We give thanks

Thanksgiving was a time for us to reflect on how truly blessed we are. Aaron and I are both very thankful for the joy that Alyssa has brought to our lives and the fact that she's a healthy baby. We were so fortunate to have had a healthy pregnancy, safe labor and delivery, and now a beautiful little girl. We are also thankful for the continual love, support, and prayers of all our family and friends.

We spent Thanksgiving with Aaron's immediate family, the Krautkremer family, and Uncle Bob. It was a fun day spent eating, laughing and playing games. Alyssa was the center of attention during much of the day, making her entrance in her "little turkey" Thanksgiving outfit. Many thanks to Brian and Renee for hosting the gathering and for all the yummy food! We left a few pounds heavier than we arrived.

Alyssa had a check-up last Wednesday, almost 3 weeks after her birth. The doctor said she looked great, and he commented on how strong she is. In his words, she has good tone. She's able to pick her head up and turn it, and push herself up or forward if something solid is available to push off of. She's gaining weight - she was at 9 lbs, 15 oz at the appointment and she's also grown 1/4 inch. For both height and weight, she's in the 88th percentile. Her head has also grown, now over 15 inches, in the 97th percentile. We keep thinking that this means she'll be really smart :)

Alyssa and I are slowly getting into a routine during the day by ourselves. I find it hard to get too much done between all the feedings and diaper changes, but we're working on it. The objective for this week is to decorate for Christmas and call day care centers during the day. We'll see if I'm able to get these two tasks accomplished. She's generally sleeping pretty well at night, eating every four hours or so, which means we get to sleep for about 3 hour chunks of time. We're so thankful for every hour of sleep that we get.

Alyssa is generally a happy baby. She cries when she's wet or when she's hungry. We continue to supplement with formula as I still don't have enough milk to satiate her ever growing hunger, but Aaron continues to support me through the frustrating moments and we're hopeful that with continued pumping and some herbal supplements (More Milk Plus) my milk may fully come in. We'll stick with this another few weeks and see what happens. In the meantime, Aaron & I will continue to work together to care for and love our little angel, and we will all enjoy the excitement of the season.