Getting Soooooooo Big

The days are just going by too fast! I can't keep up with my to-do list, let alone my blog - and so I'm just enjoying each moment with Miriam and with my family ... and trying to let the less important things go (like the dust on the bookcases in the living room and the dirty kitchen floor).

Miriam came home in this pink, bug outfit (LOVE the feetsies!) ... and I'm sad that this is probably the last time she will be able to wear it. I could barely snap it up today as the material strained at the shoulders & feet. I can't believe newborn clothes are getting too small - as are newborn diapers, which I'm almost out of anyway. But we are enjoying watching our baby change and grow ... and getting excited about the new accomplishments of each day ...

and big, wide-open-mouth grins :)

Old Fashioned Goodness!

I read this blog (linked below) today - and it makes me want to travel in a time machine back to 1950. I'd have said even further back to the "pioneer days" but I realize that it wasn't quite as easy & pretty as it appeared on "Little House on the Prairie" - those people worked HARD and didn't have many modern comforts. I'm a wimp!

Anyway, if you have time, check out Auntie Ruth's blog & see if you aren't inspired to live a simple life, enjoying God's goodness and ignoring the pull of the world that is mostly "junk" anyway! Sugar Pie Farmhouse

If you don't gag on her syrupy sweetness, you'll realize this woman is just what she appears to be: a sweet, sappy woman trying to live a pure life for God and her family (it helps that her husband is a real estate developer in Branson, MO - and they are RICH ... but if you ignore the jealous twinge that it brings to think it is EASY for her to live as she wants to, you realize she is using what God has blessed her with to bless others). Anyway, forget my analysis and go read her blog!!

Something to Smile About

This little girl was 5 weeks old on Tuesday:

Her daddy claims she smiled at him when she was a mere 2 weeks old, though we know that at that age, babies' facial expressions are mostly involuntary. However, there is no doubt Miriam LOVES her daddy:

But at 5 weeks old, her first smile(s) were reserved for something else ... something that fascinates her & holds her attention like not much else:

It's the ceiling fan LIGHTS that make this girl smile :)
And her dreams, they must make her smile as well ... may they always be sweet!

Current Events

We have had our baby for a whole month now!! Well, as of Friday, anyway - it's been a month & 2 days actually as of today. What's our 1 month old up to these days?
Well, she can hold her head up pretty well on her own. When you lay her on her tummy or hold her on your shoulder, she tries to peer around & looks like a little turtle peeping out of its shell!

She nurses every 2-4 hours - even at night. She usually just eats and goes back to sleep - she goes to "bed" around 11 p.m. and seems to prefer eating some time around 2 a.m. & 4:30 a.m. & 6:30 a.m. (sometimes she'll skip one of those times but rarely).

She is so much more alert, and she seems to be focusing in on lights and faces a little more. Her facial expressions - though probably still involuntary - are just precious & often make us laugh.

She's not crazy about sitting or lying anywhere by herself if she is awake (ie bouncy seat, boppy pillow, bassinet) for very long. She is definitely a "people person" right now! And Andrew, Anna, and Daddy (and Mommy) are glad to oblige her by holding her.

On Saturday, we had to take my mom to the airport so she could go back home to East Tennessee. She was here a little over 3 weeks & was such a great help!

She cooked some special meals for us - Roladen (seasoned ground beef in cabbage leaves - a German specialty) and lots of other things! It's a wonder I've actually lost 2 more lbs!

She and I enjoyed some "shopping" together, as much as Miriam would allow - at Goodwill, the thrift shop on the local army post, the PX (Post Exchange), the commissary, and of course, WALMART.
She also did some crafts with the kids. She made Anna a dress for her American Girl dolls. She helped Andrew make a landing pad for his helicopter using twigs, leaves, and such as camouflage.

She helped a lot with Miriam by watching her so I could take a nap or get some sleep at night. And she either watched Miriam or went with me so I could go to several appointments and get some things accomplished.

To prove Miriam doesn't always scream while in her car seat, here she is fast asleep. I read somewhere that if babies sleep with their arms raised above their heads, they are very content. Have you ever heard/read that?? Maybe I'm crazy - and I need to google it to see if its true! :)

The Many Moods of Miss M

Today we had to run some errands & go to an appointment. Miriam decided she didn't wanna get back in the car seat & go with us - though once the car gets going, she usually is very quiet & goes to sleep. This picture kind of cracks me up - she was SO mad & SO loud: The pacifier was a small concession on her part - she still wasn't happy - but at least she was QUIETER. :)

At 4 weeks & 1 day old, we found out today that Miriam weighs 8 lbs & 8.15 oz (essentially 9 lbs); she got weighed at the Health Dept. It's hard to believe she's already gained 2 lbs since she was born ... but at the rate she nurses, I can see how it happened. I'm just thankful she is healthy - and mostly happy.

