Grammee and Grandad's Visit

Today Grammee and Grandad got to hold Eliana for the first time. They came out from Roundup for the better part of today to spend time with their first grandchild. It was fun to see them interact with her - and she was just as mellow as could be. They came up to the hospital when she was born, but today was the first time they got to spend any significant time with her. Because they live just 3 hours away I'm sure there will be much more Ellie time in their future, but today was a beautiful start.

Eliana lifting her head

A short video of Eliana lifting her head at 5 days. Daddy likes to give her "neck exercise time" - she's a pretty strong little girl and stubborn, too. =)

Eliana Smiling

Eliana at 6 days old smiling with Mommom during Boppy time.

The Sweetest Thing...

Girls' Day Out

Since Leif was at work and my dad went to Idaho, Mom, Ellie, and I decided to go out to lunch and then shopping today. Most of the clothes that fit Ellie right now are onesies and are either white, green, or yellow. This leaves most people asking, "Boy or girl?" It's very sad. So we decided Ellie needed some distinctly girl clothes and headed to Old Navy. She got a dress, a pink onesie, a blue flowered shirt (that doubles as a dress until she's a little bigger...) and some jeans to go with the shirt when she's a little bigger. She's still pretty tiny, so most stuff is big on her still, but she can wear these outfits out, at least, and people won't keep inquiring after her gender. And, of course, once we came home with the new clothes, we had to put her in them and take pictures. =) It's amazing, really - Ellie seems to have learned the sound of the camera turning on and when she hears it she becomes alert and starts putting on a show. It might just be in my head, but I don't think so. She's a performer already. Here are some of the pictures of her in her new outfits...

The follow up visit

Well, we went back to the Dr. today for Eliana's follow-up visit. She was weighed again and now weighs 6 lbs 13 oz - she's past her birth weight! She gained 2 oz in 3 days, so I was encouraged by that. You always wonder if your kid is getting enough nourishment. Apparently, she is. Today she didn't scream, cry, or even flinch when she was weighed. No fussing until the Dr. came in. That's an improvement over Monday's visit. She's got a clean bill of health and we go back in 2 months for the first round of immunizations.

Hopelessly Smitten...

The Diaper Review

Well, we're almost a week into using cloth diapers and it's going great so far. The regular prefolds are still just a tad big, but they do in a pinch when we're out of the fitted diapers. We've been using Kissaluvs size 0 for newborns and they are GREAT. They snap on like a disposeable (well, they snap instead of having little velcro tabs, but you know what I mean...), so they're super easy to put on. Even my mom said they were easy enough for her to use. They have numerous size settings, too, so she should be able to wear them until she's about 15 lbs. They're VERY absorbent (which means it's a BAD idea to try to rinse them out in the potty if they're messy like you would with regular prefolds... they just sop up all the water and then you have to ring out a very messy, very soggy diaper... I'll only make that mistake once.) and Ellie seems very comfortable in them. We've also started using flushable diaper liners from Imse Vimse and they are the most wonderful thing! They just line the inside of the diaper and catch all the messy stuff so you can pull the liner out, poo and all, and flush it down the potty. Makes washing the diapers a little nicer on your washing machine and makes dealing with messy diapers that much easier.

So far, So good...

Piles o' Smiles

Ellie is a week old today and she is just full of smiles. She is such a pleasant baby to have. She cries very little and will go to sleep by herself if we put her down while she is awake. She wakes up twice during the night, though last night we put her down at 10:30 and she woke up at 1:30 and then didn't wake up again until 5:30. By that time it was already light out here, so it really felt like she only got us up once during the night. Mind you, I did go back to sleep after the 5:30 feeding, until she woke up again at 8:30. All in all she is following her schedule very well, smiling, happy, and interactive while she is awake, and adorably precious while she sleeps. It's wonderful.

First Stroller Ride

Sunday evening the family went for a walk with Ellie in her stroller for the first time. We just went (in a kind of round about way to avoid direct sunlight) a few blocks to the mailbox and back, but it was nice to get out and for a walk.

