My week ... from Victoria

This past week was so full of fun adventures! Mommy and Daddy like to take me places, so I get to do lots of fun things.

Last weekend they took me in a car to a place called the Sax-Zim Bog to look for birds. I couldn't see any birds because I just rode in the back of the car, and that always puts me right to sleep. We stopped at a restaurant, though, and while there I decided to play a funny joke on Mommy. Daddy and I were in cahoots. He had just told Mommy that she got the next dirty diaper, and I instantly let out a really loud squirt! And I laughed so hard and smiled so big that Mommy knew I did it on purpose. Poor Mommy, she had a huge mess to clean up. But I made both of them laugh too, so it was worth it!

After a couple more blowouts, my parents decided to take away my fun, and graduated me to Size 1 diapers. Another sign that I'm a little peanut -- I didn't move into Size 1 diapers until I was 7 weeks old.

Yes, I turned 7 weeks this week. Daddy took a picture of me and you can compare it to when I was really little.

Mommy worked two days last week, so I got to stay home with dad. It's really cool that I get to hang out in his office with him while he works. One day when Mommy was getting home from work, I was really hungry so she decided to feed me, and just then this really loud noise started blaring. I was so hungry I didn't let it bother me and decided to eat, but the puppies whined and ran away from the noise and Mommy tried covering my ears anyway while dad tried to figure out what it was. Daddy said it was the carbon monoxide detectors and both of my parents were worried for awhile. Daddy even went outside to examine the vents on the roof and make sure nothing was blocked. After some internet investigation, Daddy found out it was a faulty detector. Everyone was safe, but Mommy and Daddy seemed really exhausted after that adventure.

The next day Mommy and I went shopping. We went to a fun craft store where there was lots of stuff to look at. I was hoping we could go more places, but Mommy said I'm getting too heavy in my car seat, and she couldn't carry me around the mall. She said she'll need to bring a stroller now if we go to the mall!

My parents also said I'm now too big to sleep in my bouncy seat. Boy, did I love sleeping in the bouncy seat. It felt just like sleeping in Mommy or Daddy's arms, with the added benefit of vibrations. Sleeping flat on my back just didn't feel right after being curled up inside Mom for so long. But I must be getting used to this new life, because they said I adjusted perfectly to sleeping on my back. Now if only they can get me to stop squirming around ... they said I move so much while I'm sleeping that they need to get me "sleep bags" rather than blankets.

It was such a fun week that I was super smiley every day. I know how to charm my parents with my huge grins. Daddy took lots of photos and managed to get this one that shows just a hint of a smile ...


And this one where I'm starting to flash my big wide grin ...


I'm sure Daddy will continue to try to capture my smiles!

Who does she look like?

Out of the many, many people who have met Victoria, only one has said she looks like her mom. Usually, people exclaim right away, "oh, do you look like your daddy!"

For the most part, I agree. Which of us does she look like in this photo?


And, really, I'm not complaining. Matt's genes have given me an adorable baby!

But, I also see traces of me in her, especially thinking about my baby photos. Here's a recent pic of V:


Compared to two of my baby pics:



What do you think?

7 weeks

Victoria at 4 days ...


Victoria at 7 weeks ...

Confessions

#1 I am a chocolaholic. With one nine-month exception, I need chocolate every day. If there's a shortage around the house, I'll raid the cupboards until I find something. This often means I end up eating chocolate chips by the handful.

#2 I make messes. Ask my husband ... or Hannah, who stands and watches my feet while I'm cooking, knowing how often I spill!

What happens when a chocolaholic mess-maker decides to cuddle with her baby in the evening? Let's just say that plenty of melted chocolate chips resulted in baths and clean clothes for both of us!

My poor husband ... Matt just shook his head as I went to get bath water ready!

No boundaries

Piper has absolutely no sense of personal space or boundaries. She is often not content to sit next to you or even on your lap, but will work her way up so she is sitting on your chest or even on your shoulder (my dad calls her a parrot) simply to be closer to you. She'll try to stand on you if she can get away with it. Her paws too know no bounds. If she is trying to paw you to get your attention, she doesn't care where that paw ends up ... on your leg? how about in your eye? Matt and I have tried talking to her about "paw awareness," but of course that lecture hasn't gone very far.

