5 Months

Bridget is 5 months old today!

The cute outfit Bridget is wearing in this picture came in a package she received a couple of days ago from Andi (a good friend of Nate's from high school). She got 2 cute outfits, 2 books, and an afghan made by Andi. Thanks for all the great stuff, Andi.

Bridget is a very busy baby these days. She grabs at everything and then of course tries to taste whatever she's grabbing. Her new interest is water bottles. She loves to play with ours or even just look at them whenever they're out. She's also quite a wiggler. Whenever I look around at other babies, most of them don't seem to be quite as busy and wiggly as she is. In fact, she's still can't sit up by herself for more than about a second because she's too wiggly and always trying to move or grab at something. Oh well, she's a master a rolling over and won't ever stay on her tummy for more than 2 seconds. It makes me wonder how she'll ever learn to crawl. She still refuses to sleep through the night and usually wakes up twice to eat (once if I'm really lucky). Everything I've been reading about helping babies sleep through the night isn't working, but if anyone has a suggestion I'll gladly try it if I haven't already. Bridget also loves to go on walks in her stroller, and we go any chance we have when the weather is good. She's also a great shopping buddy and loves to look around at everything as we shop. She's getting cuter every day, and it's so fun to watch her learn and grow.

Holy Crap

WARNING: This post contains a somewhat graphic description of a story involving baby poop. If that disgusts you, stop reading now.

I'm only sharing this story because I'm hoping I'll find it humorous later, but I'm still trying to recover from the most disgusting diaper I've ever had to change in my life. Until just a little while ago, Bridget hadn't pooped in a week (for those who don't know, it's okay for breastfed babies to poop that infrequently). This is the longest she's ever gone, and so I knew it would be a doozie when it happened. I was just hoping it would happen when Nate was home, but no such luck. Within 15 minutes of getting her dressed it happened. Not an inch of her diaper was left untouched by the nasty stuff so the only place it could go was up her back. She's had several blowouts in her nearly 5 months of life, but nothing like this. It took 5 baby wipes to get her somewhat clean, but I had to put her in the bathtub to really get it all. I still need to go clean her onesie, outfit, and the changing pad protector. I seriously hope she doesn't make this a habit. And I've decided Nate gets to change all of her diapers this weekend.

So here's Bridget enjoying her bath after the whole mess. I think she's giving me that look because she didn't want a nude picture taken of herself, but I think it's pretty cute. She kept turning herself somewhat diagonal in her tub and dangling her leg out the side.

Bridget Meets Grandpa Wilkinson

Yesterday we had a surprise visit from my dad, so Bridget was able to meet her Grandpa Wilkinson for the first time. I thought he was in Phoenix, but he was on his way to Vernal, UT and called when he just a few minutes away to see if he could come meet her.

It's a Miracle

Today Bridget received a package in the mail with the new lullaby CD I bought for a screaming good deal on ebay. I read rave reviews about it on Amazon.com and listened to the snippets online. I could hardly wait to try it out and see if it would help Bridget take a nap for longer than 30 minutes. And guess what...she went down for a nap easily and slept for 2.5 hours this afternoon!! I LOVE this CD and hope it will bring sweet dreams and many long naps for a long time to come.
I've also been meaning to mention that we started giving Bridget rice cereal a week ago hoping that it would help her sleep through the night better. She's still trying to get the hang of eating from a spoon, so I don't know how much of it is ending up in her stomach. She's so messy when she eats it that we've started stripping her down to her diaper and then just bathing her afterwards. And FYI - the song playing during the video is a clip from "What a Wonderful World" on the lullaby CD.

 

The Disney Way

Today I went to a presentation called "Customer Service: The Disney Way". I have always been fascinated with the Disney corporation. They are into everything--theme parks, movies, TV shows, news (ABC), sports (ESPN), radio (Disney Radio)--and for some reason that intrigues me. Any organization that is that multi-faceted is one that I want to know more about (GE is also on this list for me).

So, when I had the chance to attend this presentation, I jumped at it and bought out a coworkers desire to go with one of Kimberly's wonderfully fabulous chocolate chip-coconut-oatmeal cookies. The presentation was by the co-author of the book "The Disney Way", Bill Capodagli (cap-o-die)and it was interesting and informative, although I had heard a lot of this in one of my MBA courses, but the one thing I left with was that my values don't align with those of my company.