What a night ... What a day!

Wow... so last night (that is, Sunday night) Ellie went to bed about 10:00. She woke up for a feeding at 1:00 and 4:00, both of which lasted about 30 min. and she went right back to sleep. Then I was going to wake her up at 7:00, but decided just to wait and see when she would wake up on her own. About 5 minutes to 8 she opened her eyes and just kind of looked around for a while, happy as could be. No fussing, no crying, no nothing. I picked her up and carried her around for a while, fed her, changed her diaper... still happy as could be. She's just been perfect and content all day. She was a little fussy at the doctor, but then we went to run errands and she slept the ENTIRE time! I was skeptical about trying to go grocery shopping with her, but because she slept it made things SO smooth! We came home and she sat with Mommom and just smiled and smiled. It was so precious.

Thank you, Lord, for my happy baby today.

Eliana's First Doctor Appointment

Eliana had her first trip to see Dr. Benda. It was a well-baby 5 day check up. She most certainly didn't like being stripped naked to be put in the scale and examined, but the appointment went well. She only lost an ounce from her birthweight, which is great. Her umbilical stump fell off this morning, which is earlier than they say it is supposed to, but the doctor said her belly button looks good and that it's healing nicely. He also said it's unusual for babies to be on a schedule (this was day 3) this early and that it was great. So... we're happy about the appointment. We go back in a couple days to have her weighed again to make sure she passes that birthweight mark, but as she only had an ounce to go, the Dr. said she'd probably be up to that as early as tomorrow.

Thank you, Lord, for a baby who is healthy.

What's in a Name?

Eliana
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God has answered
Chosen: Mostly because we liked how it sounded and we liked the meaning. It can be shortened to Ellie.

Leiveka
Origin: Scandinavian
Meaning: Beloved
Chosen: It's the feminine form of Leif. Leif's middle name is Wendal, after his mom, Wenda. We decided to carry on the tradition by giving Eliana a middle name after her father.

Sleepless Nights 101

Well, we've survived the first two sleepless nights. And really, they weren't too bad. The first night was a bit of a challenge - Eliana didn't want to sleep in her cradle. But last night was soooo much better. We started her on the babywise eat-wake-sleep schedule yesterday and she took to it right away, even waking up for feedings right on schedule. Mommy even woke up relatively rested today, though Daddy was nice enough to take Ellie so I could get another couple hours of sleep. Now everyone is at church and Ellie is sleeping, so the house is pretty quiet. I've got a couple loads of laundry in the washer and dryer and am showered, dressed, and even have jewelry and makeup on. Not too bad for my first time home by myself with the baby. =)

Last night Leif and I got to go on a date, too, which was fun. My parents kept the baby and Leif and I went to Dairy Queen for blizzards. My mom says that new moms need to get out of the house on the 3rd day. I have to say, it was pretty nice and great advice from my mom. She's a pretty smart lady.

Well, I don't know what the plan for today is, but there are some things we need to get from town, so it may be Eliana's first outing day. It's been in the upper 90's here, which is not only unusual, but pretty uncomfortable, too. Even at night it hasn't been cooling down much, which makes it difficult to cool the house down when you don't have A/C. Even the basement isn't considerably cooler these days.

Well, the family is home from church - I'm off!

Some favorite pictures

Ellie's not even a full 3 days old yet and we've already taken over 350 pictures of her. So... here are some of my favorites.

Announcing....

Eliana Leiveka Wickland
July 19, 2006
4:37 pm
6 lbs 12 oz
20.5 in

A Room with a View

Well, I don't know about the view, but I've been told that so long as I'm okay with a delivery room that doesn't have a jacuzzi, there's a place for me now. Hmmm... jacuzzi, baby, jacuzzi, baby... I'll take the baby. =)

Maybe, Baby...

