Friday, March 30, 2012

Doting




Whenever someone asks how the boys treat their little sister, I tell them they love her, and it's true.




Finn constantly asks to "snuggle Bridget?"
He also gives her impromptu kisses and wants to hold her constantly.


Here are the boys with their "It's a girl!" balloons
from Grandmom and Grandpop...yes, they've claimed the balloons as "theirs."


Finn also likes Bridget to "lie next to me!"
and "sleep with me!"





I also tell people that Will is less of a baby-lover and more of a teacher. He asks questions about Bridget, wants to know what she's doing and why. As you can see, he also has a knack for figuring out what she needs and helping her get it--we watched silently as the above sequence unfolded. Will opened his mouth so she'd do the same, put the pacifier in correctly, all as if it were second nature. In that last picture, he's making his embarrassed face; he looks like that when we make too much of a fuss over him, which we had just done by saying "What a wonderful big brother you are!" for the thousandth time. Sweet guy.






Finny's protective, too, but with less studied analysis, more unadulterated joy.
When he found Bridget on a blanket in the living room, he gleefully ran to her, crying "Bridget's right there!"

These boys are the best.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Bridget at Three Weeks

Bridget turned three weeks old last night.


She was born at home at 8 pounds; one week later at her first pediatrician's visit, she weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces--not too shabby for a breastfed baby...


...But her bilirubin levels were a little high, so we had to do two tests in twenty-four hours (everything turned out fine);
meanwhile, nursing was KILLING me, and I didn't think she was gaining as much weight as she should have been.


With the help of an amazing lactation consultant and an awesome dentist 
(more on that later), we got back in the groove quickly.
At the pediatrician's office yesterday she was up to 8 pounds, 12 ounces,
and to say I was relieved would be the understatement of at least the month.


Bridget will take a pacifier, but she doesn't love them. Ditto bottles.
She cries when she has gas, when her diaper or clothes are being changed,
and when she's HUNGRY, WOMAN! ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?!?


Otherwise, like her brothers before her (particularly Finn),
she sleeps and sleeps and sleeps.


There have been a few five-hour stretches at night,
and more often than not there's at least a four-hour one.
Again, not too shabby.


Unlike our other babies, Bridget takes a while to settle after her midnight-ish feed.
Unlike me with our other babies, I really understand that this too shall pass.
These days are incredibly fleeting--the nights are, too.


Oh, right. She also cries after politely enduring ten minutes of tummy time.


Saturday, March 17, 2012

Twelve Days of Bridget



Today is St. Patrick's Day (Slainte!) and my due date, AND Bridget's twelfth day here.








 I wasn't kidding about her feet.















 Despite a bilirubin scare (she's fine) and some nursing woes (we're fine),
this is the first time I have truly been able to enjoy the very newborn days.
Well, not the days exactly--or the nights, per se--but the newborn herself.

She is just delicious.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Our Girl

 Bridget Frances
(formerly known as the New March Baby)
March 5, 2012