Last Sunday was November 11, 2012. That means you've been here for a month already...and we can't believe it!
Granted...we should believe it. I mean you've grown from this:
To This:
And this to this:
And From This:
To This:
So it should come as no surprise that in a month you've grown from this:
To this:
It seems just like yesterday you were a glimmer in our eye, and now you're a one month old beautiful little baby girl.
And now you're official...I mean, you've even got your paper work!
So, now that you're official, you've been officially rocking one-month old activities:
You're making serious progress with tummy time and mat time (with some encouragement from big brother):
And, since you're umbilical cord-free, you're taking big-girl baths...in a bucket! And you love it!
All in a day's work for a one-month old! You're a bathing, tummy-time-rocking, good-sleepin', good-eatin', happy, healthy little one-month old baby girl. And whether we want to believe it or not, you're only going to continue this trend of growing up.
Well, it may be happening too fast, but on the other hand, I can't remember a time without you being here. So, onward and upward, Jules. Next stop: 2 months old...but we have plenty of time before that happens. For now, let's just take it one day at a time, okay?
Little one, last week we got to see you for the last sonographic time before we get to see you in person!
We went to the waiting room, got checked in and got ready.
We were eager to see you, because it had been so long, and you've grown so much. You've already got a little personality, and bump around, spin and kick all over your Mom's belly every night, and we were eager to see what you were up to.
You didn't disappoint.
It turns out that you are a flexible little baby. You were sitting with your Legs up over your head (both of them!) And your arm above that. I guess it was comfortable!
We got to see your little toes and fingers (and watch your little fingers playing with said little toes).
We watched you open your mouth and take a breath.
We watched in awe as the tech and doctor checked everything out and told us that you were "one hell of a kid" in there: perfect brain, perfect heart, 10 fingers, 10 toes, no tail.
You almost weigh 3 pounds.
And we are heels over head in love with you already...
Man, you step out of the home office for a long weekend, everyone grows by leaps and bounds while you're gone. You go on business to Vancouver for a few days and...wham...everything changes!
Your mother is growing more pregnant each day. While I was gone, she had to jettison her wedding ring and engagement ring for the duration of the pregnancy. Swollen tummies means swollen fingers. So, it's better to take these off now, then have to cut them off later. Don't worry. We're still an item, though.
Little one, we're now in the 17th week! While I was gone you, you grew to be the size of an onion (all the way up from an avocado!) Your bones started hardening, you're putting some fat on to said bones and you're just getting bigger and bigger!
And your Mom thinks she may be feeling the early signs of you fluttering around in there! Or, she said it may be gas. But that's far less romantic. I would have been very sad to miss your first flutters...the other option, not so much.
But, I was back in plenty of time for our Doctor's appointments yesterday.
It's been a LONG-feeling month since we last got to see your pretty face, but yesterday we got to see you again! You look just as beautiful as ever, but we must have caught you during nap time. You weren't bouncing and bounding and tossing and turning. Just nose up into the placenta.
And after what has seemed like quite a long time, that 2% of OBGYN doubt is all gone.
You're officially, 100% a GIRL!!!
The doctor said if they pulled a boy out to put him back, because there is definitely a girl in there!
This means that the cute dresses Aidan and I picked out for you and the pink onesies Yaya and Mommy bought for you don't need to be returned!
We are so excited to meet you. But first we have a lot of work to do! Including naming you (which, to be honest, is all but done...we have a very short short-list of one name option at current).
We also have some work to do with your brother, including getting him out of what is to be your crib, and into his toddler bed which he'd previously only napped in twice in the 2 months its been in your future room.
But, the Thursday night before I left, Aidan requested to "nap" in his bed. "Nap bed nap bed"...lots of pointing and gesturing. And so he eagerly climbed in bed and we tucked him in with relatively little effort. A lot less muss and fuss and crying (read, "no crying") as with the crib over the past few months. Someone was ready to be a big boy and sleep in his big boy bed. But...he's not quite ready for the self discipline to stay in it.
Thus began the adventures of Captain Thunderfoot!
Aidan, the night before I left for work in Vancouver, you asked to sleep in your big bed. You'd been doing pretty well at napping there, but we had never attempted a full night's sleep there. So, your Mom and I tucked you in, sang to you, said goodnight and voila! You fell asleep there.
Your Mom's famous last words were "I'll be very impressed if he STAYS there."
While we are impressed thus far...we haven't been VERY impressed yet. That's a bit harsh. We're very pleased that you've taken it upon yourself to migrate to a bigger bed. But, you don't quite stay in it. That first night at around 2 am...Captain Thunderfoot sleep-stomped into our bedroom. Your Mom escorted you back to bed and you easily fell back asleep. This happened again at around 4.
