Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Catching up

One-ish month

OK, OK... it's been a million and one years since I've updated the blog. My goodness, to get the time to sit here and write -- let alone post pictures. Here's something I started to write a few weeks ago.

So much has happened since then - but I am going to try to write, post pics and get back in gear in the next couple of weeks. I promi-- er-- I will try.

Written 8/12 (but never posted)
Oh goodness, how time flies. At the last update, we had just returned from a visit out east and now we are just returning from a visit out west. But, before we get to all that -- a little update on the progress of Nora...

We went in for her 1 month check-up on July 28. She weighed 8lbs 12 oz! Wow. That seems like a lot! But as I sit here, watching her rock away in her swing chair, I imagine the next time we go in she'll be well over 10. I keep threatening to take her in the produce section and use the vegetable scale -- but I have not done that just yet. She seems huge to me. I look back at the pictures of the first days and she seems like a whole different person.

She's absolutely wonderful. She is very alert and calm and only fussy if I'm busy and trying to push off a feeding for one reason or another. She smiles with her eyes and her heart -- her lips are just trying to catch up, she's getting there. She has done so well in all of our travels. She nurses and snoozes and dirties a diaper or two -- but she doesn't fuss or cry too much. She'll have another go at it in a few more weeks as we travel back out to DC for Labor Day weekend.

The sleep deprivation seems to have certain interesting side effects, but overall, we have managed just fine. Jamie is working so hard between his two jobs. We miss him terribly when he goes to work in the morning and are so excited when that dinner bell rings. He's the best daddy in the world. He has very little time to himself, but seems to have all the time in the world for Nora.

Nora's favorite pillow

My own return date to work remains uncertain - mostly because I don't want to think about it. It makes me weepy. I will have to go back some day soon, but hope that I can work out my schedule with grammy, so Nora can stay close by.

Last week we had the whole family from California in town. It was a whirlwind of a week. Each day was packed with activities and meals and lots of arms around Nora. We went to a Twins game, out to Lake Minnetonka, to the Mall of America. She is going to need to get up to speed in order to keep up with the her big cousins Keara and Noelle. She was well taken care of though. Outside of sitting in her car seat for trips, she spent the majority of the week being passed from one person to the next. She loved every minute of it.

Go Twins!

Last Friday, we all (Jamie, Nora, me and the whole CA Rutz family) boarded a flight bound for LAX and on Sunday, Nora attended her first wedding! It was a lovely weekend in LA. They are having a record breaking cool summer there.

Nora's first wedding


OK - Flash forward, again - we've hit the two month mark!

Two Months!

Nora's visit to the doctor last week was quite traumatic. First, she weighed in at 10lbs 6oz and measured a whopping 22 inches long. She's growing out of her clothes daily. At the end of the visit, Nora received 3 shots in the leg. She screamed, but only for a minute or two (long enough for me to snap a photo on my phone - mean, I know). She was all well and fine for a few hours, until her leg became inflamed and oh so painful. Poor thing screamed from about 5pm - 9pm that evening. I was all alone. Jamie was working at the fair. Grammy was tied up with a work function and Aunt Carrie was at the fair. Grammy finally came to the rescue just before 9, she had basically screamed herself into exhaustion. She slept through the night -- until about 7 am the next morning. It was a tough weekend, she was tired and cranky -- but we made it through.
sweet and clean after bath time

I am going to sign off now so I can start the arduous task of posting pictures along with this entry. They may be somewhat scattered and out of order. That is just how I roll, these days. Perhaps this will teach me to stay on top of this thing.
Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Love to you all!

Patty, Jamie & Nora