the cutest feet in the world

One Week

Tuesday marked one week of Nell's life in the outside world.  We celebrated the occasion with cake.

Nell's accomplishments so far include:

~ Sneezing (usually in twos, occasionally in threes, almost never a single sneeze at a time) ~

~ Poking her fingers in her eyes with alarming precision ~

~ Crossing her eyes like a pro ~

~ Sticking her tongue out ~

~ Sucking her thumb (or her wrist or arm when she can't find her thumb) ~

~ Sleeping four to five hours at a time at night ~

~ Having her Dad wrapped around her little finger ~

~ Eliciting oohs and aahs from everyone who sees her ~

The first week in review

First day at home (less than one day old):

Two days old:

saying goodbye to Story and Mercy

Three days old:

Four days old:

bathtime!

meeting one of her grandmas

and a grandpa, too

chillin' with Dad

Five days old:

Grandma took a break from making us delicious meals to hold a sleepy Nell

listening to Dad play the piano

Six days old:

yawning:

don't tell me this isn't a smile... I know infants supposedly don't smile this young, but I am convinced that our girl does!

One week old!

We love this baby girl!

41 weeks

I couldn't resist doing one last picture and letter, this time with our baby on the outside instead of the inside!

{The flowers on my dresser are from my wonderful husband, a gift he brought back from his first trip out doing errands after Nell's birth.  I may or may not have gotten all teary-eyed from him being so thoughtful.}

Ellen Cecilia

It's a girl!

Our daughter Nell arrived on Tuesday, May 15, at 8:17 pm.  She weighed 8 pounds even, and measured 19.5 inches long.

She was born perfectly pink and with a full head of dark hair.  

Her Mom cried with relief and joy.  Her Dad cut her umbilical cord.

We named her Ellen, which means "light," and Cecilia, after the patron saint of musicians and church music.

We thanked God for her.

And we went home the next afternoon as a family of three.

My dear friend Story was with us, too, from Sunday afternoon through Thursday afternoon.  She was invaluable in her support and encouragement as a friend, her experience and knowledge as a nurse midwife, and the way she took care of us so well in the days after Nell's birth.

{Story's six-month-old daughter Mercy was there for all of it, too!}

We now spend all our time baby-gazing around here, certain that no baby has ever been more beautiful.

No other baby in the world has ever yawned so hugely, or sneezed so cutely, or hiccuped so charmingly, or rested her chin on her hand in that particularly adorable manner.

We're so glad to have our daughter Nell, and already we can't imagine our lives without her.

40 weeks

It's Due-Date-Day!

Baby is still snug inside, though.

I was looking back at the last picture I took wearing this shirt, at 30 weeks.  What a difference 10 weeks makes!

{I've never had a baby before, so I suppose I could be wrong about this week's letter.  Maybe when I hold this baby in my arms I will love him or her more than I do now, and maybe more each day after that.  I really don't know.  But I am pretty sure that it won't have anything to do with accomplishments and achievements.  I could be wrong.  But I don't think so.}

the cutest laundry pile in the world

Baby's clothes have been laundered in preparation for his or her arrival:

Baby shower gifts plus thrift store bargains plus a few things I couldn't help buying, organized into piles by size/age:

Cloth diapers, too: