On Sunday, Emmaline was 6 weeks old! She is doing all the things she is supposed to do. It is beautiful to watch and be apart of!
I just re-read our last blog post and am blown away that it's already 3 weeks old. So needless to say, we have lots to share about all of our doings in the past few weeks.
As you can probably tell from these pics, Emmaline is continuing to eat well :]. At her one month appointment, she weighed 10 pounds & 1 ounce. Doug figured out that she had to be gaining almost 2 ounces a day from the time that she was born. :-) When our pediatrician saw Emmaline's chubby cheeks, she squealed and said "Momma doesn't make milk, she makes cream." For a few seconds, I was blushing with pride and joy. Then, I was overcome with worry...is she eating too much? should she eat less? be on a "diet"? Our pediatrician just laughed and said not to worry and said we could try to put Emmaline on a diet but that she was sure it would not last very long. So, I am back to being a proud, blushing Momma. We are thrilled with how well Emmaline is eating and growing!
At first bath time was not so joyous. Emmaline was not sure of the water and definitely did not want to do it before being fed. Martin loved bath time, especially sitting in the warm water. We got into a routine of doing a bath most evenings before his last feeding. Emmaline is different. :-)
Emmaline would much rather take a bath after she has been fed. And we recently found out, that she might prefer showers. Two weeks ago, at the lake, we didn't have much time and Doug needed to shower, so we decided to toss her in with him. She was relaxed and seemed to almost enjoy the warm water massaging her skin. Plus, if she decides to spit up or go to the bathroom during shower time, it just washes right off, down the drain. Since this discovery, we have been doing lots of showers.
She has been smiling in her sleep for awhile, which is absolutely precious. We look forward to seeing her great big grin while interacting with us. We absolutely loved Martin's smile and laugh as we played together. It makes me feel warm all over just thinking about it. About a week ago, just after a shower, Emmaline looked up at Doug and I and smiled. A true smile. Not gas or sleep induced. It is not very consistent, but she is starting to smile socially. We hope to capture it on film soon.
Two weekends ago, we spent the weekend at the Lake. Noah and Samuel were also having a spend the night while Emily and Daniel were celebrating their 5 year wedding anniversary together in New Orleans. Samuel is head over heals for Emmaline. He loves his cousin and is eager to show it! Noah loves Emmaline in his own way but she is not old enough to endure one of his bear hugs yet. :-) We got several videos of Noah walking with a toy walker over the weekend. He loves moving independently!
That Sunday, Erin and Terry made the trek from Decatur to meet Emmaline at the Lake. The day was beautiful and we spent a great deal of it outside. I can't wait for Emmaline to be old enough to play in the new backyard play area granddaddy's been building for the kids. The grass is plush and the tree house is on it's way up. Good work everybody!
We spent the beginning part of the week at the Lake. Doug working during the day. Emmaline and I doing a couple of projects. (More to be shared later) Then in the evenings, we all went for walks around the circle and worked in the workshop on a changing table we're building. I really want a corner changing table in the baby room and found several online this summer but they didn't meet our standards. Doug has been able to take my design requests and translate them into reality using a virtual design tool. Now, we are creating it in wood, with some very helpful consulting. Thank you, Granddaddy! We plan to trim it out, stain it, and then shellac it to make it water resistant.
On Wednesday, Emmaline and I volunteered at Kindermarket. She did amazing at Y for the four hours I arranged household items. We came back the next day and did a bit of shopping. Mostly nursing tops and shoes. On Saturday morning, I came back to pick out a few things to take to the CICU at Egleston. (They are always in need of children's clothes, especially 0-3 months to 2T. I try to pick out things that have buttons or snaps up the front of the outfit.)
After shopping at Kindermarket, Andi, Robbie, Dellaina and Wyatt came over for lunch. It was great to see and catch up with them. While Doug, Dellaina, and Wyatt made beautiful music on the guitar and piano, Andi and Robbie helped me organize the 0-3 months clothes. Emmaline is eating and growing so well that most of the newborn clothes are getting snug. On Monday, I packed up most of the newborn outfits and filled the dresser with 0-3 months. Our little girl is growing! (smiles and tears, happy tears)
