Doctor Day!

Today was a big doctor day for Lauren and Mommy! We started our morning early (as usual around here) and everyone got fed and dressed for the day. Connie came over at 10:00 to spend the day with Will. Lauren and I went to the pediatrician at 10:45 and she is doing great. She now weighs 7 lbs 13 oz and she is 20.25 inches long. She's up 7 oz and 2 inches from her birth weight. I had some questions for the doctor because she's been having a hard time sleeping at night. It turns out that Lauren has a minor case of reflux (that explains the not wanting to sleep lying flat!). Dr. Hosinski gave me some pointers on how to deal with this and hopefully we can have some sleepy nights!

We came home for lunch and Connie and Will had made pizza! Will had a great time sprinkling the cheese on the pizza and watching it in the oven! He even served us! After my lunch, I fed Lauren and headed off to see Dr. Looff. I'm doing great and my incision has healed very well. I go back in 4 weeks. Dr. Looff got to hold Lauren and see how well she is doing, too. I'm guessing that's one of his favorite parts of his job - seeing happy and healthy babies! I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful doctor. Overall, it was a great day and, well, I'm ready for a nap!

Birthday Weekend

Happy 60th Birthday DAD! This weekend we celebrated my dad's 60th birthday. His birthday was on Thursday and he flew up to see Will and Lauren on Friday. We had a big dinner and his favorite "Patty Cake" for dessert that night. His favorite present was his new granddaughter, Lauren. In fact, he's downstairs right now holding her. Today dad took Will out to play in the snow. They had a great time together and Will actually enjoyed the snow today. He usually just stands there and tells me that he's cold. Today he was playing in the snow and getting all "dirty." It was great! Lauren is doing well. She still likes to sleep a lot, but when she's awake she's lots of fun. She's been to the mall already (a big surprise) and she enjoyed shopping with her mama! Her doctor visit went great and she is almost back to her birth weight. We go back to the doctor on Tuesday, so you can check back then to read her new stats. As of last Monday, she was 7 lbs 1 oz and her jaundice was completely gone. I was happy to hear of her weight gain because she struggled a bit with nursing over our first weekend home. She is now a champ at nursing and I can tell that she has gained weight this week! Will is doing great with his new sister. He has had a couple of "two year old" moments, but for the most part he's been perfect! We'll see what happens when mom leaves and he doesn't get extra attention all the time. I'm expecting that there will be some frustrating moments, but overall he'll do great. He seems to understand that nursing Lauren restricts our playing choices, but I'm thankful that he loves to read. I've mastered the art of nursing and reading books to a two year old and I'm working on the art of nursing and taking him potty (he can't climb up onto the potty seat by himself, yet). Every day is a learning experience!

Chef Will

Will made Valentine Cookies Tuesday night. Joe and I went out to dinner for Valentine's Day and my mom watched the kids for the evening. Will and Grandma made cookies together that night. When Joe and I came home, Will was so excited for all of us to eat the cookies together. He served us cookies and told us all about how he made them. He wore his little chef's hat and apron, too. He was so excited about wearing his special baking clothes. Here are some pictures of Will decorating his cookies.

We're Home

We came home on Friday and we've been so happy ever since we got here! Lauren loves to be home and Will is so happy to have his mommy and daddy home, too! Grandma is here to help out and she's been such a blessing. We gave Lauren her first bath last night. She didn't like being cold, but she slept very well last night! Here are some pictures.

Will and Lauren

Our two children are doing great! Lauren is settling into a good routine.... she likes to eat every 2 to three hours and it takes her about an hour to eat. She eats half of her meal, takes a little nap, then eats the other half of her meal. It's strange, but it's what she likes to do! She is a content baby (so far!) and only cries if she needs something. We're starting to learn her likes and dislikes and we've found out that she's not very patient when it comes to food.

Will spent the morning playing at home while Grandma finished up the laundry and cleaned a little around the house. Grandma and Will brought us lunch and Will got to spend some time with Lauren. Lauren was crying and she needed her pacifier, so Will went and got it for us. We lifted him up onto the bed and he held it in her mouth. Lauren was just staring at him and instantly stopped crying. She really likes her big brother. Here's a cute picture of them!

We get to go home tomorrow! I'm excited to get home and sleep in my own bed and be able to play with both of my kids at the same time. Will has adjusted really well and I think he's looking forward to everyone being home.

Lauren Anne Stone

She's here! Lauren was born at 7:57 am on Tuesday, February 6, 2007. She is 7 pounds and 6 ounces and 18.25 inches long. She has beautiful red hair and blue eyes. She came out screaming..... but she is sleeping well now. She is an excellent nurser and likes to make little grunting sounds while she sleeps. Will loves his little sister and he has already held her, read her a book, and kissed her. Will is doing great today and he had a great time with Nonnie this morning eating at Cracker Barrel. He just left the hospital to take his nap. Here are some pictures of our new addition.