OCTOBER - Reed is One Month Old!

Reed is now one month old - hard to believe! He is doing well considering he still should have been in mommy's tummy right now. However, at his most recent check up, he still only weighs 5lb, 13 oz (he was 5lb, 11oz at birth). So, we will now be adding fortification to the milk he gets.  He is very sweet tempered and is very good at stealing hearts.

 He likes to try to roll around a little bit.

 Thanks to Kerry and Karen for the very awesome baby blanket!

 Edison and Charlotte had "curriculum night" at school. They got to show us some of the favorite work that they like to do. Charlotte demonstrated "Matman" for us.

 Edison showed us how he could put all 100 tiles onto the Hundred Board.

 Then Edison showed us "Pin Pushing" in which he uses a push pin to punch out a shape following the outline of it. Charlotte gave it a try too.

 Reed is spending more time checking out his surroundings.

 Love those toes!

 Meg, Chris, Dillon & Liam joined us at the cabin this weekend. It rained (hard) the whole time. But at some point, you've got to send the kids outside to keep your sanity.

 We trekked down to Leavenworth for the Autumn Leaf Parade. Lisa and Matt were there to watch Syd's marching band in the parade.

 I forgot Reed's hat, so he borrowed my ski hat.

 The kids enjoyed popping bubbles.

 Liam liked going for the high ones.

Lisa got some good baby time in back at the cabin.

 The guys decided to go for a little dip in the Wenatchee River. Despite the downpour, the river water was pretty mild.

 Loving Matt!

Big Brother and Big Sister

Reed turned three weeks old on Monday. He is eating well and having a little more awake time. Eben and I are trying to accommodate Edison and Charlotte's desires to be really involved with Reed. We are hoping that the more they bond with him now, the happier they will be as siblings over the next few years.

 Note the coordinating jammies.

 We got out to the cabin for the first time in a month. It was delightful to be back. The pine-scented air smelled invigorating and the alders are just starting to get some fall color.

 Game night at the cabin.

 Go Patriots!

Edison Rides His Bike with No Training Wheels and We're Settling In...

News flash: Edison opted to take his training wheels off his bike and he did awesome! He and Charlotte spent about eight hours riding bikes last Saturday. Edison also joined dad for some exercise - dad ran three miles and Edison rode alongside him the whole time!

Here are some pictures from about 12-16 days for Reed. He had a great doctor's check up on Tuesday and is up to 5lb, 11oz - so has finally exceeded his birth weight. He has also grown 3/4" since his birth and is up to 19.3".  His arms and legs are still super skinny, though.

 Edison and Charlotte love to check on Reed. Every day when they get home from school they spend some quality time with their little brother. This particular day it involved traumatizing Reed with a three-toed tree sloth stuffed animal from Great Aunt Kirstie.

 Floyd and Kathie were able to see Reed last weekend. They enjoyed a long, long cuddle with their grand-nephew.

 We had friends over for the Seahawks game Sunday - Reed's big debut. Reed did well and the Seahawks destroyed the 49ers!

 With Meg and Liam.

 Check out the shoes on that kid!

 Reed is a little more relaxed for his bath time now. It helps that we got him out of the bin so he can stretch out in the sink. Hopefully we'll have one more water baby in the family.

10 Days Old

We are starting to get settled here at home. But we are far short of figuring out a routine. As a preemie, Reed runs out of energy quickly - sometimes while nursing or after strenuous activities such as bathing. Then he might refuse to eat and instead sleeps for five hours. The lack of a consistent routine makes it hard for me to plan any activities outside the house. Indeed, our only outings have involved seeing the doctor daily for weight and biliruben checks. Today he finally showed weight gain for the first ti,e since he was born - phew! But the doctor still wants him to gain three more ounces by Monday. On the plus side - Reed usually has one longer (30-40 minute) awake period each day. That has let me start to get a few photos of him that show what a cutie he is becoming!

He had no plumpness to begin with, but after losing 10% of his body weight the first week, his little arms and legs are super thin right now. Hopefully not for long! His arms are the same size/circumfrence as my pointer fingers.

He likes tummy time and can even pick up his head and move it to the other side when he is motivated.

 

With Nana...

Getting a visit and a cuddle from Great-Aunt Kirstie.

First bath at home.... ahhhh.

Does this capture how tiny he is?