Working Girl

Today Caroline entered the wonderful world of working. My boss is very generously allowing me (in fact, it was her suggestion) to bring Caroline to work with me when I need to. I'm going to try to bring her in on Fridays for a bit, since it's generally quiet as a lot of my colleagues are off on this day. With the exception of spilling hot tea down the back of my leg on my way in to the museum this morning (I shoved my travel mug in the side pocket of the diaper bag, which worked out really well until I bent over to put the carseat down), things went well. I actually got quite a bit of work done (cataloged a big stack of books that have been sitting on my desk for months) and didn't let myself get too distracted by all of her smiles and coos. Caroline, on the other hand, is really lacking in the work ethic department. She kept falling asleep on the job.

Weighty Issues

No one was more surprised than I that Caroline came into this world weighing as little as she did. An ultrasound three weeks before she was born estimated her weight at that time to be 7 lbs 5 oz, so we were expecting a butterball, considering she still had three more weeks to plump up even more. In those final weeks of pregnancy I kept telling myself that a good portion of the weight I put on was the baby, though John would argue that it came more from the 35 oz. barrel of cheese balls that took up residence in our house than the baby. I guess he was right, since she was only 6 lbs 9 oz when she was born. When we left the hospital she was down to 6 lbs 3 oz, then at her first doctor appointment a few days later she had lost another ounce.

Well, I am happy to report that she has been steadily going in the other direction since then. At her one month appointment she weighed in at a whopping 7 lbs 15.7 oz. Today I decided to weigh her in a completely unscientific way (i.e. weighing myself then weighing myself holding her and doing the math) and she is almost 9 1/2 pounds! This really shouldn't surprise me, based on the way she has been eating (around the clock), but she is still wearing newborn size clothes so it did catch me off guard. I think most of the weight is in her cheeks and chin(s).

Better Late Than Never

I had every intention of starting this blog as soon as Caroline was born so I could update everyone on her development and day-to-day activities. Well, she turns six weeks tomorrow and I'm just now getting around to writing anything. I've spent the past six weeks in utter bliss, despite the severe lack of sleep and the insecurities of being a parent for the first time. John and I have been getting to know this new little person, discovering her distinct personality (that is already quite apparent even at such a young age), and falling in love with her. Parenthood is just as scary and amazing as everyone told us it would be, and now we can't imagine life without her.

Everyone in our household is adjusting well to the new addition. Kenzie is very protective of Caroline and gets very upset with me when she cries. She loves to sit next to Caroline and me and is constantly trying to give her kisses. She doesn't seem to be too bothered by not being the center of attention, but she makes sure that people still acknowledge her when they come to see the baby. Puss is much less obvious with her affection, as cats generally are. She is mildly curious about this weird little human and tends to keep her distance. I think when Caroline is a little older and is a bit more fun for them they will all get along well.

Even though this blog got off to a late start I promise to make an effort to post updates more often. I just keep getting distracted by you-know-who.