Hannah has probably been the most unhappy with Piper's lack of boundaries. On the good side, Piper will share toys back and forth (always wants Hannah to play tug with her) ... on the bad side, she always wants to lay in a spot at least partially occupied by Hannah. It doesn't matter to her if this requires putting her butt in Hannah's face or curling up right on top of Hannah's feet. Hannah is such a good girl that she has never really tried to put Piper in her place. We tell Hannah she would be completely justified in biting her head off, but all that Piper has received is some growls and dirty looks (usually followed by Hannah looking plaintively at mom and dad, and us telling Piper she needs to be nice ... or simply picking up the P-dog and moving her ourselves).

Over time, though, Hannah has adjusted to the situation, or maybe just given up ...



Piper using Hannah as a pillow isn't so bad ... just keep your paws to yourself!

And then a couple weeks ago, I realized that Hannah was realizing some benefits herself ... Piper's lack of personal boundaries means that Hannah can use HER as a pillow too!

Maternity Leave

Well, maternity leave is officially over. As I sit in my frigid cubicle on my third day back at work, eating my expired pre-packaged salad mix over a lonely lunch, I am already so sad that I’m not back home with my family.

Matt was off of work the first three weeks, and then returned to work after the new year. But even when he went back to work, the fact that he works out of a home office worked out well. I credit Matt’s help, the fact that Victoria is a pretty good baby, and our preparedness for a really awesome first six weeks:

• With meals made in advance and a cleaning lady lined up, we were able to spend lots and lots of time cuddling, feeding, and caring for the new little one. It’s amazing how much we had to learn! That time with her was precious and unforgettable.
• I was able to take the dogs for a walk several days a week. This helped Piper, Hannah, and I beat cabin fever and helped ward off any depression by getting me some sunshine!
• V and I got in some good visiting … aunts and uncles, my cousin Brooke, lunch with a co-worker, and a get-together with a planning colleague. I so rarely have time to simply go have a cup of coffee with someone. Oh I’m going to miss that!
• We had lots and lots of appointments … hospital follow-up visits, dr appointments, chiropractor, vet appts, even a hair cut and color (V went with me to the stylist) and a massage for mom (V stayed home with dad for that one).
• We managed to host a couple Christmas celebrations at our house (thank the cleaning lady for that!)
• On weekends and during naps, I got our family room painted … finally … been meaning to do that since we moved in last April
• Matt and I have kept up our spot on the bowling team, bringing V with us to the bowling alley every time. She loves the big bright lights, all the people who want to hold her, and the loud drone of balls hitting pins.

Some things worked out really well for us:

• We made several meals ahead of time and had them in the freezer ready to warm up. That was pretty crucial the first few weeks as we had so little brain power to think of ourselves.
• The cleaning lady was awesome. Totally worth it so that I didn’t have to think about trying to get the house ready for Christmas. We’re definitely keeping her on board so I don’t have to spend weekends cleaning and instead can spend them with the fam.
• I would’ve had a much tougher time if Matt wasn’t at home. Those first few weeks, we needed two of us to figure things out and support each other.
• Having fellow moms to talk to. I texted my cousin Brooke and friend Nina with lots of questions!

I am now back to work 2-3 days a week. I will go back full-time February 22. For now, V stays home with Daddy on the days I go to work (the bouncy seat looks good in his office). She’ll go to day care at the end of February.

The first four weeks

Victoria's photographer dad put together a photo journal of her first four weeks:

Matt's flikr page

Wide Awake Baby

The past few days, Victoria has been verrryy awake! I guess the world is just one huge interesting place, especially those places that have lights (ooooooh) or bright windows (aahhhh). The pig, carrot, corn, and chick on the bouncy seat are also mesmerizing. She literally cannot take her eyes off them. You can see the look in her eyes - "ooh! fun shapes!" and then her mouth will make a little "o" shape, or maybe she'll start sticking out her tongue as she watches them. Over time her eyes start to bug out, and pretty soon she is staring so hard she becomes a little cross-eyed. She doesn't realize she can blink, or look away, and then all of a sudden it's too late and there is a huge overstimulation meltdown!


