Two weeks

Dear Jorie,

Monday you turned two weeks old! Oh baby girl, I can't believe it's been two weeks already. It feels both like you just got here, and like you've always been a part of my life. Every day with you is amazing. You grow and change every day.

Now that I can drive again, we've been going on mini adventures, we went shopping at Wegmans by ourselves on Monday, and made a quick trip to get some baby stuff on Tuesday. Today I'm going to take you over to your grandparents (my parents) so we can wash all the new stuff.

Last weekend your father and I walked with you and Mojo up to Highland Park, and you got to hang out in the grass for a bit. You spent a lot of time taking in the outdoor world with your big blue (for now) eyes. (I can't wait to see what color your eyes settle on!)

We gave you your second bath last night, and it went pretty much the same as the first one. You like the bath, but hate being cold after the bath! Even wrapped up in a towel and snuggled up against us you were fussy and unhappy until you were completely dry (and fed!)

Last night we had our weekly dinner at your other Grandparents (your Dad's parents), and everyone got to hold you. Your Uncle Mike fell asleep holding you, it was really cute! Everyone is so in love with you, baby girl, they keep saying how beautiful you are. Your Aunt Becky (who will be having a baby of her own in six months) looked so happy holding you. It's great to having such a loving family around, you eat up all the attention, you even stayed awake for a while so everyone could ooh and ahh over your eyes.

This morning I put you in the Baby Carrier and walked down to get coffee with you. As soon as I started walking, you fell asleep. You really seem to enjoy being carried in the carrier.

So far right now you can lift your head, and roll from side to side. You even rolled from your front to your back once! You don't sleep through the night yet, but you do give me a few good four hour stretches of sleep every now and then, usually you give me a nice long stretch of sleep after your father leaves for work.

Don't get too big too fast baby girl, I don't want to miss anything! I love you.

One week

Dear Jorie,

Yesterday you turned one week old. I know I've been remiss about writing letters to you here, but it's been an amazing week. Both me and your Father are completely, overwhelmingly in love with you. Your Father complains every day he has to go to work that he misses you while he's gone.

You are a wonder. You can already hold your head up for a bit, and are amazingly strong. Your Father calls you his wiggle worm. When you open your eyes, which you don't do very often yet, they are huge and blue. We'll see if you keep the blue. You have a head full of dark brown hair, and long lashes. You are so amazingly beautiful.

Right now you are lying in your bassinet, making soft noises and kicking your feet around. You seem perfectly content to just stare at the world around you.

I suppose I should write about your birth, before the details become even more fuzzy in my head. On Sunday the 10th, we went in to start the induction. They gave me the first pill to soften my cervix and hooked me up to the monitor. After four hours they found that I had progressed too far to give me another pill, and everyone started thinking that you would be born sometime early in the morning. I wasn't really feeling the contractions very strongly, and I think I started to get a little cocky about it. Around 3 or 4 am I was really tired, so I asked for some pain medication to help me sleep. It worked and I was out cold soon after they gave it to me.

Unfortunately, that stopped my labor in it's tracks, so when they woke me up around 7:30 Monday Morning, things weren't moving very fast. Even with a pitocin drip, my labor was moving very slowly, until around 3 in the afternoon, when they decided to break my water to get things moving.

Almost as soon as they broke my water, I started having strong contractions. Not too long afterwards, the contractions were so strong, so painful, that I asked for the epidural. Your Father was wonderful through all of this. Holding me, calming me down, letting me lean on him. The epidural was able to take my pain away, and allowed me to focus on the rest of the birth.

You got stuck turning the corner under my pelvis, and they were worried about your heart rate, after each contraction it would plummet and then sky rocket. So we opted to use a little bit of suction to help you round that corner. As soon as you got past that corner, you came very fast, maybe four or five pushes and you were out. I heard you cry once or twice, and then they put you on my chest. You looked up at me with those big wide eyes and kinda stole my heart. Your father cut your cord, and then they had to take you for measurements and tests. You were 6 lbs. 5 oz. and 21 inches long.

You were a little Jaundiced, so we had to make an appointment to see your Pediatrician the day after we got out of the Hospital. You gave us a good scare at that first appointment, as they told us you had lost 10% of your body weight. I have never been more afraid than I was then. Fortunately, you gained the weight back like a champ, and by your one week birthday, you were back up to birth weight.

I wish I hadn't gotten sick a few days ago. I feel as if I'm not fully appreciating this wonderful time with you, because I'm too busy blowing my nose.

I love you baby girl.

38 Weeks

Dear Jorie,

This will be the last letter I write to you before I meet you face to face. Today, at my weekly OB appointment, I was scheduled for early induction. They are concerned that, because of the Gestational Diabetes, the placenta is starting to tire out and not do it's job very well. That would mean that you aren't getting all the nutrients you need, and waste is not getting cleared well enough. So this Sunday, June 10th, I will go into the hospital to start the induction procedure. Most likely you will be born on Monday June 11th.

I am terrified and excited. I can't wait to hold you in my arms. Your father and I have been frantically getting everything ready for when we bring you home. We even decided to board Mojo for a few days to give us some time to adjust to having you home.

Right now I can feel you kicking and adjusting. Last night we were at a small concert and again you were dancing to the music in there.

I'm sorry this letter is so short, I'm still in shock that you'll be here so soon.

I can't wait to meet you baby girl.