It has been an eventful few weeks in Casa Stevenson-Riedlinger, where we had several firsts. Activities started with Q helping to feed Zoe her first bottle.
You can see him concentrating to make sure it stays in just the right place.
We also found that Zoe is a very happy side sleeper. Q always did better on his stomach, and it seems like his sister takes after him. She works her legs and hips until she is able to get over, which is very funny to watch.
Our little side-sleeper
Zoe has also had a few baths at home since the umbical stump fell off. The first one was quite exciting, with Q helping, water on the floor, and then, after we got her all cleaned up she decided to spit up and (stop here and skip past the picture if you prefer to not hear about some of the grosser things babies do) squirt poo right at her mom. I had stepped out of the bathroom for a minute and missed the full action, but it required washing a rug and Katharine changing her clothing. She's pretty amazing for such a small one.
I'm all cleaned up.
Many people have noticed the lack of posts recently. Part of that is just balancing time between Q and Zoe and sleep, and part of it is the beginning of a slow transition, with the fact that eventually, we will stop posting pictures of Q online. It is a difficult decision, and the plan is not to stop immediately, but over the next year or so.
Until then, we still have many happy moments to share - like Q was dancing last week - and he didn't seem to care that I started filming (check out the one minute mark!) he is really great fun.
Zoe decided that Friday was her day. April 8, 2011 at 5:23, she flew into this world. Katharine had started contracting around 8:00 Thursday evening and went into the hard labor around 3 AM, before pushing her out a few hours later. Katharine, as always, was so incredible and amazing. We had a fun moment around 5:00 when Katharine told the hospital staff she was ready to push, and the doctor came and checked, and then kind of forcefully called nurses to come assist, saying "I mean I need someone - NOW," in that tone. We were surprised to have one of the doctors on rotation and not one of the midwives, but the delivery process went well and no interventions were needed to assist Zoe out.
Quinlan came to meet his new sister and spend some time holding her with his Mom.
It is pretty amazing to watch him experience being a big brother.
We were able to come home about 36 hours after the delivery. The hospital is amazing in that they are not very eager to let you leave. And as much fun as the nourishment room in the postpartum recovery area is, I like the idea of not trying to go back and forth between home and Q and the hospital with Zoe and Katharine. We were very lucky to have Grandma MJ down to be able to help Q out at home.
We are taking it easy and will be happy to see visitors in person or via skype. Feel free to call either of us if you are interested.
The big brother-to-be has been enjoying lots of fun times with both Mom and Dad while we anticipate the impending arrival of Zoe. He has attended two baby showers, and he seems to know there is a difference between the bath shower and a baby shower. (One means playing in water, the other means cake.)
I haven't often gotten off topic here, but I learned about a new website this week and wanted to share about it. Prezi is really a very interesting new program, and if you haven't heard of it, you should definitely check it out. It isn't flying cars or anything, but when they talk about how technology is changing, I think they are taking a step. I played with it and made the following presentation to share. It is only three "slides" and you can click through them by selecting the play button on the bottom of the viewer and you can make it full screen by selecting more on the bottom right.
Q went with Katharine and I to the most recent doctor (midwife) appointment. He was great, helping to find Zoe's heartbeat and helping to measure his Mom's stomach. He talks about "Z" a lot and talks about how he will be the big brother.
After we uploaded the video, he wanted to watch the "heartbeat" several times. He kept coming back to the computer to say, "heartbeat." When we asked him whose heartbeat it was, he would tell us "Zoe".
Quinlan turned 2 years old a few weekends ago. Our little man keeps growing. It was a joy watching him go through the day and finally understand that the singing was for him.
Like a normal Sunday, he was up early, so he got his first present from Mom and Dad right after waking up.
Checking it out - he knows he can do that too!
Swish!
Mossil and Fossil were given doctors' clearance to travel and were there to help celebrate. Fossil made his own special wrapping paper for Q, with a bunch of photos that he wanted to check out. I don't think he knew he was supposed to open this one up.
