The First Week

(This is a few days past due…but better late than never, right?!)

Arden, 

I can hardly believe you have been here for a week…but what a great week it’s been!  Your dad and I are slowly but surely figuring you out…what you like (eating and being snuggled) and what you dislike (diaper changes and cold wipes).  You spend most of your time eating and sleeping and we spend most of ours staring at you. Who you look like is still up for debate, but I’m going to say you resemble your dad the most. However, there’s no doubt that you got some of those Danish Larsen genes with all of that blonde hair.  Since the day you were born people have been commenting about those pretty locks. I hope they stick around!

We’ve been so fortunate to have Gigi here with us this week as we get settled in. She cooks, she cleans, picks up groceries, gives great advice, and spends the rest of her time loving on you.  I can’t even put into words how thankful I am for her.

Breastfeeding has been the most challenging part for me so far and without the support of Gigi and your dad, who knows if we would still be doing it. There really haven’t been any huge problems–you seemed to know what you were doing from the get go (and I’m sure glad one of us did!), but when we went to your 5-day appointment, you had lost 9 oz since birth. This was in the normal range, but it still scared me to death. I cried in front of the doctor (embarrassing) and I still tear up thinking about it. The guilt of not doing my most important job–feeding you–was just so overwhelming. But after lots of pep talks from Gigi and dad, a meeting with a lactation consultant, and advice from your Aunt Lindsay, we decided to supplement your feedings with a little bit of pumped milk, or formula when I didn’t have enough. It’s definitely more work to give you a bottle, nurse you, then pump…and sometimes that runs right in to the next feeding…but it was so worth it to see you back up 5 oz in three days.  Now we’re slowly weaning you off the bottle and you’re doing great.  I know in a few months we’ll probably look back on this and laugh because you’ll be a chunk…but thank goodness Gigi was here to help us through it. 

On a funnier note, you need to hear this story about your furry sister. First of all, Hazel is very protective over you–she thinks she’s your babysitter. If you start to cry she will run over to you, then look back to us like, “Aren’t you going to do something?! She’s crying!!!”  And whenever I pick you up to take you to nursery, Hazel cuts me off and runs in there first.  She’ll usually bring in a toy or a bone while I’m feeding you and just hangs out.  It’s almost like she doesn’t trust us to take care of you on our own!

Well when the lactation consultant was at our house, we had you in just your diaper in the nursery.  She was holding you and moving you around to show us different things.  Then when we were out in the kitchen a little bit later your dad noticed something–your umbilical cord was gone!  That little stump that was supposed to be there for two weeks was gone after 6 days!  Then a light bulb went off in your dad’s head…he said he thought he knew where it was.  Apparently when the consultant was holding you in the nursery he saw something fall to the ground…and then Hazel quickly pounced on it and ate it.  Yep, your big sister ate your umbilical cord stump like it was a milkbone.  We laugh every time we talk about it and say that now you guys are “blood sisters”…she’ll have to take care of you for the rest of her life 🙂

Just a few other things about your first week…

You are strong. You are already arching your back when you don’t want to be put in your car seat and sometimes it takes 10 minutes just to get your arms down in a swaddle.  Every nurse we’ve seen has commented on your strength.  Little but mighty.

You smile when you dream and it’s so sweet. I can’t wait for the real smiles!

You like to poop as soon as your diaper comes off.  I’m pretty sure you were aiming at the pediatrician one time.

Your dad is in love with you.  He has been so helpful–changing diapers, getting bottles ready, cleaning up poop–I really don’t think he minds because he’s just happy to be around you.  You guys are going to be best buds, I’m sure of it.

We gave you your first sponge bath on Monday.  You liked having your hair washed, but that was about it.  Quick is key!

This picture just kills me.  Guess you’re getting a head start on those senior picture poses!

Thursday night we took you on a walk in your new stroller.  It was crazy to think that just a week earlier I was walking the same route, only I was still pregnant.  I think prefer having you in the stroller 🙂  Also, notice the mosquito net…no West Nile for us!

This is my favorite…

I’ll be so sad when you get too big for this…