Week Two Considerations

Hope and I are on our first big day out alone...all the grandparents have visited, bestowing us with love, gifts and assistance to make each day a bit easier...yet now it is just me-n-Hope during the day, as Shannon is back at work 8-5. Today was marked by the 2-week doctor appointment, wherein we learned that our growing girl is now 8.2 lbs, 21.5 inches tall and well into the "good" percentiles of height/weight/head size. Well, OK, her head size is only in the 25th% while her height is in the 90th%...but time is on our side and if Henry is any indicator, her head will be finely proportioned in no time (and I was certainly not complaining two weeks ago when said head was coming out!).

Feeding is going well, as is sleep -- these seem to be the big themes of the first few post-partum weeks. I am adequtely addicted already to season 5 of The West Wing -- the only politics I can seem to stomach these days. I have seasons 6 & 7 ready to get me through the first months of breastfeeding -- it worked with Henry and I know it will work with Hope. It is challenging to look outside at the beautiful, sunny days, longing for a hike in the mountains or a swim in the lake...but Jeb Bartlett and the White House staff serve as an adequate, temporary distraction.

Henry has begun exercising his two-year old perogatives of both the exclamatory "No!" and the overuse of the possessive "mine!" While there was much talk of first child regression when baby #2 was coming, his regression seems limited to calling himself "Baby Henry" and wanting to do a bit more rocking in the mornings. He even surprised us with a success on the potty the other day, which was met with resounding applause and commendation. He's been blessed by much grandparent love in the past two weeks, but has also had to suffer the goodbyes, which are difficult for him. Time this past weekend in Spokane with his cousins, Auntie Deb and grandmas was particularly exciting, yet he keeps asking for them now that we are home, hoping they will be there for more play time.

There is drama in the works at CWC -- enough that some of our good friends are leaving the company, which also means leaving town. It is terribly sad for us to say our goodbyes...Henry has had a few very close friends depart too, so it is affecting us all. As of this week, Shannon and I once again have a new boss, one that neither of us has met yet...another change...another change...I am trying to stay optimistic.