Edit

Yesterday, when I wrote about how we're doing, I left out quite a crucial quarter of "we".

Daddy has been wonderful.  He went back to full days at work about a week ago, while my mom was here.

He ended up doing Blake's first bath at home entirely by himself, while I took pictures.  That was after I was the one complaining that she needed to be bathed.

He has really made sure that Hollie is getting the attention that she needs, taking her out for walks and trips to the park when she needs to let off steam.

Blake is so content with him.  I can't let him hold her too long in the evenings, because she sleeps so well that she won't be tired at bedtime!

Without getting into the gory details, he has been gentle and endlessly supportive through my hormonal postpartum mood swings and new-mom-of-two worries.

Okay, done bragging.  But really, he's the best.

How we're doing

Today is my first full day at home with two kiddos.  We had three hours yesterday between dropping my mom off at the airport and Daniel coming home.  Still alive and intact...so far, so good!

We went for our first walk this morning, just the three of us, with Blake in the mei-tai.  It didn't go perfectly...I may have had to pick Hollie up and carry her in one arm at one point...but we did make it home again.

Both girls are napping right now, so I probably should be, too.  Instead, I give you some disjointed thoughts...

Blake is one sleepy baby.  I don't remember Hollie sleeping this much, but I looked it up and newborns her age are supposed to be sleeping 16 out of every 24 hours.  Crazy.

She's nursing like a pro.

She initially screamed through every diaper change, but lately she doesn't mind them so much while she's awake.  But if she's drowsy or in a milk-coma, you'll get an earful.  I hate to spoil a newborn milk-coma, but sometimes it has to be done.

She's two weeks old today, and she's only had three baths.  I know, I know, she doesn't really get "dirty", but that's still just wrong.

She even seems to like baths, unlike her sister did at this age.

Her umbilical cord fell off in the wee hours of yesterday morning.

I find myself forgetting how young she is...I keep thinking that tomorrow we should try some rice cereal or mashed banana, or be watching for her first tooth.

Hollie is a fantastic big sister.  We only have to watch that she doesn't hug too hard.  She also really really wants to pick Blake up all by herself.  I'm sure at some point the novelty wears off and jealousy moves in...I'm watching for that too!

I am a little tired.  For a while there, I was not resting nearly as much as I should have been, but the "new mom high" was carrying me through...and also an irrational need to keep up with all the housework on my own the way I had been before (working on letting go of that).  As reality is slowly setting in, I'm making a conscious effort to rest when I  get the opportunity.  I have to say, the recovery from this birth was infinitely better than last time around.  On that note, I am working on that birth story.  In my abundant spare time.  :)

More later...

First bath and some close-ups

Sorry, creative post titles have gotten pushed down the to-do list for now.  We'll get to them eventually.  :)

What looks like a really wrinkly back here is just the blur of Daniel's hand.

(That tongue is really a tongue.)

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This girl opens her eyes so infrequently that every time she does, whoever is holding her has to make sure everyone knows so we can drop what we're doing to come and see.  It's a strange feeling to not really know what she looks like.

Managed to capture some evidence of a grayish-blue color here...

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We are doing great!  Daniel's parents have left, and now my mom is spending a week here.  Overall, Blake is very, very similar to Hollie at this age, but our experience, with the perspective of experienced parents, has been very different.

Stories and more pictures on the way...

One step at a time. First: pictures

First photo, taken by our OB.

Yikes, glad I didn't have a c-section with those shaky hands!

Just kidding.  Our OB was great.  You'll see when I post the story that he really made a lot of good decisions for us that day.  We trusted him, and it paid off.

After possibly the best shower ever.

Family of four!

Headed home...

Oh. hi.

If you know my blog, then you probably know the news already...

It's a girl!

Blake Elizabeth

born July 5th 2011 at 7:53pm
8lbs even, and 19 3/4 inches

We're home and busy figuring out life all over again.  I'll be back in about 20 years when we've done that.  :)

No, for now we're having a wonderful time sharing the new baby sister with family, getting reaquainted with Hollie as a big sister, and...let's be honest, freaking out a little bit.

We're a family of four!!!

Another due date comes...and goes...

We're ready.  This baby's ready.  It's only a matter of time.

That's been the soundtrack in my head lately!

Still having contractions, mostly in the afternoons and evenings.  Pretty good ones, too.  They're worse if I've been walking, and go away if I lay down.  I think next time that happens, I'm just going to keep walking.

Well, we made a point of enjoying the due date.  Abuelita and Hollie and I went to the YMCA in the morning to swim, and we went for a nice lunch at a place right on the beach.  Then in the afternoon, Daniel and I went by ourselves to an NST appointment with the nurse at the doctor's office (doc is still out of town), and then we went to the movies and saw Super 8.  Not typically my kind of movie, but I have to say it was really well done!  It's always refreshing to me to see a really good movie without any big name actors.

Here are the pictures from our boat ride through Deception Pass...

We didn't get to drive it.  :(

Captain Mark took us out.

We could not have asked for better weather or smoother water!  Perfect day.

Deception Pass

Don't know if you can tell here, but the shores were packed.  So glad we didn't decide to fight that!

Our little boat girl.  She surprised us all with how at ease she was.  She loved it when we went fast!

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I have been determined to fill our days with little adventures to A) enjoy the beautiful weather we've been having, B) make the most of my last opportunities to leave the house at all (for a while) and C) just keep active in an effort to bring this pregnancy to an end.

Yesterday morning, Abuelita and Hollie and I went strawberry picking!

More GORGEOUS Pacific NW summer weather!

Someone needed a little guidance...

...but oh my goodness this dirt is SO COOL!!!

The little yellow ones, too.

Sampling.  Shhhh...

Hands covered in dirt and strawberry juice!  

That's how you know it's been a good day.

That giant belly in the white shirt is me.

Thank you again to Abuelita for letting me wander away and completely zone out in my strawberry-picking!

40 weeks, 1 day, and counting.

Went overboard.  A little.  Maybe.

About fifteen pounds here.

Whew!  All done - three bags for the freezer and four big bowls for the fridge.

Worth it.

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Another little excursion in the plans for today!  

Happy weekend, everyone.  :)