To illustrate two of the disconnects I feel right now:

Me: I value people for who they are and the knowledge they have

Them: they value people for being means to an end and nothing more; there is always someone who will do your job cheaper and therefore the company doesn't need you

Me: I want to share information and make my employees feel like they have ownership

Them: they don't share anything until the very last moment

I realize that every business is out to make a profit and evidently the one I work for is doing fine, but I feel they could do a lot better if they treated their people with respect by allowing them to feel important and needed in the organization. If people feel like they have a stake in what they are doing they will work harder to help the organization meet their goals, as long as those goals are shared (something my company does not do).

I guess I just needed to vent a little, and I appreciate anyone who is reading and not rolling their eyes thinking I don't have a grip on the reality of business. Believe me, I do. And, now I know why I am looking for a new job. It isn't the money or insurance. It is that my values don't align with the organization, and I can't be happy.

Rolling Over

At four and a half months of age, Bridget just learned to roll over from her tummy to her back today. The last couple of weeks we could tell she was getting close even though her chubby physique made it a bit more challenging. Sadly, I didn't get her first time on video, but I got several other times she did it just minutes after that.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive . . .

Since you requested we post more videos, here's one for you to enjoy. We were watching General Conference this morning and were trying to keep Bridget happy. It seemed to work.

Who Needs Sleep?

For the past several days, I've had the chorus from a Barenaked Ladies song running through my head:

Who needs sleep? (well you're never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep? (tell me what's that for)
Who needs sleep? (be happy with what you're getting There's a guy who's been awake since the Second World War)

If I were picking a theme song for our family, that song would be the one. I'm feeling very frustrated with Bridget right now because for the past week and a half she's decided to wake up every 2-3 hours during the night and still doesn't take long naps during the day. I probably shouldn't complain because we were very fortunate parents due to the fact that she started sleeping through the night and did most nights from the time she was 6 weeks old. I guess maybe that's why I'm feeling so frustrated. I know she's capable, and I was enjoying getting some decent sleep. I just wish I knew what was causing this. The worst was when she woke up a couple of nights ago at 4 am, it had only been 3 hours since she'd eaten, and nothing would calm her down. An hour later she finally wore herself out and fell asleep. I lose patience very easily when I'm tired which makes it that much harder to handle. I would give anything for a good night's sleep right now, but several people have told me I probably won't get one for several more years.

Bridget Says Hi

Bridget and I were talking this afternoon and she informed me that she wanted to say "hi" to everyone. Enjoy!

4 Month Stats

So here's the report from the visit to the pediatrician today. Bridget currently weighs 17 lbs. 14 oz. (above the 97th percentile) and is 25 inches long (75th percentile). The surprising measurement of this visit was her head circumference - 17.5 inches which is also above the 97th percentile. When the doctor looked at her head measurement on her growth curve he asked us if we have large heads (you can stop laughing). Then he asked if it would be okay if he measured our heads and proceeded to do so using the little infant head measuring device (really you can stop laughing). Apparently there is some sort of calculation that can be done using the head measurements of the parents to determine if her large head measurement is okay for her or cause for some concern that would lead to subjecting her to some imaging tests. I don't think Nate has ever thought he has a large head, but I've always thought mine's been a little on the large side (I'm sure highly intelligent people have to have larger heads :0) Anyway, I'm really not concerned...it was just a very funny experience.

And since Nate hates having his picture taken, I made him pose for this one with Bridget. Notice the drool on her chin...it's always there no matter how often we wipe it away.

4 Months

Bridget is 4 months today! She goes to the pediatrician for her checkup and shots tomorrow, so I'll have to wait to post her stats. I know she's going to be right around 18 lbs. She's already outgrown some of her 3-6 month clothes which is a sad thing because most of her 6-9 month clothes are summer stuff, and it's not quite warm enough to wear them yet. She's been doing a lot better at tummy time the last week or so, and even though she isn't rolling over yet, I think she's getting close. She loves to practice sitting up, and quite often when she's sitting in a reclined position, she tries to sit up all the way. She's very good at grabbing things - toys, blankets, and especially my hair. She's recently developed a fascination with the remote control, and I'm just glad she doesn't push the buttons yet. She's still working on eating from a bottle and is not yet as efficient at it as she used to be and needs to be. The shirt she's wearing in this picture is a little misleading...she still prefers her mother and will only allow other people to hold her if she's not tired or hungry, but it's a cute picture anyway. Someday she'll probably prefer her dad because he'll be the fun one, and she'll get tired of spending all her time with me.

