Contemplation of life

As my mommy shops for shoes, I can't help but lie here and contemplate life as I know it. Those two people I live with are sure nice to me and they sure act like they love me a lot. I'm not too active right now, but I can't wait until I'm big enough to play catch, and fish, and camp, and hike, and ride bikes with my mommy and daddy, but until then I'm going to enjoy the snuggle time I get with both of them! My daddy tells me that's he so happy that I'm here and that I'm ok after my rough start to life. It was hard on my daddy to see what me and my mommy went through for me to be here and he is extremely grateful that we are both ok and healthy and strong. Well, that's enough thinking (and stinking) for now. Time to get back to what I do best, SLEEP!

My first snow!

Not that I really noticed, but yesterday was the first snowfall of the season. We didn't get to make snowmen or anything. Didn't even go outside. What a rip-off. Yesterday was also the first day that Dad had to go back to work. He's been working from home some over the last 3 weeks but the time came for him to get back to the real world while Mom and I stay hunkered down at home. Today she and I went to the grocery store, which seemed like a big deal since it was the first time we ventured out into the world without backup support from Dad. I was a perfect angel (it helped that she fed and changed me right before we left) and didn't fuss at all until we were 1 block from home. Mom is encouraged by the success of our mission and might even try it again tomorrow with the carwash as our destination. Nana and Papa are coming for a visit soon and our car is FILTHY inside and out!

A few pictures just because

* Grandma Debby came for a visit and held me in her arms the WHOLE TIME.









* Aunt Heather and cousin Rhiannon thought it was pretty neat when I demonstrated my famous "butt explosion" for them.






* Dad is already reading to me!



* Joie is dealing with her postpartum depression by surrounding herself (literally) with toys.


* I'm so darn cute - don't you agree?

I wasn't born yesterday...

...but I was supposed to be! My "due date" was Thanksgiving but I figured it would be lots more fun for everyone if I could spend Thanksgiving with my Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Elison and Grandma Debby. And then today I got to meet Grandma Deb, Aunt Heather and my fun cousin Rhiannon. What a holiday!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my family and friends - and a special "Happy Thanksliving" to the river crew in Apple Valley. We miss you!

Publicity at the Crop Physiology Lab

Photosynthesis - It's all I think about! Well, besides eating, sleeping, pooping, and various other gang-related activities....

Rub-a-dub-dub

This is an OLD video (taken last week) of me getting a bath but I think it's funny when dad says that the warm water feels good on my ____ so I wanted to share it with you.

Another hike and other fun stuff

Everyone thinks I just sleep and eat all the time but I've been busy! I went for my second hike a couple of days ago. Dad found us a new place to go where we can climb up a ridge and see the Wellsvilles (the mountains on the west side of Cache Valley) to the west and Paradise (a town in southern Cache Valley that's as pretty as it sounds) to the east. Joie and Brody got really excited when they flushed a Hungarian partridge. The rest of us just enjoyed the chance to get some fresh air and enjoy the mild temperatures before the wintry weather hits.
Mom and dad are relaxing a little about me having visitors. I've had the pleasure of meeting my Aunt Brooke & Uncle Ken, Grandma Debby, Grampa Dale & Gramma Cheryl, Tom & Paula, Sarah, Hart & Buffy, Sean & Emily, and Leanna. The mailman continues to bring me boxes with fun stuff from well-wishing family and friends, and friends & neighbors have been keeping us fully stocked with baked goods and the occasional dinner. Today I went for my first ride in the stroller. We walked to the Hyrum Library to pay the fines mom racked up because her books came due when we were still at the hospital, and then we stopped at the Bear Creek Bakery for lunch and to order our Thanksgiving rolls. Some day I'll have teeth and stuff like that will be more interesting. Overall I think we're all doing great. Mom and Dad are kinda tired, but that's to be expected, right?

I went for a hike! And then the next day...

I went for my first hike with mom and dad and the dogs on Thursday November 15th. We explored the foothills at the mouth of Blacksmith Fork Canyon, not far from our house. The dogs were VERY excited to finally be getting some fresh air and real exercise. Daddy carried me the whole time in my Baby Belle. I would tell you more about it but I was asleep for most of it. Today (the 16th) we went into town to meet with a lactation consultant (she said I was doing really well and would be getting the hang of the breastfeeding thing soon - but I already knew that), and then for my 2-week checkup with Dr. Firth. I gained almost a half pound since last week! I was really proud of myself for a minute but the next thing I knew I was being poked with a needle to numb my little wee wee and SNAP - I got circumcised. Dang, that hurt! And then they had the nerve to prick my heel and take my blood for yet another battery of "routine" tests. Good thing my rough delivery prepared me for this kind of adversity. Dr. Firth told mom I'm "tough as nails". Aaw, yeah.

Homecoming

Boy, oh boy it's good to be home. I think I like it here! It's plenty warm and I get lots of attention and cuddle time with my parents. Every once in awhile I even get kisses from those furry four-legged things (but only if mom or dad tells them it's ok). I don't mind it much - it's kinda refreshing! I've had a couple of baths so far. They're not so bad. I'll appreciate them more when I can play with bath toys. In general I would say I'm a pretty mellow kid.
I fuss a little when I'm getting my diaper changed or getting clothes put on me but I settle right down. I haven't quite figured out the breastfeeding thing yet but gimme a break - I'm still really little! I'll get the hang of it soon. Meanwhile I've enjoyed scarfing mom's breastmilk from a bottle (Dr. John's brand is the best of the 4 kinds we've tried), and mom has enjoyed being able to go to bed early and let dad give me my late-night bottle.
I like sitting in my vibrating papasan and I've even tried out my swing a couple of times. I also really like my Baby Belle carrier (thanks, Nana and Papa!). I can snuggle up with mom or dad while they can go about their business, hands-free. What a deal! I sometimes sleep in the cradle that Papa made for me but mom and dad aren't so good at leaving me be - most of the time they have me with them wherever they are.

My Birthday!

I surprised everyone by arriving three weeks before my due date. I knew that if I grew any bigger I'd never fit through my mom's pelvis, so I made her water break at 8 am on the morning of November 1st. Unfortunately my plan kinda backfired because mom's labor didn't start on its own. She had to be induced at the hospital, which made our labor a bit more colorful than it otherwise might have been. I was born early the following morning with the urgent assistance of my dad, Dr. Craig, a herd of nurses, and a vacuum extractor. I had a little trouble breathing, probably due to my cord getting pinched during delivery, so I didn't get to hang out with mom and dad for very long before I was whisked away to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Dad came with me and I could tell he was really concerned.
I spent my first 5 and 1/2 days of life in the NICU, but I had lots of good nursing care and my mom and/or dad came to cuddle and feed me every three hours (except for a few times when they decided they needed to sleep a little). I guess I'm pretty lucky because there's a brand new NICU at Logan Regional Hospital. If I had been born a week earlier I would've been in the old NICU and I wouldn't have gotten my very own room.
I spent the last couple of days getting a tan under some blue lights. I thought I looked really cool with my fancy blindfold. Everyone was really pushing me to eat a lot, so I did my best and on November 7th we were finally able to head home. Mom and Dad were SO ready to get out of there! I didn't see what the big rush was - until we got home and I realized that I like it here at home a LOT better.