Ainsley spoke her first word! Yesterday, during our Saint Patrick's Day dinner, Ainsley was being talkative, so we said the word "mama" a few times and she repeated it back to us five or six times. Of course, by the time I got the video camera out, she was done talking.

Ainsley G. checkin’ in real quick.  It’s been a long, tough month or so… I’ve been doing my best to get on my feet, but they still aren’t working at 100%, so for now I’m stuck in the same spot since my last post on here.

This weekend, some guy and girl came by to stay with my parents and I.  Dad kept calling him Dan, but mom says his name is Uncle Pete.  My sophisticated deductive reasoning skills helped me determine that the girl is actually his girlfriend, Alicia.  They seem pretty nice.  Uncle Pete repeatedly said “Ainsley, I’m sorry that Matt is your dad.”  I must say, I disagree – I think mom and dad are fantastic and it makes me want to scream with delight (at 4:00AM).

So dad says I’m doing very well.  I assume he is talking about my general health and growth, etc., but in reality his opinion of ‘doing well’ has more to do with gigabytes, spyware, and html code.  Uncle Pete says that dad can always tell whether or not I have a virus.  Alicia laughed, but I don’t get the joke.  Maybe Mandy will explain it to me when I meet her… I heard she is a doctor.

Okay, so good health, normal growth, met my Uncle Pete and his girlfriend Alicia, and we have a virus specialist on staff.  Mom wants to feed me soon, so I need to wrap this up (I usually eat about every 4 hours – I’m up to 7lbs, 10 ounces!).  Next weekend I get to meet Jeannie.  I hope she is good with babies, because I only accept the best of care, and mom and dad sure seem like they could use a rest.  You know they must be tired if they are letting me update the website.

ttfn, LoL!

- Ainsley Grace :-p

We're settling into a routine, if not quite a schedule.  Ainsley tends to get fussy in the evenings and tends to sleep better in the mornings.  We can now do diaper changes and feedings in our sleep.

Here are some photos from the last few days....

Baby is doing well.  Mom and dad are considering the logistics of putting a Starbucks franchise in the kitchen.  Ainsley and Sadie had a singing competition yesterday from about 2:00 in the afternoon to about 3:00 in the morning.  Sadie won the award for consistency, with only 3 notes (whimper, whine, and echoing bark).  Ainsley won on range (toot toot through ear-piercing scream).

I've been told babies only eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom.  Ainsley has the first and third down pretty good, but did not sleep much yesterday, other than a half hour in the car, on the way home from the hospital.  She did finally get to sleep this morning, around 4:00.  I got the first three-hour stretch of sleep that I've had in three days.

What I learned yesterday: the importance of burping the baby after eating.  It's best to get it out while it's still in the upper stomach.  Beyond that point, it makes her very uncomfortable.  More pictures later.  Maybe a movie of Sadie inspecting Ainsley....

Ainsley's eating and doing those other baby things on a good schedule now, about every 3 hours.  First attempt at changing her shirt... a lot harder than it looks.  Then again, most things with a new baby are harder than the experienced parents make them look!  But, I've got the burrito method of swaddling down to just a few seconds.

First night went well.  Ainsley is sleeping, eating, and doing what newborn babies do.  Christine is still camera-shy.  :-)


Sadie stayed in the front bedroom all night, looking out the window to see when Christine would get home....

Ainsley had her first meal around 20:10.  Christine is recovering from the surgery.  Robin is here to help, so I'm going to stop by the house to walk Sadie and bring back some food.