Catching Up
Both girls are down for their naps, and I'm feeling relatively well rested, so I think I might actually be able to catch up on a little blogging!
Here are the obligatory first bath at home videos :). The first is from the14th of July and was a sponge bath, the second is from the 18th and is the real deal. We used a "calming" soap/shampoo for the real bath and it seemed to work pretty well :).
So, of course Merrill woke up wanting to eat and snuggle shortly after I wrote the first paragraph up there and I haven't actually done much catching up... The videos took a while to load anyway, but here we are and it's now 7:30 at night -- 8 hours after I started writing this. Ah well. Millie at least took a nice long nap -- 2 1/2 hours! -- so I was able to work on this a bit as well as do some online shopping for the house while alternating between snuggling and feeding Merrill. I'm now back on the couch holding a sleeping Merrill while Scott is getting Millie to bed.
To catch up a little more, we really have had a great past three weeks. It was great to have my parents here both before and after Merrill came. Since I worked right up to the time Merrill was born, Millie got to stay with Lainey and Grandpa during the day. This gave everyone time to get to know each others routines and establish some new ones. Millie enjoyed morning computer time with Grandpa who introduced her to Purble Place and Sesame Street Online as well as a morning walk with Lainey. My summer schedule allowed me to get home in the early afternoon and spend time with everyone too. By the time Thursday came and it was time to go to the hospital, we were able to treat it like any other day and not disrupt Millie's routine.
Things continued to be smooth after we got home from the hospital, we just added one more little person to the fun. Having my parents here and Scott home for a couple of days allowed me to get some rest, continue to get to know Merrill and spend time with Millie too.
In Merrill's first week home she went to the mall, out to eat a couple of times and to the aquarium! She was a perfect little baby for all of her outings. Since then she's added in several trips to doctors/hospitals for various things and of course the grocery store.
Last week was my first week as a stay-at-home-mom of two. As would be expected there were a few moments here and there that were a bit sticky, but overall, we all adjusted very well. We've kept a good morning routine -- keeping computer time and our walk (weather permitting). Naps have been good for everyone -- even I have been able to grab one a few times. Afternoons have been a little harder. I've hesitated to take the girls out on my own yet, and by afternoon, Millie really does need to get out and move a bit. Something to work on when we get to St. Louis. It will be easier to get both girls out when Merrill is just a little bigger. Millie did get to go to Stephie's a couple of times last week when Merrill had appointments and she will go again for the next couple if days so we can get ready for the move. It's nice for her to be able to see her friends again -- they really missed her the 2 weeks she was gone! Leo had LOTS of hugs for her. It's going to be sad to have to take that away from her, though I know she will make new friends. This week we've added having Scott work from home to the mix. He's been working in the basement, but comes up periodically for coffee and bathroom breaks. It's been a little confusing for Millie as to why he can't stop and play, but we're working through that too.
We've been talking about the move a lot and the new house in the hopes that we have a smooth transition. Today we asked Millie where we were moving to and she said "St. Louis" (though it wasn't articulated perfectly, we definitely knew what she was saying). So, at least some of it is getting through. It's really hard to believe that we are just days away from moving. We've been talking about and planning this for over 9 months now and there have been so many stages to making it happen along the way that to have it finally here is a little surreal. Exciting, but surreal. I'll spend tomorrow packing up the things we will need with us on our trip and organizing the house a little, Wednesday the packers come and Thursday the truck will be loaded. As soon as the truck pulls out, we will be on our way. We've got our trip planned out as best we can and are hoping to be able to drive in 3-4 hour stretches with only brief stops (but making longer stops between each 3-4 hour stretch). We're packing lots of healthy snacks and a duffel bag full of new toys to entertain Millie, and of course, a healthy sense of humor to get us through! We plan on arriving at my parents house sometime Saturday night. We are looking forward to a stopover in Indianapolis to visit my cousin Ben and his family Saturday afternoon. It will be nice to visit with Ben and Leslie and it will give Millie a chance to play with some kids instead of just mommy and daddy :). She loved hanging out with Grace in April when we were home for Lauren's wedding shower, so I'm sure she will have a good time.
Speaking of Lauren -- the wedding is the next big event on the docket after we move! Just a little over a month after we get there, Lauren and Jason will be headed down the aisle. I'm so glad that we will be there for every single moment from here on out. I'll finally be able to lend a little sisterly support in person :).
