Updates...

A couple of updates:

After losing 4 oz in the hospital and coming home weighing 6lb, 2 oz, Little Girl (who does have a name but continues to be called Little Girl or Baby Sister) had her well check yesterday at 11 days old.

She weighed 7 lb, 2 oz - up an entire pound - she is a good eater and nurser and I must be providing good milk. I've been doing single sided feedings - meaning emptying one entire breast at one feeding. It's a suggestion I read in the Baby Whisperer's book. It did take a little getting used to but it means she gets all three milk types and not just the foremilk. Not issues latching on and still no breast tenderness. I have been using the Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter - it is awesome. I highly recommend it. (I have also been utilizing the same brand's bottom balm and bottom spray - without going into much detail I also highly recommend those products as well.)

We have introduced the pacifier - I know the company line is you are supposed to wait until 4 weeks when breastfeeding is well established. We did this with T Rex and he would never take a pacifier and never take a bottle. We are waiting on the bottle (which will have breast milk in it), but I'm not going to pass up our opportunity to have one more soother. Funny I would use that term as it is the "Soothie" brand that is most definitely her pacifier of choice.

She is a really good baby. She wakes twice a night to feed and generally goes right back to sleep. Rarely does she cry and when she does it generally means she's wet or hungry. I firmly believe God gives you as much as you can handle. T Rex was a really tough baby and continues to be a fitful sleeper as a toddler. How grateful we are to be given an angel baby. Although, T Rex did tell his dad (not me yet) "I love you" - that keeps us going on those long nights. They are only tiny once - someday we will miss this. And it has to be easier than the teen years, right?!?

At day 8, Little Girl's umbilical cord stump fell off - T Rex Dad was so sweet - he was changing her diaper and when I walked into the room he seemed so concerned that it had fallen off - as it seemed to fall off sooner than T Rex's. Hence, he saved it for me to see - I did not need to see it but I still thought it was a cute father moment.

Since that happened I felt it appropriate to give her first bath. Here are some photos - none of the actual bath to preserve the little one's modesty.

Modeling one of the types of chlorine free diapers we are trying - these are Seventh Generation brand - not our most favorite. We'll keep you posted as to which ones we like best. She's still too tiny to fit into her cloth diapers.

Continuing my obsession with baby feet - I can't get enough! Both she and T Rex have their dad's feet. Looking at her toes I can see good ballet potential - can't you just see pointe shoes on those feet?!? (My niece already sent her a tutu and my mom already got her some ballet slippers!)

Long fingers - like her mom and brother - can you say piano player anyone? (Franz Liszt was known for his amazingly long fingers.)

"Clean, Clean Baby!" - from our bath song we sing around here. Note the amazingly soft, fluffy blanket she is on - I've never seen such a luxurious baby blanket (my first ever package from Land of Nod - Thank you, Karen, we love it).

T Rex Dad is currently on his two weeks of paternity leave so we are loving having him home. Yes, his project at work is completed and most of the kinks have been worked out. He was due for a much needed break if you could call this a "break".

And school is cruising right along. Speaking of which, I have to get back to my assignment - I'm struggling with the difference between "operationally defining a concept and providing an operational definition of a key term" - I can only surmise it's like the difference between a paint horse and a pinto horse - all paint horses are pintos but not all pintos are paint horses - confusing much?!?