Second Reading Assignment

First Reading Assignment

Cute/Not Cute

That moment right after you take your little baby out of the bathtub and she smells all fresh and clean, that's cute.

Wrapping her up nice and snug in a warm, fleecey towel shaped like a duck (see Figure A) and feeling her snuggle against your chest, that's cute, too.

Figure A.  Cute

But forgetting to put a diaper on your baby, so that when without warning she evacuates her dinner with the explosive force of a nuclear bomb, drenching her duck suit, the carpet, and her mother, that's not cute. 

And spending part of your Wednesday evening dealing with the aftermath on your hands and knees (see Figure B) on the nursery floor?  Definitely not cute.

 

Figure B.  Not Cute

Blessings

Katie is now ten days old and what a ten days it has been! Besides still being confused about nighttime and daytime she is doing really well. She is a great nurser, which has been a huge blessing and answer to prayer. We had a doctor's appointment yesterday and she has already surpassed her birth weight, weighing in at over 8 pounds!

We've also been so blessed by our families and the families in our community group at church bringing us gluten free meals almost every night. Although it's sometimes hard to see through the fog of exhaustion, we are so blessed!

A visit from the Huffmans!

Striking a pose

Our happy (and exhausted) little family

So Who Does She Favor?

Katie is less than a week old, and the inevitable question is already being asked and answered pretty frequently.  At her Aunt Lauren's request, we've decided to post photos of Katie, her Mom, and her Dad, and invite our friends to weigh in.  When we asked our friend Matt yesterday what he thought, he said, "I think she looks like a baby."  Can you do any better than that?

Visitors from Maine

My parents met Katie for the first time this afternoon. She was quiet, happy, and unfailingly cute, showing no signs to a doting Grandpa and Grandma Witmer of her hours of crying and fussing the night before! It was fun to see Dad and Mom hold Katie, and wonderful to hear Dad pray for her. Isn't it great how such a little person can bring families even closer together?

Sleeplessness, Thy Name Is Katie

Maureen and I are now smack dab in the middle of that first grueling week of parenthood, during which Katie, like most other newborns, has determined to sleep only when we don't really need her to.  Amy, my sister-in-law, told us this evening that newborns are nocturnal.  The trick during the first couple weeks of their lives is to switch their schedules around so they sleep at night and are awake during the day.  That reprogramming process is beginning to occur in our family, but at the moment it's not always clear who is being reprogrammed. 

Child With Boppy Pillow

Grandparents and Great-Grandparents!

Yesterday Katie enjoyed a visit with her grandparents and aunt. This is Dad and Mom's first grandchild and it was so special to have them visit on the day of her birth. It was also fun to think of all the wonderful times we will have together in the future! Today we enjoyed a visit from Andrew's grandparents. Katie's middle name is Anne, in Grandma's honor. We pray that she will love and follow Jesus as faithfully as her great-grandmother has!

Grandpa and Grandma Whitebread

Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma Witmer

She's Here!

Katherine Anne Witmer wriggled into the world at 3:19 PM on Tuesday, November 10, 2009! She weighs 7 pounds, 15 ounces and is 21 inches long. Katie has blue eyes and lots of dark hair. She is a champion nurser so far. Maureen was wonderful in labor and delivery. She's healing fast and we're both loving every moment we get with our little girl!