I'm Raising a Little Piggy...

So, we went to the Pediatrician for Emma's 2 week check-up yesterday, and I've got a little piggy. She now weighs a whopping 8lbs. 4oz. and is 21 1/4 inches long. She has gained 1lb and 11.5oz. and grown 2 inches since birth!! Our pediatrician was stunned at her growth....she's now in the 50% for weight & 75% for height! So much for small birth weight.

Here are some pics of Emma's room and my little chunk!

Week 2

Week 1

We survived!! :)

Thankfully Grandma Lizi (until otherwise named) was able to spend the week with us, which made the transition from hospital to home so smooth!! THANK YOU!!!

We had a rough first night, Emma didn't seem to want to sleep when we wanted to; imagine that! But after that evening we were able to get into a routine where Emma was sleeping from about 12AM to 4AM and then 4:30AM to 9AM. So, we've been super blessed with a little girl who loves her sleep! We'll see how her pattern changes as she grows up.

On day 5 we went to the pediatrician for our first visit. Generally their main concern when looking at a newborn is the weight loss issue as they transition of having a constant flow of nutrients while in the womb to nursing/formula outside. We knew Emma had been nursing really well, but did't realize how well...when they put her on the scale, she weighed 7 pounds 1.5 ounces...gaining 9 ounces since birth!!! Our Dr. was very pleased!

Emma has a great temperament, she likes having her diaper changed and doesn't mind Mom changing her outfits! (Yeah I get to play dress-up the baby doll again) She loves looking at her flash cards, calms her down as she focuses on the details. And she likes reading with Daddy. All in all she is just perfect, can't help staring at her all the time. Although I'm going to have stop that if I want to get anything done!

Here are some pics of our First Week!!

Emma's Here!!!

Emma arrived on Saturday, October 10th at 6:31AM. She weighed 6 pounds 8.5 ounces and was 19.25 inches long.

Due to some last minute high blood pressure readings we opted for an induction to kick-start labor. We went into the hospital Friday (the 9th) evening at 6PM, they got me all hooked up and started the induction at 7PM (generally its a 12hr process). My contractions were pretty steady from about 8PM on although not too intense or close together. Throughout the evening it was pretty clear that I was in labor; by 5AM they checked me and I was dilated 2cm and was 90% effaced. My contractions started kicking in to overdrive and my water broke at 6AM; they checked me again and I was 10cm dilated and 95% effaced. Within the next 15 minutes I was ready to push; one problem though, the doctor wasn't there yet since my jump from 2 to 9 had been so rapid. So, I had to hold on pushing (hardest thing I've ever done) and then the Dr. arrived. I pushed three times and out came my beautiful, healthy baby girl!! So, in about 11 1/2 hours we went from 0-60 and our lives changed forever!

I was able to start nursing directly after birth and she did so well; I had no need to pump and she began feeding at regular intervals. By the time we left the hospital we were already transitioning from colostrum to milk; so that was great. Typically newborns lose up to 10% of their body weight in the week following birth. Emma only lost 2 oz. She's my little piggy!!

Here are some pics of our time in the hospital and meeting the family!!

The Waiting Game...

Well we're in the 40th week and now the waiting game continues. To speed up the process, we did follow in the footsteps of Larry & Lizi and walked the State Fair on Saturday; for 6 hours. :) I think I dropped some, but we'll see. I have a Dr. Appointment on Tuesday, so we'll see if I've made any more progress.

We've pretty much got the room complete (minus a few decorative components and some shelving). Here are a few pics for your viewing pleasure. I've also included pics of the Heritage Quilt that Emma's most of the women in the family contributed to (incredible, thank you so much!!!) and some of Great Aunt Sharon's beautiful craftsmanship with Emma's name embroidered. She is one blessed little baby girl!