Tummy Time

With Nate back at work this week, I have had less time to take pictures, and even less time to write about them. Here are a few that I managed to take this week while Erica was doing "tummy time". She's actually pretty good at it, and can pick her head up and move it from one side to the other and back again in a 5 minute period, with lots of grunting and little cries during the process.

In both pictures she's on the quilt Grandma Dyanna made for her. Erica spends part of each tummy time trying to eat the squares when she gets stuck in the middle of moving her head from one side to the other.

Baby Announcement

Last weekend we tried and tried to get some good shots for the baby announcement. This is one of my favorites! Nothing like a one goopy-eyed pirate face to wow and impress friends and family with your new baby. (Erica has a blocked tear duct, thus the goopy eye. Nothing to worry about the pediatrician assures us.) Normally when Erica makes this face she sounds like a dinosaur too. Attractive! Of course, I'm more than happy to share this with everyone on the blog, which officially makes me a bad mother.

Don't worry, we actually got some cute shots for the real baby announcement.

Settling In

Erica, Nate and I are starting to get settled into our new family. We've had a couple of outings to the flower store and to buy a sling for Erica, and we went on a walk around our neighborhood. Here's Erica in her stroller with a blanket keeping the sun out of her eyes. I made Nate take a picture of me strolling Erica (she's under the blanket) because I was afraid people were going to start thinking that Erica has a daddy but not a mommy, based on the photographic evidence.
I got out by myself yesterday, and bought some "necessities" at the drug store, then went by the toy store and bought Erica her first present from me: her own Ugly Doll, a pink Ox. Now she won't be able to steal mine, right?

Don't worry, after I took this picture I took Ox out of her crib. I learned in our baby safe class that anything other than baby in the crib is just asking for trouble. We checked the swaddling blanket with the pediatrician yesterday, and she confirmed that it was okay that we are swaddling her...for now.

Home at last

We got home from the hospital, and started to integrate little Erica into our life. Here she is watching her first hockey game with Nate. (Dallas vs. Detroit)And she's testing out all her gear. Here she is in the swing.
Nate gave Erica her first bath on Friday.
And in general, she just spends a lot of time sleeping and eating. Every once in awhile though, she stops to just check out the world.

Coming Home

On Tuesday afternoon we got released from the hospital. Before we left, we had to practice putting Erica in her car seat.


Then we had to get her all dressed up in the "coming home" outfit Grandma Ivy bought her. Unfortunately, it was a little big. We can't decide if she looks more like a lamp shade or a jellyfish.
"Mmm, crocheted edging on my sleeves. So exciting to eat." says Erica.

Visitors at the hospital

"Auntie" Dori and Erica

We are home and adjusting to life as a family of three. Not surprisingly, blogging has not been our top priority since coming home from the hospital. Making sure Erica eats, Erica sleeps, we eat, and we sleep are our main focuses, in that order. :) However, here are some pictures of Erica with her visitors at the hospital. As we get time, we'll post more.

Great-Grandma Mimi and Erica

Uncle Matt and Anne with Erica

Baby Levene Arrives!

Erica Lily Levene arrived Sunday May 11 at 4:03 a.m. weighing 6 lbs 7 oz, and is 19.5 inches long. We are all doing well, but a bit sleep deprived, since we headed to the hospital at 5:00 a.m. on Saturday May 10 after my water broke at 3 a.m. It was a 25ish hours but completely worth it for the best Mother’s Day present imaginable. Here are Nate, Johanna and Erica right after she was born.





Here is another shot of Erica right after her first bath.
More later after we all get some sleep!

Baby Shower in a Bar

Maggie, Johanna, Margo, Carol and Kevin at the baby shower.

My friend Margo from work threw us a baby shower in a local bar, The Rock Rest, on the 17th of April. Nate came up to Golden for the evening and we had a lovely night opening presents, drinking beer, eating chicken wings, and enjoying the cake Margo made. We had four little kids in attendance, making the event much more classy.

A few of us stayed out "late" and played trivia. While we could have won $50 worth of Rock Rest gift certificates and come in first place, Nate listened to ME about a hockey question, so we got the question wrong and only won $10. Thankfully Margo was on her game and got us another $50 gift certificate on a final trivia question.

All in all, we had a great time, and came away with a free pitcher of Molson, two free t-shirts, and $60 to spend the next time we go to The Rock Rest! This on top of all the wonderful gifts our generous friends bought us for Baby! What a night!

Baby Shower Pictures

Here are some shots from the baby shower my friends Alden, Barb, Dori, Kelly and Rachel threw for me and baby two weeks ago. You can see how big I'm getting, and all the good stuff baby received. It was a fun day!

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Welcome to our Blog

Hi Everyone,

Nate and I are setting up this blog so we can keep friends and family informed on all the details of Baby Levene's birth, life and progress. (Okay, not ALL the details. Only the PG rated details. Yuck.) We've got wireless access in the hospital, and one of Nate's jobs is to keep people updated on how we are doing during birth and the first few days. Then once we get home, over the first few weeks we'll try to keep this updated, in between feedings, sleeping, and general overwhelmed-ness.

Less than 6 weeks from our due date, but we've passed the "magical" 34 week mark. It's hard to believe that anytime between now and 8 weeks from now we'll be three instead of two. Crazy.

Happy Sunday!

Johanna and Nate