One Week

MONDAY:
On Monday James discovered what real hunger was. He decided that he did not like it, not in the least. He made his opinion known to us, his parents, and we did our best to meet his demands. After eating his fill he flopped onto his daddy to be burped. This is what he looked like after belching to his daddy's and my delight. (In future belching will probably not get the same positive reaction so he should enjoy it now while he can.)

TUESDAY:

After he discovered hunger he must have determined never to feel it again because he went on a feeding frenzy. He ate every hour on the hour for thirty minutes at a time from sometime Tuesday until Wednesday morning. Can we say ouch? Can we say sleep deprivation? So for those of you who may have wondered why I wasn't up to visitors, didn't return calls quickly, and was antisocial in general, now you know.

WEDNESDAY:

Happily, James decided that he was not going to starve and went to a much more reasonable schedule of eating about every two to three hours on Wednesday. We were very ready to leave the hospital at that point.

Daniel packed up the room and I got ready to go. We sat waiting on the bed for the nurse to come in so we could pounce.

"When can we leave?"

"Don't you want to stay for lunch first?" (more on hospital food should be written at a later date)

"No? Well then I'll get your paperwork together and get a wheelchair for you."

We made it home without misshap. I have never seen Daniel drive more carefully. It was cute to see him be so cautious and so light on the brakes and gas. This is not normal but I could definitely get used to it. :)

He dropped us off at the apartment and went to fill my prescription for pain medication. I fed James, again, and we sat down surrounded by my fortress of pillows. I must have completely passed out because the next thing I knew James was gone, Daniel was home, and I was completely disoriented. Daniel had found me sitting upright with my head at a very awkward angle on my chest, asleep. He put James down and knowing I hadn't slept much, left me to sleep. He sat still too long and passed out too. Needless to say we were both exremely disoriented when we woke. James was the only one who was serenely unaffected as I groggily scrambled to piece together exactly what was going on.

That evening Grandma and Grandpa Howell arrived from Virginia. They will be staying to help out and visit through next week. James loves them already.

THURSDAY:

James had his first visit to the pediatrician this Thursday. He got his first shot and as Daddy so eloquently put it "He took it like a man." He didn't cry hardly at all and it's a good thing too. Mama, that's me, was the anxious one as they waited for the nurse to come and it would have been difficult for her if he had been more affected by it. He weighed in at a healthy 8lbs 15oz at the pediatrician's office, apparently having gained half a pound from his last weigh-in at the hospital. It just goes to show that he is a very efficient eater.

Although uncertain about the carseat to begin with, he made peace with it and slept very well in it for a good portion of that day after his visit to the pediatrician.

FRIDAY:

On Friday the weather was beautiful. Spring seems to have arrived with James. The trees are blooming and the grass is a lovely shade of green. We went for a short walk around the apartment clubhouse and pond. James tried out his sling and approved of it by promptly falling asleep for the duration of the walk. I might add that it was a very slow walk as I am more at a shuffle while I heal up from the c-section.

SATURDAY:
Daddy went of various expeditions with Grandma for needed groceries/supplies. Daddy later went with Grandpa to look at electronic gadgets and dream of HD TV's. James and I napped on and off through the day, in between multiple feedings of course.

We also tried to get some good pictures of all three of us together. No real winners so far but we are going to keep trying. It's sort of hard to get all three of us looking in the same sort of direction. Perhaps once we have more of a settled routine for ourselves and aren't so sleep deprived.

Daniel took this one later in the day and it is one of my favorites. Eventually we'll get one with all three of us in it.:)

SUNDAY:
James has been very good to me on this day of rest. I was able to rest for a two hour stretch this afternoon while his daddy and grandpa were at church. It has been nice to listen to the Mormon Tabernacle choir and to reflect on this first week of motherhood, fatherhood, and new life.

We are so blessed.

More Adorable Pictures

Tag...

I'm it. :)

1. Ten years ago: I was finishing up my junior year at Fountain Ft. Carson High School. I was sixteen and was asked to the prom for my first date. I remember all the people at the prom being surprised to see me with makeup, in a dress, dancing, and with a boy. I didn't get out of the library much, I guess.

2. Five things on my "to do" list today: Go to meetings, send out instruments for calibration, contact calibration company, clean out my inbox, train my technicians on test methods.

3. Snacks I enjoy: A bowl of peas, raw carrots, microwaved broccoli, oatmeal, saltines, oranges, lettuce, or a bowl of salted beans (any type).

4. What would I do if I were suddenly a millionaire: Tithe, buy a house, put money away for my children's education/missions, pay off my families' houses, buy my year supply of food storage, set up a fund for medical treatment/expenses for family members, and donate money to the Church's perpetual education fund and humanitarian aid fund. Save the rest.

