Tatum's Fourth Week

Here's our Tatums at four weeks old! I can't believe almost a month has gone by since she was born!  She had her well baby check-up yesterday and she's now 22 1/3 inches and 11lbs 4 oz! She's certainly growing!

Since she was cooperating during this photo session I decided to snap a few more pics...including one with her constant guardian, Roy.  I can't put her on the floor or anywhere without him creeping as close as he's allowed.

Last night I got Tatum to fall asleep in bed before us, and I got to actually sit in a chair and read for a bit.  Roy kept going in the bedroom to check on her and coming out and laying by me.  Then I transferred her to her bassinet (she usually sleeps in bed with us, right by my side...practically on me) and she miraculously stayed asleep! Only problem was Roy had not seen the transfer, and the next time he went to check on her she wasn't on the bed where he could see her.  He was a bit frantic and kept coming out and staring at me, running the bedroom, sniffing around, and coming back to stare at me.  I felt like asking, "What is it Lassie? Little Timmy fell down a well?" I finally took him in and lifted him up a bit  (not easy as he's 85 lbs) so he could see her in the bassinet...then all was well in the Palmer household.

Yesterday Matt and I took Tatum on her first hike on Tiger Mountain.  She slept the whole time in her Ergo baby, but we enjoyed the beautiful trees and lake!  Its the first hike I've been on in months and it felt so good to get back outside and on a trail!

And by the way, did you notice Tatum is part elf?

We've gotten to use our Baby Jogger stroller too, which is AWESOME, by the way!

The fully reclining feature plus a snuzzler make it a perfect napping place!

I finally got a few barrettes for Miss Tatum, too, as her hair is just out of control! I love it!

And since I'm usually the photographer, I got Matt to get a few pics of me and Miss Tatum so there's proof I was actually around during the first month of her life...  ;-)

And here's 2 short videos from our hike:

And here's the sound Tatum makes when in the ergo, or the swing, or the Moby...

Reprieve

I think God knows when we're at our limit and sends us a reprieve.

Yesterday was a long, hard, exhausting day.  When Matt got home at 8:45 I sprang at the chance to get out and go pick up some diapers (my 3 1/2 week old is already in size 2 diapers!), and Matt graciously said to take my time and he could handle her fussiness. I grabbed my keys and ran out the door--teeth unbrushed, face still unwashed, hair in a scraggly pony tail, spit up on both shoulders and pen marks on my boob from trying to finish thank you notes with Tatum on my shoulder (not sure how pen ended up there but it was a struggle).

After a stop to get a large diet coke and an order of curly fries, I got the diapers, some cute barrettes because Tatum's hair is getting out of control, and a six pack of Mirror Pond Pale Ale that was very much appreciated.  By the time I got home I was ready to hold my sweet baby girl again...even when she wasn't acting too sweet.

Last night, Tatum graciously slept from 2:45 until 7:30, letting me get a wonderful 5 hours of sleep! And today she took long naps in her car seat and stroller, and Matt and I got to go to church, Target, lunch at Panera Bread, a nice drive along Lake Washington, and a nice looooong walk in the glorious sunshine! And her awake times have been minimally fussy! Thank You Lord!

Ahhhh, days like this make days like yesterday sooooo worth it!

Growth Spurts

Last week Tatum must have gone through some major growth spurt because she had three modes:

Eating

Sleeping

Fussy

She was eating every 30 minutes to an hour during the day, and we're not giving her a bottle (with breast milk) until she's a month old so it was all Mama, baby.  Thankfully she was still sleeping well at night and I was getting 3-5 hours of sleep at a time which is just rapturous!  But the day times were a bit brutal.

It made me think about growth spurts that God takes us through.  We're hungry and just want more and more and more, and if we can't feel Him around we get rather fussy and complaining and vocal about it. Sometimes we're forced to grow and we're just not too happy about it.  We cry and want to be held all the way through it.  There's no spiritual binky to satisfy your soul.

And I'm wondering why God's deciding to coincide my spiritual growth spurt with Tatum's...it's rather exhausting...

Tatum's Third Week

Here's my little Tater Tot at 3 weeks old.  This time three weeks ago we were just arriving at the birth center and I was sinking into the hot bath and thanking the sweet Lord Jesus for it!

This past week has been our first full week just us three here.  Matt's gone back to work and I've been learning to vacuum one-handed.  I'v learned the Moby wrap and the Ergo baby have been absolutely essential to getting anything done, as Miss Tatum doesn't like to be put down for long...like for these weekly pictures.  Besides this yawn picture we don't have one picture of the 60-some-odd pictures where she isn't frowning!

The past 4 or 5 nights she's decided to be a grumpy night owl and stay awake from 8 until 2ish, eat every 20-40 minutes, sleep for 5 minutes and fuss in between.  At least she makes up for it and sleeps until 11 or 12 the next day, and she's (sometimes) sleeping for 4-6 hours at night--hallelujah!

On another random note, I finally finished what was supposed to be my "early labor project" - this puzzle!  Only thing was my early labor lasted less than an hour before I was in full swing active labor, so Beth and I got this out during week 2 to finally finish!  Its of Vail, Colorado, which is where Matt and I went on our honeymoon.  

It felt like Disneyland covered with snow--such fun!

But you didn't come here to see pictures of a puzzle or our honeymoon - you came for Tatum!  So here's a few from the past week of our little Tater Tot:

We got an activity mat that Roy seems to like as much as Tatum does...

a little Daddy/daughter time

its a lot of work holding that head up...

Roy is still protector of the realm

Isn't this cloth diaper the cutest?! Thanks Chad & Karli!

Dad's knees make a good bouncer substitute

Roy is beginning to take over the activity mat...

That's all for now!

Birth Announcements are ordered!

Just ordered our birth announcements! 

Initially Girl Baby Announcements

Find hundreds of cute baby birth announcements at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Tatum's Second Week

I'm sitting here nuzzling the downy softness of Tatum's light brown hair, breathing in the scent of new baby and a hint of Burt's Bees baby wash, and reveling in the sweetness of being a mom.

The past two weeks have gone by both fast and slow.  Time seems to stand still when I'm just staring at her, and then I look up and its time for bed again.  Things I mean to get done just stay undone. 

Its amazing how much she changes day to day.  She lifts her head, and holds her head and upper body up by herself. She smiles, has giggled, and now focuses on toys suspended over her swing or bouncer.  Yesterday she was looking at pictures in a book, and when I turned around she was holding onto one of the pages.  

One of her favorite places to be is on Daddy's chest.  I love hearing him talk to her, calling her Bucko (a little masculine, but Dad gets to choose his own nicknames), Pumpkin Pie and Sweet Pea. 

Tonight she was exploring her face and then found out she had hair.  She petted it awhile, then all of the sudden grabbed a big hunk of it and yanked with all her might.  And proceeded to scream.  And not let go.  I had to pry her tiny fingers from the death grip she had on herself, and once she was on my shoulder and being held she finally calmed down.

This was from tonight--sheer perfection.  Down to the Alfalfa cowlick.

And I had to showcase this outfit--camo and lace.  That's my baby girl. (with Roy watching over her)

And here's a few more from the past week:

She fell asleep during her bath...must have been very relaxing!

And I love love love love her crazy hair.  Not so much the spit up on my shirt but what the hay...comes with the package :-)

Even on days like today and yesterday, when she must be going through a growth spurt and is wanting to feed every 30-45 minutes and cries her head off if she's not being held, its still the best job in the world just to pick her up and know I'm the one that can instantly quiet her.  Her smile (even if its just her passing gas) makes it all worth it.

Last but not least a little video of our Tater Tot taken by Grandma Beth: