Eliza is starting to wear some outfits that are sized 0-3 months. Finally starting to outgrow the newborn sized things! She’s also starting to smile just a little bit. It’s the best thing I’ve ever seen. Her eyes simply light up when she’s happy. What makes her happy? Playing with her dad, listening to mom whistle, her Baby Einstein crib toy, staring at the ceiling fan in her room.
A nice visit from Nana, Pop, Aunt Jenna, and cousin Parker today. Eliza slept most of the time and when she wasn’t asleep, she was eating. But Nana got to help give her a bath, and that was quite fun. Nana is like a sedative for the babies. She touches them, and they’re out. Too bad she can’t be here at midnight.
In other news, my first week of school went pretty well. I still have a hard time focusing, though. When I’m away from her, I think about her. I miss her. I wonder how things are going. It’ll get easier, won’t it?
…so that I could order a few of these.
To celebrate the birth of a baby in a way that makes it feel like the kid’s right there in your arms, a rice shop in the southwestern Japanese city of Kita-Kyushu will send out a customized dakigokochi, a roughly baby-shaped bag of high-grade rice to everyone on your birth announcement list. The bag will be printed with the kid’s picture, stats, and a greeting–and it will weigh the same as the kid did at birth.
One of the million reasons that I love Japanese culture. Wish I had a rice bag o’ Eliza!
It’s off to work mom goes. (Yes, new parents tend to talk about themselves in the third person.)
Do I have to go?? Yes. Do I want to? No. Eliza will be exactly one month old the same day I go back to work. It doesn’t seem fair. Why are maternity leave policies in this country so horrible (or non-existent)? I could have had the semester off, sure, UNPAID. That didn’t make sense with diapers, wipes, and formula to buy. Oh well. I guess going back to work will make me treasure spending time with her even more than I do already.
I’m four weeks old today!
How is that possible???? Time is really flying. Pretty soon she’ll be in Kindergarten. Then dating. And driving. And going to college. AAARRGGH!
She’s doing great. Finally made peace with her swing. She didn’t like it at first, but now she seems okay with it, although she’d much rather be in someone’s lap or lying on her dad’s chest.
It was the first day Eliza and I spent the day all alone, just the two of us. Jason had to work, and we didn’t have any visitors. It went very well, and I really enjoyed having her all to myself! She was wonderful. Slept, ate, pooped and peed like clockwork, no surprises. And spent lots of time just hanging out peacefully in her Bjorn chair or her Moses basket. It was a good Eliza day.
Eliza now weighs 7 pounds, 7 ounces! She has gained more than a pound since birth. We’re thrilled with this, even though she is only in the 25th percentile for length (still 21 inches) and 50th percentile for weight. She is also in the 25th percentile for head size. She’s still tiny but the doctor says she is doing well. Her little belly button is slightly herniated, which is apparently no big deal and should go away by the time she is 2 years old. All in all, a good report from the pediatrician today, and we’re relieved!
Today Eliza is wearing her first outfit that doesn’t have feet. That’s because she can finally wear socks without them falling off! She was so tiny when we brought her home (at one point, she weighed 5 pounds 7 ounces). It’s great to see her growing and her cheeks getting so chubby. And her feet getting big enough for socks. 🙂
Three weeks ago today, I was in the hospital recovering. Seems hard to believe. In some ways, it feels like she has always been here. In other ways, it still feels really new.
Milestones so far: she has outgrown her first outfit! She had not one but TWO dirty diapers today already. She is now drinking 3 ounces at a time instead of two. So many exciting milestones to come. I can’t wait until she smiles.
