Head Shots

Side Note

I know "back is best," and I will put her on her back to sleep at night and for longer naps. But for those little catnaps during the day, Hannah loves to sleep on her side!

Party People

This morning we went to Reese's birthday party. It was the warmest day we've had since Hannah was born, so she wore a cute little dress for the occasion.

Haircut

I took Micah to get his hair cut this morning. I don't think I'm a very sentimental person, but I wanted to cry as I watched how short she was cutting it. (Once you start, you can't really go back - so there was nothing I could do about it.) He still looks cute, of course, but I loved it long. I'm sure it will be more comfortable for him now (not so hot and sweaty) and easier to wash. Oh, well. It's just hair. It grows back, right?

In other news, Nana and Grandpapa were here for a visit this weekend. Both kids loved the attention, and I think the grandparents enjoyed it, too.

Good News

Hannah is back up to her birth weight! That means I can let her sleep as long as she wants at night, rather than setting my alarm to wake her up every 3-4 hours. Hip hip hooray!!

One Week

From the delivery on, everything with Hannah has gone very smoothly. With Micah I pushed for two hours; with Hannah I pushed for two contractions. It took weeks for Micah and I to figure out nursing; minutes with Hannah. Even the pain of recovery has been only a fraction of what it was the first time around.

Hannah herself is also doing wonderfully. My only complaint is that she sleeps too much! Our feedings take forever because it takes me 20 minutes to wake her up. Then halfway through she takes another 15-20 minute catnap. We have a doctor's appointment on Friday. I'm really hoping that her weight gain and jaundice level are sufficient enough that I can start letting her sleep as long as she wants.

I think Micah is doing very well with "baby sister". His behavior isn't drastically different than it was before. He's not overly excited or loving, but he's gentle and at least mildly interested in her. He likes helping with diaper changes and keeping tabs on what she's doing. One day she was lying on the couch with her taggy blanket, so he got his taggy blanket and laid next to her.

The biggest excitement in Micah's life is his new swing set. For weeks, Micah has known that when baby sister came, Gramme and Poppa were going to come, and they were bringing him a swing and a slide. My parents did an amazing job of sanding, staining, and restoring a used play set from craigslist. Micah had a great time "helping" them, and is very much in love with his new toy.

Before and after:




Hannah got her first bath last night. She was very cooperative.



Several people have asked me if I think that Hannah looks like Micah did as a baby. I think she does. Compare this picture to the picture of Hannah in the last post. His head is rounder and lacking hair, but the nose is definitely the same!

Hannah Grace

Our baby girl is finally here! Hannah Grace was born Tuesday at 4:50pm. She was 7 pounds, 9 ounces, and 20 inches long. She has reddish brown hair. I'm feeling good and am very glad to be home from the hospital. Thank you so much for all your prayers!

Last Day..

...as a family of three. We went to the Labor of Love race and family celebration at church. It was a great way to spend the morning. All of Micah's best friends were there, plus balloons, snacks, and rides.

Micah, Carter, and Kayla watching the runners finish

Micah played in the bouncy house and wanted to go down the inflatable slide. He said he needed help on the slide. Ally's dad went with him, but he did the whole thing by himself! Then he did it again and again and again.

We also tried the pony rides. Micah got as far as getting on the horse before chickening out. Kayla and Carter enjoyed it, though.


Gramme and Poppa arrive in a few hours. Scott and I will be heading to the hospital first thing in the morning. Hopefully we'll soon be able to announce the birth of our baby girl!

Fair Play

Last week Micah and I went to the Portage County Fair. We got to be escorted by royalty, since Micah's babysitter Sarah was crowned Fair Queen. Micah surprised us both by willingly petting several different animals. It was quite a change from last year.
Later we met up with Leah. Micah surprised us again by wanting to ride on the carousel. It was only two weeks ago that he clung to me for the entire carousel ride at the zoo! The gate-keeper wouldn't let me and my enormous belly on the ride, but Micah happily went with Leah and loved it! He and Leah also rode down the super slide together. Leah said he was not at all scared being up so high. He had a huge open-mouthed grin on his face as they came down.

Today Micah and I went to the Stark County Fair. I don't think it is as nice as Portage, but admission before noon is free. There were also a bunch of kiddie rides that were free. (At least, I hope they were free. There was no sign asking for tickets, so we just walked right in!) I explained to Micah that he had to ride by himself, and he was not deterred in the least. He did the first ride twice in a row and asked to go a third time. I convinced him to try a different ride, and he picked one that went up in the air! I was so proud of my little guy and his independence.


We also watched some horse races, got a free balloon, and looked at animals. Micah left with no tantrums or whining when it was time to go, so I rewarded us both with Wendy's on the way home. :)