Monkey Princess

Can you tell who the real princess in this picture is? I'm pretty sure it's that cute girl in the middle, but the sock monkey is a close second. Nate has a coworker who makes amazing sock monkeys and she just finished Bridget's. I was also amazed by the sock frog she made to accompany it. This morning as we were playing in Bridget's room after she woke up, she seemed pretty fascinated by it and kept staring at it. Nate and I were trying to come up with names for the sock monkey, but nothing has seemed to fit yet. We may just have to let Bridget name her when she gets a little older unless anyone else has a great idea.

Easter Weekend

We had quite a busy weekend, so we had to create a slideshow of pictures to highlight most of it.

On Saturday, we went to Salt Lake to meet my sister Megan, her boyfriend Mike, my sister Jessica, and brother-in-law Matt for lunch at Buca di Beppo to celebrate Jessica's birthday which was actually Sunday. The food was delicious despite the poor service, and Nate finally got to eat the gnocchi he's been craving for weeks. After lunch we headed to Megan's apartment to eat Jessica's birthday pie from Coldstone and dye Easter eggs. Then Megan came back to Roy with us to spend the night and watch Bridget while we attended the adult session of our stake conference. I was very nervous about how Bridget would be since she's always fussy in the evenings and doesn't like anyone but me to put her to sleep. She did cry for about 30 minutes until she fell asleep. Thanks Megan for being such a great aunt and helping out! Nate and I both agreed that it was the best stake conference we'd ever attended. We were able to hear from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and Elder Donald J. Keyes. I could go on and on about what they talked about, but if you really want to know, you'll just have to ask me.

On Sunday, we all attended the general session of stake conference where we were able to hear from Elder Holland and Elder Keyes again. After church, we went home to make Jessica's birthday cake before Nate, Bridget, and I had to rush off to Nate's family's Easter get-together. From there we went to my Aunt Jennine's house to gather with my extended family for birthday cake and homemade ice cream to celebrate Jessica's birthday again.

It's Finally Spring

I'm so ready for warmer weather and am glad that spring is finally here! Earlier this week Nate came home from work with these beautiful purple tulips for me. This is only the third time Nate has ever bought me flowers because we both agree they are a waste of money, but I'm glad he does it every once in a while. He stopped at Costco to buy some milk and claims that he saw them and thought of me because I love purple. That may be true, but I think he also didn't want to stand in line just to 2 gallons of milk.

Weekend Update

Nate's sister Alysha came from St. George to stay with us over the weekend, and it was sure nice to have her here. She stepped right in and changed diapers, rocked Bridget to sleep, worked with Bridget on bottle feeding, and even watched her so Nate and I could go out to dinner. It was so nice to have some extra help and have a bit of a break. And apparently we're lame and didn't even take any pictures of them together. :-(

Speaking of bottle feeding...as I mentioned in a previous post, Bridget is having to relearn how to drink from a bottle. She used to take them just fine, but I guess I got lazy and didn't give them to her often enough so she forgot how to suck on it (it's a different tongue motion than breastfeeding). I bought some bottle nipples that are similar to her pacifier, and she seems to be getting the hang of it again.

And last of all, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. After almost dying of the stomach flu last week, Bridget and I have both caught colds (at least that's what I think it is at this point). Bridget has had some junk in her nose and a sore throat. So far I've just had a really sore throat and felt run down. Luckily, Bridget seems to be handling it very well and still smiles and laughs. I guess she's less of a wuss than her mother.

And the Wait Continues...

Some of you know that I have been looking for another job. I need a change and need to find a place where they offer something akin to health insurance (rather than my current employer's excuse for insurance). I interviewed for a Business Analsyt position with Coventry Health Care (http://www.cvty.com) two weeks ago. I was supposed to find out the hiring manager's decision today and I found out NOTHING. I contacted Coventry and they are still looking at candidates in Sacramento, CA and Richmond, VA. So, I am still being considered but I continue to wait.

Marriage 101

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go to a nearby high school to be on a marriage panel for an Adult Roles class. My cousin Lisa invited me (she's student teaching), and I loved doing it since this is one of the same classes I taught until Bridget was born. I have to admit I loved being in the classroom again, and it made me miss teaching a little bit. I also loved sharing all of my marriage wisdom (I have so much of it since we haven't even been married quite 2 years yet). Bridget came with me, and was very well behaved. She slept through most of it and sat quietly on my lap staring at the students for the rest.

