Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins, oh my!

Nina got to meet more of her family this past weekend as Aunt Andrea, Uncle Owen and her 18-month-old cousin Lucia came to visit. Lucia is quite amazing. She runs around and is beginning to say a few words ("shoes!", "duck!", "juice!" - yes everything has an exclamation point), but it is her non-verbal communication that is really cool. She pats the ground next to her if she wants you to sit down. She loves to bring you your shoes and take hers off. She seems to understand most things you say to her and can point out all the people in the room. She was curious about baby Nina ("Bebee!") but mostly she enjoyed breaking in Nina's toys!

At first, Lucia got quite jealous when her mom would hold the baby. She would hold her arms up demanding that Andrea also hold her. Of course as soon as Andrea gave Nina to someone else, Lucia totally lost interest and would scamper off on some other adventure. It was fascinating to see this special mommy bond!

Auntie Andrea holding Nina. Don't let Lucia see!

Uncle Owen, obviously an old pro at this.

Lucia admires her cousin.

She is very helpful in the kitchen!

Getting ready for a bath.

Bundling up the girls for a trip to the mall.

Who says you can't nurse discreetly?

Lucia explores the flower beds. Much more interesting than the shops.

Nina looks forward to future trips to Bloomy's.

How the dads spent the weekend.

Lucia tours Palo Alto in the baby jogger.

Princess of the Universe.

It was a wonderful visit! We miss them so much all already. I am still using the patented soothing techniques that Andrea showed me. They work like a charm on Nina. We look forward to getting the girls together again. I leave you with one final shot ...

aawww!

Slow News Day

Not much to report this week, but here are some lovely pictures of our dear daughter.

Here is a shot of Nina waking up from an afternoon nap. She actually slept in her crib! Well, for about five minutes anyway.

Best of Sunday morning photo shoot.

Enjoying a very warm Saturday in the park.

And finally, here is a movie of Nina .... well not doing much of anything. But why not, we haven't had a movie in awhile.

Click to watch the Movie

1 Month Doctor's Visit

Nina had her 1 month check-up yesterday (actually 5 weeks 5 days). She now weighs 10 lbs 9 oz - up almost 3 lbs from birth. She is 22 inches long and her head is 38 cm. She had her second shot for the Hepatitis B vaccine (the first one she got at the hospital). Dr. Enright said she looked great, and we agree!

All Smiles

Now we are definitely getting smiles! They are so precious and heartwarming.

First Smiles. ~5 1/2 weeks.

Other less glamorous milestones include drooling and crying real tears (so sad!).

Say what?!

Nina does know the best way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon...

Nap time.

1 Month

Yesterday was Nina's one month birthday! We dressed her up and our friends had a party for her. Actually, it was a Superbowl party, but don't tell her that!


She has grown like a weed in the past month. She is about 4 or 5 inches longer than when she was born and definitely has gained weight but we aren't sure how much. Her awake periods are getting longer. After a nap and a feeding, she's awake for an hour or two, generally just looking around and checking out the world. She is starting to gain a little control of her limbs - her arms and legs flail around slightly less, and she can lift her head for a second or two. Mirko claims that she smiles at him every morning, but everyone else thinks it is just gas! She tends to have a fussy period in the late afternoon and evening, but then when she does settle in for the night she'll sleep for stretches of up to four and half hours. Not too bad!

Having her nails done.

Another bath.

Walk with the grandparents.

Visitors

Yesterday, Grandma Vicky and Grandpa Dave came from Houston to visit!

Proud Grandparents!

In other news, Nina seems to be losing some of her newborn hair. Oddly, she has some male-pattern baldness action going on - she is losing it on the top of her head while the sides and back are just fine. She is not to happy about the resulting look...

"Waaaaaaahh!"

Nina's Birth Story

Below is a link to Nina's birth story. It is a detailed and somewhat graphic description of labor and delivery. Likely it is more information than you really wanted to know so proceed with caution.

Well, don't say I didn't warn you ....

Click here to read Nina's Birth Story

Mystery Solved!

