Clara's First Week

Our first week with Clara was full of feeding, changing, sleeping, some crying (but really not that much), holding, snuggling, and getting to know our little girl. Clara is a wonderful baby! Some how I have been blessed with two happy, content little babies (knock on wood).

Some things about Clara during the first week: She already has super long curly eye lashes - lucky! She is already able to focus on my face for short periods of time when I'm holding her extra close. Speaking of holding her - she absolutely LOVES to be held. From day one she has been a cuddler. The only way I could get her to sleep this first week was cuddled up to me, which has completely blown my strict belief of no co-sleeping. If she is fussy all I need to do is pick her up and cuddle her and she is good to go. Makes it a little difficult for me to get anything done, as she wants to be held almost 24/7, and poor Tyler gets a little jealous sometimes, but comes with the territory I guess. Clara also loves to roll and stretch. She can already roll from side to side when you lay her on the floor! She's a mover.

This week Clara had her first well baby check up and a follow up weigh in. The check up went well as did the weigh in - or at least the results of the weigh in. The actual appointment itself is another story. I waited over an hour for a 2 minute weigh in and once we were finally called in the "nurse," if you can call him that, knew absolutely nothing. I had to tell him that Clara needed to be undressed for the weigh in, that a chucks pad had to be laid down on the scale before I put her little body on it, AND (this is the kicker) I had to show him how to read the scale. WHAT? The scale didn't show ounces, just pounds, so he tried to read it as if the second number was ounces when it was really just so many 10ths of a pound -which would result in a completely different weight. I was fuming. It took nearly all my restraint to keep my voice calm. What if I hadn't known how to read his scale? My actual doctor would have called me in a frenzy thinking Clara had lost a significant amount of weight and, might I add, scared the pants off me. I wondered how many other mistakes he had made. Anyway, luckily I'm not an idiot (unlike my "nurse") and the real weight was actually a gain in weight - not a loss - so all was well.

Anyhoo, this week we also celebrated my birthday, Mark's birthday, and Father's Day. Party! And Tyler got to know his sister a little better. Its a love/hate relationship - but mostly love. The first few days were a little rough and I got a few hits for good measure just to make sure I knew he was feeling a little left out. But since then he has adapted quite well. He always wants to hold her, kiss her, hug her, and cuddle her. Cuddling usually consists of laying on top of her or putting his massive noggin on her tiny one, but each day he gets better and better at being soft. The cutest is at night when he is being put to bed he reminds us that he has to kiss "baby." I'm excited to watch their relationship grow! And finally - pictures!

Mommy and Clara on Father's Day

LOVE!

Daddy and Clara

Cute Baby

Brotherly love

Pretty eyes!