A Royal Obsession

Apparently Collins has jumped on the bandwagon and become obsessed with the royal wedding like the rest of the United States. Her internal clock must have been set because she woke us up wailing at precisely 4:00 a.m.- right on time for the wedding coverage to begin. I have to say this is one of the first times I was kind of excited to be woken up in the middle of the night- there has been so much press on this I was curous to see the spectacle. And it was actually pretty cool! Watching all the royals roll up in these sleek black cars sporting weird hats was fascinating and Kate made a beautiful bride. We stayed up from 4:00 - 6:30 a.m. and then it was back to bed. Too bad there is no good TV to look forward to tonight in the wee hours of the morning...

Skinny Girl

Normally this is a welcomed description for most ladies, but not my lady! Collins is gaining weight very slowly. She was born 7 lbs 1 oz, and she's only up to 8 lbs 15 oz now. Everyone who sees her whether that's at the grocery store or wherever we go comment on how tiny she is and that's because she is! She is still in newborn clothes for heaven's sake! The doctors are watching it, but aren't overly concerned yet because she checks out good and healthy otherwise. So my mission each day is to fatten her up! Stay tuned for new developments on this one... 

Say Cheese...

When I first got pregnant, I told my friend Jen that I was worried I wouldn't be a good Mom. She reassured me that I would be a great Mom simply because of my love of seasonal decorating and holiday festivites- she said kids really get into that. Well, I had a chance to test this particular passion/mothering skill this past weekend with Easter- our first big holiday with Collins. What I learned is that holiday decorating is even more fun with a little one so my daughter better watch out- there is much more cheese where this came from. Lets just hope she will someday appreciate my enthusiasm for holidays and not find it annoying/embarrasing.

Aunt Alli and I attempted a bunny cake, remembering how much we used to love them when Mom made them when we were little...

Collins in the kitchen helping out wearing her bunny outfit as inspiration...

Lunging for a Reeses peanut butter egg and who can blame her?

Sheer excitement from the Easter bunny's visit...

Let's do the Math

9:30 p.m. Bedtime process begins (bath, books, swaddle)

10 p.m. Feeding

10:30 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. Crying, general unrest, absolutely no sleeping

1:00 a.m. Feeding

1:45- 2:45 a.m. More no sleeping

2:45 - 4:00 a.m. Sleeping!!!!

4:00 a.m. Time to eat again

4:40 - 7:00 a.m. Maybe a 30-minute snooze in there?

7:00 a.m. Breakfast

Let's do the tally...for a grand total of about 2 hrs of sleep last night! Now thank goodness this is not typical, but it was still awful. What are we doing wrong here???

Pack Your Boogie Board

This is what Brian told Collins as we got ready to take our first beach trip this past weekend. Turns out she didn't need it as it was too chilly and windy for any surfing. But she did get to see the ocean for the first time, test out new shades and a sun hat, enjoy lunch out at our favorite taco place, and hang out with her grandparents. Some fun shots from the trip...

This didn't last very long...

The perfect pair...

Collins' Top 10

In the blur of no sleep, feeding schedules and trying to figure out what all those cries mean, I haven't properly recorded any of our baby's first precious moments. In these first 8 weeks, every moment has been pretty special but I've chosen my top 10 to give you a glimpse of what life has been like so far with Miss Collins. 

(in order of most recent to the beginning)

#10 Road Trip!

We have spent a lot of time in this house these first 2 months. Collins did make it to Durham a couple of times, but that's about the extent of her travels. We decided to test the waters and take our first trip this past weekend. Davidson's spring football game was on Saturday, and the DGC (Davidson Gridiron Club) was hosting an event so we went. Collins got to visit Jen, Jack and Libby, meet all of her Dad's buddies (and her new friends Austin, Blake and Reagan) and check off her first college visit (according to Dad, Davidson it will be!).

I think Libby is ready to be a big sister...

Jon Davis is a natural...

Then it was on to Hickory for the first time. We've been lucky enough to have the grandparents make multiple trips to Raleigh, but I was excited to take Collins to my hometown for the first time, along with the chance to meet her great-grandfather.

Poppy and Nona got some good play time in...

And I think PawPaw and Baba are a little smitten...

She even slept on the car ride home. Overall, Collins was super impressive on her first night away from home. Maybe there are more road trips in our future...

#9 First Smile

Mom and her singing got the first smile! It happened last Wednesday (4/6) at 7 1/2 weeks, and we've been getting smiles here and there ever since. It appears she really likes singing and music. Here is one smile I managed to catch- I can't wait for more!

#8 The BOB

Donna and Marty were so sweet to get us a very nice jogging stroller. It has been so much fun to have now that Spring is here, and we can get outside and enjoy the weather and see everything in bloom. Aunt Alli and I take the BOB out most days and get our exercise while Collins gets her zz's.

#7 March Madness

I was always excited about how Collins' arrival would time up nicely with the arrival of late-season basketball and the NCAA Tournament. If we were going to be stuck in the house, what better time of year? Collins and I watched A LOT of basketball and cheered the Heels on to the Elite 8. The only problem was that the only piece of sports gear that fits at this point came from her Daddy...

#6 A Special Visit

It has been so fun introducing Collins to everyone. I was super excited when Mom told me that Baba wanted to make the trip to Raleigh to come meet the baby. One Sunday, they and my aunt Kristy and cousin Lindsey made the drive and brought along with them a ham, sweet potato casserole and banana pudding! We had a great time hanging out....

Baba brought Collins an adorable Easter duck. She might need a little time to get used to it...

#5 Meltdowns- No One Believes Us

Everyone says she is an angel, and she absolutely looks like one when she is sleeping. Case in point:

She is so cute and sweet at most times, but not at every time! Collins has already mastered the art of a meltdown. If you don't believe us, let us walk you through the many faces...

#4 Calisthenics

Collins has really long arms and legs. We aren't quite sure where they came from, but they like to move around a lot. She regularly does her kicks and punches, and it's really fun to watch.

#3 Waking Up is Hard to Do

Is there anything more precious than a sleeping baby? Here are some of my favorite nap shots.

#2 Bath Time

I think some of my favorite moments with Collins so far have come at bath time. She has gradually warmed up to the sponge bath part but has always loved the shampoo and head massage (typical girl). This pix is her first ever shampoo and she loved it...

She likes to look at herself in the mirror while she's getting her bath and makes funny faces.

And she couldn't look more adorable in her hooded towels...

#1 The Big Event!

I was scheduled to have a C-section on Wednesday, February 16, because Collins was breech. Well, our little one decided to make her entrance in this world a little early, coming on Sunday morning very early. I had worked an event all day on Saturday and went to bed early that night because I was exhausted.  At about 2:30 a.m., I started having severe back pain and realized I could be going into labor. A quick call to the doctor confirmed it, and we were on our way to the hospital. It all happened pretty fast- Collins was born at 8:36 a.m. weighing 7 pounds, 1 ounce and measuring 21 1/4 inches. Our whole family was there to meet her- what an incredibly special day! A couple of my favorite pix from the big event...

New at this...

Collins Elizabeth Fork is now 2 months and one day old! Our little girl is growing fast and that means I need to start capturing her milestones in something other than digital film. (We have that covered by the way- I think the photo count is up near 600 at this point.) Ever since her birth on Sunday, February 13, I have wanted to journal or start a blog to monitor Collins new adventures in this world. But this new mom thing isn't easy and it's taken me awhile to get here. But here we are, ready to record and celebrate the newest little Fork!