A Day in the Life - at 4 Weeks Old

There's lots of diaper changes ... LOTS ... I had no idea how many. I'm so thankful so many people gave us diapers and that I had lots of coupons to use to stock up on diapers.

There are many naps to be taken ... some on Mom's bed ...

... some on people who are willing to hold you.

And of course, EATING ... or is that DRINKING?! In any case, that's about the extent of our days thus far - with time periods of alertness in between - and an occasional fussy spell.

In other news, Anna is enjoying "sewing". My mom has created a new dress for Samantha (the American Girl doll), and Anna is helping. (Wasn't it nice of my mom to cover Samantha with a kitchen towel as she awaits her new dress ... so modest!) :)

Sunday Go-To-Meetin'

"A mother holds her child's hands for a while; their hearts forever"

Today Miriam attended her 3rd Sunday church service. She was such a good girl and didn't make a squeak through the entire service (she was fast asleep).

Look at those chubby cheeks! She's definitely eating well & must be growing. We attempted to weigh her on Saturday by me holding her while I was on the scale & then subtracting my weight from the total. She must weigh somewhere around 7 lbs 8 oz now.

What's Been Going On at Our House?

Well, I finally succumbed to new-mommy-overload these last few days. There just aren't enough hours in the day to nurse a baby, hold a baby, change a baby (a lot!) plus keep up with laundry, dishes, 2 school-age children, errands, paperwork, bills, a WAHjob - AND a blog and facebook and email! Something had to give - and it was the computer.

Tonight I do have some time to catch up! It's been a great day - and one advantage of having my mom here right now is that she likes to try new recipes. Today she treated us to a yummy brunch with apple-pancakes (that are baked in a skillet in the oven - and rise up all fluffy!) from my Gooseberry Patch All Through the Seasons book.

My husband treated me too - he took care of the baby after I fed her at 6 a.m.-ish and brought her back to eat again at 8:30 a.m.-ish and then I slept til a time I am almost ashamed to write (ok, it was almost 11 a.m.!!). But after this week of averaging 5-7 hours of interrupted sleep per night and trying to be up fairly early each morning, I think I wore myself out.

Andrew and Anna continue to dote on their sister and want to help all the time - they can't wait til I've got her fed or she wakes up, so they can hold her. Today was bath day again - and A & A helped dress Miriam afterwards ... poor kid!! :)

Miriam was a little dazed and confused by the time it was all over ... but she sure looked adorable! :)

All the Way from Germany!

I do still have some relatives in Germany ... mostly great-aunts and uncles and more "distant" relations. One of my great-aunts sent Miriam this doll ... she's kind of funny looking but in a cute way. She plays the lullaby song (Lullaby and good night....don't know the words in English - suprisingly, I know the words in German!) ... Miss Mimi is 3 weeks & 1 day old today!

3 Weeks

Yep, 3 weeks old today! And so far, so good!!

Most nights are going well with just 2-3 feedings and going right back to sleep - a few nights Miss M has been awake for a while before falling asleep again ... but I am loving every minute! I am trying to remember when babies kind of start confusing days and nights - is it yet to come or dare I hope we avoid it??!

Anyway, right now I'm thankful that my mom is here to help me out for another week and a half. Also the ladies at church have been sending meals for us for a week, every other day - which has been a HUGE blessing! I will miss the meals-on-wheels ... but I hope to get my menu-planning organized and get cooking myself. This is "Oma" with Miriam today. I hope that when I "grow up" I will be as beautiful as my mom! :)

Day 19

This is actually Sunday's pictures ... taken last night - Miriam at 19 days old. She did wear a sweet dress to church, but I forgot to take a picture. To pacifier or not pacifier? - that is my question today. After trying 3 varieties of paci's, I finally found one Miriam likes & will keep in her mouth. My other 2 children never did take a pacifier - and actually, that was a good thing as we never had to "break" them from the binky either...
However, I'm leaning towards offering the paci to Miriam since it helps satisfy her between feedings. Yet - how much do you "force" it if they don't want it??! Did your kids have pacifiers? What advice/experiences can you share about them - pro's vs. con's?

One of my FAVORITE baby things are these sleepers like Miriam has on. Not sure what you call them - blanket sleepers?? I have several of them - and they are AWESOME for these cold, winter nights! :) I almost wish I had one for myself ... if only I didn't have to walk or use my feet! ha ha!

Saturday - or is it Sunday already?!

I am NOT heeding the sage advice to new mothers of "Sleep when your baby sleeps"! Miriam has been fast asleep for an hour now - and I know she'll be ready to eat in an hour or two - but I hate to waste this quiet moment on sleeping ... and so here I sit at my computer. There isn't much to tell today. It was a nice day - but it was an uneventful day - actually just the way I like it!! :) Aside from a quick trip to Goodwill (green barbed clothes were 1/2 off - and I found a few things for Miriam in bigger sizes!! and a skirt for Anna too), we were home all day.

