- At her one-month checkup (which was this morning) she weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces and was 21 3/4 inches long. Way to go, baby! She has really jumped up on the growth curve since she was born. Dr. Jabir says she looks "excellent."
- Esther is a very sleepy baby. Most days she is awake for a few hours in the morning, then sleeps until evening, waking up only enough to eat, then is awake for a few hours before Zach and I go to bed.
- That whole "I set an alarm " thing so she wouldn't sleep too long at night? That didn't last. She is still far easier at night than Austin was, but now she sleeps anywhere from two to four hours between feedings at night. Sometimes she settles right back down to sleep, sometimes it takes a bit of time.
- When Esther decides to eat, she is a good nurser. But sometimes it takes her awhile to decide to eat, even when she is clearly hungry. She doesn't like to open her mouth very wide--I often pry it open for her. (That sounds harsh; I'm talking a little nudge on her chin, people.) I keep hoping this is just a phase but so far it persists.
- Esther has dark hair that is getting a bit thicker. Have I mentioned on the blog that I was hoping she'd be a dark haired baby? Looks like I got my wish. :)
- Esther's eyes are dark blue, at least for now. People with dark hair in our families generally have brown or hazel eyes, though, so we're curiously waiting to see if her eyes change.
- I thought pottying during a diaper change was a baby boy thing. Wrong. It's just not as messy. Visiting relatives who volunteer to change her, you've been warned.
- Esther is quite tolerant of all the love she gets from her brother. That love includes lots of kisses. (He leans close and goes "mmmmma!") It also includes several very near misses of the "don't sit/fall/lean on your sister" variety.
- When people hear that we've named our daughter Esther, they often ask if it's a family name. Now that's not the real reason; Zach and I admire the Biblical Esther and also had a close mutual friend in college named Esther who was a wonderful woman of God. She holds a special place in our hearts because she thoughtfully told me "You and Zach should get to know each other; you have a lot in common" just before we met. BUT--it turns out that Esther is a family name. One of my aunts has done a lot of genealogy research and she told my mom that our Esther has a great-great-great-great-great grandma Esther. What do you know?
- Practically everyone says that Esther is a beautiful baby girl. We think so, too. :)
abiding life: depending on Jesus for strength and grace, looking at life with an eternal perspective, knowing that because of Him I'm more than "just a mom"
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
One Month Old Esther
Saturday, July 24, 2010
My Firstborn
Gran and Pops visited us the week before Esther was born. Austin was delighted, of course. They brought some great toys for our backyard (Pops is trying to make Austin into a little golfer), played outside tirelessly with our little bundle of energy, and read the train book (pictured below) as many times as requested. A good time was had by all.
The week before that, Zach and I took Austin to Idlewild, a local amusement park that claims to be the #2 park for children. Not an empty claim; there is a huge area of rides just for little ones and a "Storybook Forest" area that brings dozens of nursery rhymes to life. I was a little nervous before we put Austin on his first ride: would the round-and-round motion make him sick? would he wait for the attendant to undo his straps and lift him off? But my worries were groundless. Austin loved the rides and was happy to let all sorts of strangers (park employees) help him get on and off of them. :)
One more pic...we got out Esther's carseat a few days before she came home from the hospital. It sat around the house until needed. It makes a great recliner, did you know?
Friday, July 23, 2010
Accomplishment
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Settling in with Esther
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Look Ma, No Nasal Cannula!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
"Essie"
Esther is still doing well. Her bilirubin count came down a bit from yesterday on its own, so she may not have to go under the lights. The nurse thinks her breathing sounds better, although the rate is still too high. Her IV got moved to her head, which looks a little sad, but her hands and feet are now free of wires or tubes, except for her pulse oxymeter, which is nice.
Mom brought her new camera, so we got some better pictures than we get with our camera. Esther made some adorable faces for us, and she opened her eyes again! Both of them! Looking in her eyes is so precious.