She really likes to fight sleep. Even when we decide she is tired and it's nap time, even when we see yawns and heavy eyelids, she fights the urge to rest. She can suck on a pacifier like it's her sole purpose in life, as long as it keeps her awake. And if, heaven forbid, she actually falls asleep in dad's arms, she'll quickly wake herself up from a little catnap with a jolt. She must feel like she's missing something great, as her big eyes will then quickly take in everything around her.

The plus side of the wide awake baby is that the past two nights she has gone long stretches without waking! Saturday night she went seven hours between meals (I fell asleep two hours into this, so I got five hours of uninterrupted sleep ... heaven!) and Sunday night she went six hours. Having an awake, slightly overstimulated baby during the day seems a good trade-off for a good sleeper at night.

Some of the best naps she's taken have been ... at the bowling alley? It seems so unlikely that she can sleep "like a baby" through the crashing of balls on the lanes, the thunder of pins flying, the echo of teams cheering, and the drone of televisions. Another bowling couple has a baby a week or so younger than Victoria, and they said their daughter sleeps wonderfully at the alley too. We figure it's because of all the time we spent bowling while pregnant ... these babes feel right at home and are comforted by all the noise the rest of us could never sleep through.

On another note, I read a baby e-newsletter today that said that babies start rolling from their stomachs to their backs at 4-7 months ... what?? I actually read it three times - yes, THREE - to make sure this is what it said. Victoria rolled over at three weeks, and has rolled over so many times since then I've lost count. Do you think this article was correct? It seems unlikely that V would do something so early ... then again, maybe being such a little peanut helps -- maybe having less weight makes it easier to roll over?

frozen fun

Last fall I threw some gourds I had been using as decorations out onto the steps. From there they got thrown on top of a snow pile for me to someday haul out into the woods.

Who would have thought that frozen gourds could become such a great dog toy?


Piper found them and has turned them into an awesome, frozen ball. She'll play endlessly with the gourds -- much longer than with any boring old tennis ball!


The only problem is that when she comes in the house she keeps trying to bring the gourds with her!

Totally a Monday

I quit texting while driving when I was pregnant. ok, well at least while the car was moving ... sitting at stoplights doesn't count as driving, right?

Maybe I was feeling a little too virtuous in my new driving habits. Apparently I needed a good reminder of what can happen when you text while driving.


Doesn't look too bad, right? That's what I thought when -- driving down our driveway at 10 mph and sending "just one quick text" to Matt - my tire caught on some snow at the edge of the driveway. I got sucked off the driveway quickly, and was stuck, tires spinning. I thought, "I have four wheel drive, I can totally get out of this!" After ten minutes of trying and digging in the snow, I called Matt, who had to leave Victoria in the house to come to my rescue. He drove down, looked at my vehicle, and decided to go get some rope from the house.

And, driving in reverse, promptly landed himself in some snow too.

Now both vehicles were stuck, tires spinning every time we tried to move them.

After the four wheeler's winch wasn't successful, I texted my brother. He replied instantly that he was on his way.

And since it doesn't take long for word to get around in a small town, by the time I walked into the house to check on Victoria, my dad called: "I heard you're stuck in the ditch! Need help?"

As it turns out, Adam and Matt did need help. Adam's truck had the horsepower, but they needed stronger tow ropes. So my parents stopped to get my uncle Roger, who supplied the tow ropes.

My car was freed quickly at that point. It only needs a wheel alignment.

Matt's car, on the other hand, had other issues. While trying to shift it during the attempt to get it unstuck, he realized that all of a sudden he couldn't shift it out of park. He ended up dismantling part of the steering column and realized the gear shifting mechanism was broken. Because it was stuck in park, it couldn't get pulled out of the snow. A phone call to AAA and a tow into the dealership in town was required.

That "quick text" while driving uber slow? Two cars in the ditch, four people and a dog coming to our rescue, one car towed, and nearly $2000 in repairs.

I do feel better that the gear shifter was likely to break soon anyway ... it only took Matt shifting it back and forth a few times for the weakened part to break. At least when it broke he was just sitting in our driveway.

And at least if I needed to be reminded an important lesson, it was only while going slow in our driveway! I vow to never need to be reminded while driving 70 mph on a freeway.