It seems the hoppin' place to be is Labor and Delivery at Bozeman Deaconess today. Which means that it's 1:00 in the afternoon and there's been no room in the inn. Too many babies being born and not one of them is mine yet. They're still planning on inducing today, but it's been a day of calling every couple of hours and having all of the delivery rooms still occupied. So... I figured I'd update all of you who are praying diligently for me while I'm in labor (or not!). I will try to take a minute before we head out the door to let everyone know when they call to say it's my turn. This wasn't what I was planning when I predicted tomorrow as the delivery date. Ah, well, sooner or later we will have a baby and I guess that's what really counts.

The thinning list...

Predictions (Red predictions are past)
July 15 - Angie
July 16 - Charlotte, Tam, and Michael
July 17 - Kathy (Elizabeth's Mom) and Nicole
July 18 - Leif and Aunt Nora
July 19 - Elizabeth

We'll see what today brings. It's a beautiful, sunshiny morning and the perfect day to have a baby, if you ask me. =)

They say that no news...

... is good news. Whoever said that has never been pregnant and overdue. Yep, we've got no news. Sorry all you weekend predictors.

Predictions (Red predictions are past)
July 15 - Angie
July 16 - Charlotte, Tam, and Michael
July 17 - Kathy (Elizabeth's Mom) and Nicole
July 18 - Leif and Aunt Nora
July 19 - Elizabeth

Prediction Update

Predictions (Red predictions are past)
July 15 - Angie
July 16 - Charlotte, Tam, and Michael
July 17 - Kathy (Elizabeth's Mom) and Nicole
July 18 - Leif and Aunt Nora
July 19 - Elizabeth

Not much time left for those of you holding onto today! Less than 7 hours...

The first to fall...

Well, Angie, you've got an hour and a half if Phoebe is going to show up on July 15. My guess is NOPE. If so, she'd better get a move on it.

For those of you still hanging onto your hopes for this weekend (or Charlotte, holding out for Sunday the 16th), you may have a chance yet, as I'm having semi-regular contractions. We'll see if they last, but no promises. We've got a stubborn one, I think. She'll be born when she feels like it.

Final Doctor Appointment

Well, today was my last Dr. appointment. No other visits scheduled. Either I have the baby or my next stop is labor and delivery to be induced. In reality, this shouldn't be called my last Dr. appointment. It should be called my last Dr. disappointment. While Phoebe did turn yesterday, by the time I woke up this morning she'd turned back to her posterior position. She's not engaged enough yet to stick to one position, so she's still moving pretty freely in there. I still have no progress to report in the dilation and effacement department - stuck at 1.5 cm and 50%. And if I end up being induced it looks like I'm facing a minimum of 16 hours laboring time in the hospital. I should be happy that the non-stress test says she's fine in there and there's ample, but not too much, amniotic fluid. But today was a bit discouraging. We're still praying that she'll turn and I'll go into labor on my own before being induced.

The doctor did estimate the weight of the baby today, and she's guessing somewhere around 6 lb 12 oz. She said she'd be surprised if this baby was much over 7 lbs when it was born, so that was encouraging.

Hopefully we'll have baby news in the near future. In the meantime, we'd appreciate your prayers that Phoebe will turn, progress, and I'll go into labor before being induced. Thanks.

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Hopefully we'll get confirmation at the doctor appointment tomorrow, but as far as I can tell, Phoebe rolled today and is now face down, like she should be. She moved suddenly (like she hasn't done since she started to run out of room in there) and I haven't been able to feel any feet since then, only what feels like a little bum. So... I'm hoping she's turned from her posterior position and I'm looking forward to confirming that at tomorrow's appointment. Here's hoping!

Predictions

What does the Magic 8 Ball say? When will Phoebe be born?


Predictions:
July 15 - Angie
July 16 - Charlotte and Tam
July 17 - Kathy (Elizabeth's Mom) and Nicole
July 18 - Leif
July 19 - Elizabeth

So what DOES the magic 8 ball say?
"try again later"

Due Date

July 11, 2006 had come and almost gone. Our girl, however, has not. I can't say that I'm surprised, but it would have been nice to have her come early. Alas, tomorrow I will be, as they say, "overdue."

