Allison's Pictures, Part I

Here's the link to a few photos that turned out during yesterday's session. Next week we're going to try to get a smile, or at least her little dimple. Enjoy Part I!

Baby Love

My book club friend, Allison, who is an excellent photographer (check out some of her work on her blog), came over this morning to photograph Sara. It went well for a little while, but Sara quickly became irritated by all of the moving and posing and nakedness. Allison is going to come back one day next week to see if we can catch Sara in a better mood, perhaps after nap time instead of before. Once we get a variety of quality shots, I'll post them for you. To hold you over in the meantime, though, here are some non-professional pictures taken by yours truly during the last week or so. Age check: Sara will be seven weeks old tomorrow (which means my maternity leave -- thank you, c-section, for two extra weeks -- is coming to an end. I return to work on Monday, February 9th)!

We'll Always Have Ames

We love you, too, Iowa friends. Thanks, Leigh!

Memory Lane

Last night Steve pulled out a box of pictures that his mom had given him a while back, and we spent some time strolling down Memory Lane. Everything was going well until we came across this picture of us at the ripe young age 20:
Who are those people and what has life done with their bodies? This photo is now hanging on our fridge. To inspire us? To depress us? Who knows ... the point is, it's there, and it will remind us daily of the fact that we should appreciate what we have while we have it, because we'll wake up one day and it will be gone. The proof is in the pictures.

Now, you be the judge ...

Baby Steve

Baby Katie

Baby Sara

What's the verdict?

Growing Girl

I'm without much to report, but I know it's time for at least a few new pictures! If you can believe it, I've even lapsed in the picture taking department over the past week.

Since my last update, Sara has been sleeping in her own room full time. She's doing a great job, and Steve and I are definitely sleeping better as a result. Sara is enjoying her daily walks and the occasional outing. Yesterday she was wide awake during a trip to the grocery store and seemed fairly mesmerized by the lights and sounds. She's been having a good, loud crying fit almost daily, usually in the evenings. I hear this is normal, and is sometimes representative of babies just needing to relax and unwind, and we're trying to be good about letting her just cry it out (especially if she has eaten, been changed, etc.) She tends to be able to calm herself after a little while, but when she can't, food usually does the trick ... she's a girl after my own heart.

We decided to try the Bumbo seat last week and Sara was very content sitting in it for quite a while. She turned her head to look toward the window, so I ended up moving the entire chair for her. I think she likes the sunlight.

Sara doesn't love tummy time yet as a means of play. I think this picture came right before a "move me off this thing" outburst.

We don't usually bundle our child in rags, but it sure looks cute when we do. Look at those big eyes!

One Month Later ...

December 11, 2008

January 11, 2009

It's been one month since Sara Noel made her worldly debut. I don't know where the time has gone, and I'm beginning to understand why parents say that kids grow up too quickly. My baby is already getting so big! According to my not-so-official calculations, Sara weighs around nine pounds. She's eating between three and four ounces every three to four hours, although we're getting closer to four on both counts each day. Sara enjoys most of her walks and car rides unless she's hot, cold, hungry, wet, or just generally dissatisfied with her situation. She's become much more alert, and likes to sit in her bouncy seat or Boppy and look around. She responds to our voices by turning her head or moving her eyes, and she fixates for long periods of time on anything that is of interest to her -- ceiling fans, clocks, etc. The other evening I was feeding Sara and Steve walked into the room. When he walked out, she turned her head and followed him all the way out the door! Although Sara would sometimes rather stay awake and hang out during the wee hours of the night, she'll snooze for a good four to five hours after a warm bath. We're in the process of moving Sara into her own room to sleep, which I think will be good for all of us. We notice that she is getting stronger each day; she's gaining more and more control of her head, and maintains a strong grip on fingers, blankets, and even her bottles. We love watching Sara make faces. When we talk to her, she moves her lips into an "o" shape, as if she's trying so hard to talk back. She's making lots of noises now, and is close to a coo. The smile won't be long, either. It's so incredibly fulfilling to watch my daughter grow and achieve these baby milestones.

One month later, Higgins has claimed his spot in the proverbial back seat. We haven't seen any real bouts of jealousy lately, although he is blatant in asking for attention in the form of walks or frisbee time in the backyard. Higgins is gentle with Sara, and watches her very closely. When she cries, he assumes his panic stance and stares at us until we take action. I think they'll be good companions as Sara gets older.

Within the last week or so, I've come to realize that, while pregnant, I spent so much time focusing on belly growth that I failed to notice growth in other areas. Now that my stomach has deflated and is on its way back to normal, it has become glaringly obvious that my thighs remain pregnant. Say it with me, friends: thunder. It's irritating as hell. I'm walking daily, but I'm really going to have to kick it into gear once my doctor releases me for all regular activities (that should be January 27th). I know I can't push too much too soon or I'll regret it down the road. However, my healing is going very smoothly and my overall pace seems to be back to normal. I start to feel some pain around the incision area if I hop out of bed too quickly, bend over too often, etc., but I hear that some of that pain can be pretty normal for up to a year or so. If those little twinges of pain weren't there to remind me occasionally, I'd probably forget I had surgery at all ... I'm feeling that good, thank goodness!

Jacqueline Kennedy said, "If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do matters very much.” Is there a statement of more profound truth? Sara has provided me with an entirely new perspective on life, and I'm experiencing a love I didn't know existed. For the first time, I feel like I have a purpose on this earth that is so much larger than the purpose I'd previously created for myself. There will always be tasks I want to accomplish and goals I want to achieve, and hopefully doing so will help me to grow as a person and a mother. However, if everything I've worked for in my career, my relationships, etc. were to come tumbling down around me, I'd still have the charge of doing right by my sweet Sara. I realize now that nothing I ever do will be as rewarding, as emotionally gripping, or as meaningful as being a good mom to my baby girl. She is truly the light of my life, and I'm humbled to have been entrusted with raising her.

For Your Entertainment

One more picture today, just for good measure.

Dad learned the hard way that, while naked babies are cute and cuddly, holding one up in the air for too long before bath time can result in this:

Paying Homage

Grandma and Grandpa Wicklander are currently on the Lynyrd Skynyrd Simple Man Cruise (yes, with the band) enjoying first-rate music, cocktails, and company, no doubt. Because you're never too young to appreciate good southern rock, Sara will be gracing their cabin in the form of photo.

A Trifecta

Here's a picture of Steve, Grandma B., and Sara after their birthday dinner last night. Steve turned 28, Sara was 4 weeks, and Grandma rang in year number ... 29, of course! Unfortunately Elvis was not in the building, so he was not able to be part of the birthday picture.

Here's to a beautiful year!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

We love you!

Cousins!

Sara got to meet her Kansas cousins over the holiday break! Here she is with Lauren (who is getting ready to be a big sister in April) and Ashlee & Timmy. Next time we get the whole group together, new baby Lyndsay will be in the pictures, too!

Sara's First Walk

This is what Sara looked like approximately two minutes into her first official walk earlier today:

I'm not going to lie: after the walk (my first real walk-for-exercise since early December), I felt like passing out in the same fashion. Unfortunately for me, I can't seem to find anyone who wants to bundle me up in many cozy layers and push me around in the crisp, fresh air until I fall into a deep, restful slumber. Oh, to be a baby ...