2 weeks old

little Lena, you are 2 weeks old today! i can't believe how fast the time has gone by! you are super precious & we fall more & more in love with you each day! you had your 2 week check up today & are back to your birth weight & gained almost an inch in length! here are some current Lena highlights......

*you do not fit into newborn clothes, your long legs simply won't fit

*you wear 0-3 months

*you are breast feeding well

*you like to pee & poop on the scale at the doctors office (& on the changing table at home)

*your umbilical cord stump fell off last night

*you are still mostly bald with a soft dusting of peach fuzz (super soft)

*you like car rides & being on walks in the stroller

*you do not like sleeping at night (this one we gotta work on....)

*when you do sleep you do the cutest things with your hands & arms (very articulate little girl)

*you managed to flip yourself onto your tummy once when you were sleeping (very advanced, but scary for mommy & daddy - doc says to use a sleep positioner)

*we love holding you & spend a lot of time just looking at you & how beautiful you are

thanks for being our sweet baby girl, we are so grateful that you are here in our lives! we love you SO very much!!

being silly with daddy, you burrowed your head into his stinky pits.....

Our Lena

our baby is here! she is so wonderful! we are so in love! she arrived december 9th after a long 21 hour labor..... she weighed in at 8lbs 11oz..... big baby girl!

so after several weeks of waiting & being SO pregnant, the doc finally scheduled an induction at 41 weeks. we were supposed to go in wed morning, but then it got switched to wed at midnight, then after a call that afternoon we were asked to come in at 5:30. funny little thing happened that day.... i started having contractions! yay! labor had started on it's own! so we went in at 5:30 & i was 2-3cm & 80% effaced. so we walked, and walked, and walked & labor progressed on it's own. but after 15 hours & at 7 cm, being in the hospital (no food or drink or comforts of home) was taking a toll on me & i asked for an epidural. totally not part of the birth plan, but i was exhausted & needing help. so after the epidural, i felt great & then i felt nothing & felt numb & regretted getting the epidural. labor stalled & they started pitocin. i feel that if i had been able to be at home & labor until further along i might have lasted longer & wouldn't have gone this route. but it is what it is. i started spiking a fever around 9 cm & her heart rate went up, which indicates a possible infection in the uterus. so they rushed me to try to push her out! after almost 30 minutes of pushing & with help from a vacuum, our sweet baby girl was here!

they placed an IV in her little baby arm in order to give precautionary antibiotics in case there was an infection. & we had to wait 48 hours for her test results, but all turned out fine! she's healthy & perfect! we were in the hospital from wed night until sun afternoon, felt like forever! but the hospital staff & our doctor were amazing! my doc was working in the family health clinic at the hospital, but would take breaks to come check on me & ended up doing the delivery! i had 3rd degree tears from the rushed delivery & the size of her, so recovery has been rough. but i'm feeling a lot better now! but wow, labor & delivery is the most intense experience ever! & nothing went by my birth plan, except that she is here & healthy & lovely! & that's all that matters! breast feeding is going well, sleeping for mom & dad not as much, we still hold her while she sleeps & just stare at her instead of taking naps like we should. just can't take our eyes off her!

here are some pictures of our little beauty! & i have some cute ones with papa too, but it's time to feed, so i'll post more next time!

lena lena, my little ballerina! she has her arms in 5th position while she sleeps! too cute!

a late check out

so, baby girl is really enjoying her time in mommy's tummy..... at 40+ weeks.... trying to be patient, but it is SO HARD! we are so ready to meet her & hold her & i want to be able to move freely & see my knuckles again! but she's healthy & i am dilated (2cm) & 50% effaced, so there's some movement in that direction. it just kinda feels like ground hog's day.... everyday i think, she could be here today! & to top it off, her nursery, clothes, car seat, everything has been ready for weeks..... so not much more nesting to do. trying to sleep & read a lot, take advantage of "me" time..... but i'm so ready for "we" time! here's a pic of the nursery! & a pic of the mobile i made for her.... made it out of extra card stock from our wedding invites!