My mom's advice to pregnant couples for years has been that the mom-to-be needs to get out of the house and do something on her due date, even if it is just going out to eat or going to a movie. So... my folks took us out to dinner. We ate at The Pickle Barrel and I split a 1/2 meatball sandwich with my mom. Then we had ice cream. It would have been fine and I would have eaten a small serving of the frozen delicacy, but then we learned that for the price of a "single" cone, you could get up to 3 scoops. Wow. I mean really... can you just get one scoop knowing that the other two would be free? Anyway- I figured it was my due date and indulged. And yes, this was immediately after eating a pickle. Might as well go for the stereotype, right?



But, yeah... my due date has come and gone and I'm okay. Still waiting for the baby to roll over, still waiting for labor. We're taking predictions, though, if anyone thinks they have some special insight into when our girl will arrive. Maybe we'll send you a special certificate if you're right. =)

Almost Due...

Tomorrow is my due date. We had a doctor appointment today and they did a non-stress test (which was kind of cool, but took WAAAAY too long because SOMEONE was being a little sleepy in there and not moving around too much!) and an ultrasound to check on the baby. Everything still looks good - non-stress test was great, placenta looks good, and the amniotic fluid levels are great. The baby had the hiccups during the ultrasound, and that was pretty fun to watch - we could also watch her "breathing". They didn't take measurements to check her weight from the ultrasound, but have been estimating her to be around 6-6.5 lbs. A nice, medium size baby.

We did learn today that she is face up, so she needs to turn around before I go into labor or I will get some pretty painful back labor. We'd appreciate prayers to that effect. Turn, baby, turn!!

The doctor also said that since the baby is due tomorrow, if we don't have a baby by the 18th, we will have a baby on the 18th. They really don't like to induce on 1st babies, but also don't let you go more than a week past the due date, so the 18th is the induction date, if Phoebe doesn't come on her own before that. I personally would like her to come on her own and avoid the induction, so that's a second prayer request.

All in all the appointment went well and we'll be back in the office on Thursday to see how things are going. We're getting closer - a week and a day at the most before we have our little girl!

Waiting...

I'm not so good at waiting. And I'm especially not so good at waiting when I want to meet and hold my baby girl. The months flew by, and now that we're days away from THE event, the days mock me, dragging by, taking their sweet time. I'm not so good at waiting, so come, little girl - mommy wants to meet you.

I'm not so good at sitting still, either. And with the last couple of weeks and the hot weather have come swollen feet, demanding that I sit quietly with my feet up. I'm trying to behave, really I am. But there is banana bread to be baked and I want to get up and make it. There is a craft room to be put back into order, and I want to get up and clean it. There is laundry to be done and I want to take care of it. But instead I sit and put my feet up - and I'm not so good at sitting still.

Yesterday would have been my grandmother's birthday and today my grandfather's. Either day would have been a great day for Phoebe to arrive, as a kind of tribute to them and their lives. But I'm afraid you're running out of time to honor them with your appearance, kiddo. Tomorrow brings another opportunity - another Dr. appointment, another long, slow day. Will it be THE DAY? I don't know, but I hope so. I'm not so good at waiting.

Let the contractions begin!

Okay, so I don't know about contractionS, but I did have my first "real" contraction tonight. Unlike the Braxton-Hicks contractions I've been having for weeks, this was the first where my whole stomach tightened up and got really hard and round. It's just been the one so far, no others, but it was exciting none-the-less.

In other baby news, we had another Dr. appointment today and there wasn't really any progress. Still 1 cm, 50% effaced. But since the appointment, Phoebe has seemed to drop even lower, perhaps as a result of ALL of the walking we did today amidst grocery shopping and errand running. My parents arrived yesterday (yay!), so Mom and I ran around town today and exhausted ourselves. Tomorrow will definitely have to be a stay at home day, at least for the most part. Maybe we'll catch a movie, but we'll have to see.

