7 weeks

Alice is 7 weeks today, and so far, so good. She sleeps at night and is awake during the day. I am okay with feedings every 3 hours, when I get to sleep again afterwards. Haylie, that little stinker, thought it was play time at night when she was this age. It is hard to be mad at someone smiling at you at 2 AM, however. Amazing to have one with her days and nights straight from day one. This means that morning is happy smiling time every day. We drop Haylie off at school at 7:45 AM and then come home and Alice is happy and awake until nap time around 10 AM. Unfortunately, this means that I am not able to nap during the day, since not long after she goes to sleep, it is time to pick Haylie up from school again.

This is her "that is so funny" face. Other than just smiling at me for no reason, she smiles at her mobile above the changing table, and every day when Stefan gets home from work and says hi to her.

Smiley girl

Alice likes when you tickle her mouth and lips - here I was teasing her with her pacifier.

She hasn't laughed a big one yet, just little laughs that sound like a frog croaking.

This was a couple days ago - she was smiling at me while I was talking to her.

6 weeks

We have now hit the 6 week mark. Things are going pretty well, but I am starting to have a little cabin fever. I'm looking forward to warmer weather so we can be outside. We did go to the library yesterday, but Alice had an exploding diaper with a mess ensuing, so it wasn't that fun for me. Haylie got to borrow books and have a cookie, so she was satisfied. Alice was pretty happy too, after getting that out of her system.

The little sleepyhead spent most of the day napping today. I think she napped in about every room in the house, plus in the car.

Here is Haylie, looking evil.

5 weeks

So relaxed

4 weeks

Haylie got a hold of the camera today, so I have about 20 pictures of various toys, her socks, self-portraits, and Alice from different angles.

I also took a few pictures. Here is Alice, who started being awake most of the day this past week. She actually has her days and nights right, something Haylie didn't figure out until 3 months. Now we are just dealing with burps, hiccups, and gas, which have been bothering her. Other than that, things are going smoothly at the moment. If you don't count the numerous exploding diapers, that resulted in 3 wardrobe changes today.

Here are my girls. I wonder how soon Alice is going to start getting annoyed at her sister for kissing her constantly. She looked utterly baffled when Haylie gave her "eskimo kisses" today.

My ring sling

Alice and I have been practicing using our Sweet Pea ring sling. She fell asleep in it both times while I was doing laundry and making dinner. I think I am starting to get the hang of it. Watching You Tube videos is one thing, but trying to maneuver an actual baby is another.

Here we were practicing a cradle carry.

Here she was in a tummy to tummy carry. It was a little easier on my back with all her weight in the middle of my body. We made tacos together. She did her part by falling asleep.

3 weeks

Haylie and Alice

Here Alice is inspecting her new teddy bear that she got from my coworkers.

15 days

Still just eating, sleeping, and pooping. Preferably all at the same time.

The four of us

Here is the picture from the local paper. This was taken when she was 5 days old.

Jan 7th, two days old

A proud big sister that just wants to hold Alice all the time.

Jan 6th, one day old

Alice makes her arrival, January 5th 2011

I had been having contractions off and on for a week, and started on January 4th at 5:45 AM to have them. I had them fairly steady, but far apart until 9 AM, then they were sporadic at best until 4 PM. At that point I was having them at 6-25 minute intervals, not intensifying or steady. At 9 PM we went to bed, thinking it would be a long night and maybe it would pick up. They were still sporadic and I dozed here and there, and breathed through the contractions and focused on staying relaxed. I had one bad one around midnight and decided to get in the bathtub to relax, so Stefan filled it and I got in. Then after about a half hour the bath wasn't helping much and it was starting to hurt, so I decided to call Sofia, the doula we had hired to help us for the birth, at 12:48 AM. Right after that I decided it was time to go in to the hospital soon, so Stefan called them to warn them that we would be on our way. Stefan tried to help me out of the bath, and dry me off, but suddenly I was having intense contractions and we didn't get much done between each one. He told my parents that we would be leaving and tried to dress me. Sofia came and at the same time she walked in, I started feeling pressure and nausea. I told them to call an ambulance because I didn't think we were going to make it, but Stefan said that it would be faster if we went ourselves. Everyone made a mad rush to get us out the door. Sofia supported me, Stefan packed the stuff in the car, my dad shoveled and started the car, and then they got me dressed somehow and out the door. I managed to walk to the car between contractions and ended up in the passenger seat, facing backwards with my head in the backseat. We took off as fast at Stefan could drive during a bad snowstorm, with Sofia in the backseat. I was pushing and yelling during each contraction, whether I wanted to or not. I still had pauses between contractions and breathed through them with some reminding from Sofia and Stefan. He drove all the way to Visby in 4th gear since my leg was in the way of 5th. I was crowning as we got to Visby, and the head was out on the way down the hill to the hospital. The water broke at the same time. Stefan parked right outside the labor and delivery entrance, mostly on the sidewalk, and Sofia rang the bell. Stefan said they came with a wheelchair but he told them it was too late for that. I told them to take my pants off because the baby was out, so he pulled them down, and Sofia caught the baby during the next contraction. She was born at about 1:40 AM. Stefan rushed to get a blanket from the trunk and the nurses came with some towels. The midwife cut the cord there in the car, and they brought the baby in. Then I got out and onto a gurney and they wheeled me in too, into the same room where we had Haylie. The staff all expected us to be shocked, but I was just totally relieved that everything had gone so fast and so easily. I never thought I would be glad to give birth in the front seat of a Saab. I felt great right away after, had no tearing or stitches, and Alice started nursing almost right away (after she warmed up a little). A totally different experience than when Haylie was born.

Here is the rally driver with Alice somewhere in all those blankets.

Here I am, about 30 minutes after she was born.

Alice Kally, who just wanted to nurse all night long. We got our own room since it was pretty empty, so Stefan got to stay with us. We called home after about an hour or so and talked to Haylie and my parents. Haylie had amazingly not woken up to me screaming in the bathroom and hall.

Little Alice in the morning, about 8 AM.

Alice and a tired mom who didn't sleep much, but thankfully got a good nap in when dad went to get Haylie, Grandma and Grandpa.

Big sister and little sister

A very proud big sister Haylie, who was greatly impressed that Alice was born in the car, and plans on telling all her friends when school starts on Monday after Christmas break.

Haylie, Alice, and Grandma Taryn

Alice came just in the nick of time to meet Grandma and Grandpa, who flew home the same afternoon.

Dinner was Christmas food, which didn't appeal to me, so Stefan and Haylie picked up some McDonald's when they dropped Grandma and Grandpa off at the airport. After that, we headed home.

Home again, after just 16 hours.

New Year's Eve and Linda's 30th birthday party

Here I was on New Year's Eve, 39 weeks 4 days.

The three of us

My dad, mom, me and Stefan at Stefan's sister Linda's 30th birthday party at her house.

This is how I spent most of the evening. I had lots of swelling in my legs and feet at the end and was quite uncomfortable.

Linda is in the blue.

The girl cousins had a nice show - they were singing Waka waka by Shakira for all the party guests. We left at eleven and were home to watch fireworks in our neighborhood. Haylie fell asleep in the car and couldn't be woken up.