Baths

We bathe Leah every other day as part of her bedtime routine. When we first started giving her baths, she cried and splashed water all over the place. Now that she's getting used to her routine, she sits well in the tub but looks very stressed! It's so cute. Her hands are in tight fists and sometimes pressed so tightly against her chest, she leaves red marks. She doesn't make one sound but very politely allows us to clean all her nooks and crannies.

First Flight!

This past weekend we flew to SF for an ortho conference. Leah did so well on the plane rides. We were lucky that both flights weren't full, so we got an empty seat in between us to put the car seat at no extra cost. She pretty much slept the entire time and when she woke up she was happy and playful.

I got pretty sick while I was in the Bay, and it was like Leah knew it. She took really good naps, (which is unusual), played well by herself without me constantly having to entertain her, and rarely got fussy. We went to an event with Matt's fellowship and amongst the loud noise she pretty much just slept in the stroller. Whew!

2 Months!

Leah is 2 months today! She's 23 inches and 10 lbs 14.6 ounces. She got her first set of immunization shots today. The poor girl did not like it. She screamed the entire time. Luckily, she was back to her happy self shortly afterwards.   She's beginning to smile and giggle a lot more. She's very aware of her surroundings and enjoys looking at the animals in her jungle mat and the bubbles in her bouncer. She can spend a good 20 minutes staring and laughing (which allows me to take a decent shower!). Her naps are horrible, 30-45 minutes, but she can pull a good 6 hours at night.  Happy 2 months, baby girl! I love you!

SLS

This weekend was Leah's first nights away from home. Matt was asked to speak at a Kaiser Ortho conference and they offered him a free night at the SLS so we said "Sure!" Being the first time mom, I was really anxious about this. I was worried that I would forget to pack something, that a crib wouldn't be available, that her routine would get all messed up, etc. She did great! We checked in Friday night and she slept in the crib that night for a 6.5 hour stretch. That morning we got to peek into the conference room to watch Matt speak, and she even took longer naps than she does at home. After the conference, we met up with some of Matt's colleagues at the SLS lounge and she was quiet the entire time. On Sunday, Matt offered to watch Leah for the morning so that I could enjoy some time at the spa! Even though I love my baby like crazy, it was a nice treat to have some time to myself to relax.

Leah's First Christmas

Christmas this year was extra special since it was our first Christmas with Leah! I haven't felt that much of the holiday spirit since I've been at home pretty much 24/7 and haven't gotten to see all the Christmas lights and decorations around the neighborhoods. We did manage to get a Christmas tree and decorate the house, and whenever we're in the car, we're blasting KOST's Christmas music. We also received "Leah" and "Baby's First Christmas" ornaments to mark this special time.

Fred and Bev were in town for the week, so we went down to Huntington Beach on the 23rd to hang out with the Kelly family. Leah was a big hit. Everyone wanted a chance to hold her which was a nice rest for us. Leah did great and was a pretty content baby throughout the whole day. It was nice to have the whole family together since we only see Fred and Bev about once a year. The kids took a cousins picture with the new addition!

Christmas Eve we went to Jeff and Cyn's new house to celebrate with my side of the family. I was excited to see everyone since we missed the big Thanksgiving get together. I think Leah was so exhausted from all the excitement the day before that she slept throughout most of this. She missed seeing all the presents she got.

Christmas day we went back to Huntington Beach to meet up with the Kelly side of the family again. We had Buca Di Beppo for lunch and the kids opened up all their gifts.  Again, Leah slept through most of it. :)

1 Month!

One month has flown by and Leah already looks so different. She more aware of her surroundings and loves to be held upright so that she can see everything around her.  When I try to put her in the sling or cradle her in my arms, she protests.  I can't describe how much I love this little girl.  She brings so much joy to our family and we are so blessed to have her in our lives.  Happy 1 month baby!

First Few Weeks with a Newborn

It's been a crazy 3 weeks adjusting to a newborn in the house. Between the constant feeding, diaper changes, lack of sleep, and laundry we're exhausted but so happy to have this precious gift. I catch myself just staring at her soaking in all her cuteness.

The first week, Leah had her days and nights mixed up. She would be passed out all day and wide eyed at night. She had a constant flow of visitors coming to the house and it was fun getting to see so many people. My parents and brother's family came to our house for Thanksgiving lunch since we wouldn't be able to make it to the big family get together. The Friday after Thanksgiving, Matt's family came to visit.

The second and third week, we've been getting her used to her night time routine and she's seemed to be adjusting pretty well. She has an amazingly strong neck for a 3 week old and can lift her head up really well during tummy time. We see random smiles here and there which melts my heart even if they are just random muscle movements. I can't wait until she can look at us and smile. She's a voracious eater. We have nicknamed her the "milk vampire." She eats every 1.5-2 hours during the day and every 3-4 hours at night. She's already starting to grow out of her newborn clothes. It's amazing to think how tiny she was just a few weeks ago. At her 2 week appointment, she weighed 7 lb 14.3 oz and was 21.26 inches. Matt went back to work on December 12th. I was scared to be with the baby by myself. My parents have been coming up every week to help cook and help out around the house. It's been so nice to have them somewhat close by.