Oh yes, we are making progress now! Today I crossed the next important hurdle - getting the baby to fall asleep on her own once I put her down for the night. I'm not talking even all night, now - just until the middle of the night feeding! So she pretty much fell asleep after feeding, but woke up once I placed her in the bassinet. She cried and I rocked her a bit. I had to go back maybe 2 or 3 times just to rock her a bit, but it worked. She eventually fell asleep! I celebrated with that last Peroni (Italian beer) that had sat in my fridge all alone since February 14!
November 2008
11/30/2008
11/29/2008
11/27/2008
A Very Thankful Thanksgiving Day
Baby's first holiday was such a special one. It was appropriate that the first holiday was in fact Thanksgiving since thankful would be the one word that best describes how we feel to have our baby home with us. This picture is Michael and Stephanie as we're heading out the door to his parent's house. Baby is all dressed up in a DRESS ... yes I guess the baby will be allowed to wear a dress more than on Christmas and Easter like I first stated. We got this one as a gift from our CPA and I couldn't wait to have her wear it! Thanksgiving dinner was also special because Michael's sister, husband and five children just moved her from London and this was the first holiday with them around the table. They, in fact, prepared the dinner! Luckily, Daddy said the 'normal' grace and so I was able to make it through as I held our little daughter on my lap. If he had done any adlibbing about the new members of the family, I might have lost it!
11/26/2008
Three Weeks Old
Baby looks so good laying on the beautiful blankie that Grandma crocheted for her. What a gem. My sister also used this picture in a frame to us for Christmas. It has three pictures - one of me, Michael and this one. One the bottom it says Mom + Dad = Me! How sweet - yes, I cried.I do that a lot. Baby had her weight recheck yesterday and did just fine. She weighed 8 pounds and 12.5 ounces.
11/19/2008
Two Weeks Old
Well if this picture looks familiar, it's because this is the full version of the photo we used for our birth announcement. Of course it would be weeks before we got around to mailing them out. Yesterday we took baby to doctor's office for two-week checkup. She has not yet regained her birth weight so we need to go back in one week for a re-check. The doctor said not to be afraid to supplement, but I'm hesitant to do so. Maybe one bottle at night to help with sleeping, but not much more. On the way back from the doctor's office, baby had a scream attack. I wasn't sure why until I got home and put her car seat in the living room ... one of our many crabulas (spiders in our yard that look like little crabs) had been dropping down from his little web and dangling right in front of her face. Of course I'm not sure that's why, but it's my story and I'm sticking to it. Poor baby.
11/11/2008
Almost One Week Old
Baby is nearly one week old here. Such a funny look on her face. The first week has been on the job training for sure. She still doesn't know day from night, but that's ok. I haven't yet napped during the day with her - I have work to do. Daddy had to go back to the office already - at least I can work from home. She is usually up until about 2:30 or 3 a.m. and then she sleeps until 5 or 6 a.m. I've gotten used to very small amounts of sleep.
11/10/2008
11/08/2008
More Visitors
The first weekend saw lots of visitors for little Stephanie Rae. On Saturday, Michael's family came over including nieces/nephews Abby, Jessie, Moriah and Joseph, shown here.
On Sunday my brother-in-law Bob and two nieces Kim and Kellie came to see our new little bundle of joy. Everyone had a turn to hold the baby. Some even had seconds.
Later in November, Michael's cousin Martha came to visit with her daughter Christine. That was the day I put together the baby's new bassinet. We were soon to be getting some sleep at night. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
11/07/2008
Homecoming
By Friday, we were cleared to go home. Thank goodness. It was going to be a relief to be with our new daughter all the time, instead of just being called to visit and feed every few hours.
We were surprised to see balloons on our mailbox, signs on our door, streamers in our house and a home cooked meal in our fridge thanks to Michael's sister and family. (Of course we also had a dead beta in the fish bowl - thanks to Cathy who never buried him when he died on November 3.)
Well before long we realized the truth ... we were on our own now. Famous first lines uttered that night ... "So where is her new storage compartment?" I'll let you guess who said this!
I'm not ashamed to say that on that first night we didn't have a clue. All of a sudden normal easy tasks like feeding the cats, making dinner or pretty much anything had to be orchestrated and planned so someone could be watching the baby.
That first night Stephanie was having no part of sleeping. We tried lights out, lights on, music on, music off, bassinet normal, bassinet elevated, heated, not heated. We fed, she cried, we rocked, she cried, we offer pacifier, she cried. And then she cried some more. Finally at 6 a.m., I gave in and gave her a bottle. Worked like a charm. She slept soundly for a few hours - and probably thought nighttime started at 6 a.m. Oops.
11/05/2008
Stephanie's First Visitors
Stephanie Rae had several visitors on Wednesday as she was just hours old, and the next day as well.
To see a complete collection of her visitors, both in the NICU and at home, see our Facebook photo album at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=55281&l=8c602&id=538752421
