Where's Winter?

A week and a half ago, before we went to the hospital, the world looked like this:

And it was COLD. That's not even just me saying that (I am a big sissy), but also the visitors from the Arctic Circle (AKA, Massena NY).

But today? Today it was 65 degrees and sunny. What better day to take Dex on his first walk?

John, Dex, and CoCo

Dex looks pleased to be included in this little walk...

CoCo is a good girl, following right along with Mom. Now I have to remember when it's just me and Dex and CoCo that I have to wait for the old dog, and stop to clean up her poop.


John gets to push UP the hill, going home. Is it just me, or does he look tired?

Physically Impossible

There's no way that this child:

Fit in to this belly:

See? Physically impossible. Where did he come from?

Dear Mom and Dad

Dear Mom and Dad,

Congrats! You've made it a week and have done no apparent harm to me! Keep up the good work!

I can't believe I am a week old already. One week down. Lots more to go!

Grandma sent this picture of you, Mom. She thinks you and I looked a lot alike as babies. What do you think? And there's a picture of Dad, too. I think I might look a little more like Mom.

Love, Dex



Mom, then me, then Dad.

Spoiled Rotten Boy

If this child continues to be so cute, how can we help but spoil him rotten?

Enjoying the newfound freedom of the Pack-N-Play - SOO much more room than Mom's belly!
See what we do for you? Dex and I edit photos of, of course, Dex.
Seriously. Could just eat this child up for lunch.
Dad and his kids
Half the Red Army contingent visits Dex, filled with questions. Why does he eat from your boob? Why does he fall asleep when eating? What does he eat? Why do you need to change the diaper? Too cute.
The girls check out John's most excellent diapering skills
Tummy time. Perhaps not so pleased by it...
Ah, blessed sleep. Hard to believe such a cute kid could scream for so many hours on end, just the previous evening.
These need no explanation. Just say "awwwww" and go on with your day.

Remembering the good old days...

Ah, it seems like only yesterday when we had a baby who would reliably eat, poop, and go back to sleep for a couple hours... Oh, wait. That WAS yesterday. Dex, I think, decided we were a bit too cocky about our fabulous parenting skills and threw us for a loop last night. His mind was working something like this: "Must have boob, must have boob, must have boob. Ahhh. Boob. Now must fall asleep while eating. Wait. Back in my crib, asleep for five minutes? Terrible!! Scream! Cry! Whine! Make silly people pick me up and walk around the house with me for an hour! And, finally, sleep..." Bless John's heart for taking "walking Dex duty" so I could get some sleep.

We seem to have our little boy back, for now. We were about to have another non-sleeping episode this morning after the doctor, but heaven sent us Larysa and Pete's swing, which worked wonders.

Dex absolutely knows how to eat. His weight yesterday with the at-home nurse was 8lbs 3oz. Only one oz under birth weight. And today at the doctor? 8lbs 6oz. He is HUGE! They were shocked a bit at the doctor's office, I think. Perhaps I don't need to let him eat for an hour at a time...

My milk has come in with a vengeance. Reactions to this development depend on what family member you ask:
Alissa: OUCH!
Dex: YUM!
John: D-D-D-DAMN!
CoCo: That's nice, Mom. How about you rub my belly?

We've had part of the Red Army over on Monday and Tuesday to meet Dex. Way too cute. I thought perhaps I had traumatized Natasha for life by breast feeding in front of her on Monday. But she was intrigued enough to come back on Tuesday with Nadia. And both girls asked about breast feeding, and wanted to pet Dex's head, and put his hat on, and pick out a new outfit for him. They were cute. Christie says that Nadia is now walking around the house with a swaddled baby doll, and a burp cloth on her shoulder. She'll make an excellent Momma!

CoCo and Dex are working on becoming friends. Dex still has no idea that CoCo exists, and CoCo for the most part ignores Dex. So we're living in perfect harmony... But last night CoCo sniffed Dex a few times while he was laying on John's stomach. She's a bit curious. So, some time perhaps a truce will be made.

Thank you all for your well wishes. We're doing absolutely great. And I never knew that one could waste so much of a day just looking at a baby. I mean, it's not like he does anything. Why is he so captivating? I don't know why, but he's stolen our hearts. All y'all told us that life would never be the same after we had a baby. And we're so glad that you all were right!