My Latest Project

For over a year now I have been "working" on a website for my dentist. Two weeks ago Kimberly told me I needed to work on it and I said I would . . . and I did. I finally have his site up and running and am now adding features, etc. This has kept me busy in those moments when I do not want to look for a job any more. So, solely for the purpose of building up his stats, check out http://www.jamesjonesdmd.com/.

In the near future we hope to have a tour of the office, online payment processing, photo gallery and oh so much more.

Surprise Vacation, Part 2

Here's picture collage from some of the highlights of our trip. On the left you have Bridget with Grandpa and Grandma Waldron. Bridget's in a phase right now (at least I hope it's just a phase) where she mostly just wants her mom which disappointed Grandma, but hopefully she'll be more fun the next time we see them. Bridget also got to meet her cousins Jaxon and Tanner this trip. The top center picture is me, Bridget, Aunt Stacey, and Tanner. You can tell from some of the other pictures that Tanner enjoyed getting to know someone closer to his size. Tanner is only 5 months older than Bridget, and they're both very chubby babies as Grandpa liked to frequently point out. Jaxon, who loves to have his picture taken, is in the center with me. He always says "cheese" when his picture is being taken and then runs to go look at it on the screen on the camera. He's a very bright 3-year-old and kept us all entertained. The last day we were there was so sunny and warm that Bridget enjoyed going on a walk with Grandma in her carrier.

As mentioned in our previous post, we planned to return home Monday but we actually didn't get home until Tuesday due to an unforeseen event. At 3:30 AM Monday morning I woke up with the worst stomach flu I've ever had in my life. I'll try to spare you some of the gory details, but lets just say I threw up more times that day than I have in my entire life combined. All fluids and food were trying to escape my body at every exit plus I had a fever and my body ached so bad I felt like somebody had beat me up. Nate was so good to take care of me in the middle of the night and made me a bed on the couch right next to the bathroom and even cleaned up after me (that's true love). My biggest concern the whole time was how I was going to be able to feed Bridget in my condition. The last 2-3 weeks she has refused to take a bottle anymore and I didn't know if I would be able to produce enough milk for her since I couldn't keep anything down and was severely dehydrated. Luckily she slept until 6:30 that morning. I think we were truly blessed that day though because my body was able to produce enough to keep her satisfied and she napped a ton more than she normally does. When I woke up Tuesday morning I was feeling much better and was back to my normal self by the end of the day.

Here's a picture of me "on my death bed" as I liked to proclaim many times that day.

All in all, it was great to see family but I could have done without the 2-day adjustment it took Bridget to adapt to a new place, almost dying from the flu, and how much longer it takes to travel with a baby. We'll hope for better things when we go back in July!

Surprise Vacation

We decided a few weeks ago to come to Montana and surprise Nate's parents. They haven't seen Bridget since she was 5 days old, so it was time. Although I have wanted to post about our plans, etc. I couldn't. Nate's mom gets an email any time a new post is added to the blog. We will be back home on Monday and I'll post some pictures then. This is a picture of their house (actually taken last summer) in Huson which is about 20 miles outside of Missoula.

I was nervous about how Bridget would handle the long ride in the car and being in a new environment, but it hasn't been too bad. We drove to Idaho Falls Wednesday evening and stayed with our friends Dustin and Emily. Bridget slept the entire way there, but didn't sleep quite as well that night as she normally does. She did very well in the car on Thursday too. She slept a lot off and on and didn't start getting tired of being in the carseat until we were just a few miles from Missoula. She still isn't sleeping as well at night or for naps as she does at home, but hopefully tonight will be better because we'd like a good night's rest.

Sadly our surprise didn't go quite as we'd planned. We showed up at Nate's mom's office just to discover that she'd barely left to go to a seminar. So we headed to the house to hang out until she came home. Nate finally ended up calling her and telling her we were here. She was very surprised as was his dad when he got home that night.

3 Months

Bridget is 3 months old today. It's amazing how fast the time has gone and how big she is getting. She still doesn't do any tricks (unless you count blowing spit bubbles), but here's a little of what she's doing these days:

• She sleeps very well at night...usually 7-9 hours before waking to eat and then going back to sleep for a couple more.


• She doesn't nap much during the day (much to my dismay)...usually 30-45 minutes 3-4 times a day. Hopefully she'll start taking longer naps again soon.


• She's very smiley most of the day. Mornings are her best time and evenings are the worst.


