One Week Update

Dear Lana,

You turn one week old today and I’m amazed at how the time has flown. I can hardly believe that this time last week I was meeting you for the very first time. Your birth was a whirlwind and completely different experience than what I imagined. Despite all my worrying and kidding about growing you in a bubble, I wouldn’t change a thing about the way you came into this world.

Since bringing you home, your father and I have delighted in getting to know you and learning to recognize your signals for hunger, displeasure, and utter contentment. You only occasionally work yourself into a crying frenzy – mostly when we change your clothes or fail to get a bottle in your mouth fast enough. When you start to calm down you make the most adorable mews that sound exactly like, “Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh.” It sounds like you are providing directions and assuring us that we are finally doing the right thing to make you happy.

You make a ridiculously cute purring/snoring sound when you fall asleep in someone’s arms and you get the hiccups at least once a day, just like in the womb. You really enjoy breast milk, but you have absolutely no use for boobies and prefer a more sophisticated delivery method like an Avent bottle.

You also have an odd habit of getting extremely angry during some feedings and shaking your head violently. You’ll plant your fist firmly in your mouth and become enraged at the suggestion that you should finish your bottle rather than wail and eat your bib. We’ve been told that you do this because you are gassy, but you stubbornly refuse to burp for us on all but a few special occasions. When you do finally rip a belch, your father and I cheer like you’ve just won Wimbledon or earned a scholarship to Harvard.

Speaking of your father, how awesome is your Daddy? I knew he would be wonderful with you, but I still marvel at the way he learned to care for you during our short stay in the hospital and looked after you when I was unable to get out of bed. He is a diapering pro and has a knack for calming you and rocking you to sleep when you will do nothing but squirm and cry with me. I placed you in your sleep positioner beside him in the bed early one morning while I got your bottle ready and returned to find him curled up next to you with your tiny hand stroking his face. Seeing the two of you together constantly brings me to tears.

You have also gotten to know your grandparents in the past week, particularly your Granny Teresa who graciously spent day and night with us while we settled in at home. It is a huge relief for us to have family that we can trust to care for you and support us during this exciting and sometimes scary time.

All in all, it has been a week of extreme highs, occasional lows, and constant surprises. Happy One Week Birthday, Lana. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us next week.

Love,

Mom