Eyes...

We're not sure what color my eyes will be but Mom and Dad say they look more like Brother's at this stage than like Sister's. So, we're not sure if they will turn blue or brown. Time will tell but here is the first of the photos for documenting the changes.

Flash Cards...

I love my flash cards. This is how Mom is able to get the older kids ready for school in the morning and get her teeth brushed. I will usually stare at them for 10-15 minutes. My brother and sister love selecting the cards for me to view each morning. It's becoming a bit of a ritual.

First Bath...

I was not entirely sure if I was going to like my first bath but once I realized I was floating in warm water it must have sparked some memories and I was instantly calm and happy. I also very much enjoyed watching my older siblings play and splash as I had my soak. 

I had to wait until I was 16 days old to get my bath because after my umbilical stump fell off around Day 6 or 7 I had a granuloma at the site. My nurse practitioner primary care provider Nurse N used some silver nitrate to remove it (I did not feel a thing - no nerves there). Then I had to wait for it to heal. Mom was pretty happy to give me a bath - I must have been getting a little stinky.

Oh, and I really don't like getting out of the warm bath and also do no like sink baths. These are right up there with being in my car seat (really don't like it).

Here are some photos from that first experience.

In the beginning...

Mom and Dad say I came right on time. There was much anticipation in my arrival including family and non-family. In the end, I came exactly when I was ready and at the exact perfect moment. It all worked out.

Here are some photos from my first couple of weeks beginning with my early moments in the hospital including me with Mom's physician, meeting my siblings, and later some time at home. Mom wrote our birth story on the family blog. This blog is where I will post photos. Early on there will be several postings as I seem to change at times almost daily. Later as I grow and my rate of growth slows there will be less and less postings. 

Feel free to enjoy the photos and comment. However, we do not use real names on our blogs so please stick with our screen names. I do not yet have a screen name but in honor of the Berenstain Bears, I will be referred to as Honey Bear or Baby Sister, hence the title of my blog.

A few other items:

I was  born at 5:07 am - about 2 hours after my parents arrived at the hospital. Because Mom was so calm and tolerating her contractions so well the nurse who checked her in did not think she was as progressed in labor as she was. Actually, even Mom and Dad were surprised since I was the first of their children to be born spontaneously without any type of inducement. I came out fast, very pink and healthy (Apgar scores were all 9/9), and roaring.

Mom's physician and the nursing staff caring for us were all intrigued by my cloth diapers. Everyone insisted on touching them and seeing how they worked.The purple one was the very first one put on me. It was actually a rental. 

I weighed 7lbs, 1 oz, and was 20 inches long.

By my 2 day checked up I had lost 10% of my body weight and had to have another weight check 3 days later along with a bilirubin check. By 2 weeks I was back up to my birth weight and even surpassed it weighing in at 7lbs, 5 oz, and gained an inch in length. My head is also in the 50%, length is 75%, and weight about 15-20%. Mom says my head percentile is the largest of all her children which may explain why she is still sore post child birth.

I am quite healthy. Just a little granuloma over my umbilicus site but it should dry up in a couple weeks. I will get my first bath tonight. Brother and Big Sister are VERY excited for this.

I am an excellent nursling. I love my milk - still just drinking nothing but mom's milk about 8-12 times per day. Additionally, I am a pretty good sleeper. Mom and Dad have me on the EASY schedule and cluster feed me in the evenings so I seem to sleep pretty good at night. Occasionally, I have a rough night but mostly that is related to me having multiple dirty diapers. I LOVE to make dirty diapers.

So far I seem to enjoy my family and they REALLY seem to enjoy me. I most like snuggles on the chest and being held close so I can hear a beating heart. I am also starting to really enjoy my contrast flash cards. I will stare at them for several moments and even fall asleep staring at them.

I only have about 5-7 newborn sized outfits so we wash my clothes and diapers a lot, especially since I wet/dirty a lot of diapers. Cloth diapering is going good. They are still a bit big for me, especially around my skinny legs but we are working around it. My Bummis covers with flat diaper inserts seem to work the best but Mom and Dad like the ease of the Bum Genius X-small all-in-one diapers so we use those quite a bit. The latter were rented and will be returned in 2 more months.

Oh, and Mom and Dad seem to agree that I look most like Brother at this stage. Actually, they say I look just like him as a baby, just with girlish features. My eyes may even resemble his color, too. We shall see. For now, enjoy the photos and we will post more as I continue to grow.