3w6d- ONE MONTH PEDIATRICIAN VISIT

The pediatrician feels Nevaeh is healthy and growing well.  He did detect a slight heart murmur but doesn't seemed concerned....especially since she was 3 weeks early.  It should correct itself over time.  She weighed in at 8lbs. 11oz. and is 19 1/2 inches long.  Her head circumference is 36cm or 14.7 inches which is in the 25%.  Her weight is in the 25%.  Her length is only in the 10%.  He said she is on the short side, but then he looked at Courtney and realized why she is measuring short!  In looking back at the baby books and keeping in mind that Nevaeh was actually 3 weeks early, she seems to be measuring longer than Mommy did at this age.  Nevaeh is more inline with her Aunt Caitlin who is 5'1" while Mommy is only 4'10".  If she continues to measure on the short side....at least there is growth hormone therapy that she can have in the future that was never suggested for either of my girls......probably because the research was too new at the time.  Time will tell.  We love her just the same....short or tall!

 Sleepy babes!

3w5d- DAILY PICTURE POST!

3w5d- Enjoying the bouncy seat!

On the Mommy front, Courtney called me with excitement in her voice.....today she was finally able to see her incision (bikini cut c-section)....before, the belly was always in the way!  

3w5d- HAPPY EASTER

3w4d- SHE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!

Last night, marks the first official period of sleeping through the night!  Nevaeh had a cereal bottle (4oz of formula with 3 tablespoons of rice flake cereal mixed in) around 9:30 and she slept all the way through until 4:00 am.  6 1/2 hours worth of blissful sleep for Mommy, Daddy and Baby!!!!  YAY!  Hope this continues. 

 First Jeans Dress!

3w3d- NIGHT TIME

This little one is really confusing us with her nightly sleep patterns.  Last night, she had a cereal bottle but was up 1.5 hours later and ready for another 4oz formula bottle! (How can this be????).  After a bottle, burping and diaper change she slept for another 3 hours.  Up again for another 4oz formula bottle, burping and diaper change.......then finally a 6 hour stretch of sleeping.  It was great to get the 6 hours in, but it had nothing to do with the cereal bottle this time.  HMMMM........At least she is an easy baby to put back to sleep once she has a bottle.

13w2d-LONG FINGERS

LOOK AT MY LONG FINGERS! 

I still wear newborn clothes, but some of my newborn socks are getting small.  I wear a size 0 shoe.  Grandma said my Mommy was very petite and wore newborn clothes at 2 mos. old!  She also had size 00 shoes at 2 months old.  So far, I am charting much longer and bigger than my Mommy who is only 4'10"!  Hopefully I am taller like my Daddy!

3w1d- BRIGHT EYES!

HELLO MISS BRIGHT EYES!

3 WEEKS OLD!

My grandbaby is 3 weeks old already!  She continues to be a very happy and content baby!  Mommy and Daddy are definitely lucky! She continues to be on a 3-4 hour sleep/wake schedule for a bottle and diaper change......that is until she gets the cereal bottle (see earlier post).  With a night cereal bottle, she will sleep for 5 1/2 - 6 hours at a time (Woot)!!

Last night, the kids stayed here with us.  I enjoyed giving Nevaeh a bath, bottles and diaper changes.  I even took over night duty to give Mommy and Daddy a full night's rest, since they had a long drive back home today.  I MISS THEM ALREADY!

Keeping her eyes open is hard work!

Quick, her eyes are open.....take a picture!

4 Generations! 

Mommy, Great Grandpa Richards (my daddy) and Grandma Dason (me!).....and of course baby, Nevaeh!

Hard to believe that you are already 3 weeks old!  Tomorrow is your original due date......You would have been an 8 or 9 lb. baby full term!  I couldn't imagine Mommy's belly any bigger than what it was when she delivered you.  Mommy has lost all (but one pound) of her pregnancy weight plus the pre-pregnancy progesterone weight gain.   A total of 24 lbs. gone in the last 3 weeks.  However, the belly may never be the same......time will tell......C-Sections wreck the stomach muscles!!!!

19 DAYS OLD- CHURCH DEDICATION/PALM SUNDAY

Today we celebrated the church dedication for baby Nevaeh!  What a wonderful Palm Sunday.  Here are some pictures of the family:

The guest of honor!

Proud Mommy and Daddy

The cake was from Great Grandma and Grandpa Richards (They couldn't be with us)

Mommy, Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa Dason, Great Grandma Martin, and Aunt Caitlin

Mommy, Aunt Caitlin, Uncle Andrew, Grandpa and Grandma Baker

Grandma and Grandpa Barnett and Jordyn

4 Generations

Grandma Dason, Mommy, Great Grandma Martin, and Baby Nevaeh!

18 DAYS OLD!- CEREAL BOTTLE

The kids came home around 1:00 in the morning.  The late night hour (or should I say early morning hour) didn't stop the company from coming over to see the baby for the first time!  It was also exciting to see Nevaeh sleeping in the crib we have set up in Courtney's old bedroom.  It was the crib that Courtney used when she was a baby!

Great Grandpa and Grandma Richards!

Uncle Joey and Nevaeh....Wonder what she is thinking.

