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Today is my and Simone's second day on our own. Grandma left this past weekend. Her help these past three weeks was invaluable -- helping with the practical activities of everyday life (cooking, laundry), taking care of Simone, and keeping Mom company! Without Grandma around I try to take showers when E is home, leave the dishes in the sink, am learning how to eat with one hand, and have taken Simone on a couple very short outings to the library and drugstore.

The last few weeks have been an adjustment--particularly the sleep deprivation and divided attention. It's still hard to imagine having the time and energy to do anything substantive...which I will need to do very soon as my report on the PhD survey results from this summer is due at the end of next month!

For now we are still focused on eating, pooping, and sleeping. We're slowly learning Simone's different cries and habits. On the pediatrician's recommendation we are doing two things: 1) letting her sleep as long as she wants; 2) supplementing breast milk with formula 1-2x a day. It turns out she naturally has two really long sleep periods (though I hear patterns can change quickly) for about 4-5 hours, once during the day and once at night. I'm pretty good if I take one nap a day, but sometimes I get too caught up in trying to do other things during her nap times.

Her stats:
At birth: 18", 6 lbs, 10.5 oz
One week: 6 lbs, 1.9 oz
Two weeks: 20" (can they really grow that fast or did someone not measure accurately the first time?), 6 lbs, 12.5 oz. She is definitely filling in her newborn sized clothes more and her face is rounder...her eyes seem bigger, too. Funny, in some lighting her eyes look really light..more than one person has commented on this. But all Asian babies just have brown eyes, right?

Challenges--not letting her get used to falling asleep in our arms; having the motivation to pump as often as I should; finding quality time with E.

Joys--looking deeply into her eyes; watching E interact with her; the three of us lying in bed together (only allowed first thing in the morning!).

Simone pics!

In the sweater Auntie May knit for her:

Just looking cute:

With the cousins closest to her in age, Eshean's kids Maya and Kaden (will Simone be that big, too, in six weeks?!):

In her new chair/rocker...nice to have somewhere where she can just hang out with us:

Her first time wearing a dress (Grandma's last day); Dad couldn't take the hat though:

Lately, she doesn't like her arms swaddled and often sleeps with them up, sometimes straight up like she's riding a roller coaster. :)

What, Dad, you're tired already?!

In other news...

We started subscribing to Netflix...so far we've watched all of Project Runway season one, Grandma requested The Lookout, I Think I Love My Wife, and Dreamgirls, I got Zodiac, and E requested Who Killed the Electric Car (still to be watched).

It's easier to turn on the tv than to really get into a book with these short spurts of time, but I am reading a novel called Gilead by Marilynne Robinson which I really like (so did others--won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2005).

I haven't been scrapbooking but yesterday I did get to put a few photos into her baby book (one of those fill-in-the-blank deals). We've been filling it in a little at a time. I really appreciate that E is taking the time to add to it and enjoy reading his entries. A new friend came over today (so kind--brought over shepherd's pie, lentil soup, and an apple pie) and took a look at it; she's right--it's a good way to get to know us as it has everything from our family tree to favorite things to the story of how we met.

My friend Aras from England visited last week during his whirlwind visit to the U.S. We met ten years ago when my Wheaton friend, Jen, and I lived and worked in London for six months.
We had a big dinner--guests included my old roommate, Angela, my sister, and the friend Aras was staying with. Thanks, Mom, for cooking! The ladies:


p.s. Added a short first-bath video to my last post.