1 Week of Gladys

Times flies when you're sleep deprived, or so we joke.  One week she has been in our lives, and one week we have been so blessed getting to know her.  So you can get to know her, too, here is my list of

10 Things I Know about Gladys

1.  She likes to eat.  The girl had no problem figuring out this whole eating thing, and she loves it.  We went to the hospital on Friday (6 days old) for a weight check, and within three days of being released from the hospital, she was already back over her birth weight.  (We left the hospital on Tuesday at 8 lb. 1oz. and by Friday she was 8 lb. 8.6 oz.--sheesh!)

2.  She likes to sleep.  The other two Beavers did not sleep nearly as much.  Elsie still doesn't like to sleep, and Oscar probably didn't sleep as much because Elsie was around.  Eli was concerned about the amount that she has been sleeping, but found that it's "normal" for newborns to sleep up to 20 hours a day.  Yep, that sounds about right.  She's even a good sleeper at night.

3.  Gladys is the most hiccup-y baby I've ever met.  Even after giving her a good burping, she will still develop the cute baby hiccups.  She never had the hiccups in utero, as far as I can tell, but maybe I just didn't feel them, seeing as there was all that amniotic fluid to keep her cushioned.

4.  This little girl loves a back rub.  Like mother, like daughter.  I love to see her eyes roll back in her head in newborn delight, and wish I could bottle all this newborn contentedness and sell it!  Or maybe I should save it for the toddler years...

5.  Gladys loves to stretch out.  She'll sleep swaddled or balled up in her fetal position on my chest, but given the opportunity to lay on my lap, head on my knees, looking at me, she will sssttttttrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeettttttttccccchhhhhhhh every time.  With the aforementioned newborn contentedness.

6.  Green is her color.  We have pink, yellow, and blue clothing, but honestly the green goes best with her coloring.  I may be biased, though, since green is my favorite color...

7.  She already is able to tune out her siblings' noise.  This morning the kids helped Eli cook breakfast while I stayed in bed to recuperate from the night's feedings (I said she's a good sleeper--and she is--but that doesn't mean she's not a newborn, you know?) and I hear Oscar running up the stairs.  He throws open the door to my room and yells (Gladys' bassinet is right by the door), "Mama!  Breakfast is ready!!" and then slams the door.  And then he does it again because he wants me to come NOW.  Guess who slept through all of that?

8.  I don't know if Gladys is better at communicating, or if the third time is a charm for her parents--but we definitely have a better idea of what her needs are.  Part of it I credit to the Dunstan Baby Method, which is probably a bunch of hooey, but I watched the DVDs after Elsie was born, and what I remember has been helpful.  "Neh" is hunger, as it involved the tongue.  "Eh" is gas, discomfort.  So far, so good.

9.  Gladys has less hair than any of the other little Beavers did when they were born.  I wonder if this means I can hope for some dominant genes?  Will she be a brunette?  Brown eyes, too?  Only time will tell.  But the more hair they had at birth, the blonder they were when E & O got older.  Elsie had more hair and has stayed blonde longer.  Beaver 1 has blue eyes.  Beaver 2 has green eyes.  Beaver 3?

10.  Gladys is loved.  I don't know how He does it, but the Lord makes our hearts grow to make room for the new people in our lives.  I remember being worried about it when Oscar was born--was it possible to love baby #2 as much as I loved baby #1?  Did I have a limited supply of love to give?  People told me that wasn't the case, but I couldn't fathom how it wasn't the case.  And then I knew it was true.  Within seconds of him making his arrival into the world.  So, this time I knew it wouldn't be a problem, but again, I just couldn't imagine what it would be like.  Unbelievable, is what it's like.  Amazing!  And it's not just mama that is affected.  It's daddy, and Elsie, and Oscar, and if I had to argue, even Coco.  She is loved, indeed.

Cheers. :)