Teamwork

A successful marriage is rooted in teamwork, and that's why it's not necessary to single out individuals. So I don't think we need to focus on who "changed" Natalie's diaper last night (and forgot to put a new diaper on her).

We learned of this oversight when Natalie filled her outfit (and the swing) with plenty of urine, which was fun. So in case you were wondering, no our little girl is not yet potty trained.

Monday Mourning

Natalie and Mom are lamenting the fact that it's the beginning of a new week, so those two had to say "good bye" for the day when Mom left for work about 30 minutes ago.

Our fans have demanded some doggy photos so I'll post some Jo-jo images on the photo site later today. Have a wonderful Monday!

Meeting New Friends

Natalie got to meet a lot of new people on Saturday when some of our friends visited all afternoon. She did her best to impress everyone with her skills of napping & eating (and occasionally cooing & smiling). She also got to catch up with Grandma Linda, who returned from her California trip and visited Natalie on Sunday morning.

The nice weather today is making Mom and Dad excited about Spring time. We can't wait until Natalie can experience the outdoors and we can put some miles on the stroller!

Mom is looking forward to at least three exciting things today: A trip to the Y, bath time (and a new outfit) for Natalie, and the Oscars -- not necessarily in that order. I'm planning on taking advantage of the nice weather by fixing the garage door and installing the "extra" car seat base in the Ford -- should be exciting!

Natalie is taking a nap right now, but earlier she said to say "Hi" to everyone. She also wanted to say "congrats" to Cousin Evelyn, who took her first steps recently. It's good to know Natalie will have an expert teacher when it's time for her to learn that neat skill!

NGG Survives Shots!!!

So far so good...

Natalie got four shots this afternoon and was quite confused/scared at the time. But she took them like a big girl and stopped her crying with the help of a few hugs from Dad. The cutie has been sleeping ever since and her parents are so proud of her!

BMs are Exhausting

I write this at 6 a.m. after Natalie's first nearly 8-hour slumber. And yes, there was a moment about 6 hours in when I waited to hear her breathe before turning over to go back to sleep. I believe this marathon sleep has everything to do with poop. Natalie has stopped pooping on a daily basis, and when she lets 'er rip, it's a sight to behold. But last night, Joey asked her if she was a poop camel just storing it up because she pooped three times in four hours, smiling the whole time. That would make anyone sleep for 8 hours! That's all for now, poop camel and I are going back to sleep.

All Smiles =)

Mom enjoyed her four-day weekend, but it was back to school today...

Natalie just ate and is taking a nap right now; She seems to be getting bigger by the day!

Try and stay warm today and have a great Tuesday!

Sunday Fun

It's been an exciting day thus far!

Mom has been dealing with her illness (really stuffed up), and Natalie managed to fill her diaper (and most of her clothes) with poop and/or pee. Good times.

Natalie is now resting in her swing, certainly thankful for a warm bath and new outfit. I'm hoping my baby can get some sleep and that her Mom feels better -- wish us all luck!

Reprieve

Well, Natalie went to the doctor today. She was supposed to get her 2-month shots but since she has been sick the past week, the doctor didn't want to give her the shots because he was afraid she'd have a bad reaction. So daddy will have to bring her in again when she's better (hopefully next week). The good news is that she's gaining a good amount of weight. She's still in the 10th percentile in weight for her age, but that's a vast improvement from the less than 5 she was at her 2 week check. She's weighing in at a whopping 8 pounds, 12 ounces -- more that two pounds heavier than last month! YEAH NATALIE! The doctor says she's doing great, and he showed me the graph of her progress, she's following the little curve just like she's supposed to.
Her cold is getting better, though it's still hanging on a little. She has a few coughing fits, but it's getting there. But now I'm getting sick -- thank goodness for the long weekend because I don't have any sick days left. Daddy will have to take care of both of his girls this weekend.

Happy Valentine's Day !!!

Natalie turned on the charm for her first Valentine's Day. The little tike was extra cute this morning, and Mom truly lamented the fact she had to go to school.

Cousin Evelyn made a quick visit this morning, stopping by with her Mom for a while to wish us a happy Valentine's Day. Natalie slept through the entire visit, but I'm sure is glad to know that half of the New-Hopers swung by. It also sounds like Aunt Ki-Ki will be visiting this afternoon -- Natalie must be a popular baby, because I don't think people are stopping by to see me!

A romantic dinner of Chinese food is on the menu for tonight, so that should be fun. I hope everyone has a great "holiday" today: Happy Valentine's Day!