• Tummy time is not one of her favorite activities. If she's in a good mood she may last 5 minutes.
  
• She loves to practice standing and sitting - just watch out for the spit up and drool if you're holding her! And even though she spits up a lot, she's as chubby and cute as ever.

Call me crazy but it got up to around 50 degrees today, so we bundled up and went on a walk outside for the first time. We only lasted about 10 minutes though because I think it was a little too chilly for her. I can't wait for it to be spring!

Giggles

Bridget has figured out what the camera is for and has a tendancy to be camera shy...hence the angle of this video. While I entertained our little munchkin, Kimberly did everything she could to keep the camera hidden. You can ignore all the funny noises I make to get a reaction out of Bridget!

Saturday with the Sisters

On Saturday we ventured down to Salt Lake to spend some time with my sisters Megan and Jessica and brother-in-law Matt at Megan's apartment. Matt's birthday was a little over a week ago, so we got together to celebrate the special occassion. A fun time was had by all playing Rock Band, eating delicious enchiladas Megan made, and eating amazing birthday cake from Coldstone. It was my first experience eating a Coldstone cake, and it was so tasty I'm sure it won't be my last.

Jessica and I are jamming out playing Rock Band. I tried playing the drums for the first time and ended up being pretty good (okay, so I was playing on the easy skill level).

Nate's not a fan of Rock Band, so he and Bridget opted for a nap instead. I don't think Nate got much of a nap, but Bridget didn't seem to mind the rock music in the background.

Here's a family shot (Front: Megan, Jessica, Bridget, and Matt) (Back: Kimberly and Nate).

My Spare Time

Just before Bridget was born, I bought a couple of stocking kits to make stockings for Bridget and Nate (for some reason I didn't make Nate one last year). I thought I would have all sorts of spare time to work on them after she was born since I would be home all the time and I thought newborns slept a lot. Well, I was wrong. I don't have as much spare time as I thought because newborns are a lot of work, and when I do it's not usually spent being crafty. Anyway, it's now 2 months after Christmas, and I just finished Nate's stocking today! At least I still have 10 months to get Bridget's done.

Shaking Bed

About 7:15 this morning I was laying in bed half asleep listening to Bridget stirring in her room and not wanting to get up when it dawned on me that the bed was shaking slightly. I ignored it at first thinking I was imagining things in my sleepy state but continued to feel it to the point that I sat straight up in bed. In my mind I was wondering if I was feeling an earthquake (which is a definite possibility living on a fault line) but looked around and nothing else appeared to be shaking, so I decided I was just crazy even though I felt it for about a minute or so. I forgot about the whole incident until later this evening when Nate asked me if I heard about the big earthquake in Wells, Nevada today. Wells is about 180 miles west of Salt Lake, and the earthquake measured 6.3 on the Richter scale. What I felt this morning were apparently aftershocks. It's nice to know I'm not crazy!

Mommy's Girl

Yesterday Bridget and I had one the best days yet since she was born. She took several naps, we got out of the house, and she was very content in her bouncer on the kitchen counter watching me do some baking for church and Nate's work.

Bridget had so much fun during our baking extravaganza that she had to take a nap in the middle of it.

She was all smiles during her diaper change as usual.

Last night was a different story. I had to leave her with Nate while I went to Enrichment for a little over an hour, and she wanted nothing to do with him. I felt bad because she cried most of the time I was gone, but I told Nate not to take it personally - it's just because he doesn't smell like milk. She's definitely more of a mommy's girl right now, but I'm sure that will change in a few months. I figured out this morning that she was probably fussy because she needed to eat more often than usual...apparently she's having another growth spurt. She slept for a little over 10 hours straight last night (9 pm-7:15 am)...a new record! I realize this is every parent's dream, and I am grateful she sleeps so well at night (it's just not so comfortable for me as a breastfeeding mom).

Tummy Time...Again

Since Bridget doesn't have many exciting tricks to write about yet, I decided to post this picture just because I thought it was cute. Sometimes I lay her on the Boppy for tummy time just to spice things up a bit.