Victoria's Eyes

It's true that eyes are the windows to the soul.

I wrote in this post that Victoria and I looked at each other across the room right after she was born, and that I fell madly in love. In looking at some of Matt's photos the other day, I learned that he captured this moment:


That's my baby girl, minutes after birth, and her deep blue eyes that captured her momma. If I had to choose just one moment when I felt my life changed, it would be not when I gave birth nor when I held her for the first time (although both of those were amazing), but when I looked into those eyes for the first time and our souls met.

Her eyes still captivate me.


Those big eyes take in everything in her world. I will never get enough moments of gazing into her eyes and telling her how much I love her.

My daughter

She is changing so fast!

This week she rolled herself over. Dad had her on her tummy on the floor and she gave a push and ended up on her back! We were so proud!

She had her first bath in the "real" bathtub. Being submersed in water should have felt like home to her, but it must have been a strange sensation given the confused look on her face and the few moments of crying that followed. After that, though, she seemed to love it.

She is already showing us what a trickster she can be ... while mommy and daddy are watching tv she tries everything she can to twist her head around/backwards/upside down to try to see the tv screen too!

And I won't even tell you the stories of how good she is at peeing while we're trying to change her diaper ... and getting it all over everything ... she has lots of tricks up her sleeve.

We had our first solo mommy and daughter outing, to the chiropractor on Monday. My chiropractor was impressed that we made it out the door and arrived at the appointment on time ... I was in such a rush to get there I didn't even notice at first that it was indeed our first solo outing. And while there she had her first "babysitter" -- Dr. Stephanie watched her for 15 minutes while I ran across the street to Starbucks. I totally love and trust Stephanie, but it was still very weird to leave her and walk away.

Victoria is four weeks old today, and every day I am amazed at how she seems a little heavier, a little bigger, how she seems more active and engaged with the world. What an amazing little creature!

Victoria’s First Christmas

I’m a huge fan of Christmas. Blame it on my parents--perhaps because of my idyllic childhood holidays and the amazing memories and warm feelings the holiday conjures up. Even as an adult, I find that Christmas combines so many things I love … family, tradition, baking, decorating, gift giving, delicious food. This Christmas, like previous ones, combined all those things … with the icing on the cake (or cookies would be more appropriate) being our new family members.

Piper is two and a half years old, but just joined our family this year, so this was her first Christmas with us. We got her a little stocking of her own (Hannah has one from previous years). And for Victoria, it was important to get her a stocking of her own and a Baby’s First Christmas ornament.

This picture will go in her Baby's First Christmas ornament!

We were fortunate this year to not have to travel for the holidays. Moving up north puts us closer to family, so we didn’t have to pack suitcases, haul gifts, or drive long distances. It was nice to sleep in our own beds!

Christmas Eve we hosted the traditional Reed family fondue at our house. My family agreed to come to our house to make it easier with a baby. We have good spaces for entertaining, and after we sat around the table I took a deep breath and a moment to send thanks for all the family around us.


Normally I like to spend peaceful moments at the end of the evening sipping wine or egg nog in front of the tree, but this year we are on baby’s schedule and I was just too exhausted!

Christmas morning was spent here at home with just our immediate family. What a treasure that was! We had warm gooey cinnamon rolls, opened presents to each other, and took some family pictures. Somehow Matt and I even ended up with presents from the dogs and Victoria … aren’t we lucky!

Piper and Hanah got candy canes of their own!

After that, we headed to my parents’ for brunch and gift opening there. Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Doug got to snuggle with Victoria too. In fact, Grandpa Doug kept turning down the opportunity to open presents – he was “busy” holding Victoria! I think holding his granddaughter was the best Christmas present he could get.



Later on Christmas Day we stopped at my aunt and uncle’s and then at my grandma’s. Victoria was a hit and I loved hearing everyone ooh and aah over her.

Christmas night, we had Matt’s sister Karen and niece Madi come visit. They drove up from the Cities and stayed overnight. We enjoyed a ham dinner, read books, tried our hand at a gingerbread house (didn’t work so well!), and at one point there was even dancing to the Bangles!



Check out my flickr page for more Christmas photos!