Hi everyone, just a little note to mark the momentous occasion of BOTH CHILDREN NAPPING AT THE SAME TIME. I also wanted to let all friends and family know for the record that we are tremendously grateful for all of the generous meals, gifts, favors, etc. that you all have done/given over the past few months. My first order of business during the peaceful nap (aside from going to the bathroom for the first time since this morning) was to bang out a few thank you notes. If I can do a few each day, I may actually finish them before Audrey turns 1. I am still kind of slow with the writing (not sure why, but I still feel the soreness in my elbow when I write, and my penmanship is dreadfully uncontrolled). There are many notes to write because we are blessed to know so many incredibly loving and generous people.
Now I am sure I should go nap myself, since the kids are napping, but because the adult part of my brain is starving, I shall knit and talk on the phone or something.
BTW, turning 33 wasn't so bad. It feels a lot like 32, but with cake and a balloon and some gift certificates!
This is a new CAPS widget. Just testing it out. Might add it somewhere on the blog... still thinking about it.
So Audrey turned one month old this past weekend! And the really big news is...SHE SMILED FOR THE FIRST TIME! At who? Katelyn, of course! This morning the girls were in my bed hanging out (A was in the Boppy) and Kate was talking up a storm, right up in Audrey's face as usual. Audrey just gave her the sweetest little look and smiled at her! It was definitely in response to the attention from her big sister. Audrey always lights up when she hears Kate's voice.
So Audrey, the super-calm baby, has been fussy the last few days. It progressed from just a little gas (that responded to medicine) to full on stomach pain. She's been vomiting (so hard it comes out the nose sometimes) and screaming in pain during and after eating. So today we took a little trip to the doctor to see what is up. Basically he confirmed what I had begun to suspect: she has reflux. In spite of this she is still gaining weight - 9 lb 14 oz today, buck naked! He prescribed a teeny bit of rice cereal added to a bottle of breast milk twice a day. We go back for her 1 month check up in about a week so hopefully we will see some improvement in her comfort level. If not we may try a lactose-free formula or give her a baby-dose of antacid. We'll keep you posted. Still no signs of true colic - thank heavens!
Audrey is now 3 weeks old! We are doing pretty well, and she is growing like a weed already. And remember, here our weeds grow extra fast - you've seen our backyard. By my scientific calculations (by that I mean weighing myself and then weighing myself holding her on my Wal-mart special scale) she weighs 10 pounds already! So I guess that means that the nursing is going okay. A few days early in the week she wanted to eat every hour and a half (hence my inability to complete thank you notes and simple housekeeping tasks). She has struggled with some gas and tummyaches the last couple of days but thanks to the natural remedy gripe water, that is a little better. I did not use gripe water with Kate, but I wish I had tried it - it seems to really help Audrey. After about 15 minutes she calms down a lot and is able to relax enough to actually burp and pass some of the gas. (Note: I am sure that some of my readers are uncomfortable with this subject matter, just like the potty training stuff, but with a newborn, gas can mean that no one gets any sleep at all. Therefore it is a very important topic around our house!) 
In other non-baby news, the TV died on Saturday so we now have a new TV. Goodbye, old friend, we only knew you 8 years. The old console TV lasted some 20 years or something ridiculous. They don't make them like they used to. Anyways, it was actually me that insisted that Paul get out on Mother's Day and get one right away. It is my only connection with the adult world sometimes, how sad! Seriously, we don't go out to movies, we don't even rent movies, we watch DVR and DVD's. It is worth buying. And I really need the Little Einsteins right now, for those times when I am nursing and Katelyn feels the urge to climb all over me.
Well, back to the kid subject, because it is all I do: Katelyn is a great big sister. Really. She is so loving, and very excited to have Audrey here. She doesn't seem jealous at all, but does get clingy sometimes. I just have to make sure that she gets lots of exercise (read: Daddy time) and eye contact playtime, such as tickling or books or just being silly. If she has that, she sleeps well, and is content to play on her own for an hour or so at a time, which really helps me take care of Audrey. Today Kate played alone and Audrey napped, so I actually got to clean the kitchen and do a few loads of laundry. Paul's clean clothes situation was so dire that yesterday he actually BOUGHT new clothes. Anyways, I think that after a few weeks, when we are really truly on a schedule I can sort of predict and Audrey is responding to her world a little more, that the two of them will have TONS of fun together. I have heard it said that the firstborn lives in an adult world and any other kids live in a child's world. That seems especially true when I see Katelyn right up in Audrey's face telling her all about the world. I hope they grow up to be best friends. It fills me with tremendous joy to think of the fun times to come. 
So today Paul's family went home, and he was back at work, and the Hooper girls were left to figure it out on their own. It did help break up the day that Paul came home for lunch and to take us to Audrey's doctor appointment. But overall, we did very well today. Katelyn is struggling with sharing Mommy (of course) - this took form in a lot of fussing and demanding to use anything Audrey happened to be using at any time. For example, the Boppy. What on earth would Kate want with a Boppy, other than just to get it away from Audrey? Every feeding, she began whining about needing a turn with "that special pillow." And at bedtime, she cried a lot and Paul and I had to go in there a bunch of times, which hasn't happened in ages. I am sure this is normal and will pass in time. This week we are going to do a lot of extra special art projects, read fun books, etc. - anything where she can be close to Mommy and feel important.