Nevaeh is still a very content baby with sleep and eating patterns about 3-4 hours.  She is taking 3 to 4 oz. of formula at a time but can't stay awake long enough to take anymore than that.....Going against present research and trying "tricks" grandma taught me (and used successfully with both of my girls when they were a few weeks old), I suggested a rice cereal bottle for the night feeding.  The first bottle was made with 3 oz of formula and 2 tablespoons of rice cereal flakes.  This made a very runny, thin cereal.  The bottle nipple was widen to allow the flow of the thinned cereal to be sucked easily.  The first bottle was not a success.  We kept experimenting with the nipple hole.....as not to get it tooooo big.  45 minutes and 1oz. later, she was sound asleep.....but with that one ounce, she slept 3 hours!  At 5:00 in the morning, we tried again.  This time, the nipple hole became a slit.  I put 3oz. of formula in her bottle mixed with 2 tablespoons of rice flakes.  BINGO!  She sucked it down in 15 minutes, burping, diaper change and back to bed.........To my surprise, she was up again 3 hours later and hungry!  At 8:00 in the morning, decided to give it one more try.  Since she sucked down the last bottle, I upped it to 4oz. with 2 1/2 tablespoons of rice flakes.  She drank almost 4oz with no problem, burped, diaper change, dressed for the day and off to sleep.  This time, she went from 8:00 until 2:00.  That's right, 6 hours!!!!  The rest of the day, she had 4oz bottles of formula every 3 hours.   Courtney is going to try the rice bottle again tonight!  Hopefully, Nevaeh will sleep 6 hours again! 

17 DAYS OLD- TRIP BACK TO OHIO

Mommy and Daddy are coming back to Ohio this weekend for a baby dedication at Mike's family church this weekend!  Here's a picture of Nevaeh watching Mommy pack for the trip.

She was content in her bouncy seat and looking at Mommy, as if to say "Hmmmm, What are you doing?"

Road trip!  "Hey Poco, Where's your seatbelt!"

16 DAYS OLD- NO LONGER A NEWBORN!

Today was a happy and sad moment at the same time. Nevaeh's umbilical cord fell off today. I guess we can no long call her a newborn......She is simply our beautiful baby girl!

The OB left the umbilical cord long.....not sure why.  Looked a little different, but fell off as normal.

Such a hard life!

15 DAYS OLD!

HEY! WHATCHA DOING?

PRICELESS!!!!

2 WEEKS OLD ALREADY!

Faces of a burpless baby!

You want me to do what?  

Burping is tiring work!

Nap time again!  Boy I love my fingers!

Nevaeh is now drinking 3oz at a time and slept a 3 hours stint and a 5 hour stint in a row!   Hope she can do this again tonight.....but she will only do this in her pack-n-play bassinet....not her crib! 

13 DAYS OLD- GETTING READY FOR MOMMY'S OB APPT!

When Auntie Caitie dresses me, I get to wear pretty bows!!!!

Dressed up to go see Mommy's OB!  Look at those chubby cheeks!

 Dr. Gapp at Jenny Stuart Medical Center in Hopkinsville, KY is the OB that discovered Mommy's MTHFR blood disorder.  Without him and the drug protocol before and during pregnancy, we wouldn't have our beautiful granddaughter!

12 DAYS OLD- THE DRIVE HOME

Last night, Mommy and Aunt Caitlin put you in your crib for the first time....hoping you would sleep comfortably there.  Until now, you have been very content in the pack-n-play bassinet. You were even swaddled and propped with a wedge on your side.....no luck.....you fussed until they put you back into the bassinet.  Once you were comfortable, you slept for 4 straight hours!  Now if only they can get you to do this in your crib!

Today was a long day.....7 hours on the road.....and finally back home.  One my way home, the kids sent me my daily baby fix with this picture!  YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

11 DAYS OLD- LAST DAY OF MY VISIT

Dear Nevaeh,

Today was a bitter sweet day.  Sweet because I just spent 11 beautiful days with my first grandbaby.  It was a pure pleasure for me to help Mommy and Daddy through the late night feedings so Mommy could get up and go to school only days after a c-section!  The day was also bitter because I know I have to go home and get back to my work routine keeping these newborn days as sweet memories.  I found myself privately crying on and off these last few days knowing that my visit was slowly coming to an end.

Your Aunt Caitlin is on Spring Break and visiting with you for a whole week.  She promises to send me plenty of pictures for my daily baby fix!  Here you are at 11 days old!

It seems like yesterday that I was holding your Mommy!  Time flies.....Mommy's 22nd birthday is on Monday!  You are her birthday gift and she is a WONDERFUL mother!

Love Grandma Dason

10 DAYS OLD!- FOOT PRINTS AND BATH TIME

The hospital does not ink the feet anymore.  :-(  Instead, they send the ink pad home with Mommy and Daddy.  Today, we took the time to ink these cute little feet!

Her feet are as long as my index finger.  They are long and skinny.  Just like Daddy's!  They look just like they did in the ultrasound!  The 3D ultrasounds are amazing!!!

After the inking, Mommy gave Nevaeh a bath.  She cooed and looked around the whole time with no tears.  She is such a GOOD baby!  Look at all that hair!

On the Mommy front, Courtney lost 15 lbs. already! This puts her 2 lbs above her pre-pregnancy weight.  Then about another 10 lbs. to lose from the progesterone protocol before getting pregnant.  So another 12 lbs. will take her down to her normal weight!  NOT BAD and doable!

9 DAYS OLD- THUMB SUCKING!

Nevaeh switches between her thumb and the pacifier!  She sucked her thumb during the ultrasounds, also!

Grandma Baker getting her baby fill!

Grandpa Baker enjoying the moment!

Uncle Andrew is 11 years old.

 Aunt Caitlin loving on her niece!

8 DAYS OLD!- FIRST BELLY ACHE!

This little cutie pie has a hard time burping (sometimes!)  Last night, it caught up with her. The gas and air bubbles got the better of her.  She let out a loud squeal and then whimpered for some time.  At least she didn't scream non-stop.....but we could tell she was uncomfortable.  Once the infant Gas X did its job, she was a happy baby again.  Whew!