And that pretty much sums things up ;). I'll post more pictures soon. Merrill is getting bigger day by day. She had her 2 week check-up last Friday and was 7 pounds 3 1/2 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long. She's tracking pretty close to Millie who was 7 pounds 2 ounces and 20 3/4 inches long at her 2 week check-up. I was surprised that Merrill has about caught up to Millie in her length given that she was a full inch shorter when she was born... I'm so curious to see who these two little girls are going to turn into when they get bigger -- who they will look like, if they will look like each other, who will be taller, what their personalities will be, etc. We are doing our best not to compare the girls or to start giving them labels -- we just want them each to be who they are without us making them into something because of our own self-fulling prophesies. I know that they are both sweet and happy little girls and I can only hope that they will grow into sweet and happy young women (well, hope and provide them with a loving and secure family life). Everyday is a new adventure with my girls and I have a feeling they are going to teach me a lot in the coming years. I can't wait :).
Monday, July 27, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
2 Weeks
I can't believe it's been two weeks already since we were blessed with Merrill's arrival. Obviously I'm finding it much harder to blog with two children than I did with just one. But fear not, we are still taking lots of pictures and videos and we are all doing great. I have lots of blog posts written in my head, I just haven't had the energy or the hands to type them out ;). Soon though. I'm having a fabulous time with my two little girls and am a little in awe that this is my new life!
I can't believe it's been two weeks already since we were blessed with Merrill's arrival. Obviously I'm finding it much harder to blog with two children than I did with just one. But fear not, we are still taking lots of pictures and videos and we are all doing great. I have lots of blog posts written in my head, I just haven't had the energy or the hands to type them out ;). Soon though. I'm having a fabulous time with my two little girls and am a little in awe that this is my new life!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
One Week
A quick one week update from Daddy (Mommy has not lost her one handed typing skills, but a whole blog post would be a big much - she will return to blogging soon). Merrill has been with us for a whole week!! Obviously we think she is pretty great! She saw the doctor on Monday and Wednesday this week. On Monday she was 6 lbs 5 oz (above her 6lbs 3 oz birth weight!!) and on Wednesday she was 6 lbs 8 oz. So she is really doing great eating wise. She also seems to be pretty mellow overall. There have been a few fussy moments, but isn't that true for all of us? She seems pretty strong and we have to be careful that she doesn't whip her head around too fast. Her hair is pretty crazy and sticks up with some curl to it. It will be interesting to see if it stays.
Millie is adjusting pretty well - she obviously loves her sister and likes to give her little pats and hugs and kisses. Not so sure she is crazy about sharing mommy though. We have had some diaper revolutions and some crabby late night/early morning struggles, but overall Millie has really been great. It would not be realistic to expect her not to have a little trouble with this big change. Having Grandpa and Lainey here really helps too since Daddy is back to work. And only 2 weeks until the big move!
Auntie Lolo sent Merrill a gift that included a cute little romper. We went to the mall on Tuesday and picked out the exact same romper for Millie the same day we got the package (but before the package came). Shannon had her eye on this outfit for awhile and it finally went on sale, but they only had it in Millie's size. Shannon contends that she doesn't plan on dressing the girls alike all the time, but the results are ridiculously cute....
A quick one week update from Daddy (Mommy has not lost her one handed typing skills, but a whole blog post would be a big much - she will return to blogging soon). Merrill has been with us for a whole week!! Obviously we think she is pretty great! She saw the doctor on Monday and Wednesday this week. On Monday she was 6 lbs 5 oz (above her 6lbs 3 oz birth weight!!) and on Wednesday she was 6 lbs 8 oz. So she is really doing great eating wise. She also seems to be pretty mellow overall. There have been a few fussy moments, but isn't that true for all of us? She seems pretty strong and we have to be careful that she doesn't whip her head around too fast. Her hair is pretty crazy and sticks up with some curl to it. It will be interesting to see if it stays.
Millie is adjusting pretty well - she obviously loves her sister and likes to give her little pats and hugs and kisses. Not so sure she is crazy about sharing mommy though. We have had some diaper revolutions and some crabby late night/early morning struggles, but overall Millie has really been great. It would not be realistic to expect her not to have a little trouble with this big change. Having Grandpa and Lainey here really helps too since Daddy is back to work. And only 2 weeks until the big move!
Auntie Lolo sent Merrill a gift that included a cute little romper. We went to the mall on Tuesday and picked out the exact same romper for Millie the same day we got the package (but before the package came). Shannon had her eye on this outfit for awhile and it finally went on sale, but they only had it in Millie's size. Shannon contends that she doesn't plan on dressing the girls alike all the time, but the results are ridiculously cute....