Audrey is just doing her baby thing, eating incessantly, sleeping lots, and occasionally giving us a glimpse of her eyes. She's really agreeable this far, and we had another great night last night, with stretches of sleep from 12-4 am and 4:30-7 am. I am having to set my alarm to wake her for night feedings. Glory hallelujah! Of course I have to literally feed her 9 times during the day for this to be possible, but it is worth it. These are actually longer stretches of sleep than I had during pregnancy, what with all of the bathroom trips and pain from the elbow and all. I really like that I can actually take some painkillers now if I feel uncomfortable! Also, at Audrey's doctor visit today, we discovered that she is back up to 8 lb. 4 oz., up from 7 lb. 12 oz. a week ago. She's almost back to birth weight. The jaundice is almost completely gone as well. She was very brave for her heel stick.
Now about me...this is a TOTALLY different recovery experience than I was expecting. I guess I just thought that what it was like last time was what every Caesarean recovery was like. Not at all. I am moving around great and can actually feel my abs now - just a few days ago I could not. The big difference surgery wise from is that the muscles were not severed this time, just pulled apart. I can go up and down stairs. I can bend down. I am only taking a little Advil at night. I'm tired, sure, but it could be SO much worse (and it is fresh in my mind how awful I felt just a few weeks ago). Thanks to everyone for praying!
One last thing...a picture of my new little cutie: 
A new 27-second (well, almost) stock pitch video for Whole Food Market (WFMI). Again, don't forget to vote "Love It!"
I can't believe it has been a week already since Audrey was born. Not that it has gone by quickly; actually, it feels like a year. So much has happened, from the hospital stay to simply learning how to handle a newborn again. Katelyn is doing really well with the transition and is so happy to have us home. My parents left on Thursday and Paul's family came in the same day. So a lot has been going on.
Audrey is a very sweet baby and is pretty alert for her young age. She rarely cries or fusses; so far our only fussy times have been from an upset tummy. She's very snuggly and likes to listen to our voices. Katelyn's buzzing about doesn't seem to overstimulate her, probably because Audrey's pretty used to hearing her voice too! So far she has been a great sleeper and eater. I sure hope that continues! I am recovering pretty well considering that I essentially had surgery 8 days ago. The C-section pain is tolerable, but I am also still having to be very careful with the elbow. It is hard to get myself in and out of bed without putting a lot of weight on it. And of course my abs don't work well and won't for a while. Yeesh. All of the live-in help has been great but next Tuesday it is gone, because our visitors go home and Paul will be back at work. Actually, he had to go back yesterday. It totally stinks, but what are you going to do. I am so thankful for the meals we have coming in the next few weeks - people are so generous! And our friends are planning to come over to hang out and play with Kate and stuff. We will be fine. I just wish we had a little more time as a family to get used to the change, and I know it is hard on Paul.
I've taken more pictures, but I'm not sure where the camera is at the moment, so they will come later. You can look at the rest of the birth day pix online at our flickr site.
Born: April 27, 2007 at 11:39am
Weight: 8 lbs. 5.9 oz.
Height: 20.5 inches
She's done very well her first afternoon. She arrived very healthy, and was able to nurse and get milk at 1:30pm! Daddy can vouch for the plumbing -- everything works as it should. After writing this, getting a couple pictures up, and eating something, daddy will be heading back to the hospital to help.
She's already a joy to be around. She doesn't cry very much, but she definitely can when she wants to. She likes hearing daddy's voice and holding his hand -- both comfort her and she will stop crying. Lately, she's been opening her eyes and looking around, checking out this big world around her.
Grammy and Grandpa brought Katelyn with them around 2pm, and that went very well. Katelyn seems to really like being a big sister. She got home, gathered all the stuffed animals into the "clubhouse" and told them all about it.
Mommy is doing very well -- this was much easier than 12 hours labor, 2 bags of epidural, and THEN a C-section. She's still not really up for visitors, but tomorrow probably so.
OK, now for what you really want: the pictures...
 
And a video... eventually...
So tomorrow is the big day! My parents are here, they are having fun with Kate and I am getting a lot of last minute stuff done. Paul has to work, of course. But we are going out for Tex-Mex tonight (duh) to celebrate. We have decided to have a birthday party for Audrey on Monday, when she comes home. Katelyn is really into birthday parties right now, because so many of her friends have had them lately. So she has really latched onto the idea of having a party for Audrey, with cake and balloons and party hats and goody bags! We (I) made some little "Happy Birthday Audrey" signs and she picked out a present for the baby. She got a little stuffed doggie that makes a rattle sound, and we named it Cocoa. She doesn't know that Audrey (I) picked out a present for her, too: a miniature version of Greenbear, so basically Greenbear is having a baby too. I hope this works out to be as great an idea in real life as it does in my mind.
Overall, I feel great. Yes, I'm enormous, tired, and sore in various places, but compared to where I was a month ago, I feel teriffic. I can't believe that in less than 24 hours I will finally get to see her. I can't wait!!!!!!!! So here is a final picture of me at the end of it all: 
And here's a pic of Audrey's room, ready for a tiny and adorable occupant. There's the little doggie Kate got for her, on the new dresser (a gift from Paul's family). Do you like the diaper cake that Jen made? 
We'll post the big news as soon as Paul has the time. Thanks for getting us through the last few months, it's been quite a ride! I am sure that the next few will be too!
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