Family Photos

I have a lot of catching up to do on this blog.  Most importantly, Grandma and Grandpa Mekkelson came to visit and they had a great time bonding with Lucy.  There are some lovely pics that I will post soon.  But I couldn't wait to post these photos from yesterday's shoot with my amazingly talented cousin, Krissy.  They are absolutely breathtaking and brought tears to my eyes!  Thank you SOOOOOO much, Krissy!!!

Trying for a Smile

Lucy is this close to smiling.  Here's a video of me trying (unsuccessfully) to get her to smile.  Warning: this video contains profuse annoying baby talk!  

Belly Update

Lucy's belly has completely closed!  It's amazing to see what it looks like now compared to when they first removed the silo and the "sutureless closure" began:

Then...

and now!

Hard to believe that huge hole closed up on its own in just 7 weeks!

As you can see her "belly button" will be slightly off to the side and she has a pretty large hernia next to it.  The surgeon said the hernia may resolve itself on its own, just like an umbilical hernia.  If it doesn't by the time she's 2 or 3 years old, it can be fixed surgically.  It's a straightforward surgery and most kids are in and out of the hospital in a day.

The Nursery

We finally finished Lucy's nursery!  We were in the middle of getting it ready when I was admitted to the hospital and we still had some finishing touches to do when she came home.  What was once an ugly storage room has turned into our favorite room in the house.  The theme is Island Paradise, which is close to our hearts since Erik and I met (10 years ago!) on Catalina Island.  We went with primary colors which I think will transition nicely into a toddler room.  The "wow factor" is an island mural that we painted on the wall with lots of help from Grandma Jaye, Auntie Kate, and Uncle Lee.  I hate to toot my own horn, but we put a LOT of work into this room and are pretty stoked with how it turned out!  It's such a colorful and happy space, which is exactly what Lucy deserves.

Panoramic view.

Crib and rocking chair (complete with sleeping kitty).  This is the rocking chair my parents used with my sister.  The boat in the mural is a replica of the boat Erik lived on when we met.  

Changing table.  Lucy loves to look at the mobile hanging from the leaf while she's getting changed.  The letters were decoupaged using scrapbooking paper.

Dresser and wall shelves.

I added these dolphin knobs to the dresser and changing table.

Lucy was named after BB King's guitar, Lucille.

This is a puzzle of Catalina Island, where Erik and I met. Thanks to Auntie Maud and Grandma Vivian for helping us put it together! 

This is an antique chair I used to have as a kid. I reupholstered it with an island-themed canvas fabric. 

This is the sign that we made for Lucy's isolette in the NICU.   It's now on the outside of her bedroom door.