Photos

Here's a link to some photos of Dex in the hospital and during his first day home. He's doing great, Alissa is sore and tired but really doing well, John is wonderful and CoCo? Well CoCo might be slightly freaked out. Which she shows by napping all day. Of course.

http://picasaweb.google.com/alissa.norman/DexterSFirstDays#

From Dexter

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all your emails. Mom has been reading them to me - everyone telling me congrats on being born (it was pretty hard work on my part, but I was a trooper) and saying how cute I am. Right now I have seen my fists, entering my mouth, and those look and taste pretty darn good, so I am guessing the rest of me is cute, too.

I'll tell you a bit about my first few days. On Thursday night Mom starting getting cramps that were pushing on me. Those kind of sucked, so I kicked Mom. But they pushed me way way down and squeezed my head in to a tight little space, so I hung out there for a while. Friday the cramps kept getting worse. I kicked Mom some, but after a while that became too much work so I just focused on squeezing my head through a little tunnel. Around 7:30pm I was close enough to the end of the tunnel that some people kept poking me in the head. And I kept on working my way out. At one point someone told Mom not to push, and they unwrapped some cord thing from around my neck a couple times. I don't think I knew it was there - it wasn't bugging me at all, and my heart rate was good the whole time. But apparently it scared the doctors a little bit. Then Mom gave one more big push and my shoulders popped out of Mom and I was COLD! A nurse sucked some fluid out of my mouth and... my memory is a little foggy here. I know I cried. I know Mom and Dad were happy to see me. Dad cut some cord attached to my belly, and then a nurse gave me some shots and put some goop in my eyes and wiped me off and put me on a scale and stuff. I cried a bunch. And then, finally, I got to go see Mom again, and I got to nurse. Yum! Food! I was hungry after working so hard all day.

I slept a bunch after that. I woke up some times when bright lights were flashing in my eyes. Mom said something about the paparazzi. Not sure what that means. But the lights kept flashing every time I met a new person. I met my grandma and grandpa Cowan, and Nana and Grandpa Norman, and my Aunt Christy. And then I spent my first night rotating between crying, eating, and sleeping. I slept on Mom for a little while - she kept holding my arms down. Some times I wake up quickly, and my arms fly around a bit - it's a little scary. I'm not sure arms are supposed to do that. Thought they were just supposed to deliver fists in to my mouth.

Saturday was a rough day. Just when I'd be sleeping someone would take me to get my temperature taken, or get a shot, or go to a little room some where to be circumsiced. That part was really not the highlight of my day. I slept for a while on some various family members, and stayed up pretty late crying. I was trying to tell Mom that I was still hungry. Takes those guys a while to catch on some times. Then just as I was trying to sleep I had to wake up and get naked to get weighed. I lost 5 ounces from birth. Apparently that's ok - nobody freaked out about it. And then I had to have my heel pricked and have blood squeezed out of it. Not a big fan of that, either.

Sunday was a better day. I hung out for a while with Grandma and Grandpa, waiting for a doctor to come see me to see if I could go home. She must have thought I was pretty cute, too, because I was cleared to go home. I got strapped in to some seat thing around 2:30. Mom and Dad took some more pictures - I think they thought I was big. Until I was in this little seat. Apparently I am not nearly as big as they thought. I liked going for a little walk outside, and riding in the car. And then we got home! Some brown fuzzy thing came and sniffed me, and it keeps coming and sitting next to Mom when I am nursing. I'm not sure what it is yet - I will have to get back to you there. Apparently some thing called CoCo. Oh, and I met some new friends - Adam and Maria came over to meet me and admire how cute I am.

I had a good first night at home, and am having a good first morning here, too. I've done some pretty cool stuff - pooped on the changing table right after Mom took my diaper off, peed on Dad after he took my diaper off, have spit up on pretty much everyone and everything. I eat a lot. I sleep a lot. I cry some, but I really think it's not very much.

Things I like:
Fists in mouth
Breast in mouth
Sitting up on Dad's lap
Sleeping on Mom's chest
Having my head rubbed

Things I don't like:
Baths
Dad tickling my feet to make me stay awake to eat
Staying awake to eat

Thanks again to everyone for all your congratulations. Mom said she'd post some pictures to Picasa today, so you can see how much cuter I have become (Dad says I had a "cone head" when I was born. Dude - YOU try squeezing through that tunnel!)

Much love,
Dex