While I was gone, your Mom continued to re-sleep train you for the big boy bed, and Captain Thunderfoot came stomping out of bed every night, sometimes once, sometimes 3 or 4 times. Usually ready and able to easily go back to his big boy bed, but perhaps just wanting to 'quietly' check on his parents.
This pattern has even continued upon my return. You're about a week into sleeping in your big boy bed now, and you're doing great: easy to put down, easy to tuck in. You kiss your Mom's back and give her gentle hugs, then toss your blanket down on the bed so you can...ahem...lie on it...face down...and rock yourself to sleep. You even open the curtains to say 'bye' to the five kittens that live under our neighbor's house, right outside our window.
But, Captain Thunderfoot, doesn't quite stay in bed through the night. At all. Yet. This is good in some ways: you're napping like a pro at school (they had to wake YOU up), and one morning around 9, your Mom left the room for a brief moment and came back and you'd curled up in your bed for a one-hour cat nap...guess you needed it! It is cool getting to hang out with you in the morning a bit before I go to work...you normally find me by banging on the bathroom door. Captain Thunderfoot is totally a morning person.
So, while I was gone, you also grew by more leaps and bounds. Yaya kept me posted with video messages.
While I was gone, you got very excited about drawing shapes:
And you learned to stack (and hug) block towers!
I can't believe I missed those milestones, but, no worry, since my return from this epic 4-day trip, we've made a million memories, and you've grown even more: you've got a new laugh ('tee hee hee'), you're rocking the socks off of nursery rhymes and story times by filling in the blanks at the end of lines (black bear black bear, what do you see? I see an elephant looking.....(then you say) "AH MEEEEE!") You are taking ALL your meals at the table now, like a big boy.
So, everyone's been growing: young men, young ladies, pregnant mommies and even old, grizzled, manly-man daddies. That's right: while I was gone, I grew too! Okay, maybe I gained a few extra pounds, but that's not what I was talking about. What I meant was while I was gone missed all three of you very very much...okay all five of you, Preston and Toby. I knew I'd miss you, but I didn't remember how incomplete I'd feel without you. So, after my epic visit to Vancouver, and a little quiet time for introspection (which is worth it's weight in gold) maybe I grew into a bit better Daddy (and once I ate a lot of chocolate and got over the jet lag, I was a bit better husband too)...not that I had much room for improvement.
But, despite all that changed in a mere 4 days, what they is NOT true. You most definitely CAN go home again; and it definitely felt good to be home with my growing family.
Through the wonders of modern technology, I can show you this incredible video footage of you! You're only 3 inches from top of head to tip of toe, but you're already a handful, jumping and headbutting all over the place.
We loved seeing you on the big screen: your darling little face, cute feet and active nature. It's only made us more excited to see you in a few short months!
After seeing you from the sonogram, it's clear what we're looking at when we see you bumpin' up your Mom's belly on the outside. You're growing, and your Mom's showing.
We're so excited to see our growing daughter, who is so beautiful already!
At 12 weeks and 1 day along, your mom, Aunt Rebekka and I got to see you up close and personal for the first time. You were bouncing all around your Mom's womb. We saw you scratch your feet and eat your toes, you got comfortable and bounced all around. You tossed and turned and slid all over the place.
We got to see your beautiful face: We got to see you in your entire cuteness: And even a close up on your cute little toes.Here's the full set of a very active photo session for a very active little girl. Oh, did I say little girl?
That's right! with 98% certainty, the Doctor happily told us- when we asked- that we were having a daughter!!!!!!!!!!
We are so excited to have a daughter and, little girl, Aidan is psyched to have a little sister. Alright, he's still a bit confused, but we know he will love you the moment he sees you.
You are 12 weeks old, and your vital systems are almost done developing. You are the size of a plum, and we are just plum happy!
A perfect little girl. You have already taken our breath away.
Little one, today we got to see you again! Your brother was at school, but I skipped out of work -with permission, of course- and met your Mom at the Doctor's office. Dr. Bertrand said this would be one of our best photo sessions, and he wasn't lying!
First he found you, and your mother commented on how much you've grown in two weeks. It truly is incredible how much shape you've taken. Last we saw, you were a smudge in an equally smudgy sonogram. But when we looked at you today, we saw a little gummy bear person!
First, Dr. Bertrand listened to your heart beat: a whopping 181 beats per minute! Your heart beat was far faster than last time, and sounded good and strong. That made your mother and I very happy. It's gotta be one of the best sounds in the world. Some people say that a fast heart beat indicates a female gender, but we'll just have to see if they're right!
Then we took a closer look at the beautiful you!