I am sure that many of you loyal readers have stayed up nights wondering, "who does Nina look like?". Maria or Mirko? We now have definitive photographic evidence. The black and white photo is Maria when she was just home from the hospital (4 or 5 days old) and the color inset is Nina at 9 days. Remarkable!


Thanks Grandpa Dave!

Self Comfort

Here is a little movie of one of Nina's tricks. This is something she has done since she was first born and it is beyond adorable.

Click here to watch the movie!

And of course no post would be complete without more pictures...

So serious!

Pretty in pink.

Mommy needs some pink, too!

Week 2

We have noticed a few changes in Nina in her second week of life. She is gaining a little weight - her belly is a little wider and she has developed a bit of a double chin. Her eyes are trying hard to focus on things, and sometimes she goes a little cross-eyed in the process. Her umbilical cord stump fell off Monday night (11 days), but the belly button itself is not yet healed. She is awake a little more. Unfortunately that also means more crying and fussing. When she has been awake for awhile, she can't put herself to sleep and likes to be held vertically and carried around the house. And yes, she knows if you try to sit down and just rock her - you must walk!

Last night was our first real sleep (or lack thereof) adventure. After her midnight feeding, she was fussy and crying off and on for the rest of the night. We took turns walking around with her then we would put her down. She would sleep for a few minutes then wake up crying. There was just no comforting her! Of course she tried to make up for it by being extra cute and adorable this morning.

1/17/2007 13 days

Stoll at the Baylands

It has been a dry January here in California. This weekend the air was fairly chilly but the sky was clear and blue. We went for a stroll next to the Bay. There were lots of other families out enjoying the sunshine.

Little Big Foot

We brought Nina Belle home from the hospital one week ago. She is a little angel, and we are blessed that so far everything has gone incredibly smoothly. At first she slept all the time, but now she is starting to have a couple longer awake periods a day (30 min - 1 hr). Nursing has been going extremely well for both baby and mom. At night she wakes a couple times for feedings but easily goes back to sleep. So more or less, we have been getting enough sleep. She loves to be held and loves sleeping cuddled next to us in our bed. Her diaper changing area is next to the mirror, and she is fascinated to look at herself. We try to get out of the house a little each day. She is content to sleep in the car or in the stroller - as long as it is moving!

We are thankful for our friends that have brought us dinners (Maryanne, Maggie & Arnaud, Jane & Tim). Not only has it been of great help to us, but the food has been absolutely delicious!

The sleeping angel.

Tummy time on a blanket made especially for her by Klaudia Levin. Thank you Klaudia!

Little Big Foot

1st Bath

Today Nina had her first bath. Much crying ensued!

click to view movie

I don't think I like this very much.

Hmmm, should I go with straight or curly hair today!?

1st Doctor's Appointment

Yesterday, Nina had her first appointment with her new pediatrician, Dr. Andrea Enright at Palo Alto Medical Foundation. She weighed in at 7lbs 12 oz which is 2 oz over her birth weigh and 7 oz over her weight a day or so after birth. Her height was 20 in and head circumference was 35 cm (love the mixed units). She is a champion nurser and it is reassuring to see that she is growing!

Picture of the day:

1/9/2007. 5 days old.

Few more pictures and a movie!

Here is a movie taken shortly after Nina was born:

Click to view movie

The picture below was taken a few hours later. Nina has just returned from the nursery with Mirko where she had her first bath. Maria just scarfed down a much needed sandwich. (Click on picture for a larger version.)


Here we are on Saturday morning as we leave the hospital. We were really excited to show Nina her new home.

Daddy's girl!

4 days old. Bright eyed after a feeding and short nap.

Introducing Nina Belle

Our beautiful baby girl, Nina Belle, was born on Thursday, January 4 at 2:11pm at Stanford's Lucille Packard Children's Hospital. She weighed 7 lbs 10 oz and measured 19.5 inches. Everyone is healthy and happy. We came home from the hospital today to rest and get to know each other!

Nursery Pictures

Here are a few pictures of the nursery:

Well, it is not really a nursery, just a corner of our bedroom. But isn't it pretty?!

The dresser is filled with tiny adorable outfits!

The crib with friends awaiting her arrival.

Changing area in the 2nd bathroom.