The Growing Caldwell Family

Several months ago I did not expect to be writing that title about my child.  In the first couple of months my baby seemed generally unhappy, especially when she wasn't being nursed or bounced just the right way.  I loved her fiercely, but this small part of me kept wondering if this is how generally unhappy adults started out life.  I'm not exactly sure how the people who are unhappy adults started out, but Sarah Graves is no longer a generally unhappy baby.  Now I describe her as one happy baby. I took her to the grocery store and we used her shopping cart cover.  We have used it several times at restaurants and she likes it, but it hasn't seemed like good timing to try it at the grocery store.  Today she really liked it!  She could look around and I could tell her all about the different foods.  She had toys attached to the cart and enjoyed all of those.  I knew she looked like she was having fun when we got to the bakery section an...

Since some of you thought that duct taping her arms down was a little harsh, Mom went in search of other alternatives.  She came up with one that actually sounds pretty awesome.  It's a product called woombie .  It is basically a sack that zips up and is made of stretchy fabric so that it fits snug around them, allows them to move their arms a little bit, and prevents them from startling themselves.  I just placed our order.  Their sizing options are quite funny.  You can get a preemie, newborn, big baby, or mega baby.  We went with the big baby option.  I'll let you know how this works!

The first three months of a baby's life he/she is considered a newborn and this time is referred to as the fourth trimester.  It's the time needed for the baby to gain the maturity to be able to handle living outside the womb.  No, the idea isn't that she is now mature enough to live on her own, but that she is mature enough to do things like soothe herself, handle the stimulation in the world, and her senses are now more well-developed.  The colicky type behaviors are supposed to end at this time and most babies begin to enjoy the world more.  In other words, the end of the fourth trimester is what all the books encourage parents to hold on for when their newborns are inconsolable.  When Sarah Graves was first born we used the techniques taught in Happiest Baby on the Block to soothe her.  This meant bouncing her so that her head jiggled, swaddling her, making a loud "sshhh" noise in her ear, and giving her lots of opportunities to suck.  At the time, it felt l...

You don't get the smiles without the nutty sing song talking. In other words, I am willing to expose my goofy self so that you can see that adorable grin!

All we can say is "herro!" from Kim Jong-Il!

We had a lazy weekend around here and enjoyed some down time with Sarah Graves.  I would bring her into our bed after she ate in the morning and we would both enjoy what I consider to be the best part of the day with her.  In the mornings she is happy to lay there, look around, make those little baby coos, and move her arms and legs.  She is just so happy and alert that I love watching her.  I think she enjoyed having her Daddy right there with us because she would get on her side facing him and at one point I looked over to see she had her hand out touching his cheek.  Such a precious thing.  I really need to keep the camera on me at all times to capture those things!

We had several inches of snow last night, so we are here with a winter wonderland.  In a few years it would be exciting to take her out to play in the snow, but today it is all about keeping her warm and cozy.  Here's the view at our house: Staying snug and warm. Just hanging out.

We had a busy weekend at our house.  Aaron's Dad and his wife came to see Sarah Graves.  They oohed and aahed just the way we hoped grandparents would.  She will need some time to grow into it, but they brought her a Louisiana Tech cheerleader outfit that has her name monogrammed on it and everything!  She is sure to be a fan!  We are so happy that they were able to make a trip to see her and hope they will come back soon. We also took Sarah Graves for her first visit to Mom and Pops' house, she attended her first party, and watched her first Super Bowl.  She thoroughly enjoyed the party and was quite a hit.  I think she enjoyed the noise and of course, loved being held by everyone!  My Aunt Brenda was in town and just ate her up as did Ms. Pauline. What better way to start life than seeing the Saints win their first Super Bowl!  Sarah Graves says "Who Dat!"

I hear a lot of people complain about the 3 AM feedings with a new baby, and I understand the exhaustion and the desire to be in bed asleep, but there is something so special and sweet about being up with her in those wee hours.  Last night when she finished nursing on one side she dramatically pulled her head away then let it flop back on my breast as she usually does when she is finished.  Then, she opened her eyes and looked at me and gave me a smile for a brief second before drifting off again.  It's moments like those that will always make me grateful to have the chance to nurse her and be the one there with her in those moments. 

When you look at these pictures there is no doubting that she is her father's daughter.  They even share the same facial expressions, especially the eyebrow lift.  I love seeing both of their faces! 

Over the weekend we picked out paint to paint the nursery. The name of the color that we chose is key lime. It's a bright shade of green that will look really cute with all the pink stuff she will have. When we ordered the furniture, they told us it would take 4 - 8 weeks for it to come in. Not even a week later the salesperson called to say that our stuff was in and they were ready to arrange delivery. We were a little stunned, but super-excited to see it and have it set up. The delivery men brought it last night and setup the crib for us! I can't wait to fill her shelves with books! Chicka Chicka and Barnyard Dance are two of my favorite baby books! We are planning to use the top of the dresser as a changing area for her. We can't wait to start getting all of that setup for her! 19 weeks feels like a long time when you're ready to meet baby girl! Stay right where you are sweet pea, we want you to come out fat and healthy! Once we knew the furniture was i...

Here is the first picture of baby Caldwell. This is one of the baby's face toward the ultrasound. Everything looks good with baby. We could see the heart beating, arms and legs moving, and hands waving. The eyes, nose and mouth seem to be there on the face. The only shock was that instead of 8 weeks we are actually 13 weeks! I thought my head might spin around when she told us that! Our new due date is Jan. 19. I think we are more excited now than when we first found out that we're pregnant! It's only 5 weeks difference, but it means we're out of the first trimester and a lot of the risk of miscarriage has passed.