6 Weeks Old

Amazingly, Katelyn is almost 7 weeks old now... She turned 6 Weeks last Sunday and is continuing to grow (11 pounds, 23 inches long), teaching her mom and dad a little about flying poo, spit up clean up, and endurance w/out sleep. She is also developing her own little skills along the way! We of course think she is the best thing since sliced bread, but may be just slightly biased. ;-) It has been awhile since our last update, so here are a few of my fav pics. Hope you all enjoy!

Katelyn around 4 weeks old - ALL CLEAN!!! Amazingly she is starting to like bath time already as long as you keep that warm water running over her!


Katelyn and Dad around 5 weeks old.

Katelyn around 5 weeks old - Just chillin' in her jammies... Does this look comfy to you? :)

While at G&G A's over Thanksgiving, Katelyn discovered Mom's old pound puppies. In this picture, the puppy is "attacking" her! She is making one of her many faces - this one is Mom's favorite... She makes it when she is stretching!

On our way home from Thanksgiving, we stopped to visit Great Grandpa N!

We also swung by Great Grandma and Grandpa S's place. She succeeded in bringing a smile to everyone's face!

Since newborn's eyesight isn't fully developed at birth, they often like contrasting colors like black and white. Katelyn is no exception and loved the black & white wallpaper in her nursery. Dad thought it would be fun to make a "toy" for her and bought some black and white fabric which Mom hot glued onto this poster board. It was cheap, is portable, and she LOVES it!

I can't believe I am posting this, but this is now what we know as our living room! Anyone wanting to come and visit - you are more than welcome... Just be prepared and watch your step!

Here she is sleeping peacefully a couple weeks ago... I'd like to point out the pacifier in the upper right corner. It is the only one she will take (Avent, came with the bottle starter kit!). This is great for our pinkies which got wrinkled when she needed to comfort suck, however it is CLEAR! Not the best design for sleepy parents who wander around at night looking for the thing... We recently ordered some with color!

Here is Katelyn in her Santa hat from Aunt Dana. Looks like she likes it! (Yeah, it took a few snaps to get that grin...)

...and here is Katelyn with Santa. Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for 2008!

3 Weeks Old

It is hard to believe Katelyn is already 3 weeks old! She still seems small since I see her every day, but as I look back at the pictures, she is getting so big, so fast! In fact, she has already grown out of some of her newborn clothes, including her "moo-moo" sleeper!

One of her favorite things to do right now is lay in her bouncer with the vibrate feature on, and watch her rain forest lights with music. As you can see, the lights and music really grab her attention! 12 inches - yeah right! It might be fuzzy, but she can certainly see it!


Here is a picture of Katelyn earlier in the week just after she finished eating. If anyone was wondering where she was putting all the milk, I think this picture makes it pretty obvious! Her rolls are also starting to form which I love. They are even better defined now!


Here is a picture of Katelyn with Mom. You can see she is getting much longer!


Here is a picture of Katelyn with Dad. It is one of my favorites! Now if only she hadn't scratched her face with her finger nails! Seriously... We've cut them twice already and apparently it is time to do it again!


And here is a picture of Katelyn with KC. I don't think they'd call each other "friends" yet, but they do get along. KC likes to lay near her and doesn't even bat an eye when Katelyn is stretching and wiggling about and "punches" KC in the face!

This is Katelyn just stretching out during "awake" time.

Here is Katelyn on her 2 week birthday with Mom and Dad.

Her 2 week birthday was a beautiful November day so she went on her first walk around the block in her stroller. She is a hit with the neighbors!

And here is another random pose "picture happy" mom took. I just had to share!

1.5 Weeks Old

It is hard to believe Katelyn is almost 10 days old. Then again, it is hard to imagine life without her, already! We feel incredibly blessed to have such an amazing addition to our family. Here is a picture of her in one of our fav sleepers... She has a thing for keeping her feet together...