It's Alive! (Again, Finally)

Some of you know that about 3 weeks ago our computer decided to freak out. After some troubleshooting, I determined the problem was with the motherboard (aka mainboard, desktop board). Kimberly called Mark and Mark and through their Intel magic were able to find someone in Kaysville who could help.
After several trips to the store (and about $500 later), I had everything I needed to get the computer back up and running. However, since that time, the wonderful world of Windows' Blue Screen of Death has been a consistent problem. Another trip to the store (and a few emails back and forth with the General Manager) and I got new memory. NO MORE PROBLEMS!
Once again, we have a fully functional computer. Now, my project is to reinstall Windows (to get rid of a few quirky problems) and get everything installed. I am going to have a fun weekend!
Thank you Mark and Mark for your help!

Big Smile

We think Bridget has figured out the purpose of the changing table. Some of her happier moments take place when she knows she is going to get her diaper changed. Today she must have been real excited to get out of her church clothes and get a diaper change because she was all smiles. AND, we actually captured one.


Evidently, she was just happy to be home because a few minutes later we got...

One more final note, since many of the pictures we take of Bridget are of her in the bouncer, we want to affirm that she does NOT spend all her time there...it is just one of the spots where we can usually capture a good moment or two while Mom entertains her and Dad tries to take the picture.

2 Month Check-up

Bridget will be 2 months old on Sunday, so today she went to the pediatrician for her check-up and shots. Here's the stats on our chubby but oh-so-cute girl. She tipped the scales at 13 lbs. 14 oz. (above the 97th percentile), is 23 inches long (90th percentile), and her head circumference is 16 inches (90th percentile). The doctor even did a double take when he looked at her growth chart on the computer. She actually did pretty well with the shots and only cried for a minute. Since then she's only taken a couple of brief naps but hasn't been too fussy. She even enjoyed her swing for several minutes and was watching the mobile and giggling. I guess I'll be spending the rest of my afternoon putting away the clothes she's outgrown and washing her 3-6 month outfits.

Matching Pajamas

Bridget and her cousin Charlotte are 3 weeks apart in age, and Aunt Jessica and Uncle Matt gave them matching snowman pajamas. It's just too bad Charlotte lives in Phoenix so they can't be photographed together in them. The top picture is yet another one of my attempts to get a picture of Bridget smiling. The middle is Charlotte. The bottom is Nate with Bridget asleep and showing off the cutest feature of all - the snowman on her rear end.

Growing Girl

Bridget is growing faster than I can believe. The outfit in this picture is the first 3-6 month outfit I've put her in, and I only did it because she has so many church clothes that size I want her to get as much use out of them as possible. I also think this outfit is darling (thanks for the hand-me-down second cousin Ellie). She can still wear most of her 0-3 month clothes, but those days are numbered. I am determined that she be at least 2 months old before she stops wearing them completely.

I also know she's growing like crazy because she's been sleeping a ton the last few days (I'm not complaining). Most nights she sleeps for 7-8 hours straight, and we're loving it. Her new record is 8.5 hours straight as of Saturday night. And she's been napping a lot more during the day too!

One last happy note...I had my postpartum check-up last Thursday. The doctor said I've healed really well, and the best part is I've lost 27 lbs. since Bridget's birth. I weigh less now than I did pre-pregnancy! It's amazing what breastfeeding and healthy eating can do. Now I just need to start working out so I can get back in shape.

Lifesavers

In the last couple of weeks we've discovered 2 items that Bridget loves (which means we love them too because it makes taking care of her so much easier). First, there's the pacifier. For the first 3-4 weeks we tried to get her to take the Soothie pacifier that we got from the hospital. She never seemed to really like it all that much so we tried another kind (Nuk), and she loves it. She has a much easier time keeping it in her mouth, and it works great to calm her down when she's fussy and/or tired.

The second lifesaving item has been the bouncer. At first she didn't care for it much and would only be content sitting in it for about 5 minutes. Then a couple of weeks ago she decided that she loves it. She will sit or sleep in it for long periods of time. In fact, when she's fussy and no amount of rocking or holding seems to help, we can put her in it and she'll immediately calm down. I guess she needs a little personal space every once in a while. The funny thing is that the buttons for turning the music and vibration on are right by her feet so she constantly turns it on and off when she flails her legs around.

7 Weeks

It's hard to believe Bridget is 7 weeks old today. Here she is sporting her athletic look. Our neighbor came over yesterday and brought the outfit as a gift. With as fast as this girl is growing, I want her to get at least one or two wears out of it, so I put it on her today.

Also, an event that we've been waiting for has finally arrived. Last night as well as the night before Bridget has started sleeping through the night. Sunday night she slept for 7 hours at one time and then 7.5 hours last night!! It's been so wonderful to get some good sleep. People keep asking how much she weighs, and I don't know because we don't have a scale, but she goes to the doctor again next week. I wouldn't be surprised if she weighs 11-12 lbs. by then.

