More Four-Week Fun

Thought I'd share some pictures of Anna's afternoon. Enjoy!

Anna started focusing on the toys hanging from her bouncy seat ... look at where her eyes are looking in each picture!

Not digging being in the chair anymore ...

The beginnings of a smile?!?!

Proof that Anna is not always as peaceful as she appears on the blog:

I will say that she calmed right down after this outburst ... it was time to eat ;-)

Anna is Four Weeks Old!

Anna has been super spoiled the past two weekends with visits from her Leitsch grandparents. She has also been experimenting with new sleep positions, as you'll see from the pictures below:

With her Grandma Patty, Anna preferred a stretched-out, let-it-all-hang-out sleep pose.

With her Mamaw, she found a curled-up-tight, slung-over-the-leg position much more to her liking.

And just a plain ol' cuddle with her Pop Pop seemed to work just fine.

Yet again, Jimmy and I are so thankful for our families and their visits. We've been so spoiled by all the meals and extra hands to hold Anna (and all the showers and naps I've gotten to take!). THANK YOU Leitsch grandparents! We love you!

Today marks Anna's fourth week with us. She's already changing so much! It's been really crummy down here in Tennessee ... near constant rain ... so Anna and I have had to find other things to do in place of our daily walks with Layla. Here she is enjoying her play mat. She is actually starting to look at and focus on the hanging toys, and she accidentally hits and kicks them when she moves around. Hopefully she'll learn the cause-effect thing soon ;-)

She's also been getting better at tummy time on her Boppy pillow (thanks, Aunt Melissa!). She can push herself up and hold her head up for longer amounts of time each day. I went a little overboard with pictures today, but I hope you'll indulge me!

Isn't it fun to see her open eyes?!?! She's been staying awake and alert for longer bouts of time, which has been fun. Everyone always tells you how fast the time flies, and I'm beginning to see that for myself!

Catching Up

Anna's second week of life was even more eventful than the first. Here she is enjoying her play mat (I'll try to post an accompanying video later).

She's also been enjoying lots of walks around the neighborhood with Layla. She doesn't seem to mind the stroller at all (a HUGE blessing) and usually konks out for the entire walk. I look forward to our walks and the time outside in the fresh air! Here she is wearing the cute denim hat Papa Herdeman picked out for her (don't worry - she'll grow into it!).

Labor Day weekend included a fun visit from Papa Herdeman, Uncle Evan, Aunt Melissa, and Uncle Jed. We had a full house! Everyone got to hold Anna to their hearts' content (I think she got spoiled napping in everyone's arms). We had tons of good food and fun playing Settlers ... Anna, Jimmy, and I can't wait to see everyone again!

Check out Anna's hands in the next two pictures ... I think she's praying, "Dear God, please let my Papa keep holding me!"

I gave Anna a bath after her whirlwind weekend and really washed her hair for the first time (before I had just been rinsing it). The result? A fluffy mowhawk! Her hair stayed like this for the whole day ... I was thrilled Jimmy got to see it when he came home from work!

I'll do my best to post three-week pictures soon ... our girl's growing fast and opening her eyes a lot more ... I'll try to catch some cute moments on film ;-)

Annasaurus

Anna's Uncle Evan gave her a new nickname. It's very fitting...

Thanks, Grandma!

Just wanted to give a big THANK YOU to my mom. She came down last weekend and stayed through Tuesday. She blessed us so much with her patience, good cooking, and help with Anna. What a wonderful gift! Thanks, mom, for making me feel more confident and capable. Anna loved getting to bond with you and is excited for your next visit!

Anna's First Week Home

Anna's first week home has been relatively uneventful. Jimmy and I have gotten adequate sleep, Anna finally started eating like a champ, and even Layla has been adjusting to the new, smelly little person who has invaded our home. I've posted pictures to chronicle some of Anna's "favorite things":

She loves being tightly swaddled, with just enough room to let her hand poke out. Any time I hold her, she has one hand or the other up against her face!


She loves being held my her mommy ...


and sporting matching hairdos with her daddy!


She also loves sleeping in her bouncy seat.


I particularly like the "lounge" pose captured in this one:


In other news, Anna unveiled her belly button the other day ... here's a close-up:


Anna was really alert this morning, looking around with both eyes wide open. We tried about twenty times to get a decent shot, but she ended up looking like a drunk pirate in every one. Here are some of the better ones:


Cross-eyed, but still fairly cute.


Here Anna is pictured with "Terrence," her "Wubba Nub." This pacifier is the most ingenious invention and my favorite parenting tool to date. The stuffed animal weighs the pacifier down just enough so Anna can keep it in her mouth. Anna loves to hold on to "Terrence" during diaper changes and fussy moments. It's pretty darn cute. As for the name "Terrence," I'll suffice to say that husbands can come up with creative (and weird) baby calming techniques at four in the morning. The name's sticking ;-)


One last shot ... a wink and goodbye!