Sunday, July 12, 2009
The Name Game
We have gotten so many wonderful and positive comments on Merrill's name that I thought I would explain the background in case you were wondering. Merrill was my grandfather's first name (Merrill George), is my Dad's middle name (David Merrill), and is also my middle name. So there is a tradition there and I wanted to use the name for a 4th generation. Also my grandfather was the nicest, most laid back person. I don't think I ever heard anyone say anything bad about him. So to name a child after him felt great too. If we had had a boy, we would have used it as the middle name again. But we found we really liked it as a first name for a girl. It is a uni-sex name, even though it isn't spelled the same as other female versions (such as Meryl Streep). We have also thought about shortening it to "Merri" as a nickname (which is the same reason we would not use it for a boy name!).
The middle name, "Grace" has a story behind it as well as Shannon's Grandma Babe's maiden name was Grace. Grandma Babe was such a delightful person as well and Shannon always loved the name, so it was a no-brainer for the middle name. We thought it sounded really nice with Merrill as well. And Merrill now will always have something in common with her cousin Gracie!
So we are very happy that we able to honor both sides of the family and two beloved grandparents with this baby. We hope that Merrill will get a good mix of Great Grandpa Merrill's easygoing style and Grandma Babe's love of parties!!
We have gotten so many wonderful and positive comments on Merrill's name that I thought I would explain the background in case you were wondering. Merrill was my grandfather's first name (Merrill George), is my Dad's middle name (David Merrill), and is also my middle name. So there is a tradition there and I wanted to use the name for a 4th generation. Also my grandfather was the nicest, most laid back person. I don't think I ever heard anyone say anything bad about him. So to name a child after him felt great too. If we had had a boy, we would have used it as the middle name again. But we found we really liked it as a first name for a girl. It is a uni-sex name, even though it isn't spelled the same as other female versions (such as Meryl Streep). We have also thought about shortening it to "Merri" as a nickname (which is the same reason we would not use it for a boy name!).
The middle name, "Grace" has a story behind it as well as Shannon's Grandma Babe's maiden name was Grace. Grandma Babe was such a delightful person as well and Shannon always loved the name, so it was a no-brainer for the middle name. We thought it sounded really nice with Merrill as well. And Merrill now will always have something in common with her cousin Gracie!
So we are very happy that we able to honor both sides of the family and two beloved grandparents with this baby. We hope that Merrill will get a good mix of Great Grandpa Merrill's easygoing style and Grandma Babe's love of parties!!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
And Then There Were Four:
The first few days of life and random tidbits...
When we last talked to you, Merrill had just joined us. Later that day she had some special visitors - Liz, Lainey, Grandpa, and her big sister! We have been telling Millie that we were bringing a baby home from the hospital and she finally got to meet her. We are not sure how much she really understood, but when she got to the hospital she pointed and said "Baby!" and immediately wanted to check her out. She checked her out and pointed out that Merrill had her nose, eyes, ears, and hands. And then she just wanted to hold her and give her hugs and kisses. She was really sweet - we just have to remind her to be gentle. She is not quite old enough to understand how fragile a newborn is or what "gentle" means, but she's a fast learner. It is definitely hard to believe how big Millie is getting - she is still a little peanut, but not when compared to a new little peanut!
Merrill took to feeding right away and proved to be a good eater and sleeper. Mommy will have a bit more to say about that and the delivery later on. Daddy missed the first 2 nights since Millie needed him at home. She has been great for Lainey and Grandpa (we are extremely proud of her) but she is pretty picky about bedtime so Mommy and Daddy split up for baby duty. I was sad to leave Mommy by herself, but I knew she would be fine and that we needed to be there for Millie too.
Today, after a couple of days at Norwalk Hospital, we got the heck out of there. Merrill gave a displeased grimace getting in the car but then relaxed and slept the whole way home. Millie was very excited to see her sister and gave her more hugs and kisses. After about an hour of getting re-acquainted, we got Millie down for her nap and then all 4 of us had a family nap. It was awesome... We spent the rest of the day hanging out and grilling out. Shannon and Millie had some good playtime catching up and Grandpa and Daddy took Millie to the library to play. It was such a nice day!
We seem to all be adjusting pretty well so far, but we will see how the first night at home goes. It is great to have everyone under the same roof. Next up - moving to St. Louis! Less than 3 weeks away - we are ready, lets go!!
You can see more pictures by going to this link:
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027422&id=1383895520&l=28586082d5
We put Merrill in Millie's cow PJs (that's Millie on the bottom). Millie is about a week older than Merrill in these pictures, but they look pretty much like sisters! You can't see Merrill's hair in this picture that well, but she seems to have Daddy's skin tone. Funny how they both fit in the preemie size PJs!