Ready for Church

I just wanted to post a picture of how cute Bridget looks in her church outfit. Can't you see the look of excitement on her face about sitting through church? She slept through most of it, and today I was wishing I could do the same because we have to get up so early to get ready and be there by 9:00. Thank goodness for Sunday afternoon naps (and I mean that for both of us - not just Bridget).

What a Difference a Month Makes

It's amazing how much babies change during the first few weeks of life. The top picture of Bridget was taken yesterday at 6 weeks old and the bottom one was from a post when she was 2 weeks old. Her face has filled out so much, and now it's easier to see just how much hair she's lost since birth. Too bad it doesn't show how long and thick her hair still is in the back, but then again, we don't want to show off that it almost looks like a mullet.

Relaxing in the Tub

I know it's been a while since we've posted, but our computer died about a week ago, and it's taken Nate about that long to get it up and running again. He essentially had to replace all of the major components inside it. It still is having a few issues, but it's working for the most part.

Anyway, here's a couple of pictures of Bridget enjoying her bath. She loves bath time and has since she was born. The mellow expression on her face says it all. You can also see how chubby she's getting. She's certainly not starving although sometimes she acts like it when she informs me that it's time to eat.

Tummy Time

Here's a picture of Bridget enjoying one of the daily events in her oh-so-exciting life...tummy time. Since her cord didn't fall out until she was almost 3 weeks old, this is something she's only been doing for the last week and a half. You may also notice that most of the little bit of hair she had on the top of her head has since fallen out, so she's sporting a receding hairline right now.

More Posts! More Posts!

In talking to family members (both mine and Kimberly's) we have heard the complaint, "You don't post enough pictures." So, just so you see that we can post recent pictures, here's one from today of Bridget getting ready for the Christmas festivities. You can tell how excited she was (especially to be dressed so festive) and how she needed several naps to make it through the day.

Merry Christmas!

This year our friend Emily designed our Christmas card/birth announcement. We love it and it perfectly highlights our feelings this Christmas. We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!

So Big

Newborns don't do many exciting things, so we don't have funny or interesting stories to post about Bridget every day. Here's what we can update you on:

1. Tomorrow is Christmas, and Bridget will be 4 weeks old! No present we open will be as great of a gift as she has been to our family. :-)



2. During this past week she's definitely had a growth spurt. She's outgrown the newborn size diapers and very close to outgrowing her newborn size outfits. She also thinks she needs to eat all the time. We are amazed by how much bigger she looks and how much heavier she feels.



3. Yesterday Bridget got to go to church for the first time. She even got to stay the full 3 hours because Nate and I just got called to teach the 8-11 year-old boys. She looked darling in her Christmas dress even though her tights were huge on her.

The Perfect Christmas Present

Kimberly and I have finally finished our Christmas card/birth announcement (with the design expertise of our friend Emily) so we can post some pictures that we used for that. Here's the first (and my favorite).


Isn't she just adorable?

Who does Bridget look like? (Round 2)

Now that we have baby pictures scanned, who do you think Bridget looks like more? This time around, you only get two choices. The poll is to the right (just like last time).

The pictures are in the following order: Kimberly, Nate, Bridget.

2 Weeks

Bridget is 2 weeks old today, so we had another trip to the pediatrician for a check up and for her PKU test. She's now 8 lbs. 8oz. and 20.75 inches long. That means she's gained 9 oz. and a 1/4 inch in the last week. Watching her get her heel pricked and listening to her scream while Nate held her was really hard. It makes me dread all of the immunizations in the future.

Up to this point, Bridget has been a pretty good baby, but today was a little different. She hardly slept all day and was so tired. She also wanted to eat constantly but wouldn't eat for very long. Then she vomitted all over herself and the crib shortly after she fell asleep (and I had just bathed her and was 2 minutes into my shower when I heard her crying). Then her diaper leaked all over that second outfit. Needless to say, she was pretty fussy at the pediatrician. When I discussed this with him, he said he would have the nurse check her temperature just to see if maybe she was sick. Sure enough it was 100 degrees. He said it wasn't really considered a fever unless it was 100.4 degrees. We'll just have to keep an eye on it, and hopefully it won't get any worse. If it does, then she may end up spending a couple of days in the hospital.