5. Three bad habits: I stack my clean clothes on top of the dresser for easy access. I pass people on the right when they are stopping to turn left (I picked this one up in Jersey out of self-preservation, I'll have you know.) I interrupt people.

6. Five places I've lived: Wyoming, Kansas, Utah, Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, Brasil, New Jersey.... (okay, so it's more than five)

7. Five jobs I've had: (Most recently, in reverse order) Lab Engineer/Scientist for Bristol Myers-Squibb in Skillman, NJ; Associate Scientist for Church and Dwight, Inc. in Princeton, NJ; Telemarketer for Moneyline, Inc (doing surveys, lest any think less of me!) in Provo, UT; Research Scientist for BYU Chemical Engineering Dept in Provo, UT; Events setup for Wilkinson Center in Provo, UT... and the list goes on.

8. Five things people don't know about me (except my family and a few others): I can write with both hands. I like to sleep on the floor and did so right up until I married Daniel. I was caught eating sticks of butter when I was a toddler (but only once, I'll have you know!). I like to climb trees.

Happy Valentine's (or Our Short History)

I could give a lot of excuses for why I haven't planned anything for Valentine's this year but I won't. I will say, however, that my sister-in-law inspired me with her blog. I have been wracking my brain to think of something that I could do that Daniel would appreciate and that would make a good memory. So I decided to blog about us, basing it off of the survey questions that she had posted.

1. How long have you been together? Two years total. Nine months and three days married life.

2. How old is he? 28

3. How old are you? 26

4. Who eats more? Depends on what we are eating. I win any contest with vegetables.

5. Who said "I love you" first? Daniel

6. Who is taller? Daniel

7. Who sings better? Me, but that's because I practice more. (That may change as Daniel has started to sing primary songs with me around the house.)

8. Who is smarter? Depends on the subject. Daniel is the technology guru and very good with his creative abilities. I am the math, English, and organization. We make a very good team.

9. Who does all the laundry? We usually trade off. It is what gets done by whoever is avoiding doing something they dislike more.

10. Who does the dishes? Mostly me, but Daniel has been doing them a lot more now that I don't bend so well to reach the dishwasher.

11. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? That changes depending on where the bathroom is located. I usually call the side closest to the bathroom.

12. Who pays the bills? Whoever gets them from the mailbox most of the time.

13. Who mows the lawn? No lawn yet.

14. Who cooks dinner? Whoever gets home first usually. Daniel is a fabulous cook. He recently made a very good Minestrone from our food storage goods.

15. Who is more stubborn? Definitely me.

16. Who kissed whom first? Daniel kissed me first.

17. Who asked whom out first? Daniel asked me out first. We had been 'recommended' to each other by a CES missionary and when we finally did meet he suggested we go to IKEA together to look at stuff and eat their Swedish meatballs with Lingenberry Sauce. We ended up going on many other dates before actually making it to IKEA and by then we were holding hands.

18. Who proposed? Daniel.

19. Who is more sensitive? Me.

20. Who has more friends? Daniel.

21. Who has more siblings? Me. I have three brothers and two sisters. Daniel has two older brothers.

22. Who wears the pants in the relationship? We both wear pants. :)

23. Where did you meet your husband? Princeton Institute NJ. Daniel was working for Machineart and I was working for Church and Dwight, Inc.

24. What was the first thing you said to your husband? I don't remember. I think it is in email format somewhere. Something introducing myself... I'll see if I can find the email to attach.

25. Where was the first kiss? We went walking on a nature path near my apartment. We had enjoyed coming there before to catch fireflies and frogs. It was a Sunday and the sun was setting. We stopped on a bridge overlooking a pond and Daniel kissed me. Good memories.

26. Did you have a long or short courtship/engagement? Our first contact/email was in February 2006. We were engaged January 1st 2007 and married on May 11, 2007.

27. Where did you get engaged? Phase one, sometime as we both realized that things were getting serious (around late December-ish). Phase two, at the Quakerbridge Mall soon after purchasing a beautiful engagement ring (Jan. 1) while getting a bite to eat. Phase three, at my apartment after I had my nails done (to properly show the ring), and he proposed (on both knees for effect:)).

28. Where did you get married? In the Washington D.C. Temple.

29. How did the reception go? We had a pre-reception at a friends' house in Montgomery, NJ a few weeks before the wedding. We had a open house the evening of the wedding at Daniel's parents' home in Winchester, VA. Both events went very well. The food was great, the photographer was amazing, and everyone had a good time. Plus, I got to do what I wanted; which was to see my family and friends without the stress I was afraid I would feel.

30. How was the honeymoon? It was a time apart. We went to the Bahamas and had a great time. We discovered that not many people get up to see the sun rise on a cruise ship or go out to see it set. We discovered hammocks in the shade and had fun dreaming about the future. It was idyllic.

:DC: cre bo tcheu