The First Week

Well, it's Thursday, which means our little Ivy Soleil is a week old.

First impressions? This transition from two to three isn't as abrupt a collision as we expected. I think that's the case for two reasons. First, London and Liberty are pretty much a package deal. They do everything together, which makes keeping them happy and entertained easier than you'd think. Second, Ivy is small, quiet and immobile. I have a feeling the day she starts crawling is the day the impact will start to be felt.

Or maybe not! We're just thankful that we all are, for the most part, pretty relaxed and proceeding with a sense of normalcy. It isn't hunker-down time, and the past week certainly has shown that!

On Friday, Savannah's birthday, we left the hospital and went across the street for Savannah's birthday lunch of fondue and schnitzel at Gustav's. We then went home to our kids, who were happy to see us (all three of us). It was a great, first night.

On Saturday, we just lounged around the house, a day that ended with a fun trip to Fred Meyer to buy the kids miniature versions of the Pillow Pets they already have. They are big fans.

On Sunday, we had lunch at Grandma Nomi's house, and introduced Ivy to Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Hurt.

When we were released from the hospital, Ivy was classified as having upper-moderate jaundice, and the doctor told me to have her come in for a new PKU test (heel stick) at the Sunnyside lab on Sunday. But then, in our release papers, it said to bring her in Saturday (we were released Friday). Because Savannah's milk came in so soon and Ivy was eating/pooping/peeing so well, we decided to wait until our prescheduled Monday momma/baby checkup.

Of course, everything was awesome. Ivy weighed in at just 2.5 ounces below her birth weight. (This is just four days after she was born; babies are supposed to get back to birth weight by 2 WEEKS!) Her jaundice level was low enough that doctors said the bilirubin was no longer a potential problem. She's been a phenomenal baby at every stage! After the appointment, we all went to the East Portland Community Center for open playtime, which was awesome! Lots of cars, balls and a trampoline!

On Tuesday, Savannah led (that's right -- LED!) her MOPS group at East Hill. I and the kids hopped on the MAX for a fun (and at times, scary) train ride to the Washington Park Zoo, where Savannah and Ivy later joined us. On a day that was predicted to be rainy and cold, we enjoyed a nearly abandoned park. And it's not like we were alone at a rainy zoo -- the weather was dry, and the sun even came out! It was a great day, but people certainly questioned our sanity, having Savannah so active so soon after giving birth.

Wednesday wasn't much different. Savannah and Ivy attended the Damascus Christian MOMS Group there while I took the Ls to open play time at the Sandy Community Center. They had fun with the cars, slides and other toys, and when I wasn't playing with them or hovering over them, I was awkwardly soaking in the weirdness of being the only dad there. After nap time, the day ended with a trip to Wal-Mart to get some much-needed groceries and our NEWEST child -- a brand-new Canon Digital Rebel camera! Look for some amazing pictures soon!

Sleep hasn't been great, but not because of our youngest -- it's because of our OLDEST! London has been night waking one to two times a night, bursting into our room at all hours of the night. That's been difficult, because the process to calm him down and put him back to bed is an involved one each time. Twice this week I've fallen asleep in his bed while trying to lull him back to sleep. Not quite sure what to do about all that.

In summary, it's like Ivy has always been a part of our family. She just fits right in. She is tremendously curious, the coziest cuddler and full of love. You can just tell. I've read about how dads -- not just moms -- have oxytocin release when they cuddle with baby. Man, that oxytocin is some GOOD stuff! It's addictive! I joke with Savannah that Ivy is my little drug.