Sister's Favorite

This is a picture from about 2 weeks ago that somehow didn't make it to the blog. It is my sister's favorite. Since Anna-Kate and I are going to visit the family, I thought this would be a fitting picture to post. (Will is going to Chicago on a business trip.)

Cousins

Will's sister has been campaigning for cousins for her children since we met. Letting her know a cousin was on the way was how we told Will's family that we were pregnant. I think a week ago, Anna-Kate's nine month cousin discovered her. How sweet to watch the little ones interact?!

Biting AK's butt was the way Anderson introduced himself.

Who else can take AK's paci and she smile at him instead of cry?

All three: Anna-Kate, Anderson, Camden

After that, Anna-Kate followed their every movement. I think the cousins are going to get along just fine!

9 weeks

Anna-Kate is doing great. After Monday night's hospital trip, her fever stayed down. She still has a runny nose but that is the only remnant of her feeling sick. We are so glad that the scare was worse than the reality.

Anna-Kate had her two months check up today. She handled her shots like a trooper. Here are her stats:

Weight - 11lb, 13oz - just under 90th %ile

Height - 23.5 inches - 90th %ile

She has been smiling more now. First smile around 5.5 weeks, but then they weren't consistent. Now we get at least a couple smiles everyday. She can roll to her side. She totally impressed the doctor with how well she can hold her head up. And, she has found her [left] hand. On yesterday's walk, she spent 20 minutes bringing her fist in front of her face, then to her mouth, then in front of her eyes, then to her mouth again, ...

"So, what do you think of me?" It is not a smiling face, but, wow, is it a cute face!

Baby's First

Trip to the Hospital

Last night we called the doctor's office after discovering Anna-Kate's temperature was 101. She had been more tired, one eye was watering a lot, and she was sounding more congested. When she started feeling really hot to the touch, we checked her temp. Did you know that a baby under 3 months with a temperature over 100.4 gets an immediate doctor's referral? So, 10:30 at night, we walk in at Wake Med.

After, blood work, a urine sample, and a chest x-ray, it was confirmed that she didn't have any of the scary options, just a virus. After the chest x-ray, Will just held her. He went in to help hold her steady for the x-ray. (I wasn't allowed due to the radiation and her feeding.) He said that was the hardest for him to watch. Meanwhile, tears went down my face with every test they took.

It is an amazingly humbling experience to look at your baby in a hospital bed. I do not take for granted my healthy baby.

Our Babydoll

Part of the fun of having a little girl is getting to dress her up in all the cute clothes. Here are a few examples from the last few weeks.

Anna-Kate was the youngest in the above picture; it's also one of my favorites.

Notice in the following pictures which arm she keeps throwing out.

According to her left-handed daddy and grandparents, she is already showing which hand she will favor.
Pants or a dress, our girl is super cute!

8 weeks

Our girl is getting so big! Just tonight Will and I watched her really focus on the stuff (a bee and butterfly) hanging over her play mat. She has been doing that for a few days, but it makes her look so big to see her really studying it. Here are some other Anna-Kate facts:

Sleep: She has a pattern though not a strict daytime schedule. She is pretty much sleeping from 9:30pm - 6am in the morning. Her hardest nap to take is her midafternoon nap. She wants to be social and not sleep.

Smiles: She loves to smile at her daddy now. She smiles at me too. But, she loves her daddy! I am working on getting some of those grins on camera so I can post a smiling Anna-Kate.

Talking: She is cooing a lot now. Will loves to listen to his girls talk. I will say something to Anna-Kate, and then she will coo a response when I am done. When she finishes her coo, I will say something else. Then she will coo another response. It is quite cute!

As you can tell, Will and I are enamored with our girl. Look for a picture post soon!

Morning Nap

True confessions: The first two weeks Will was back at work after Anna-Kate was born, this is what our 8:30 am looked like. My sister caught me while she was staying the week with us.
I would get up to feed Anna-Kate. I would talk with Will while he got ready for work, make his lunch, make sure he had coffee and breakfast. Then, Anna-Kate and I would curl up on the couch to watch Good Morning America and Regis and Kelly. At some point during Regis and Kelly's opening, I would wake up. Anna-Kate would eat again, and then I would eat again.

Now this is what morning nap looks like for Anna-Kate.

I love the hiney in the air position!

She did it again!

and again and again! Anna-Kate has been sleeping wonderfully this last week. After that one night, she then slept 9:30 - 7 three nights in a row. We were so spoiled that when Fri pm - Sat am she only slept 9:30 - 5:15, I almost became whiny. Almost, I know my 7 week old is spoiling me! So, right now, she eats for the last time around 8:30. Then, she is wide awake for about 20 minutes. Then, it is off to bed. She now cries for 5 minutes or less. Woohoo!

Will this Happen Again?

I am so excited. I am a person of schedules; I function much better when I have structure and routine. Life with a newborn is none of that. I watch Anna-Kate to see if her sleep has a pattern yet. But, I know it is early to expect a strong nap schedule. My other desire has been to have an hour at night where she is in bed and I have time with my husband. So, last night I tried it. Here's what happened:

8 - Will fed her a 4oz bottle.
8:15 - Anna-Kate finishes above bottle and immediately turns her head for more. So, I feed her for 10 more minutes. (Wow, my little eater!)
8:30 - she has the hiccups, which there is no chance she will sleep through
9 - her eyes are really heavy and her hiccups are gone
9:08 - I have walked back downstairs to join Will on the couch; Anna-Kate is in her crib
9:09 - The crying starts.
9:15 - this was when I had told myself I could go check on her, but the crying had stopped!!
9:24 - the crying starts again.
9:30 - the crying has stopped!!!
...
10:30 - Will and I go to bed (okay, admittedly, I dozed on the couch for the half hour before that.)
...
...
...
5:54am - Anna-Kate wakes up for the first time!!

I don't want to ginx it, but I think I might be the luckiest new mom ever! Today Anna-Kate is 7 weeks old and she slept through the night!!

First Bottle

Last weekend we went to Brier Creek to eat and read at Barnes and Noble. It was the first time we gave Anna-Kate a bottle. I love these pictures because they show some classic Anna-Kate faces.
Anna-Kate says, "Don't wory about me, I am just checking things out."

"Hey Daddy! this is a new view of you."

"Aaaah, I am a content girl now."

6 Weeks

Look at our girl smile!

We don't get lots of smiles yet, but we love the smiles we do get! I can not believe that I have been a mom for 6 weeks now. Along with the smile, last night was also the first night Anna-Kate slept in her crib. Mom and baby survived the experience. It was actually nice. Will and I bought a glider fot the nursery over the weekend. I enjoyed our early morning feeding while we rocked. That brings up one of my favorite things about my child. For the last week, no matter what time she eats last (between 8:30 and 9:30), she wakes up around 4:30 to eat. I am not nearly as sleep deprived as a first time mom should be.