4 weeks

My little baby is one month old. How did this happen? I'm so confused. I knew life would turn into a whirlwind once again, but this breeze is blowing by a little faster than I remember. Sigh. We are adjusting more each day. Juniper is more patient than ever. Papa has now learned to do 1,700 things at once. Mama is feeling more healed up than ever and is looking forward to getting her core back. We still struggle, every day, but we are loving each other, every day, too!

Grandma has since gone home :( but things are feeling more "normal" around here. We has a great visit and I do think she helped tremendously in helping us help Juniper feel loved and making sure she got to do some fun activities when things have been so baby focused around here.

 my big girl

 helping Grandma make a lemon cake with meyer lemons from the front yard

 it was Juni's idea to add blueberries; genius!

 planting our leftover bulbs with Grandma

 peanut butter and love

 ...and crazy

 sigh. ahhhhhh. my little sisters.

 Juni stuck some paper down in the hold of the entertainment center and then was frustrated to find she couldn't get it out. Then, let us know she had an idea, but she needed Papa's "green coffee things" (a stopper from Starbucks, which we go to maybe once a month). Luckily we had one in the cupboard (why, I don't know). She poked it in and got her paper out just like she intended. I love watching her brain work lately. She is putting together so many new pieces. She is creating more things than ever with Play-doh, all on her own. Her emotions are stronger and louder than ever; love, frustration, excitement, exhaustion, adoration and so much more are oozing out of her all the time.

3/3/14 ONE MONTH!! size 3 month clothes, often sleeps 3 hours at a time at night, but has slept up to 5 a couple of times, has quite a bit of reflux :/, LOVES bath time and swimming around in the water, is quite comfortable when her big sister holds her and talks to her, drinks her milk like a champ (no bottles yet) doesn't like to be set down by herself for more than a minute or two, will stay snug in the Moby for a couple hours at a time

3 weeks

We've had an eventful week. Grandma arrived on Tuesday and has been an enormous help every moment since, cooking and doing dishes and playing with Juni and holding Genevieve. We sure have been enjoying her.

 2nd Dr appointment on Wednesday

Genevieve is up to 8 pounds! and 21 inches!

Grow, Genevieive, grow!!

...nevermind that I thought the appt was the 19th and not the 29th (at 11am) so when they called at 11:15 I was very confused, but they were able to fit us in at 4:30 that afternoon. Then, after leaving Alameda with plenty of time to get there, we ended up being 30 minutes late because of a bad accident backing up traffic the entire way there. Thankfully the Dr. didn't mind a bit and was so patient and thankful that we could still make it in that day.

 Grandma and Juni accidentally matched this day! So fun!

 Post bath love time.

 

 Grandma drew a sidewalk chalk path for Juni around the back yard, and of course, you must jump on the circles!

 Enjoying some fresh air outside.

 Juni checking out all her coins and moving them from one bank to another.

2-24-14 3 weeks old! Ta da! Gosh, that was fast.

Genevieve has outgrown most all of her newborn clothes, so the 3 month bin will be making an appearance soon. She is sleeping and eating really well, for a newborn. She eats and latches like a champ and sleeps in 3 hour stretches, most always, in the night. I have eaten a couple of things that her digestive system has reacted to so I will start to keep a food diary and do my best to keep us all on track. My fingers are crossed there aren't more foods she can't eat.

Juniper has been adjusting more each day. She loves her baby sister so much and most always does a great job of being gentle and taking care of her. She has been running to get a burp rag or the nose sucker when she notices it is needed. This morning she offered to hold Genevieve while I went potty. We are still learning how very gentle we really do need to be, all of the time, but we are all transitioning to a family of four together.

Two weeks

 First big bath. Her umbilical cord came off before it was quite ready to, so I haven't dunked her all the way in yet, but she enjoyed resting on my legs while I wiped her down with a washcloth.

 Two weeks!

I'm embarrassed to admit what couch potatoes we have become, but we get out at least once a day and try for twice, once before and once after nap. Juni has enjoyed some play time at the park and Genevieve comes along for the ride. She seems to be content in the Moby wrap for long periods of time and of course does better when she is in my arms than lying by herself. She is adjusting to life outside the womb well. We did try going out to eat the night before Valentine's and it ended up making Genevieve sick. So, there is no more question, she does have tummy issues too. I'm so thankful I had changed my diet in the third trimester to make her entry into this world much easier on her, and all of us. I'll keep following the MSPI, etc. diet and just eat at home. It certainly isn't convenient, but it certainly is worth every ounce of effort it takes.

Happy Valentine's Day!

One week later...

A week filled with real live love!

 Juniper meets Genevieve

 Still just as excited the next morning!

 1st Dr. appointment All looks well!

 1 week old!

These girls sure do fill my cup.

Genevieve Athena!! Hooray!

Last Sunday I posted my 40 week wrap up, not knowing my contractions would start that night and it really would be the very end of my pregnancy. I plan to sit down at some point and write and document a complete birth story, but for now, just a quick update.

Genevieve Athena was born at 2:47pm Monday February 3rd! She weighed 7 pounds 2 ounces and was 20 inches long.

We checked out of the hospital around dinner time on Tuesday and Zach went back to work today. We are taking each moment as it comes. We have gone for a couple of walks, and a trip to Target, despite day after day of rain.

Juni has been sweeter than sweet and adores Genevieve to pieces. She has decided she will call her Miss Buttercup and Zach and I couldn't love that idea more. I don't know where she got it from, but I think it is cuter than cute.

 Feb 4th (1 day old...less than 24 hours)

 Feb 5th (2 days old) Sisters

 My hormones lose control when I see these pictures. I feel like I've waited my whole life for this. Perfect. I love them. I love them. I love them.

40 weeks and counting...end of pregnancy wrap up

She's still in there and seems to be as comfy as can be. After never having to wait for Juni to come out, this whole thing has me a little confused. Since 38 weeks I have been at 2.5 cm dilated, and she has been sitting at a -1. From 38 weeks to 39 weeks I went from 35% effaced to 70% effaced. Juni is healed of her cold. The bags are alllllllll packed. Baby's newborn stuff is ready for her to wear for her debut pictures. Our landlords moved in our new-to-us fridge yesterday. (Which sadly means Juni can't get anything out of the fridge on her own anymore, because this one has a freezer on the bottom, but she will be tall enough before we know it, I am sure.)

My biggest cravings:
*bacon
*mustard
*lemonade
*chewy dessert-like things (rice crispie treats, mud pies, indoor smores)

My biggest struggles:
*vertigo the first trimester ALL DAY LONG, and especially from about 3pm into the night
*reflux for a week or two each trimester
*giving Juni my best in the first trimester when all I wanted to do was sleep (we ended up finding some great indoor/sit-down activities that we still have fun with today

My biggest (achievements?):
*no stretch marks! (knock on wood, after my 8 inch wide complete inner-tube around my waste last time
*staying active (still climbing, crawling, running...with Juni :), and feeling strong) We go for a walk each and every day and honestly, I don't feel 40 weeks pregnant. By the end of the day my knees and hips ache a little and I am ready to sit down more frequently than normal, but after going into labor so early the first time, I had imagined "the end" to be so much worse.
*working until 39 weeks