In case you are wondering why we haven't posted more photos, it's because we've been working on her baby announcement. We'll be posting the announcement to the blog within the next few days, so look forward to that.

And in case you are wondering, my recovery from the c-section is still going pretty well. I got my staples out last Friday and was told the incision looked great.

Who does Bridget look like?

Everyone keeps asking us who we think Bridget looks like more...so now the tables are turned. Answer the poll (on the right) and tell us what you think. We will try to scan some baby pictures of each of us to make it easier...but if we get that done, you can vote again.

You never thought you would have so much fun here, did you?

1 Week

Bridget is now a week old, so today we went to the pediatrician for her check-up. In the last week she has grown a 1/2 inch and now weighs 7 lbs. 15 oz. (she got down to 7 lbs. 6 oz. in the hospital and is now only 1 oz. shy of her 8 lb. birth weight). Needless to say, she is very healthy and still a very good baby. In fact, last night I only had to get up to feed her once. I fed her at 11:00pm, and I woke up at 3:30am and realized she hadn't woken up to eat, so Nate changed her diaper and then I fed her. I woke up again at 7:00am, and we woke her to change and feed her again. I didn't know how long new babies can go without eating, but the pediatrician told me today that newborns can go up to 6 hours at night without eating. Now that I know that, it will be interesting to see how long she'll sleep tonight. And since she's just so cute and we can't stop taking pictures of her, I've posted another.

Can it get any better?

Since I know you are all concerned about how night number two went with Bridget and I am happy to announce that it went much better. Kimberly was feeling overwhelmed with the thought of taking care of her with me at work after night one. But, after last night, her perspective has changed. She is confident and is feeling like she is adjusting to taking cat naps whenever possible. So, don't worry about us. We are (will be) fine!

Bridget's Blessing

Tonight we blessed Bridget. (Just in case there is anyone who reads this and is unfamiliar with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS/Mormon) infants are blessed when they are usually a couple months old. We chose, however, to bless Bridget now so my parents and siblings would not have to make another trip to Utah in January or February.)

We had several family members present, including my parents and sister, all my aunts and uncles on my mom's side of the family, both my grandmothers and one grandfather, two of Kimberly's sisters and one brother-in-law, one of Kimberly's cousins and two of her aunts and an uncle. It was quite a crowd. My aunt Linda hosted the occasion (for which we are forever indebt to her) and we enjoyed a couple hours of mingling with all sides of the family. What a great blessing they are to us! Without them and their love and support things would be much more difficult.

Kimberly made a dress for Bridget. It was a little big for the baby but it is a beautiful dress! After we ate and visited for a bit, we took a few pictures...

From Left to Right

Top Row: Grandpa Herb, Grandma Waldron-Bunn, me, Alysha, Dad, Mom

Bottom Row: Kimberly, Bridget, Grandma Holmes

Mom and daughter

The three of us

Our First Night Home

We made it home from the hospital yesterday morning. My mom came to the apartment to spend some more quality time with her first granddaughter. (My brother, Matt, has two sons--Jaxon and Tanner.) She wants to get as much time as possible since she has to go back home Sunday morning. My sister (from St. George) and dad (from good ol' Huson, MT) arrived and we spent most of the night just relaxing, chatting, and eating. They left around 10:00 PM and Kimberly and I started the process of getting in bed. Two hours later we thought we could get a few hours of sleep before needing to feed Bridget again.

At 1:00 AM, Bridget decided that an hour is just enough time between feedings and woke us up ready for more. We were planning on waking up every 2.5 to 3 hours throughout the night (we even set our alarms, just in case) so waking up after only an hour of sleep was a little frustrating. But, we made it through.

After Bridget fed for a few minutes, she got the hiccups. As they are so annoying to adults, I figure they would be worse for babies but Bridget doesn't seem to mind too much. And, I (being the mean father that I am) absolutely had to take a short video of her hiccups and Kimberly and I provide a recap of the night.

We think she might also have her nights and days goofed up but haven't proven this yet... Our other thought is that she is cluster feeding (something I found out is common, according to KellyMom.com (http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/fussy-evening.html). Regardless of what's going on, she is adorable and we love her....even if we don't get any sleep.

We realize, of course, that all new parents go through this and it is finally our turn. But, obviously this is the way it is supposed to be. How could you love someone (child, friend, sibling, parent, etc.) unless you really serve them. Parenting is all about service. I'm finally figuring out what I put my parents through...I'm amazed they kept me around.