Natalie Blogs

I'm going to count this as Natalie's first time blogging because she's currently strapped into the Baby Bjorn (and seems to be loving it).

My daughter had a fussy afternoon yesterday but slept soundly all morning today. She has been hanging out with me a little more this afternoon, but now is nodding off in the Bjorn. As always, she is eagerly awating the arrival of Mom, who should be home fairly soon.

That's it for now -- Happy Valentine's Day Eve!

Natalie Turns Two !!!

The little princess currently is celebrating her two-month birthday with a late-morning nap. This follows a quality night of sleep in her bassinet (and yes, I had to spell-check "bassinet" -- for some reason I had gone about 28 years without needing to type it.)

Mom is very excited about Natalie's slumber, especially because it came in the bassinet. She is hoping the little one has graduated (for good) from sleeping in her car seat; Only time will tell.

Mom and Dad are so proud that our little big girl is a full one-sixth of the way to 1 year old. Time flies fast, but we're so lucky to have such a cute mini person to share our lives with!

Mr. Mom

OK, it's time to channel my inner Michael Keaton!

We're halfway through Day 1 of my month-long Mr. Mom experiment, and I must say we're off to a flying start. Natalie seems to be enjoying herself, and we haven't had any major catastrophies thus far.

The little jelly bean is producing impressive amounts of snot every once in a while, but is essentially over her recent cold/cough. It's nice to have a healthy & content baby again, and hopefully she can stay that way for a while!

On the mend

I think our little princess is finally defeating the beast of snot that has been tackling her all week. When I fed her at 6 this morning, there was no snot to be seen and her breathing sounded great! Not even a sneeze! And it's now 10:30 and she's still sleeping soundly, no struggling to breathe past the snot! YEAH!
It was a hard week. It's really hard to watch her struggle, and when she has a coughing fit, it breaks your heart. We actually went to Urgent Care on Wednesday night -- didn't' need to it turns out -- but when I took her temp that night it was 99.5. So being the new mom and all, I had to have her checked out. By the time we got to Urgent Care, her temp had gone down. She was miserable, coughing to the point of spitting up, and her little eyes were all red and irritated looking. She looked like a cartoon character who has a cold, the red eyes, the red tip of her nose. She wouldn't sleep unless she was held or rocked in her carseat, so mommy spent almost 5 hours in the living room that night half sleeping, half rocking. Then daddy did the same later in the morning before he went to work.
But fingers crossed I think she's turned the corner!

Down and out

Well, it only took her 8 weeks -- our little princess already has a cold. She started getting really fussy on Saturday and by Monday night she was all sniffly and sneezy and coughing. She doesn't have a fever, so that's a good sign that it isn't getting to be something more than a cold, which often can happen with a baby this young. We're doing all we can to suck the snot out of her nose and keep her comfortable, and grandma Lee is doing her part during the day. I'm sure she's bummed that her week with Natalie is marred by sickness. It's hard to watch her struggle and try to get comfortable. She's really only comfortable if held lately. Poor little thing.

Getting Her "Phil"

"This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather."

* * *

Just had to start things out with the immortal words of Phil Connors (Bill Murray) from the timeless (and vastly underrated) cinematic experience we all know as "Groundhog Day."

That's right, it's February 2nd. Reports from Punxsutawney are that Phil did in fact see his shadow, thus eliminating hopes for an early spring. I'm not sure that Natalie Grace is blessed with clairvoyance when it comes to seasonal change, so let's not read into her high-maintenance morning today -- it's probably little more than an indication she is passing gas.

If you haven't figured it out yet, this is Father Joe reporting from home. Mom and her pal Rachel are spending this Saturday morning out and about, which allows me some one-on-one time with baby.

Natalie is getting cuter by the day, and had a great time with the Gustafson ladies this past week (mostly Grandma Linda); she even attended cousin Emilia's fourth birthday party! Natalie also is eager to hang out with Grandma Lee this week in Bloomington, which no doubt will be a blast. After that, it's four weeks with Dad, who can't wait!

Though the verbal form will take a while, Natalie is able to communicate with me quite well -- it's all in the eyes. She just told me that she loves the Patriots on Sunday, so I'd suggest laying the 12 points. I'm not guaranteeing anything, but she never has picked the Super Bowl incorrectly.

I need to give a "shout out" to Grandma Lee and Grandpa Kent, who helped us out last minute on Friday -- chilling with Natalie for a while so Sarah and Rachel could grab dinner while I took in my first T-wolves game in about four years -- THANKS GUYS!

Looks like it's bottle time, so I better sign off. Remember to count your blessings this Groundhog Day, and have an awesome weekend.