Sleepyhead

Isota slept for a SEVEN hour stretch last night!!!! This is monumental. I woke up for a 5 a.m. feeding and she didn't!

I am learning to smile

...and sometimes I still go cross eyed...

Tummy Time

It's hard to hold that big head up!

We Are Moving

It's official - we are moving to Sacramento in a couple weeks! Sacramento...the land of cheaper rent and free babysitting. (thanks in advance, Mom and Dad!) This is what Isota's room (more like a nook instead of a full room) looks like right now. She'll never remember it but it's cute!  Now I have to go dismantle it and pack it up for the new place.  Moving with a newborn in tow...yep, we are nuts. But very lucky to have such a good and calm baby. She is easy breezy. 

Mom Mom and Pop Pop Come For a Visit

happy family

mom mom

pop pop

musee mechanique

grandma and grandpa

Well, things have been quiet on the posting front because we have had quite a busy week. Joe's parents (known now as Mom Mom and Pop Pop) came out from New Jersey to meet their newest granddaughter and a great time was had by all. We threw a little month-old birthday party for the baby, had a San Francisco adventure at Fisherman's Wharf, Musee Mechanique and the Golden Gate, and drove to Sacramento to hang out with the other set of grandparents too. Most importantly, Sody got to get lots of love and hugs and kisses from Mom Mom and Pop Pop. We miss you already!!

Am I Really A Month Old Already?!

Week in Review

So many firsts this past week! First bottle - sucked down 3 oz. like a champ. First shopping trip with Mom - slept through it, but she got a new coat. Score! First restaurant trip with the lovely LeBoeuf family - again, slept through it. First surprise bouquet of flowers from Dad, who brought some home for Mom too because he is a very smart man. First giant booger popping out of her nose when she sneezed, too - and I think we have officially crossed some sort of Crazy New Parent line because we kept taking pictures of how cute it was. We have lost it, haven't we?

Tomorrow she is four weeks old. Is it weird to feel like she is already growing up fast?

Today's Milestone: Her First Pacifier

If there is one thing we have learned about our little daughter in these past three weeks, it is this: the girl likes to suck. A lot. Apparently she doesn't get enough sucking in with her feedings so we offer up our fingers all day to soothe her. But today we decided to trade in shriveled up wrinkly fingers in favor of letting her try a pacifier. And we think she has a new best friend.

In other news this week: we had her first pediatrician visit. She passed with flying colors, nice clean bill of health, and gaining weight - up to 8 lbs now!

Sody is two weeks old

Two weeks and one day, to be exact. Here is what has happened in her first couple weeks on the planet:

*umbilical cord fell off
*had her first bath - not happy about it
*first diaper rash (hellooooo Desitin!)
*had her first babysitters - Grandma and Grandpa Peterson while Mom and Dad snuck out for lunch
*working very hard at sucking on her own fingers, just can't figure out how to keep them in her mouth yet
*baked her first cake with Mom while sleeping in a sling
*made a trip to Dad's office to get shown off to all the coworkers - slept through the whole thing.

She's heeeeeeere!!

Ok, so I think everybody has already gotten the news but it is time to finally get back to the blog: Baby Girl is here! Isota Louise Finlaw was born Friday January 2 at 5:19 a.m. She was 7 lbs, 7 oz and 20 inches. Totally perfect and adorable and neither Joe or I can believe how in love we are with this tiny girl.
The birth story is one that is all about speed. I woke up with contractions about two minutes apart at 2:30 a.m. Friday. They weren't super strong so I stayed at home on the advice of the labor nurse. They quickly became unbearable and I got Joe up at 4:30, saying something along the lines of "We need to get to the hospital for medication NOW." Arrived at the hospital at 5 a.m., where I was promptly prodded and checked and suddenly whisked off to Delivery because that baby was coming. I distinctly remember being on the bed and thinking, "Crap, I really am not going to get any drugs for this!" But suddenly there I was pushing and about five minutes later we had a baby. It was the most surreal blur of amazing events that I will ever experience.
And then I couldn't stop laughing. The nurse said, "Someone gave her giggle juice!" I just fell instantly in love and instantly into happiness and that's pretty much where we are all still at. (Add in some fairly substantial sleeplessness too, of course...) She rules. We stare at her all day and absolutely cannot believe we did this.

Week 38

Hi folks.  Nothing new to report yet.  I am 38 weeks now (this picture here is a little out of date) so am officially full term. Had a checkup today that was very fast and completely non-eventful...which is good!  "Uneventful" is a good thing for a pregnancy.  I'm not working anymore, just hanging out and playing the waiting game until Baby Girl gets here.  On one hand Joe and I are extremely excited to meet her but we are also trying to enjoy our last moments of peace and quiet and uninterrupted sleep.  My biggest gripe at the moment is how hard it is to roll over in bed.  So if that's my biggest problem so far, I am doing pretty well, right? Two weeks to go.  Have a Merry Christmas, everybody! 

Bring on the Baby Wisdom

December 1st has come and gone and just 4 weeks from now (give or take a few days) Alicia and Joe will officially welcome into the world their new little baby girl. And who could be better prepared? Having an innate knack for loving children, exuberance, creativity, and honed parenting skills, Alicia was always meant to be a mom. Joe, with his vast family experience and caring nature, will undoubtedly do well as a Dad. However, I am sure there are lessons yet to learn when it comes to raising a child. Which is where we come in...

Let's shower Alicia and Joe with wisdom that will help prepare them for the next 18+ years. What unexpected experiences did you have as a new parent during those first few days/weeks/months? What lessons have you learned that you wish you knew then? Any crazy stories or good memories that you want to share with the parents-to-be? Post them below (click where it says 'comments' at the bottom of this message)- as many as you'd like- feeling free to return to this website over the next few weeks to see the messages we have given to Alicia and Joe. 

Thanks for supporting Alicia and Joe as they begin this new, exciting, sometimes crazy journey. 

(*Please email me your name and mailing address so I can send you a little something to say 'thanks!')