Almost 3 Weeks Already!

So much has happened since our last post, I don't even know where to begin. I went back to work last Monday and needless to say, it was quite difficult leaving Shelly & Kate for the first time. I ended up taking a half day so the transition would be a little easier for both Shelly and I. When I arrived home at 12:30'ish, I was so excited to see "my girls." Shelly was pretty beat from a tougher morning with Kate, so we gave her a nap and had some bonding time. About an hour or so after I got home, I decided it was a good time to put Kate on her Baby Einstein playmat. She was on her back for a little bit and wasn't too fussy, so I decided to start her 30 minutes of tummy-time for the day. Much to my surprise, a few minutes into it she actually rolled on to her back! I couldn't believe it given she was only 1 week and 6 days old! I just had to wake up Mom and let her know about her daughter's accomplishment. Unbelievably after that, she did it two more times and then once more later that night, which Shelly was finally able to see. She hadn't done it since then until just yesterday, which was quite exciting to see once again.

The following day, Mom and Kate went to her second pediatrician's appointment. This was actually the first appointment I've missed since Shelly became pregnant, but due to the fact that we were only able to schedule the appointment a couple days in advance, the 11:30 appointment time made it impossible for me to make it. The good news is Kate continues to do well. She now weighs 7 lbs. even and is 19-3/4" long. When we left the hospital the Friday after she was born she weighed in at only 6 lbs. 4 ounces. The following day, she went up to 6 lbs. 7 ounces. Two days later she had gained another 3 ounces and 8 days since then she gained another 6 ounces, which our Doctor was thrilled about.

Shelly continues to feel better every single day, which is not only music to her ears but mine as well. After hearing about how long the recovery process usually takes, her and I couldn't be more pleased with how well her body is handling postpartum. That being said, I'm sure holding and staring at her little bundle of joy helps things tremendously.

Since then, we've continued to have visitors and have just truly enjoyed spending time with our little peanut. Kate sure does love to be held and since I like to layout on the couch the two of us found a wonderful compromise.

One thing that continues to amaze us is how quickly her facial features seem to change. It's amazing how we'll put her down for a nap, and upon her waking up she looks so different already. Kate isn't even 3 weeks old yet and it already feels like time is going by way too fast! If only we could find a way to slow things down. :)

Lastly, we'd like to throw a shout-out to Auntie Jen who celebrated her Birthday this past Saturday and to her eldest son (our God-son) Zachary who turned 3 years old the following day! Happy Birthday, you two! Until next time, we'll leave you with a few more pictures:

Mom displaying her first of many Mother's Day gifts
(with a few tears in her eyes)

Kate, sporting her Mickey Mouse ears

(Given to her from Godfather Scott Burch and Godmother Jen)
Kate on her first walk with Mom & Dad

Kate: The Apple of My Eye

Well, there's certainly plenty to fill people in on since Kate was born a little more than a week ago. First and foremost, Kate was born with a little jaundice. While we thought we were going to be able to come home Thursday afternoon, Kate's Bilirubin number was up a little over 15. Our doctor stated we could either go home with her with a heat lamp or we could stay one more night and they would put Kate under their lamps which are far more effective. After spending the night at "the beach" (as they called it), Kate's Bilirubin number went all the way down to 11.2. Given that news, we were finally able to head home as a family of three!

We did however have to be back at the hospital the following afternoon to not only check Kate's Bilirubin number, but her weight as well. As was mentioned before, Kate was born with a weight of 6 lbs. 15 ounces and when she left the hospital she weighed in at 6 lbs. 4 ounces. Babies tend to lose up to 10% of their body-weight in the first 24 hours, but they then look for them to gain back between 1/2-1 ounce per day after that. Kate wasn't gaining too much before we left, so that was definitely something we were interested in seeing when we went back on Saturday. Well, the news was somewhat mixed. Unfortunately, Kate's Bili-number crept back up to 13.1, but the good news is that she gained 3 full ounces in the 24 hours since we left the hospital. The beauty of that is if she's gaining weight that means she'll go to the bathroom more and more often, which is what will help her bili-number.

Monday rolled around and Kate had her first Pediatricians appointment. Her doctor is actually the same one that delivered the baby and is also Shelly's OBGYN, so needless to say we're quite comfortable with her. She's a wonderful doctor and we feel truly blessed to have her watching out for Kate and Shelly's well-being. Anyway, after the appointment concluded we received a call with nothing but fabulous news. First, Kate gained another 3 ounces in only 2 days! As of Monday she weighed in at 6 lbs. 10 ounces. Even better, her Bili-number dropped to the point where Shelly no longer had to feed her every 2 hours during the day and 3 hours during the night, which was music to my (and especially Shelly's) ears. Our doctor instructed us to feed her on an as-needed basis. So whenever Kate gets hungry or its been awhile, Shelly will feed her.

Other than that, we've just been enjoying the company of our beautiful Daughter. We've had so many wonderful visitors since she's been born and even more so since we've been home, all of whom have been so generous. We can't thank you enough for everything!

That being said, it's amazing how you can instantly fall in love with someone. Every time I look at Kate I realize just how lucky of a man I am. I have the most amazing wife who gave us the most beautiful daughter. Not to mention how wonderful both our families have been since Kate's been born. It's times like these where you realize just how lucky you truly are! Take care everyone, and we'll post again soon!

Kate Comes Home

Well, as you might assume we've been quite busy these past few days. We ended up arriving home early Friday afternoon and since then we've been enjoying being at home again...as a family of three! We've had quite a few visitors since then and its been absolutely wonderful to see all of you. Everyone's been so excited to see Kate and we can't thank all of you enough for all the wonderful gifts and food you've given us. It's so appreciated!

Since being home plenty has happened. Kate got to be here to celebrate Papa Joe's birthday, then Uncle Greg's the next day, not to mention a very special Mother's Day. There's so much to fill everyone in on and tomorrow I'll post in great detail what's all happened the past few days! Until then, enjoy these pictures of our little bundle of joy.

Kate sporting her "I was worth the wait" onesie
Kate's big arrival home!
Kate's first bath

Pretty in Pink

Kathryn Marie Weiland

We'd like to take this time to introduce you to the newest member of our family, Kathryn Marie Weiland. Kate was born at 3:08 AM on Tuesday, May 4th at Bellin Hospital. She weighed in at 6 lbs. 15 ounces and is 19-1/2 inches long.