5 weeks

Courtlynn is now five weeks old and we are all in love, including our dog Cooper. She is sleeping a little longer at night and we are settling into a routine. Her newest milestone is smiling. She doesn't just randomly smile anymore, but she has opened her eyes and looked right at Steve and myself and given us the biggest smile and even a little laugh. Cuddling is one of her favorite things to do and Cooper is feeling a little left out as he is used to doing most of this.

Three Weeks

So now we are three weeks old. We have laughed, and we have cried. Now for Courtlynn. She is continuing to grow and gain weight. We know this because she loves to eat, and my arms are getting tired quicker when holding her. Also, one of our recent visits to the Pediatrician had Courtlynn measuring in the 60% on weight and 80% in length. I say recent visits because we havn't exactly been healthy. Courtlynn has had an upper respiratory infection over the last week which unfortunately turned into croup. Including this visit, we have had six visits in the last two and a half weeks. Now that we have some steroids on board we are doing a ton better and can now breath. Enjoy the new pics.

Visitors

Over the last few weeks we have had several visitors. Honorary grandparents John and Judy Hawkins stopped by along with long time friends Ben and Marissa Kasdan. Courtlynn has also had time to get to know her aunt and uncle, Matt and Marilee, along with cousin Noah Jakob (noahjakob.blogspot.com). Also hanging out for a little cuddle time was Papa Ron and Nana Kay. Courtlynn has been so excited to visit all these new people in her life.

Getting cuter by the day

So I've been making the rounds. I have been able to meet both of my Great Grandmothers. It was fun. We just hung out. I asked my daddy to post some recent pictures so you can all watch me grow. Enjoy.

Who said anything about sleep?

I know hat I am falling behind on the blog updates, but you try to do this, take care of your wife after a major abdominal surgery, and a newborn baby. So, one week down. Has it already been a week? It is astonishing how fast time flies. I know that everyone says that you need to cherish these moments because they come and go so quickly, but is amazing how true that is.
Here is the update that you all wanted. Mom (Shelley) is doing great. She is up and about and slowly adding to her motherly duties each day. I still am changing about 90% of the diapers, but I am sure that that number will soon be inverted. Courtlynn is also doing great. She is still adapting to her new environment and luckily for us sleeping great. I will add that she does have a great pair of lungs on her.
But what about the sleep. They say that you should sleep when the baby sleeps, but that is virtually impossible. There is too much to do. Shelley is trying this and still is tired. I guess that I can wait eighteen years to catch up. Till next time.

And Then She Was--Day One

Courtlynn finally decided she wanted to meet all of her new friends and family, and she didn't waste any time. These pics were taken during the course of her first day. As you can tell from a few of the pics, she slept better than we did. but my favorite is the bright eyed, smiling picture that she gave for us all. This one was taken while she was being held by Grandma Pharris. I was talking to her last night and she told me that she was planning on staying in hiding for another three to four weeks before the grand reveal. Shelley and I appreciate all the prayers and well wishes during our exceedingly long labor and delivery process.

The New Arrival

These have been the most exciting and exhausting day(s) of our lives. Shelley went into labor officially at about 12:30 on Wednesday morning after having mild contractions for about 8 hours. 21 hours after labor began we were still waiting for our bundle of joy. She was born on February 28, 2007 at 11:01 pm. weighting 8 pounds 9 ounces and 21 inches long. Courtlynn was born by cesarean section and both Mom and baby are doing well. I for one am waiting for my tiredness to catch up to me as I am so overwhelmed with excitement. I will do my best to keep you all up to date. If anyone is thinking of visiting, we just ask that you call me first to find out an appropriate time. My number is 949-706-9656.