A Visit from Grandpa Deetz and Uncle Zander!

Lily was so happy to meet her Uncle Zander and Grandpa Deetz.

Maybe next year she'll be able to visit them in Colorado!

Lily's First Christmas

Lily enjoying her present from Santa

Terra really enjoyed opening her present from Santa

Santa Baby

Best presents under the tree

Fast asleep in Granny Janny's arms

Our Big Little Girl

Lily had her one month check-up today, and everything looks great! She now weighs 9 lbs. 13 oz. which puts her at the 75th percentile for weight. She is 22 inches long which puts her in the 90th percentile for height. (She should enjoy that now because given the stature of her parents, that status will not last long.) Overall, she is a very happy, healthy baby - even if her father is not. Carl has a cold but nothing major. Of course, he has to keep anti-bacterial, anti-viral, strip-your-skin-of-everything-and-anything hand sanitizer in every room to keep the cold germs away from Lily. I guess it's better to introduce her to her father's crazy ways early on.

Even though Lily is still very much a newborn, it is evident that she is growing quickly, and I'm already lamenting the passing days. Recently Lily outgrew about 4 sleepers and I was so sad to think that that period is now over, never to return. They were all "newborn" size which is actually supposed to be 5-7 pounds, so this was to be expected, but I can see that this is just the beginning of my "growing pains" when it comes to Lily's development. She is so small and precious; it's hard not to want her to stay that way. Right now I can cuddle her all I want without objection. And, she is so portable. I often walk around with her in the Baby Bjorn infant carrier while I do chores around the house, so we are very attached. I know that these days will soon come to an end so I am trying to enjoy them while they last. I know that there are many great things to come and milestones to look forward to, but I am enjoying this so much. I just don't want it to pass by too quickly.

Beautiful Baby

First Visit with Santa

"Santa, if I'd known you were going with the lumberjack look this year,

I wouldn't have worn a contrasting plaid dress."

Flying Solo

Today, to celebrate Lily being 4 weeks old (can you believe it?), we decided to go on our first solo trip - just me and her. It was very brief, lasting from approximately 9:45 - 11:00 am. I have to say that it was daunting to go out on our own for the first time, but we made it through and here are some things that I learned along the way:

• Strollers simply aren't worth it for short trips, like going to TJ Maxx - much better to go for the carrier and shopping cart combo instead.
• "Popping into" a store is a thing of the past.
• When deciding whether to go to two or three stores, go for two - even if they are right next to each other.
• During the car ride home was the first time that I have not been able to attend to Lily immediately when she gets upset. Lily definitely does not approve of this situation and made it quite clear during the 15 minute drive home.
• Fifteen minutes can sometimes feel like 15 hours.
• When you haven't had fast food in a long time, do not start again with Burger King.

All in all, it was a successful trip but definitely exhausting for both of us. Maybe when she's five weeks, we'll tackle the mall...

Daddy's Little Girl

Do you hear what I hear?

Do you see what I see? (Bored to tears)

These pictures are for Daddy, who hates to leave his little girl in the morning.

We're thinking of you while you are gone!

The Sleeping Dilemma

The first question that we are often asked by both strangers and acquaintances alike is "How does she sleep?". My theory about why everyone is interested in Lily's sleep habits is two-fold. First, newborns basically do three things: sleep, eat, and poop. The latter two aren't really suitable topics of conversation because if she's not eating or pooping, you have really big problems that go beyond the casual conversation. So, we are left with sleeping. I think that the second reason for asking about the baby's sleeping habits is to ascertain the parents' mental states (just how "out-of-it" the parents are).

When it comes to sleeping, Lily has been very kind to her new parents. During the first week, she was up every hour. But after we got past the first week, she began waking up every 3-4 hours during the night for changing and a feeding. After she eats, she typically falls asleep within 10 minutes with a little rocking. Since her bassinet (with changing table), glider, and food supply are all in our room, the nighttime routine has not really been all that disruptive and has worked well for everyone involved.

Recently, Lily has been sleeping even longer during the night, waking up every 4-5 hours. This still seems within the realm of normal, and so I was not concerned. But Friday night, she slept for 7 hours straight. This is a little beyond what I am comfortable with for such a young baby. We have not been setting our clock to wake her up because she has been on such a good rhythm by herself. I'm also not really comfortable with imposing any schedules on her right now. I have been following her schedule all along and feeding her on demand which seems (to me) to be the only way to go with a 3-week old. So, it seems that with the sleeping issue, there is a very delicate balance of sleeping enough but not too much. As for us, I'm going to continue to follow Lily's lead. As long as she's gaining weight (and she certainly is!), I think we'll be fine. As for being "out-of-it", I can't really blame that on sleep deprivation...maybe I can still get away with using unstable hormones for my excuse.

Everybody hop on pop

Rockin' in my Fuzzi Buns Diapers

The Girl's Got Skills!

Lily has been having a blast with "Tummy Time" on her boppy.

As you can see, she is a head-lifting pro!

Our First Walk

Today Terra, Lily, and I went on our first walk together. Although it snowed yesterday, it was quite warm today. The full snowsuit was probably overkill but it is so cute on her, how could I resist?

Hangin' with Lily

A visit from Aunt Ingrid - what could be better?

Sleeping on Daddy is sooo comfortable

Lily loves her Gymini

While the baby's away, the dog will play!