eater!

Even with the crazy hormones, this past week has been so blissful with our little girl! I still can't believe she's finally here!

I'm hoping to be back soon to share Ella's nursery pictures and her birth story!! We are going to play in the snow now!!!