Reading his card from Grandma MJ and Grandpa Roy. The hungry caterpillar......POP! (In case you're not sure what that means, Quinlan refers to the character "the very hungry caterpillar" as Pop because in the book he "pop"s out of his egg.)
Thomas DVDs, which are great because they are all 5 minute stories, so he can occasionally watch one story, and I don't get all alarmed about him watching too much TV.
Q picked out his cake flavors at the HEB with me, and then came home and helped his Mom mix it: vanilla pudding, white cake, and strawberry frosting. Katharine fancied it up by slicing fresh strawberries and putting them in between the two layers. It was yummy, and worth waiting for, as Q demonstrates here.
Blowing out some candles.
Q was a great birthday celebrant, and I believe he is ready to help celebrate his sister's birthday, which is quickly approaching. Katharine saw one of the midwives this week, and she and Zoe are both doing great. Only a few more weeks to go! On the next visit (the 36-week over Spring Break), we're planning to bring Quinlan along to find the heartbeat and share in the excitement.
(Jared is back at the helm.) I made an observation this week: Q has been running on two speeds, stop or go. When he is on go, it is like pressing the gas pedal all the way down on a turbo-charged engine: he runs everywhere. Ready to brush your teeth - run to the bathroom. Want to play blocks - run to the cabinet. Fortunately for now, his running speed is at a slow walking pace, so I can still manage to keep up. I am hoping he learns a casual stroll before he gets too fast, but it is great fun to see his genuine enthusiasm for everything.
We had a rare treat the first Friday in February. School was called on account for snow, real snow. We had several days of below-freezing temperatures, and then enough precipitation to shut the whole state down. If we lived up north I doubt this amount of snow would have resulted in a two-hour delay, but for Austin, it was a snow day.
Q getting ready to go outside, multiple layers everywhere.
This shot makes it look like there really was a lot of snow. It was pretty, but there were only between 1 and 2 inches on the driveway.
I figured cleaning off the driveway would help it from partially melting and refreezing as ice. Q helped sweep. You can see the grass barely had a dusting, but it stacked up on the driveway. I was very disappointed to see all our hard "sweeping" was wasted when everything was melted by the late afternoon. There were freezing temperatures again that night, but nothing was around to freeze.
After working and playing outside, Q had to warm up with some hot chocolate. He really enjoyed the marshmallows.
....and the next day, it was in the high 50s and we went outside to the park with no jackets. Sunday was even warmer and included more time outside.
"It's so nice and sunny, I need my sunglasses."
Katharine and I felt like we could help prepare Q for some of the many changes that are coming by introducing him to his new "big boy bed". We put a box spring and mattress on the floor, in the hope that it would be close enough to the floor that when he rolls off he won't be hurt (it happened last night, startling us all). I think we both planned on having it in his room and spending time sitting and reading on it, but neither of us expected him to sleep in it quite yet. We were surprised when he insisted on sleeping on it--first for his nap, then for his night. Maybe it was the new sheets we got for him - obviously, Q will do anything if it has Thomas on it.
Trying out the new bed and sheets
Big! Big Boy! Big Bed!
I have to work on my night camera lens. I tried using a flashlight to get enough soft light to get a photo. It seems cruel to use the flash while he is sleeping, but it is also very challenging to get a good photo. He is very cute and has been sleeping very well on his new bed.
.............Zoe update...........
Katharine had her 31 week appointment on Monday to check on the continuing progress of baby Zoe. We have a video so that you can listen to her heartbeat. Zoe and Katharine are both doing great. She (Zoe) is kicking a lot, and it is fun to feel my active little girl moving around.
Q is getting ready to be a big brother. He has started shushing everyone, in case you come by for a visit in the future and "Babee Zee" (as he likes to call her) is asleep. At least I hope he is shushing so she can sleep. I am sure he will have many other big brother tips and tricks to share as well.
