Three Weeks Old

22 days ago our lives looked a LOT different!!

My typical day pre-Taylor started at 5am. I would get up, workout, go to work, come home, eat dinner, hang out with Ryan, and was in bed by 9:30ish.

My days have completely changed now. Taylor is my alarm. When she is hungry we get up - this is anywhere between 6:30 and 8:00. I change her diaper, feed her, and then the rest of the day revolves around her eating/awake schedule. If she goes back to sleep after eating, I try to sneak in a shower or eat breakfast. I do a load of laundry a day. It is a productive day if we get our tummy time in, take a walk, and do our baby/mommy exercises together. Some days we even get to have fun with bath time! I go to bed after her late night feeding around 11:00-11:30pm, then get up with her every 2-3 hours during the night. And then we do it all over again the next day. And I love it. It is really tiring and I feel like I may never catch up on my sleep ever again, but it is so rewarding and fun. My world revolves around this little snuggly girl and I wouldn't have it any other way!

I stepped on the scale with her here at home, and she is around 9 1/2 pounds now! She is awake for longer periods of time and has many more facial expressions when Ryan or I interact with her. My favorite is her "popeye" face when she stretches really big after a nap or when waking up in the morning.

Pictures!!

All cozy before heading outside on our walk

Getting ready to go for a walk in the Baby Bjorn

Totally cashed out after our walk

First walk in the stroller

Tummy Time!

Mom and Taylor in their Life is Good shirts

Bath time - in a bath tub now, which is so much more fun!!

Washing hair

Clean little monkey :-)


Wearing the onesie that I bought to surprise Ryan and tell him we were pregnant - and now here Taylor is wearing it 10 months later!!

Two weeks old

In about 5 hours, Taylor Leigh will be two weeks old!

We love this little girl, and she continues to be really, really good!! The only time Taylor cries is if she gets too hungry, or sometimes during a diaper change and/or sponge bath (she doesn't like being cold :-)). We know that this may change as she gets older, but for now we are very thankful that she makes this parenting thing pretty easy so far!! I get about 3 hour stretches of sleep at night, and with a nap or two (or three) during the day, I find that I am not as exhausted as I anticipated. Even during her few fussy moments, I can't help but look at her little face and just melt. :-)

Taylor is eating and growing like a champ! When she was born, she was 7lbs 2oz. When we left the hospital, she was down to around 6lbs 8oz, but by five days old she was back up to her birth weight. Today, at her two week appointment, she was 8lbs 9.5oz!!! The doctor was really happy with how she is doing overall, and was pleased with her awesome weight gain in a week! Go, Taylor! This morning she also lost her little umbilical cord stump, so I am excited to be able to do regular baths in a few days when her belly button is completely healed.

Ryan assembled the stroller tonight, and I am looking forward to going for a walk OUTSIDE with Taylor tomorrow!! Yay!! :-)

Pictures....

Little feet

Little hands

Tummy time (working hard to lift that head!)

Sponge bath

Heading to her two week appointment

So snuggly

Awake time in the morning!!
Full tummy = happy baby

5 days old

Have we really only been parents for five days?? As I sit here next to her, it seems like she has been a part of our lives for much longer than that!

A week ago, I was busy getting the house ready for her arrival. We knew that we would be heading into the hospital the next day, and so it seemed like it was the last opportunity to get all that detailed cleaning, organizing and stock-up grocery shopping done! And today, a week later, with the exception of an exciting adventure out for her first doctor's appointment, all we have done is napped and eaten, and just been totally relaxed on the couch together.

I would say that we have adjusted pretty well to being a threesome. She doesn't spend much time not in one of our arms. Last night she only woke me up once in the middle of the night, and then not again until 7am! Yay for sleep!! :-)

Here is one of the few moments she has spent in her crib...
I was pretty excited for her to meet Brady...a future playmate...

Here is daddy multi-tasking - grad school work and burping at the same time...

Taylor showing off her feet and long little legs...
Snuggling in cozy blankets...

My mom is here for a few days, and she came bearing lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, planned dinners and very helpful hands! So far today she shoveled our driveway, accompanied me to the doctor's office for Taylor's first visit, went grocery shopping for us, made homemade applesauce, made and cleaned up dinner, and was the camcorder-holder for Taylor's first bath at home.

Here is a picture of our first family dinner at the table... :-)
Spending time with grand-mem...
Taylor's doctor's appointment went really well, and they said she is progressing exactly as she should be! She is already back above her birth weight - eating like a champ!! I was nervous about how she was doing, and I felt really happy and relieved to hear that everything is good! This whole being a mom thing was a lot less worrisome when she was in utero - I could protect her 24/7! :-)

Love this little girl!

Welcome to the world, Taylor Leigh!!

Taylor is here!!

Whew! It has been a whirlwind these past 38-ish hours, but an amazing experience!!

A week past our original due date, Tuesday at 7am, we left for the hospital to see if we could get the labor going, and after 20 hours of Olympics watching, Scrabble playing, jello eating, and yes, plenty of laboring, Taylor Leigh Slagh entered the world! The day was long - more exhausting than a marathon, and I think that we experienced every emotion possible, but it was SO worth it. Ryan was WONDERFUL the whole day. I cannot say enough about how well yesterday went with him by my side. He went above and beyond expectations. I am so glad that I got to experience this life changing event with him. We started pushing at 1:20am, and she was born at 3:01am! After announcing that we had a GIRL, she was immediately snuggled in a blanket on my chest, and I don't think I will ever forget what it felt like to feel her little 7 pound body in my arms and to hear her cry for the first time.

Dr. Z guessed she was going to be 7 pounds, 3 ounces, and she ended up being 7 pounds, 1 ounce! At 21 inches long she is a long, lean little girl. She has a little blister on each hand where she enjoyed sucking on her hands in utero. Every little part of her seems like a perfect little creation of God, and I cannot wait to see what adventures her life will hold.

Here are a few pictures of our day today - so, so excited to be PARENTS!! :-)

Taking a long walk Sunday night, trying to get labor going...
Leaving the house for the last time, just the two of us...

Just getting settled into our new room we will call "home" for 3 or 4 days...

And she's here!! (We're looking a little tired, but it is 3 in the morning!!)

Taylor...

We might be biased, but we think she is beautiful... :-)

First bath at the hospital :)

Sweet, sweet girl

Grandma and grandpa Parker (at least that is what we will call them until Taylor decides what their nicknames will be :-)) checking out her soft little feet and long little toes. :-)

 We are so happy...and so excited. :)

Original due date!!

Tomorrow is our original due date!! February 9 was the date we were looking forward to originally, but the 20 week ultrasound indicated that we would probably be closer to February 14, so we are still patiently waiting for the big day sometime in the next two weeks or so!

There are thoughts that the upcoming snowstorm may bring on labor - but only time will tell!! I rode my bike this past Saturday (on the trainer of course), and part of me wondered if it would be my last time riding with the group for a while. There are lots of those thoughts lately! Will this be the last time I....fill in the blank with pretty much anything!!

So next post could be a 40 week update, or a baby introduction!!

39 weeks... (this shirt is no longer covering all my belly :-P)

Ryan looking forward to the big day....

Pack 'n play ready to go...

Possibly me on Wednesday?? (yep, sorry teachers, I probably just jinxed it...but we're supposed to get a lot of snow!!)