Happy Thanksgiving

Thankful.

5 Months Old

Hello.

Lucy turns 5 months old tomorrow!  Here are some highlights from the last month.

• The L-Dub is weighing in at 12.5 lbs.  She has mostly grown out of her 0-3 month clothes.
• I'm happy (and relieved) to report that she's adjusting really well to daycare!  She doesn't cry when I drop her off and she's usually in a good mood when I pick her up (unless she's tired).  She loves Mirna and Kiera, the caregivers, and smiles at them when they look at her.  They are totally smitten with her and call her a "little angel."  She is napping well and eating well throughout the day.  We couldn't be happier with how things are going in that department.  I am doing well too... slowly but surely getting back into work mode. 
• Remember that post about sleeping through the night?  That was fun.  That lasted for about a month... and then the teething train hit.  Now our little slobber factory is back to waking up at least once a night, sometimes 2 or 3 times. But it's par for the course, I know.
• Her favorite new tricks are blowing raspberries, which she does constantly (no, really), and grabbing her feet and putting them in her mouth, as documented below.         

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  We will see some of you soon!

My Jumperoo is the greatest!

THE GREATEST!!!

Ice-in-a-washcloth teething trick.  Thanks Grammie JJ! 

Feet grabbing on the changing table.

Ready for daycare.

Ready for bed.

Cool like Auntie! 

NICU Halloween Reunion Party

Did somebody call for a Cupcake Fairy?

Each year, CPMC hosts a Halloween Reunion Party for all the babies who were patients in their NICU.  This was a very special day for us, not only because we were reunited with the amazing nurses who cared for our daughter, but also because it represented an important emotional milestone for us.  Each night during my 6-week stay in the hospital, Erik and I would walk the halls to get some exercise and a change of scenery.  We would always pass by the NICU and I would think to myself, "There's the next step. We just have to get there."  It was both exciting and terrifying.  Exciting because that was the place where they would save our daughter's life, and terrifying because we didn't know how rocky of a road it was going to be.  Outside the NICU doors they have a cork board with photos of NICU reunion parties from years past (they've been doing this for over 40 years!)  When the fear would hit, I would glance over at that board and think to myself, "That will be us someday, after this is all over."  Lucy was originally due in July, so we were pretty sure that she would be out by October.  So to us, the Halloween party marked the end of our ordeal and the beginning of our new life as a family.  Well, that day is here, and it's just as awesome as I imagined.    

Family Portrait, Halloween 2012

We had a wonderful time, including the Cupcake Fairy, who slept through most of it.  And I only teared up once. :)

Nurse Jennifer and her cute little man.  Jennifer was in the OR when Lucy was delivered and assisted with the removal of her silo. 

Nurse Anna, Lucy's primary night shift nurse.  She greeted us with, "Is that my baby?!"

The amazing, amazing Nurse Mary.  You may remember Mary from such posts as, "Visiting With the NICU Nurse" and "Good News and More Good News!"  

 

Lucy still loves her some Nurse Mary. 

 

This was in the middle of a DJ playing for a bunch of screaming, dancing kids.   

Belly Update

I haven't posted a belly pic in a while (the last two were here and here).  In the past couple weeks we've noticed more definition in her abdominal muscles, and as a result, her hernia has really started to go down. Here is what her belly looks like now.

Lucy's Special Spot

Almost like a real belly button, right?  I just can't get over how amazing it is that her body has healed up so nicely on its own without one single stitch. 

We also got her a Jumperoo to help tone her legs and complement those rock hard abs.  It's sound activated by her movements to help teach cause and effect.  This morning she took it for a test drive, and as far as she's concerned, it's the bees knees. 

Four Months Old!

Lucy turned 4 months old on Sunday!  Here's what's new.

First and foremost....

LUCY SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT NOW!!! We are finally getting full nights of sleep.  She goes to bed around 8:00-9:00 pm and wakes up at 6:00-7:00 am.  I've never been much of a morning person, but compared to the relentless weeks in the beginning, this schedule is perfectly acceptable to me.   



Sleeping babies = happy mommies

 She also laughs now.  It's the sweetest thing I've ever seen.  Best milestone so far!

She's gaining motor control and can reach out and grab things.  I have a feeling this is just the beginning... once she starts to realize that she's the master of her own destiny, watch out world.   

She has doubled her birth weight and now weighs just over 11 lbs.  She also jumped from the 5th percentile to the 25th percentile in length!  She's a long, lean, drooling machine. 

She loves cruising around town. 


Geared up for another adventure



Golden Gate Bridge

Twin Peaks

Dolores Park

Baker Beach during a week of record heat in SF (it got up to 90 degrees that day).

Lastly, I'm preparing to return to work in a week and a half.  After much searching, we selected a family daycare that is down the street from our house.  It's run out of the owner's home and has a maximum of 6 kids for 2 employees.  The owner is very nice and competent, and I got a good vibe from her right away.  The days are structured and full of activities and there are a range of ages (babies to pre-school).  Although I'm excited for Lucy to be with other kids and start making friends, it will undoubtedly be a bittersweet transition.  As much as I'm looking forward to getting back into the real world, it will be really, really hard to only see Lucy for a couple of waking hours a day.  But I just keep reminding myself that this is not a unique problem.  For most parents out there, this is life.  As George W would say, we all gotta work hard to put food on our families.

That's it for now.  Wait, you want more cute baby pics?  Okay.        

Cute

Cute

Cute

Cute

Cute

Cute



Mad beatz.



First Yo Gabba Gabba experience on the iPad.  She was very intrigued!

Silly Dad.

Lucy in Diane von Furstenberg, proving you're never too young to look fierce.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Seriously folks, this guy is amazing.  To say that Lucy and I are lucky to have him would be an understatement. 

Happy 40th Birthday, Erik!  We love you!!!

Someone Likes to Hear the Sound of Her Own Voice

Well, our Amtrak adventure was a huge success!  The train was like a magic baby sleep machine and Lucy slept through most of the ride.  When she wasn't sleeping she enjoyed playing with Mom, looking out the window, walking through the train cars, and of course, eating!  She cried for maybe 5 minutes the whole trip.  Even the passengers next to us commented on what a good baby she was.  Whew!  Ironically, after posting about how safe the train is compared to driving, there was a derailment on the same line we had just traveled on three days before.  Quite a few people were injured but fortunately nobody was killed.  Disturbing?  YES.  But so are car accidents, and I still plan on traveling by train in the future.

Lucy has become quite the talker lately.  The other day I captured her on video having a heated conversation with her crib mobile.  Did I mention this kid has an intense personality?