Our next appointment is Monday, when we should have an ultrasound to check for appropriate fluid levels and a non-stress test for the baby. After that (assuming I still haven't delivered) I will be in to see the Dr. every few days for non-stress tests and checkups. The Dr. said they only let people go a week overdue anymore, so it looks like we will be having a baby in a week and a half at the latest! Wow... weird, weird thought.

So... I'm trying to behave and keep my (poor, swollen) feet up and enjoy the duration of my pregnancy. It's been great so far and I'm looking forward to the upcoming changes, but don't want to miss out on enjoying the last few days of child-free living.

4th of July Celebration

To celebrate the 4th of July, Leif and I went out for a date. We went to dinner in Manhattan at Sir Scott's Oasis, then headed to Big Sky to watch the fireworks. We drove through the canyon as it was approaching dark and our first bit of excitement was getting to test the brakes on the Prius. As we rounded a corner, there were two deer standing in the middle of the road. Leif slammed on the brakes and the car responded excellently. Stopped immediately, no swerving, and the seatbelts held well, not digging in or causing discomfort. It was a little more exciting than we were hoping for, but we didn't hit the deer (though it took some honking to get them out of the road -- just before a car came around the corner from the other direction) and continued on our merry way. We saw fireworks all around when we got to Big Sky and enjoyed the drive as we wound our way up to the resort. As we neared the entrance, we could see flashes of light in the sky and knew we were headed the right way. Around another bend we caught a glimpse of Big Sky's fireworks display - it was amazingly beautiful! We got excited about the fantastic sight we were about to partake of when it all stopped. We pulled into the parking lot just as the crowds started pouring back to their vehicles. We'd missed the show and caught a glimpse only of the finale! In an effort to make it back down the mountain before traffic got bad, we high tailed our way out of there. Thankfully there were a couple of other fireworks displays in the valley, so we were able to pull off on a side road and watch and get some pictures. All in all it was a good night, a great date, and a fun way to celebrate the 4th.

Things that go BUMP in the night

About 2:30 this morning we heard a big CRASH in our house. It was loud enough that it woke both of us up. The bottom shelf of our pantry came off the wall and ALL of the food that was on it spilled out and all over the floor. One of the shelf brackets is bent now, so I need to go get another before I can re-assemble the shelf and put the food back.

Then this morning Leif discovered that our hot water heater seems to be giving us the cold shoulder, literally. It will turn on and run, but shut off before there's even enough hot water for a quick shower. The hot water heater is only 3.5 years old... shouldn't need to be replaced yet! And of course, it goes finicky on us the day before my parents arrive...

Speaking of my parents - they arrive tomorrow!! I'm pretty excited. They're driving the truck up, hauling a Uhaul trailer (with the cradle and piano), so it's taking 3 days to get here from Texas. It will be great to have them here. I've been waiting for them to arrive for so long - I can't believe that July is really here already.

And that brings us to today's salutation... HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!! Leif went hiking with a friend and will be gone all day, but hopefully will get back early enough that we can go someplace to watch the fireworks in the valley. We discussed going to the fireworks show in Big Sky, so we'll see if we do it or not. Leif might be pretty worn out - he's planning to do a 10+ mile hike today.

Today also marks the beginning of week 39. We are ONE WEEK from our due date! The Dr. seemed hopeful that Phoebe would make her appearance this week, but we'll see. No signs of labor yet, just those pesky Braxton-Hicks contractions. =) Once my parents arrive, though, I'm all for this baby gettin' the show on the road!

Happy 4th to you all!

Nursery Photos

Today...

July 1, 2006 ...

1) My brother's 23rd birthday - Happy Birthday, Robert! I miss you!
2) 10 days until the due date
3) I made bagels and homemade yogurt
4) We had a wonderful visit with Connie and Leif's great aunt Mildred from Seattle
5) I put up the mobile Catherine made for our baby
6) My feet are swollen for the 3rd day in a row =(
7) Leif worked on building shelves for me in the basement!
8) I want to make a cheesecake but, alas, we have no sweetened condensed milk
9) I'm wearing one of my favorite maternity tops - a sleeveless white eyelet
10) I discovered a little green tomato on my tomato plant. Yippee!!