Week 4

Charlotte came down with a bad cold, so this week was mostly spent trying to keep everyone else in the family healthy. Then Matt got sick, too, and mama was pretty exhausted and headed in that direction, so we had a night doula come so we could all get a good night's sleep. What a difference one night makes! Gloria and mama spent a lot of time quarantined in the nursery this week, but we survived The Cold. Not fun! 

Gloria loves being in her carrier, a fantastic gift from auntie Liz. She and mama take lots of long walks exploring the neighborhood and getting some nice fresh air.

G is a very noisy eater- grunting, moaning, heavy breathing- it's like nursing a piglet. Girl loves her milk, that's for sure. She insists on locking eyes with me while she drinks and sighs with pleasure. And she gets the hiccups constantly, just like her big sister stil does to this day.

Week 3

It seems like Gloria gets bigger every day! Charlotte has been enjoying holding her and of course observing all of her poopy diaper changes.

Gloria loves to stare up at the mobile Matt made for her above her changing table, so we figured it was time to bring out the activity matt from Nanni and Poppi. Gloria quite enjoyed it- with a little company from big sister of course. It brought back many memories of baby Charlotte in her jungle :) 

G's umbilical scab fell off so it was time for her first real bath. The whole family was of course involved- Charlotte was in charge of pouring warm water over her tummy to keep her warm. Gloria thoroughly enjoyed her bathing experience with the exception of having her head scrubbed.

Week 2

Gloria's first two weeks have been happily uneventful. When we first brought her home from the hospital, the doctor was worried that she had lost a lot of weight. But Gloria loves her milk -between her 1 week and 2 week check ups, she gained a whole pound and was well above her birth weight. Done and done.

Our food train started and has been a real treat- we are lucky to have some serious chefs among our friends! And Gloria had her first bottle, which meant Mama got to get some much needed sleep. She has already had some long stretches of sleep- 4+ hours- but alas they are still mostly during the day. No real bath yet- we're still waiting on that scab to fall off. Any day now! 

Baby Sister's Story

By the time we were ready to get to work on baby #2, it was a little later than Mother Nature had intended. Science to the rescue! Dr. Thyer helped us find the very best of mama's eggs and put them together with the strongest of daddy's sperm and voilà! A beautiful embryo was formed. 

Dr. Thyer placed it in mama's uterus on March 18, 2015 and let Mother Nature take over. Little sister grew and grew and passed all her tests with flying colors. A little nausea and some heartburn for mama, but an otherwise uneventful and easy pregnancy all the way to the very end, even though baby was more than a week past her due date. As Charlotte said, she was so cozy in there she just didn't want to come out! 

Welcome Gloria

Just as we were getting ready to turn in for bed, well before midnight on New Year's Eve, baby sister finally decided to make her appearance- a little more than a week after her due date. Mama's water broke and we knew it was time. Nanni and Poppi were at a movie so Titi came over and off we went to the hospital. The clock struck midnight just as we were on the highway driving past the Space Needle, so we were treated to a fire works display! Alissa our doula met us there and Dr. Harvey was on call so she was there, too. Mama labored for a long time (ouch!) but like your sister, you did not seem to want to come out. Finally, Dr. Harvey advised us that it wasn't safe to wait any longer because the monitor watching your heart was making her worried. So into the operating room we went and out you came! And similar to your sister, your cord was wrapped around you like a sash plus you were sunny side up. 

You weighed 7lbs 1 ounce and you were perfect. You laid on Mama's chest while the doctors worked and then we went back to our room where you promptly latched on and started breastfeeding like a champ. 

The next day, big sister Charlotte and Nanni and Poppi came for a visit. Very exciting! Nurse Brenda took care of us until we were ready to go home. Titi came to help us check out and we brought a special balloon for big sister. Welcome Gloria!!!