We got home from the Hospital last Tuesday. Nana A was here last week to help take care of Katelyn. To be honest, I wasn't sure how I would adjust to the change, but I am loving it. And having Nana there to help and allow Adam and I to get some rest was VERY NICE! Grandma O took over on Friday and left this past Monday. Again, this was appreciated and I'm not sure how to put into words how much their time away from work to be here with us really meant. I'm going to guess Katelyn has repaid that debt for us by snuggling with them! (Softies!) :)

Katelyn is an amazing baby. The first week was a little scary since it involved 3 trips to the pediatrician to address her jaundice and 1 trip to the mother-baby unit for mom. But, we were able to supplement her meals with some formula from a syringe for a day or two, avoiding re-hospitalization to sit under the lights. You may notice the yellow skin in some of her pictures. Mom is recovering, slower than she'd like, but progress is good and each day is better than the last.

So far Katelyn is really only fussy when she is attempting to dirty her diaper and/or when she has gas. She keeps us busy - in fact I'm amazed it is somehow already after 2:00 PM! And Dad is getting the hang of the dirty diapers. I think he was shocked at how much stink someone so little could make. (But no worries, Katelyn, we're proud of that stink!) He is also enjoying spending some quality "nap time" with her during his thesis writing breaks. I couldn't resist taking a picture!

Every day seems to be a learning experience for Mom, Dad, and Katelyn. Diapers and wet wipes are disappearing fast. We ran out of laundry detergent once already. The bouncer with the vibrate feature is FANTASTIC. Burp rags/cloth diapers work for EVERYTHING and can be found in every room of the house. Naps are a key survival tool. Newborns CAN roll onto their sides and this one is stronger than she looks. Oh, and bath time sounds like more fun that it is - for Katelyn anyway. Her lungs sure do get a work out!

Katelyn's first bath resulted in Dad running for another towel, Nana A getting dirty, and Mom having to administer a "second" bath to the not very happy little girl... :)

Introducing Katelyn Jean

Vital info:
Date and Time - October 28th, 4:39PM
Weight - 8lbs 0oz
Length - 19in

Sarah after the epidural, seeing if she's having a contraction.


First family photo.


Happy new grandmas.


Grandma and Grandpa A.

Blurry Grandpa O.

Grandma O and the happy papa.

Andy doin a great job holding his 2nd cousin.

Katelyn taking a look around.

Uh-Oh! Sarah nor Adam have dark hair. Hmmmmmm :-)

Katelyn showing off her shiner.

Nap time.

Close up.

And again.

Dad trying his hand at swaddling.

Taking a nap after dinner.

39 Week Belly

As you can see - she is still growing and working her way downward...

...And here is Dad working on his thesis! You can do it!!!

39 Weeks - Still Pregnant

Baby:
Well by all medical reports and doctor opinions, she is ready to arrive any day now. She continues to grow about 1/2 pound per week and is now likely 7-8 pounds and over 21 inches long. She is starting to drop into position but still feels the need to wiggle around. Interestingly enough, her heartbeat also sounds more "human-like". Rather than "swoosh-swoosh", it is more like "ba-boom, ba-boom". At today's appointment it was beating between 130 and 140 beats per minute.

Mom:
I am doing pretty good for being 39 weeks pregnant. But to complain just a little - I'm getting very tired, sore, and even more awkward if at all possible. I can feel her dropping and it is putting pressure between my legs making my "lady-like" walk not so lady-like! ;-) Quack-Quack-Quack... But knowing why that is all happening just makes me smile...

We went to the doctor today and she told me I am 2-3 centimeters dilated and fully effaced. I'm not 100% sure what that means, but it sounds like wonderful news! For this being our first child, she said we couldn't be entering labor in any better way. She offered to do something that would possibly expedite labor but I asked her to wait until next week. Since I'm still comfortable enough to work and wander around I can be patient and wait for her... Next week I may not feel so certain of all that! Our doctor said we could go into labor tonight, or it could still be a week or two out - I could walk around for weeks dilated at 3 cm... Amazing thought...

