Here is a typical day in my life as a new mom:

8:00 – Wake up, feed the baby
8:20 – Try to lay sleeping baby back down, fail, feed her some more
8:30 – Repeat
8:45 – Give up, eat breakfast while baby plays on blanket on floor
9:00 – Feed the baby
9:15 – Hand baby to husband, take a shower
9:30 – Attempt to get dressed, put in contacts, etc.
10:00 – Attend baby class
12:00 – Arrive home, play with baby, feed baby
1:00 – Eat lunch while baby plays on blanket on floor
1:15 – Attempt to finish lunch while bouncing baby on one knee
2:00 – Watch TV while baby nurses and naps in my lap
2:30 – Put the baby in her crib, straighten up
3:00 – Feed the baby (notice a theme?)
3:30 – Watch more TV while baby naps in my lap
5:15 – Feed the baby, play with the baby
6:00 – Jon and I take turns cooking and eating dinner (he does a little, I do a little, hopefully everyone gets fed)
7:00 – More feeding and playing, feeding and playing, napping, feeding, playing
10:00 – Get mom and baby ready for bed
11:00 – Hannah goes to sleep
11:30 – I go to sleep
6:00 – Feed baby, everyone goes back to sleep

No wonder I’m tired at the end of the day!

From time to time, I look back at Hannah’s earliest photos. In this one, she weighed about 5lbs:

When I see these, I feel sad. My poor little peanut was so, so small. She was so strong, and she did so well, but she shouldn’t have had to work so hard. She shouldn’t have been born yet. I remember how afraid I was for her. She seemed so fragile, and I was still stunned by what happened.

It’s been more than 4 months now, and this is Hannah today at 14lbs:

She’s a strapping kid, who shows no signs of her early birth. But I will always remember that little peanut. I can never forget. And I think that I will always feel a little sad when I look photos of those early days. I always will feel sorry for that poor, tiny baby in the incubator. I will always remember the Special Care Nursery, and all of the mixed emotions. I know that relatively, I had a pretty easy road of it, and I am very lucky. But I also know that it’s not my challenges that I will recall. Whether I was ready or not on the day that Hannah was born, things changed, and it was not about me anymore. It was about my little baby, who imprinted so deeply on my soul that I can never let go of her struggles completely. A big impact, for such a little peanut.

Hannah has recently started to enjoy being worn facing outwards in her Baby Bjorn. She just loves to watch people do light housework. Jon and I hope that this is the beginning of a lifelong love of neatness.

In other news, today Hannah had her 4-month shots. She was very vocal in her opposition to the needles, but she calmed quickly and is now back to her old self. While we were at the health unit we weighed her, and she’s now up to 14lbs4oz. Grow baby grow!

My daughter is four months old today. To celebrate, I took the traditional monthly photo:

In the past month Hannah has gained about two pounds. She is weaned off of nipple shields, and eats very well. She continues to sleep well at night. She is extremely engaged in the world around her now, and loves to look at new and interesting things and people. Hannah has also started to use her hands, to grab at things and make rudimentary swiping gestures. Such a busy girl!

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t pass on Father’s Day good wishes to Hannah’s daddy, grandpa, and papa. My little girl certainly has some fabulous (and doting) men in her life.

Last night Hannah and I attended our prenatal class reunion. Here are some of the stats:

Number of Babies – 11
Number of Boys – 2
Number of Girls – 9
Oldest Baby – 4 months (Hannah)
Youngest Baby – 7 weeks
Number of Cesarean Sections – 2
Number of Breastfeeding Moms – 7
Sets of Twins – 1
Biggest Baby at Birth – 8lbs, 7oz
Smallest Babies at Birth – 4lbs
Number of People with the Graco Quattro Travel System – 3 (including us)

It was fun to see all the babies and parents. I learned that although the aftermath to my birth was pretty hard, I found labour really easy compared to other people in my class. Of course, my baby was small, so I may sing a different tune if and when I ever do this again.

Yesterday the final approvals were obtained for Kodak to buy Creo. The deal is expected to close by the end of the week. I believe this will be a good thing for me professionally, but it’s also sort of scary. Things are changing. By the time that I return to work, it will be different company (literally).

I started with Creo in the summer of 1998 as a co-op student. I returned in the summer of 1999 to do my thesis, and was hired full-time in April 2000. It has been a great place to work, and I know that everyone is feeling nostalgic as Creo gives way to Kodak. What does the future hold for us? Only time will tell.

Hannah is in the process of discovering her hands. It started when she learned how to grab on to things. She takes a big fistful of your clothes, your hair, or whatever she can get her little paws on. Then she graduated to sucking on her fists. Now she is making wide, swiping passes in the general direction of things that interest her. So far, her toes seem to interest her the most.

Today we took Hannah to the public health unit to weigh her, to make sure that she’s still gaining weight well without the nipple shields. In fact, it seems like her weight gain has increased again. Today she weighed 13lbs, 3oz, which is a weight gain of a full pound in less than 3 weeks since her doctor’s appointment. Good job baby!

This morning we held Hannah’s dedication ceremony at my church. It was lovely, and we were so pleased that so many people came to share in our family’s rite of passage. In particular, Christy flew in from Edmonton, and Jon’s grandfather and his wife Cecile came down from Chase.

It means a lot to me that Hannah has such a marvelous support system. Her family, friends, and the wider community have been so welcoming, and so helpful. I know that my little girl is loved, and has many people to turn to, well beyond her parents or even her grandparents. This means so much to me, and I know that it will mean so much to Hannah as she grows up. It was marvelous to recognize this today, formally, at her dedication ceremony.