Blessed :)

Blessed... The only word to describe how I feel... Just incredibly blessed. 

We could not ask for a better baby. She eats really good (she's in the right family)- both from a bottle and nursing, but she does seem to be a spitter upper. If she has eaten in the last 10-15 min you can almost guarantee you are going to get spit up on if you are holding her. It doesn't make her mad, and she doesn't act like her tummy is upset- she just spits up and keeps on about her business.

She is a pretty good sleeper (with the exception of last Saturday night) - up about every 3 hours to eat then go right back to sleep. The only catch is she doesn't really want to go to sleep until 11pm and wants to sleep until 9am- which is not a problem right now, but will be once mommy goes back to work. She will sleep in her crib, her bassinet, her bouncy seat, her swing, her car seat, or of course if you are holding her... but we don't hold a sleeping baby :).

She hardly every cries! If she is fussy you can bet she is either hungry or is sitting in poop. Which makes her a GREAT shopping buddy already! Oh and her poops.... those are another story in themselves.... Very explosive!!!- but apparently that is normal for breast-fed babies.

She has already changed so much in the last 2 weeks. Her little face has matured- her nose has taken more shape (a shape like daddies of course!) and her little eyes keep getting lighter and lighter. Hopefully they will be as blue as her daddy's eyes. She is even more awake and alert then she has been, and makes some of the funniest facial expressions. Chase and I just sit here and laugh at her! Such a ham!

                   Mary Claire- show me BIG EYES!!!                        Check out that grin!

Mary Claire has had a few new visitors in the last week

Gran-nannie

Uncle William

                                                                      Believe it or not, she does like her Uncle William

"Aunt" Robyn

We try to get out and walk anytime the weather is nice

D'D watched Mary Claire on Saturday night so Momma and Daddy could go on a "Date Night." It was weird us both leaving her, up until this point one of us was always with her. But it was defiantly a good thing for both Momma & Daddy, and Mary Claire. 

Daddy sleeping with Mary Claire while waiting on to get his food after church on Sunday... Saturday night was a LONG night, remember?

Headed to the Doctor Monday afternoon

Today Mary Claire had her 2 week check up. She has gained 8 oz and now weighs in at a whopping 6 pounds 10 ounces- still a little squirt! Some of the premie clothes we had to buy when she first came home are already getting a little snug (although the 0-3 months clothes still hang off of her).

Waiting on the doctor to come in

Her umbilical cord is still very much attached. Dr. Bennie didn't seem to alarmed yet, but wants us to be a lot more aggressive in cleaning it, and if it is not off by next Monday we have to come back for her to potentially cut it off. YIKES!

I asked the Doctor about her explosive poops because her little bum is irritated. They tested her poop for blood because that could be a sign of a food sensitivity (primarily milk allergy)- but it came back negative. WHEW!!! So Doc said to treat it with an anti-fungal cream (because there is probably some kind of yeast in there?) and then put butt paste on top of that to help protect her bum when she does poop. Oh- and the kicker... Don't use baby wipes because the wiping motion can aggravate the already irritated skin. Instead rinse her bottom off with warm water and let air dry before putting on the creams. Thus a changing station has been set up at the kitchen sink. Just imagine the antics every time we change her diaper now....

Mary Claire also has a "stork bite" on her chest and one trying to develop on her tummy. 

They are just little capillaries close to the surface of the skin that will continue to get larger until she is about a year old then slowly fade away.

As I am sitting here writing this Mary Claire is just a cooing and grunting in her bouncy seat right in front of me. With every little noise she makes I fall more and more in love. She is defiantly the best thing that has ever happened to me (with Chase a close 2nd). We still very new at this parenting thing, and are trying to figure everything out. Each day we learn more and more about our little girl, and I can't wait to see what the future brings...