People keep asking if I am scared. Yes - a little. I'm more nervous than scared though b/c I just want to be a good mom. Labor scares me a little b/c I really don't like pain but I can do it. I've recruited this kick a** coach. Some people call him "Oak". Our baby girl knows his voice b/c she literally moves upon command when he talks to her... It is so cute! I think what I am most right now is excited beyond words to simply meet and hold our baby girl. I want to cuddle her. I want to kiss her. I want to feed her. I want to rock her. I want to see what color hair and eyes she has. I want to know if she'll have Dad's nose, Mom's chin, Dad's dimple (I'm hoping she does!), and all that kind of stuff. I want to squeeze and play with her little fingers and toes... Good grief! Patience is not a virtue of mine so I hope she hurries along...

Dad:
Dad is currently typing his thesis. He has been putting a lot of hours towards getting it done before his family expands. I have to admit, he is doing an admirable job of not stressing out (visibly) and taking each day as it comes. And even though he is trying to finish up his doctorate, find a job, and plan our future, his eyes still light up when he talks about his little girl on the way...

Now we wait...

38 Week Belly

Just keeps getting bigger.

38 Weeks

Baby:
Our baby girl is now between 6.5 and 7.5 pounds. She is roughly 20-21 inches in length and has reportedly developed a firm grip. Her mom finds this fact extra interesting since it almost feels like she is grabbing onto something down low and either twisting or pulling randomly! A firm grip may be a great quality in a handshake, but not so pleasant when it is the umbilical cord and/or "home". ;-) She is physically ready any day now, with the due date fast approaching.

Mom:
I am suffering from a serious case of "pregnancy brain". I am so excited and am constantly distracted from what I am doing. I'll just get focused on something and then she'll move and I can't help but smile and touch her... Well, then it is all downhill as my mind wanders and pretty soon I have no idea why the fridge is open, why I'm in the living room, or why I was looking for my purse...

I am also very exhausted! A lot of my first trimester symptoms have randomly returned. I have minor morning sickness/nausea, extra heightened smell, and am sensitive to certain foods. (Chicken - Yuck!) On top of it, I am large and awkward! But somehow I'm not quite as moody... (Maybe I should ask Adam to verify before I publish this post?!?!) I kind of feel as if I am on this permanent "high" where almost anything can be laughed off or simply ignored b/c none of it really matters...

I believe we now have everything we "need" before she arrives. The nursery could use some more organizing which is on the "to-do list", and there are several things I'd like to do/get before she arrives, but I believe we are actually ready! The bag is mostly packed - what isn't packed is on a list so we won't forget it. Her blankets and clothes are washed and ready for her to wear/stain. Now she just needs to make the decision to come out and play!

Dad:
I'm ready for her to come out and play any time, but my thesis needs her to wait until her due date. I'm writing as much as I can and think I'll be able to get all the typing finished by the time she arrives. That will just leave the formatting and inclusion of pictures, which is pretty brainless work.

Besides writing, I really haven't done a whole lot. I try to help out around the house as much as possible, but at the same time stay out of Sarah's way, while not doing too much around the house to get Sarah anxious about me not finishing in time. At times it feels like one of those circus guys juggling chainsaws while tightrope walking 50 ft in the air. As long as I keep my focus, I won't fall.

Only 2 weeks left for baby and less that 2 months left for school. It's going to be crazy.

37 Week Belly

And the belly continues to grow... Here she is at 37 Weeks!

And to prove I can #1 - still wear my ISU t-shirt and #2 - am resourceful, here is a very bad picture of me, but funny non-the-less! I was busted eating cereal out of my mug at work...

37 Weeks

Baby:
She is now about 6-6.5 pounds and somewhere between 19 and 20 inches long. This is a milestone week as she is now officially "full term". If born at 37 weeks, her lungs would be fully developed and not need steroids or extra care. As she grows, she is getting more and more cramped for space which explains why babies like to "scrunch" themselves after birth.

Mom & Dad:
We are staying busy... Adam is typing away. Sarah is cooking extra meals to freeze, attempting to organize, and trying to make sure we have all the essentials. Thanks to some very generous family and friends, we are very close to having everything (and then some) that our little girl will need!

36 Week Belly

And here is the 36 Week Belly!



















We have also invested in two "stress" balls in an attempt to save Adam's hands during labor. You'll notice each ball has a "happy" side and an "angry" side. This seemed appropriate to me! My "coach" has also purchased a couple small paint rollers to massage my lower back if needed during contractions - what a guy!