Our Growin' Gal

Apparently all this eating, pooing and sleeping is serving Miss Joslyn quite well... When we left the hospital on 7/22, she weighed in at 7 lb 8 oz, 20 inches. At her 2 week check in with Dr. Rachel on 8/4 she was surprised us all by measuring in at 8 lbs 8 oz and 21 inches. Yikes, no wonder she's been hungry! Here she is during our evening "porch sittin' time" the day of her check-up--she's looking nice and plump:)

Then, middle of last week, her feeding style changed--our long 20-25 minute sessions all of a sudden were lasting no longer than 10 or 15 minutes tops. It seemed odd, and then I started thinking (ok, call a duck a duck--I was worrying!) about whether she was getting enough of the richer, more calorie dense hindmilk that comes in towards the end of the feeding that she needs to gain weight. So, yesterday, we went in for a weight check. Apparently, I need not have worried! She is kickin' booty at 9 lbs 4.5 oz! I swear as Jos is laying there on the scale she winked at me as if to say "no worries Momma!"

Perhaps, though, it's not just the amount of eating and sleeping helping her grow... I'd like to think that it is also the large amount of time that she spends out in the fresh air as well! Pete and I agreed over the during a walk this week, that Joslyn must spend way more time outside than the average American baby. We go for a walk everyday, sit under the tree in the backyard few times a week, and spend most evenings on the front porch watching the sunset reflect against the mountains. Plus, this week, she has already attended her first two sporting events! Here's the view from our front porch...
The first event this last Saturday when we went to cheer on Papa Pete as he finished the ULCER, which is a 111 mile bike ride around Utah Lake. It was 85 degrees, sunny, and for a good 1/2 of the ride, hampered by a good stiff head wind. Yet he still did a fantastic job, finished with a smile, and made us proud!


The second was to spend the afternoon with me today at the top of Big Mountain between Park City and SLC cheering on the professional cyclists suffering up this disgusting long, steep (aka fun!) climb in the 90 degree heat during the Tour of Utah bike race. Tomorrow night is the criterium circuit race downtown (think the bike version of Nascar), so we'll be heading to that as well. As you can see from Jos's picture below with the oddly cheerleader-like pose that she obviously already appreciates incredibly fit men in brightly colored spandex:)

Hugs!

Kate

We're Parents!

I had another one of those "moments" today... I'd just changed Joslyn's diaper after a feeding, so was holding her to burp her while on my way to wash my hands. Once in the bathroom, I flicked on the light, and caught sight of myself in the mirror with little Joslyn sweetly draped on my shoulder and thought with a laugh "oh shit! I'm a Mom!". It all still feels a little surreal:)

Hopefully you've had a chance to read Pete's posts about the labor & delivery and the first week. He does speak the truth--everything went fantastically with the birth and life as parents has been just awesome since arriving home! Just a few thoughts on the birth from my end: Hypnobirthing=empowering! It worked beautifully, and I really do think that using these tools is what allowed us to have such a speedy delivery ("speedy" being a relative term!). Natural (unmedicated) Childbirth=amazing! I'm glad that everything went as we'd hoped and we were able to have the option to go naturally. I'd want it no other way and would do it again in a heart beat! Don't get me wrong, it was difficult--and a bit primal!--but with the hypnosis, I never felt it was more than I could handle. And, at the end of the day, with my ability to feel what my body and the baby were telling me, I could change laboring positions and push in ways that made every contraction so much more fruitful. Joslyn=beautiful beyond what I'd ever imagined. We have been truly blessed.

This week was my first week home with Baby Jos and Odessa without Pete, my rock. I was a little apprehensive on Monday--with my hormones still on the swing, I was sad to not have Pete with me... But, Joslyn is so darn cute, I was quickly distracted:) Here's our little punkin at bath time on Tuesday:

Jos is breastfeeding exclusively, so my job is to pretty much be "on call" 24/7. It's been going very well--she's a good eater, and from the start, had a pretty good handle on a proper latch. Still, every once in a while, she'll get really excited when she's hungry and with her mouth gaping like a baby bird, she'll be swingin' her arms in front of her face, trying to suck her fists, and latch on to my breast all at the same time! It makes me laugh just thinking about it!!!

As Pete mentioned, we have started to get into a routine with feeding. During the day, she'll go about every 2-2 1/2 hours between meals. At night, she's actually been really good, usually going about 3 1/2-4 hours between meals. And, still, half the time I need to wake her up to eat, especially at night!

This week has been pretty low key, as I am under strict instructions from Kat (our midwife) to not do "anything" these two weeks to ensure that I have a speedy, complete recovery. Well, you know me and my ability to do "nothing". It is not possible. So, when I spoke with her this week and I told her that I "hadn't been really doing much", she inquired what I considered "much" and then reminded me that my "not much" is decidedly way more than not doing "anything"! UGH!!!! With that coaching in the back of my head, I have made a purposeful attempt--which has been successful!--to follow her orders, and feel great in doing so:) I love and appreciate Pete--he has without pause washed dishes, done load after load of laundry, gone grocery shopping, taken care of Odessa, changed countless really poopy diapers, taken care of me, and somehow found time to go back to work:) What a trooper! Another way in which I have been truly blessed:)

With that, I'll leave you with one last photo--Joslyn enjoying the outdoors in the back yard with big sister Odessa and I. She seemed to like the sound of the wind rustling the leaves around us, and the swaying of the tree branches above us... It's never too early to introduce a love of the earth around us!
Thanks to all of you for your thoughtfulness and generosity from the day we broke the "news" oh so long ago, and especially these last few weeks since our "news" has arrived:) Hugs and love to you all!

Kateo (aka Momma!)