Month: November 2004

Rubber Ducky

Sarah Firsts

Dear Carolyn,

Today you had your first real bath.

You weren’t all that certain at first, but you quickly made friends with the faucet and the water, and seemed to have a good time. (We won’t mention that the instant you hit the water, you, um, added to it.) You really like your hooded towel, and we put you in your Winnie the Pooh robe for a little while after.

I can’t wait until you have a little better head control and take a little more interest in toys, because I bet you’re going to love bath time!

Love, Mommy

Shopping!

Sarah Firsts

Dear Carolyn,

Today we went shopping! (Actually, your very first shopping trip was this past Thursday, when we went to Target – you looked around with your eyes wide in amazement the whole time.) We went to Tom Wahl’s for lunch. Someday, Great-Grandpa will have to introduce you to their “good milk”. I fed you in public for the first time, although technically it was in the mothers’ room at Babies ‘R’ Us, so it wasn’t really all that public. Oh, and we got your stroller out for the first time, too. It’s actually pretty easy to use.

You did really well, but I am exhausted. Sometimes I wish I could crawl into your carrier with you and take a nap while someone else carted me around!

Love, Mommy

Confession

Sarah Crafts

Forgive me knitters, for I have strayed. It has been three weeks since I last knit…

Tonight, I finally picked up the needles again. My mom came over to play with the baby and watch a movie, and I found my hands empty and myself still awake, and a movie – a real, live movie! – was on the TV. I picked up the ladybug sweater, which thankfully was at a somewhat mindless point, and mindlessly knit for an hour. It took a few minutes to get back into the rhythm of things again, but I guess knitting is like riding a bike.

Oh, did I mention that I naively took my knitting with me to the hospital? For some reason, I thought I’d have the time or energy to knit while I was in labor (hah!) or even maybe after Carolyn was born, but before we left the hospital. Silly me! Anyway, it’s a very good thing that the items I’m working on for her are for next fall or even after, because I don’t foresee having much knitting time in the very near future.

All By Ourselves

Sarah Firsts

Dear Carolyn,

Today was the first day we spent all by ourselves. Daddy was at work, Nana and Poppy and Great-Gramie all left yesterday. It was a hard day. I haven’t quite figured out how to be somewhat rested, fed and dressed all at the same time yet. You, on the other hand, are perfectly clean, full, and have slept for most of the day – just not for long enough periods for me to do much of anything.

OK, I take that back, it’s really just that I can’t stand to put you down long enough to do much. It’s not that you can’t sleep in your cradle or pack & play, it’s just that you’re so snuggly, and you won’t be not quite three weeks old ever again. I’ll figure it out eventually, I’m sure.

Love, Mommy

Happy 0th Birthday!

Sarah Carolyn

Dear Carolyn,

We had a birthday party for you today! All of your grandparents and three of your four great-grandparents were in town, so we celebrated with a big dinner. You wore the pink dress Grandma knitted for you, and got passed around all evening. For desert, we had an ice-cream cake. (Next year, I promise you can have some ice-cream cake. You’re just going to love the chocolate crunchies!) I blew out your candle for you, and made a wish. You made your own wishes known at that point, though – no frozen milk for you, you wanted your dinner right at that very moment!

Love, Mommy

Strangely Normal

Sarah Firsts

Dear Carolyn,

Today was your first time at church. It was kind of strange for us, because it was so…normal, but so different, too. We sat in the cry room, although you slept soundly through the entire mass. Of course, sitting in the cry room meant that even though we were a teeny bit late it didn’t matter so much. It’s much harder to leave the house at a predictable time with you. Especially when mommy insists on putting you in a pretty dress with frilly socks. (Don’t ask what I wore – everyone wanted to see you, not me!)

After church we went out to brunch. You slept right through that, too. Although, you did that very cute thing where you smile and chuckle in your sleep. What do you dream about that makes you laugh? I wish I knew. Promise you’ll let me in on the joke someday?

Love, Mommy

Coming Up For Air

Sarah General

Thanks everyone for all the wonderful comments and compliments! I’m really far behind answering email and phone calls, and I think I will be for a long time. It’s weird – there’s all this down time while the baby is sleeping, but picking up the computer involves putting the adorable sleeping baby down, and, well, it’s obvious which activity I’ve chosen lately.

Here are more pictures from her first week. (Please ignore the fact that I look like the walking dead in the hospital. It took every ounce of willpower not to delete those pictures!)

We went to her two-week checkup today, and she’s already 7 lbs. 11 oz. – obviously mama’s milk is working. She’s also grown a whole inch, and is no longer lost in her newborn sized clothes. At this rate she’ll need a whole new wardrobe before Christmas! I could tell just by looking at her that she was already bigger, and I already miss the teeny tiny baby we brought home just last week…which is silly, I know, because she’s going to get bigger every day, and that’s a good thing.

Oh, and she smiles and giggles already – mostly in her sleep, but it’s the cutest thing ever. Now can you see why I hate to put her down, even when she’s sleeping?

2 week well-baby visit

Sarah Growing Up

Vital stats:
13 days old
7 lbs. 11 oz.
20.5″ tall

Your doctor, Dr. Bloom, thinks you’re awfully cute. Of course, we totally agree! I hate to embarrass you like this, but we had to change your diaper three times before we left the doctor’s office. Apparently, you’re very comfortable there. We also got a bunch of scary pamphlets about the vaccinations they’ll be giving you at your next appointment in six weeks. I know they’re important, but if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not watch, ok?

Oh, and today was your first lunch out – we stopped at Wendy’s before your appointment, but you slept right through the whole thing. Too bad, I would have shared my fries with you…