The first few days of life and random tidbits...
When we last talked to you, Merrill had just joined us. Later that day she had some special visitors - Liz, Lainey, Grandpa, and her big sister! We have been telling Millie that we were bringing a baby home from the hospital and she finally got to meet her. We are not sure how much she really understood, but when she got to the hospital she pointed and said "Baby!" and immediately wanted to check her out. She checked her out and pointed out that Merrill had her nose, eyes, ears, and hands. And then she just wanted to hold her and give her hugs and kisses. She was really sweet - we just have to remind her to be gentle. She is not quite old enough to understand how fragile a newborn is or what "gentle" means, but she's a fast learner. It is definitely hard to believe how big Millie is getting - she is still a little peanut, but not when compared to a new little peanut!
Merrill took to feeding right away and proved to be a good eater and sleeper. Mommy will have a bit more to say about that and the delivery later on. Daddy missed the first 2 nights since Millie needed him at home. She has been great for Lainey and Grandpa (we are extremely proud of her) but she is pretty picky about bedtime so Mommy and Daddy split up for baby duty. I was sad to leave Mommy by herself, but I knew she would be fine and that we needed to be there for Millie too.
Today, after a couple of days at Norwalk Hospital, we got the heck out of there. Merrill gave a displeased grimace getting in the car but then relaxed and slept the whole way home. Millie was very excited to see her sister and gave her more hugs and kisses. After about an hour of getting re-acquainted, we got Millie down for her nap and then all 4 of us had a family nap. It was awesome... We spent the rest of the day hanging out and grilling out. Shannon and Millie had some good playtime catching up and Grandpa and Daddy took Millie to the library to play. It was such a nice day!
We seem to all be adjusting pretty well so far, but we will see how the first night at home goes. It is great to have everyone under the same roof. Next up - moving to St. Louis! Less than 3 weeks away - we are ready, lets go!!
You can see more pictures by going to this link:
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027422&id=1383895520&l=28586082d5
We put Merrill in Millie's cow PJs (that's Millie on the bottom). Millie is about a week older than Merrill in these pictures, but they look pretty much like sisters! You can't see Merrill's hair in this picture that well, but she seems to have Daddy's skin tone. Funny how they both fit in the preemie size PJs!
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Hello World! Merrill is here!
Hey everybody, Merrill Grace Reithel was born today at 8:55 am! She came in at 6 lbs. 3 oz and 18 inches. (Funny side note: Millie was 6 lbs. 4oz and 19 inches...) Shannon did great - all natural and no drugs! It helped that we got to the hospital around 7 and about 2 hours later we had a new baby. She had the cord wrapped around her neck and was a bit pale so we had to hang out in the intensive care unit for awhile, but all is well. Mommy and baby are doing great and we are looking forward for her to meet her big sister!
We are at the Norwalk Hospital, in Room 428 of the Childbirth Center. The address is Maple Street, Norwalk, CT 06856. (No street number). You can reach us at 203-722-9181 or 203-722-9196.
Hey everybody, Merrill Grace Reithel was born today at 8:55 am! She came in at 6 lbs. 3 oz and 18 inches. (Funny side note: Millie was 6 lbs. 4oz and 19 inches...) Shannon did great - all natural and no drugs! It helped that we got to the hospital around 7 and about 2 hours later we had a new baby. She had the cord wrapped around her neck and was a bit pale so we had to hang out in the intensive care unit for awhile, but all is well. Mommy and baby are doing great and we are looking forward for her to meet her big sister!
We are at the Norwalk Hospital, in Room 428 of the Childbirth Center. The address is Maple Street, Norwalk, CT 06856. (No street number). You can reach us at 203-722-9181 or 203-722-9196.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Brief Update
Not much to report on the baby front, still waiting for things to happen. Here are some more pictures of our weekend fun with Christian. That's about all I can muster for the night ;). More to come in the next few days, hopefully with an introduction to our newest member of the family!
Millie styling Christian's hair :)
Playing in the water table
Playing ball with the boys
Looking pretty in her ladybug dress
Playing the guitar with Daddy and Christian
Making friends at the beach
Not much to report on the baby front, still waiting for things to happen. Here are some more pictures of our weekend fun with Christian. That's about all I can muster for the night ;). More to come in the next few days, hopefully with an introduction to our newest member of the family!
Millie styling Christian's hair :)
Playing in the water table
Playing ball with the boys
Looking pretty in her ladybug dress
Playing the guitar with Daddy and Christian
Making friends at the beach
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
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