Can you see yourself? You're growing arms and legs...they're just little buds at this point, but soon they'll be long enough to help you crawl and reach and hug and hold. But, since they're little buds, they make you look a bit like a gummy bear. See? Still not seeing, it, huh? Well, don't worry. I wasn't quite figuring it out either. But, the Doctor drew us a diagram that illuminated you in all your gummy glory. I've crudely recreated it here.Seeing your little face turned toward us and your little arms and legs growing along was very awe inspiring. It's hard when you've been through this already to feel like an old pro...but, I must admit, seeing you taking human form and growing your human legs and arms was pretty awesome. I don't want to be too mushy or over-sweet, but I think I'm in love with a gummy bear.
The Doctor measured you from crown to rump. The result: 2.78 cm! Which somehow translates into us gaining two days on you. We estimated that you were 9 weeks and 2 days old, but, no, you're 9 weeks and 4 days. Which scoots your due date back to 10/14/2012...which is awfully close to the awesomely cool 10/11/12 birthday.
So, you're 9 (almost 10) weeks along, and you're the size of a green olive. Congrats: you're no longer technically an embryo; you're now a fetus! It's a bit creepy, but I think it's actually pretty cute...you look a bit like this: It's not a big stretch to jump to this conclusion: Continue growing, my little gummy one. You and your mother are almost out of the sickies and cravies and yuckies of the first trimester; hang in there...with your little gummy arms and legs!
We went to the Doctor today and, though we couldn't see you too well (perhaps because you're the size of a blueberry), but we did get to HEAR you!
That's right, we heard your heartbeat. 149 beats per minute, which is, as the doctor said, 'perfect.
You can even see a graphic representation of the heartbeat in the first image. The second image shows...you! From crown to rump, you were measuring at 7 weeks, 2 days! Which puts you at an estimated due date of October 16, 2012.
You'll be joining your Mommy and Aunt Rebekka as an October baby. How cool!
It was chilling to hear your heartbeat for the first time. I had forgotten how cool that sound is.
A little from the books about you at week 7:
He/She's generating about one hundred new brain cells each minute!
Not only is his/her brain becoming more complex, but his/her heart is too.
Also important: He/She's developing a permanent set of kidneys
His/Her arm and leg joints are now forming.
No wonder your Mommy is so tired (and nauseous): look at all you and her are building together!
2/7/2012: Aidan, guess what? At dinner tonight your Mommy let me talk about my entire day at work and then she surprised me by telling me something very exciting. Your Mommy might not look like it...but...
It looks like you're going to be a big brother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2/8/2012: I just can't stop smiling!
2/9/2012: Baby Weinstein, we have a doctor's appointment all set up for a week from today..hopefully we'll get to see you and hear your heartbeat! The cravings are already beginning! Your Mommy's craving meat: hamburgers, steak, beef fajitas. Meat meat meat. Also, she had a bowl of cereal at 10 pm last night. And so it begins! How exciting! You must be a very hungry baby indeed! Your big brother, Aidan, is the only other person in the world who knows about your right now (except of course the scheduler at the doctor's office and the doctor). But we've already seen your Mimi and Pops and your Nana and we haven't slipped a word yet.
The three of us are happily keeping you our little secret. Aidan has been saying "baby" whenever he he sees a baby ("bay...beee!"), but he doesn't really quite know what's going on yet. Although, to be fair, it all seems so surreal to your Mommy and Me right now... I mean, right now you're just the size of a poppy seed and only a few weeks old. You will seem more real to us as the days and weeks go on and before you know it, you'll be able to come out here and meet us and play with your brother and your dogs; and we'll be able to hold you in our arms. But, for now, you stay in there, where it's nice and warm and do as much growing as you can. Who knows, we may even buy you a steak!
2/11/2012- The weekend has brought back some of our greatest hits, including: super smelling, tiredness and nausea!
After the first time a blanket was put up as a barrier so my nasal exhalings wouldn't directly hit your Mom, I was briefly offended. Then I remembered that your Mom gets super senses when she's pregnant! And Super Smelling came up first this time! (I also remembered that I have a stinky nose)
2/14/2012- Finally! Whew, we had an appointment at the doctor to take a look at you and hear your heartbeat. Then we lost that appointment. We tried to reschedule, but no one could watch your brother, Aidan. Finally we re-re-scheduled back to the original time. Thursday! Thursday! Thursday! We'll get to lay our eyes on you for the first time! (or a black and white sonogramic image of you that will look like a bean or a tadpole or something). We can't wait!
2/16/2012- And, the wait is over! We rushed to the doctor after dropping your brother off at school, excitedly ran into the lobby and... waited for a half an hour. You know...usual doctors office stuff.
But then, they finally saw us, and we could finally see you!
You exist! You are real! (Really real).
Right now, you're a black dot. See that black dot in the middle of the screen? Kinda looks like a doughnut? I don't either. But, apparently, that's you! Dr. Bertrand confirmed that you are definitely growing in there! And that you'll probably be arriving in mid October, 2012. Your Mom thinks 10/11/12 would be a really rad day to be born. I'm not a fan of odd numbers, but at least the year is even and so is the month!
