Helaina meets more of her family

My aunt Vicki and cousins, Lindsey and Alexis, made the trip from Valpo to meet Miss Helaina this past weekend. I never could have imagined how much joy I feel as a mom to share her with our families.
Helaina is 1 month old today. I sang "Happy Birthday" to her, while Randy looked on in amusement that I would even think to do such a thing. He kindly asked, "Are we going to do this every month of her life?" Probably not, but 1 month is our current milestone :)!
Even though Helaina has met many of her family and new friends, there is still a WHOLE TOWN waiting to see her for the first time! Helaina and I are making the trip to Valparaiso this Wednesday. She has 4 great-grandparents anxiously awaiting as well as many aunts, uncles, and cousins. My mom and family are hosting an informal shower on Saturday so the family can get together and spend some time with Helaina. We are so excited! Besides wondering how we will survive the 3 1/2 hour drive, being just the 2 of us, I keep wondering "what will be wear for the big day?" :)

Dress up with Grandma

Grandma McGinley (my mom) visited us this weekend, and she brought with her some goodies for Miss Helaina. Included in the bag of presents was a beautiful pink dress. We wanted to try it on for size, and it somehow turned into a mini photo shoot. We couldn't help ourselves. Hopefully Helaina will be able to wear it on Easter Sunday.

Uncle Omar also spent some quality time with Helaina on Saturday. Thanks for visiting us Amo!

First Tub Bath

Now that the umbilical cord has fallen off, Helaina took her first bath in the tub! It's all about timing...she wakes from her nap, nurses, we wait about 30 minutes, then BATH TIME with no tears or crying (even if it is 11 pm when we've finished all of the above)! Then I can usually get an extra hour of sleep from her after the bath. She's so precious!

2 week peds visit

Helaina had her 2 week visit at the pediatrician today. At 2 weeks, the docs want newborns to be back at their birth weight and good news for us...Helaina was 7 lb 11 oz when she was born and weighed in at 8 lb 1 oz today!!! She received a clean bill of health, and we couldn't be happier! Thank goodness for sun and warm weather. Helaina and I have been sportin' the stroller travel system, taking long walks around our subdivision. She's catching the boys' eyes already...look out daddy...I see trouble in the future!

Our Beautiful Girl

Helaina is 11 days old. Oh my...how time flies! Randy, Helaina, and I have been adjusting as a family of 3. She is a very good baby. The first few days home from the hospital were difficult, but that was no surprise to us. Thank goodness we had more than enough help from our family. My parents stayed at the house with us until Sunday, and once they left, Randy's parents volunteered for "day" duty at the house. From help with housework to lunches and dinners...we are so THANKFUL for the unconditional support and help!!!
Randy and I are learning more and more each day about being a parent. It's such a gift to be a mom and a dad. I knew breastfeeding was going to be difficult, but I must admit, it has been the hardest part thus far. She feeds well, but OFTEN!!! It takes almost 30-45 minutes to nurse, and then sometimes she's ready to feed again in an hour. Instead of the "cookie monster", I call her the "milk monster." A friend from hygiene school, Leah, has been a great help as well as the lactation consultants at the hospital. It seems everyday is a new challenge. It's definitely a learning experience for mom and baby, but we're going to get the hang of it...I'm certain!
Today we've been out of the house almost all day! We had newborn photos taken at the hospital, but this morning we also had some shots taken as a family with the lady who did our maternity shoot. It was quite the experience. Helaina nursed 3 times in 3 hours, peed on the photographer and me, and cried for the last hour. I can't blame her though...who would want to be naked and photographed in all these crazy positions at 11 days old. After the photos, we visited Sedy and Sitty for most of the afternoon. It was a great day out of the house! We're hoping she'll sleep well tonight!

Helaina is 4 days old

Just a few photos since we've been home from the hospital. Helaina had her first visit to the pediatrician today and we are happy to report she is a healthy baby girl. We love her!

Helaina Catherine Freij

We are a proud family of THREE! Helaina Catherine Freij entered this world on Monday, March 2, 2009 at 3:19 pm. She weighed 7lbs 11 oz and was 21 inches long. Helaina looks just like her daddy...especially when he was a newborn. LOTS AND LOTS of black hair with beautiful long eyelashes. The good Lord has guided us through this entire journey, and Monday was no exception. I was scheduled for induction at 6 am on Monday, but God answered our prayers and I began experiencing contractions around 1 am Monday morning. I had an epidural around 9 am when my water broke and I was 6 cm dilated. Labor continued to progress naturally without any help from Pitocin and by 3:00 pm I was ready to push. 20 minutes and about 20 pushes later, our beautiful baby girl arrived! We are all safe and healthy and happy. I haven't really slept since Sunday morning when I woke before church, but adrenaline kicks in when you need it most!

Thank you to each one of our family and friends for their prayers and support. We couldn't have done without your help too.

It's almost "Game Time"

That's right, no update. I'm definitely overdue, and it's becoming increasingly certain that labor will be induced tomorrow morning at 6:30 am. I've had sporadic contractions throughout the past week, but nothing that progresses.
Randy and I are spending our last day together before the new chapter in our life begins. No plans, just a relaxing Sunday enjoying our families and each other's company. Thank you for all the kind words and prayers. We are blessed!