updates, updates, updates

Ok, so here are some updates.

01/11/11 @ 11:29am, Samantha Lily Clark makes her appearance in the world. She weighed 8 pounds 2 ounces, was 20 inches long, and had apgar scores of 8 or 9, and 9. Much better than Julia's 1, 5, and 7. I was able to be awake for the entire c-section, although by the end I was very loopy from the medication. The anesthesiologist had me so numb that I couldn't cough to clear my throat, and my voice was a whisper at the end. I would've much rather been less numb that high up, but I was still able to be awake and hear my baby's first cry. =)

01/14/11 Samantha and I got to leave the hospital and go home. Her weight was down to 7 pounds 10 ounces, but that was within the range of acceptable weight loss after birth.

01/17/11 Samantha had her 1-week check up with her doctor. Her weight was still 7 pounds 10 ounces. Nothing too concerning, but her doctor wanted us to come back in another week to see if she was gaining weight.

01/19/11 Julia asks to go potty, and goes poop in the potty! Twice!! Such a big girl. She had been given M&M's at Ivy's house for using the potty, so we decided to give it a try. But we're using fruity marshmallows. It's definitely working. Plus, she gets more attention from Mom and Dad by asking to use the potty a lot. And I mean a lot!

01/21/11 Samantha's umbilical cord falls off. This makes it much easier to put a new diaper on.

01/24/11 Samantha has a weight check at the doctor. She's back up to her birth weight of 8 pounds 2 ounces, which means she's gained 8 ounces in just a week. I guess her good sleeping habits (of 3-5 hours in a row at night) wasn't hurting her at all.

Julia loves her little sister. She gives her lots of kisses, and wants to console her when she's crying. If she sees Samantha's blanket and it's not with Samantha, she always bring it to her. She likes to help us take Samantha out of her swing, but thankfully can't get the tray unhooked on her own, so no worries about her getting her sister out on her own. Since Julia is still pretty young, she doesn't always understand that she needs to be very gentle with Samantha. But we're working on it. Julia is definitely turning into a 2 year old, throwing fits and crying when she doesn't get her way or we tell her no. She doesn't always have the best appetite, which is frustrating for us. And that makes it frustrating for her.

Samantha is still a great sleeper, and a wonderful baby. She has been feeding every 3 hours at night, and goes right back to sleep in her pack 'n play with no problems. It really only took the first night or two to get her used to sleeping in it. So much easier than with Julia! She sleeps a lot during the day, and loves being in her swing. In fact, she's so good and not crabby, I wonder if she sleeps too much! Having had Julia who was colicky, I'm not used to a baby that sleeps so much and is quiet. But I'm not complaining. Samantha has been a wonderful addition to our family.