We'll be going back to the doctors in two weeks to check on you again and hopefully see and/or hear your heart beat!
And then, Dr. Bertrand said the 9 week sonogram is really the creme de la creme of sonography: the best picture you'll ever take (besides, maybe, graduation and wedding). So, we'll see you for picture day quite often!
But until then, you're safe in your Mom's tummy with me, your Mom, your Brother and your Dogs. I guess since this is our 'official' proof that your official, and we're gonna start telling our immediate support network (aka your grandparents and aunts and uncles), then I'd better officially welcome you to the family! Welcome, Baby Weinstein, the second!
The secret will soon be out, so, Aidan, if you're reading, you don't have to keep a lid on it any more-- you're going to be a big brother! And, little one, you are going to be a little sibling!!!
We're nearing the end of your sixth week of life here on Earth and, as my K-12 training has taught me, 6 weeks is the perfect period of time in which to grade someone's performance and give them a report card.
GROWTH: A+ First of all, I'm still trying to get over the fact that you've grown from this:
To this:
To this:
To this!
And now, to this!
But, the amazing growing baby continues to amaze! Just yesterday, your Mom put the blue pair of socks that we brought with us to the hospital on your tiny, teeny feet. And, guess what? At the hospital, those things slipped off your feet as easily as if they were made of ice...and yesterday they fit snuggly! You're already growing into your socks!
That's pretty crazy, considering that I still remember being psyched about seeing your feet like this: And now look at those feet!
When we took those pictures about four weeks ago your feet were about as long as my index finger. Now they're way longer!
BATH TIME: A+
Let's just say that ever since your umbilical cord fell off, Sesame Street has been correct: Bath time IS so much fun. You like it a lot more now that we can get your belly wet and keep you clean. In fact, your Mom and I are kinda getting to be like old pros at bath time. Well, mostly your mom. I'm getting really good at filming bath time and warming the towel up in the dryer and catching your slippery little self as your Mom hands you to me!
DISCOVERING: A+
Wow, this one's been really coming along this week alone. When babies are born they don't know their heads from their hands or their Beatles from their Stones (well, maybe YOU know the Beatles, with parents like us!) But, recently you've started discovering that you have arms and hands and that, yes, they are yours for you to use how you see fit!
Last week you took your Mommy's glasses off (though I maintain that was a happy accident).
Yesterday while Mommy was kissing your feet, you reached up and touched her hair.
You totally grabbed my hand on day 1, but that was just a reflex. But grabbing things consciously- while not quite there yet- is developing nicely. Check out how you manipulated this Sheep toy your Auntie Deborah got you!
Now, of course, you may just be thrashing to get the thing off of you, but I like to think you were hugging it!
Most impressive, though, is that we've caught you "self-soothing" by sucking on your forearm, your entire hand and even your thumb. This is great for everyone! If you can self soothe, then you can put yourself back to sleep if you wake up. But, also, knowing where your hands and arms are located at all times is a pretty important life skill to master, so you're making major headway this week!
CUDDLING: A+
'Nuff Said.
Sleeping (without someone underneath you): A -
This used to be a big concern...would you ever be able to sleep for more than an hour without your mother or me underneath you? That would have been really awkward when you went to college.
But, recently, you've been able to sleep longer and longer without someone underneath you. In fact, I'm happy to report, that last night you slept in the Cradle your Nanneh made you all by yourself from 10:00pm to 1:am. In fact, you were sleeping so hard that I had to wake you up to feed you! (which I know I'm not supposed to do, but if I let you go too much longer, I would have gotten no sleep at all, and then I wouldn't have had all this energy to write this blog post today!)
You are improving day by day on your sleeping. And trust us, in this family, you'll need your sleep. We're tiring.
UPDATE! Just got this message and pictures from your Mommy: "You'll be happy to know that little monster is taking his nap in his cradle! Now let's hope that the mail man doesn't come by now and make the dogs go crazy and wake him up!!"
Yes indeed, we all hold our breath around mail delivery time as Preston and Toby have declared all Mail Men (and women) their mortal enemies, and feel the need to tell them that loudly...through the door. Everytime the mail-dog bark- aidan awakes situation happens, your Mom tells the dogs that they are one step closer to being punted to the back yard.
I know, I know...I was surprised that your Mom knew what punting was too!
Smiling: A+
Two days ago when I came home from work you smiled at me. This was not gas. I repeat NOT gas. It was a real smile, and you've been doing it more and more ever since!
Pictures will be coming soon, as soon as we can readily predict your smiles!
Not too bad, son! In your first 6 weeks, you are a Straight A student! Keep this up and you'll be Valedictorian of your class (though, Toby and Preston are really going to have to fight it out to get Salutatorian status).
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And now look at those feet!
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