5 Weeks

Layla got the second in her series of hep b vaccinations. I had been worried and agonizing about it all night.

I knew it would hurt.

I knew she would cry.

What I knew was right.



She cried and it broke my heart. I stood there with a phony grin plastered to my face. The alternative would not have been appropriate in a dr's office for children.



She is resting peacefully now. All 8 lbs 1/2 ounce of her.

Triple Chin Chica

I forgot to report that Ms. Layla Grace is now 7 lbs, according to the nurse at her one month visit last Friday. That 7 lbs comes complete with a triple chin, two fat creases per chubby little arm, and gloriously chunky thighs. I love it all.

The dr was very pleased with her weight gain of nearly 2 lbs in 2 weeks.

She was looking so chunky this morning, and I tried to capture the chunk with a picture from my phone.

She is constantly changing! It seems she looks different nearly every day. I am so glad that I am here and home to see it all unfold!

The Great Foot Escape

I have never liked hot feet. I loathe socks, and will only wear them if it's ten below zero. Someone who didn't know me personally would be shocked if they visited me while I was asleep because they would find me fully covered with a blanket or sheet from shoulders to ankles. Yes, ankles. I have gotten used to being teased by family members from time to time. I never thought much about it, but I did figure it to be a weird and uncommon trait to have.

Imagine my surprise when I finally put two and two together and figured out why I was having such a hard time keeping Layla's feet and legs covered. I would swaddle her, or cover her with a blanket while she slept, only to find 2-3 minutes later that her feet, and only her feet, had escaped and broken free. I would methodically cover her feet again and again only to pass by her crib or pack-n-play moments later to witness blanket free feet.
Finally, I decided to stand and watch to see how The Great Foot Escape occurs. I covered her up and watched. She started by kicking one foot until it was free from the blanket, and then repeated the process with the other foot, all the while grunting as if in distress. I laughed out loud when she was done.
It finally dawned on me that she hates hot feet!
Some how, some way, that quirk of mine got woven into the strands of her DNA.
It's exciting to meet someone else who can feel my pain.
I only have to wait, oh, five years or so to discuss this with her.
I'll wait.

3 weeks

I can't believe how time is flying! Layla is already 3 1/2 weeks old. I sat and thought, was that really almost a month ago when I went through the most eventful afternoon of my life? Hard to believe, but the child is the proof. She has gotten so big. At her two week appointment she was 5 lbs 4 oz. She goes back for a weight check this Friday. I'm thinking she's probably 6 1/2 lbs by now. Her face,thighs, and belly have gotten so round and chunky!

I took these pictures this morning after she forgave me for putting on her headband. She HATES headbands.

Here she is expressing her obvious distaste for her headband.

Calmer now... A pose and a quick "maybe smile".

Winding down with her soothie...

Catching up on some z's...

Last night was her first all nighter in her crib. I didn't expect to put her in there so soon, but I decided to try it since Tim went back to work today and we wouldn't have anyone to move the pack-n-play from our bedroom to the family room. I had decided there was no way I was going to break that thing down and move it downstairs in the morning, and upstairs in the evening.

It went well for both of us. Our monitor works great. So great that I can hear every breath and every whimper. I think once we both get completely used to it, we will have even better sleep at night.

Here is the final picture of the nursery. Last time I posted, the crib was still en route to us. Tim got it all put together and set up a week and a half ago.

That's all for now folks! Duty calls!

Not smiles after all

2 am feeding finished, my eyes are heavy with lack of sleep. I look at Layla, wondering when her eyes will grow as heavy as mine. I yawn and glance at the clock wondering when I will be able to return to sleep. She looks at me innocently. Her eyes squint. The left side of her top lip lifts into what Tim and I have dubbed "The Elvis Smile". The other corner lifts to create what looks like a full smile. My heart melts and I laugh. I think of bragging and setting the pedi straight at the next appointment that babies this young CAN smile.
An explosive sound fills the room. The sound startles me, but she is unaffected. She grunts and closes her eyes, entering into a deep sleep.

She has just pooped.
She refuses to sleep until she has pooped. Everyday. Each nap. Each night.

In the movies you often see parents of newborns joking with each other about whose turn it is to change the poopy diaper. Not us. There is no need. We have come to the conclusion that if there is a diaper, and if that diaper is attached to our child, there is a 96% chance that pulling the diaper's elastic edge to the side will reveal that it is in fact a poopy diaper. So you see, we each get more than a fair shot at changing a dirty diaper.
I am still puzzled and in awe that someone that small could produce so much waste. I told Tim that we should double bag the diaper trash bags. He asked why, and I told him that I had a dream the other night that made me a little edgy. My dream was that when the garbage collector tried to hoist the bags into the back of the truck, one of the bags broke free and tumbled out into the street. The impact broke the bag open and revealed our terrible, terrible secret that we are excessive landfill contributors.
When the garbage truck came yesterday, I watched inconspicuously from behind the blinds, heart racing, to see if my nightmare would come true. It seemed that it took him forever, but after ten seconds or so I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Secret safe for now.
I'm not sure how many diapers she's used since coming home last Saturday, but I can tell you that if we wanted to build a clubhouse out of cheap materials, we have plenty on hand.