Andrew & Anna have been such great helpers with Miriam - they hold her, rock her, sing to her ... I don't know what I will do on Monday when everyone goes back to school! At least my mother is still here until January 24! :) I do have back-up - although Miriam is such a good baby so far - she isn't hard to take care of. She only fusses when she is hungry or when we are changing her diaper. I hope to get to church again tomorrow - I miss it - but I also don't want to expose Miriam to GERMS (the pediatrician advised me to not take her out much for at least 2 months). Happy Sunday to you all (it is Sunday already - 12:27 a.m.).

New Experiences

Every day holds new experiences when you are only 17 days old...
Today's was the BOUNCY SEAT. My parents got this at a consignment sale - where they also got our stroller/car seat combo - how thankful we are for these gifts! Miriam liked the seat --- for about 10 minutes. It has a vibrating seat and plays some music or ocean wave or rain noise. Pretty cool - my other 2 babies had a bouncy seat too - but you had to "bounce" it by hand & sing if you wanted music! Ha!! It's amazing what fancy things are available for babies when you haven't had one for 9 years ...

Snow Day!

I love a snow day ... as much or more than the kids do! :) Mine had fun playing in the snow ... they were shoveling snow into a big pile that was supposed to eventually be a snowman, but this wasn't really good "packing" snow. They had fun anyway!
Anna wore her "snow dress" today ... it has little snow flakes all over it :)

She's such a good big sister - a little exuberant sometimes - but she is a good helper for as long as her attention span holds out!

Anna & Miriam (who is now 16 days old!):

Let It Snow!

Because my blog has become "All Baby, All the Time", I am going to write about something else for a change... :)
It is SNOWING!!!!!! And more is in the forecast - 2-4 inches :) School is already canceled for tomorrow - and I can't wait to enjoy a SNOW DAY with my family (I got spoiled having them around for 2 weeks over Christmas Break!). The picture below is what it looked like from my front door a few hours ago - and this was just the BEGINNING! I love how the snow flakes look almost like lightning bugs or sparkles in the picture. I love being SNOWED IN - but I do feel for the essential personnel who HAVE TO be at their jobs despite snowy road conditions (my husband used to be one of them when he was in the military). My prayers go out to those who have to be on the roads & who can't be cozy at home, sipping hot chocolate. Of course, I have to report on our baby girl ... feel free to skip this part if you're tired of hearing about her!! LOL Today I had a doctor appointment to check on my stitches. Miriam was buckled into her car seat around 10 a.m. when we had leave the house ... and I truly don't think she was barely out of it at all until 3:30 p.m.! It takes an hour to get to the doctor - then I had to run by the hospital business office for some paperwork from the birth -then we had lunch (my mom came along) - then we drove an hour home - then we went to Walmart to pick up a prescription - then we picked up the kids from school. Miriam was SO good!!! She slept a lot.
My doctor appointment was fine too - I got the steri-strips taken off my stitches, & the nurse and doctor said the stitches were healing nicely. I go back in 4 weeks.

Here's Miss Miriam having fun with her Big Brother tonight: (She's 15 days old today!)

These pics are from last night. Miriam had kicked her socks off - as she is apt to do - and I thought it was so funny how she stuck her foot out from under the blanket.

I love those little (long!) toes! I am so in love with this little girl that I just am in awe that she is MINE (on loan from God, of course!).

Two Weeks Already?!

We've had our little girl for 2 whole weeks already! She has fit right into our family - and we are all adjusting just fine. So far, she has been a good baby - and I've even been getting about 6-7 hours of sleep most nights (interrupted - but nevertheless!).

It is only fitting that today - on her 2 week "birthday" - that Anna got a gift via UPS from one of her aunts: a Bitty Baby - that is pretty much JUST HER SIZE:

And some Bitty Baby accessories as well! Anna also got a Bitty Baby from this aunt when she was born - and we saved the doll for her until about her 1st birthday, which is what we'll do for Miriam as well. I can't wait to see Miriam holding & rocking & kissing her baby dolls one day!

To not be left out, Anna was given an outfit (a gardening outfit) for her American Girl doll, Samantha. I think she is pretty pleased about that, don't you?

This Sweet Face

13 days old today.

Rub-A-Dub-Dub!

1st Bath (on Jan 2 - 11 days old)... don't let the picture below fool you - Miriam HATED it. :)

Andrew & Anna are THE BEST helpers. They are eager to help with EVERYTHING ... except actual diaper changing. Both have decided they are just not "old enough" to do that yet (though they get the diapers & wipes out for me)! Clever, aren't they??! I will miss them when they go back to school on Monday.

Despite not liking the bath (actually just a sponge bath), Miriam is smelling like a fresh, sweet baby - and she's ready to make her first appearance at church. We attended the morning service today despite the snow on the ground. For the most part, we were in the nursery as Miriam decided she wanted to be fussy and loud - but I did get to sing a few hymns and hear about 15 minutes of the sermon. It was good to be back in God's House.