...from our little Minion and pumpkin!
Friday, October 30, 2015
Welcome to the World, Aliyah Ann McDonald!
During our hospital stay, Aliyah remained a very content little baby girl. She had a lot of mucus that had to be sucked out to clear her nose when she was first born and is still a bit congested at times, but the nurse said this should resolve on its own. She is a good little eater. She started off taking an ounce of formula every 4 hours and just recently started taking 2 ounces during a feeding. She spent most of her time in the hospital sleeping and is still doing so at home. The second night of our stay, one of the nurses asked if they could use Aliyah as part of a baby bath demonstration in their parenting class that night, so she was able to participate in that.
We enjoyed all our visitors during our time in the hospital,
most especially big brother Eli. He just
adores her and has really exceeded my expectations in his big brother role as
he loves to help out and is very gentle with her and curious about all the
facets of the life of a newborn. He
shows a genuine concern and compassion for his little sister and really has a
big heart for her. We are happy to be
back at home and are settling in now as a family of four.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
40 Weeks
Today marks the 40-week point of this pregnancy. I have reached the due date, a day after my
birthday. While I have not felt any
contractions yet, I have been progressively dilating from 2 to 3 to now 4 cm at
my appointment today while remaining 50% effaced. I thought I might go into labor on my own
this time at this rate, but it still hasn't happened, so the doctor scheduled
an induction for next Tuesday.
During this last trimester, final preparations have been
taking place from hospital bags being packed to planning the baptism and more
recently giving the house one final good cleaning, stocking up on groceries, and scheduling a maternity photo shoot.
Eli also attended a sibling class at Finley in the beginning
of the month. It was held on a Monday
night, so he didn't seem to be the most attentive (I thought a Saturday morning
might have worked better for young kids).
However, I was impressed with the 2 nurses who led the class. They began by sharing a book about a baby's
life inside the womb up until birth. They
also helped the kids learn how to put a diaper on a baby doll. The most useful information they shared
included different ways the older siblings can be helpful along with basic
safety guidelines to keep in mind around newborns. The
class also included a hospital tour of the maternity ward. The night concluded with each of the kids
creating a birthday card for the new little siblings. Other souvenirs included handmade rattles
they each picked out and a coloring book and certificate to take home.
With Emma's arrival in September and Aliyah's debut right
around the corner, here is a story worthy of sharing: My mom sent me this picture of a pink flower
that she noticed soon after Emma's birth:
At first, she thought it blew out of the nearby flower bed
full of flowers Megan always plants for Mother's Day. When she went to pick it up, she realized it
was firmly rooted in the ground! The
first thing I thought of was it must be a sign from Grandma and Grandpa Winter
looking down on all of us with the arrival of this new baby.
Megan mentioned to Mom about how it would
really be something if a purple flower appeared next (my favorite color). A couple days later, Mom sent me another picture
of just that! True story!
Not too far from the first pink flower that started growing outside
of the flower bed, a purple flower began to bloom. She thought it might even be growing now
before Aliyah is born before it gets too cold outside. I have never witnessed any type of sign like
this before, but I truly believe it is one from above, especially with both
girls sharing the same namesake of my grandma, Ann, as their middle names.
Dear Aliyah,
The time is fast approaching when the end of this pregnancy
will mark the beginning of your life out of the womb. We are so excited to meet you, and Eli is
ready to begin his role of big brother.
I wonder a lot about who you will look like; I think you might resemble
a combination of Eli and cousin Emma. I
also find myself daydreaming a lot about what it will be like to raise a girl
now and what your little personality will be like.
I imagine Eli as a gentle, protective, and proud big
brother. Since he is 4 years older than
you, he has a good understanding of how the family dynamics are about to
change. There still might be some
adjustments for him, but I think he will gradually become accustomed to his new
position in the family.
We are looking forward to your arrival and can't wait to
begin this next chapter of our lives as a family of four!
Love,
Mom, Dad, and Elijah
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Emma's Baptism
Today, we celebrated Miss Emma Ann's baptism, which took place after mass this morning at Saint Patrick's in Cedar Rapids. She is still such a content little baby; not a peep could be heard from her all during mass and the baptism. The dress she wore was white with a few touches of pink that matched her little socks and shoes perfectly. Jamie had given the dress to Megan as part of her baby shower gift, which was even more fitting since Jamie along with one of Jeff's friends were the godparents. She even underwent a partial wardrobe change with an exchange of headbands.
After the baptism celebration, we enjoyed lunch at Pizza Ranch along with the most delicious cake (seriously, it is the best; the same lady who made the cake for Megan and Jeff's wedding created Emma's baptism cake). Of course, Emma would have sophisticated flavors for her first cake - pink champagne and raspberry.
It was a great day celebrating Emma's first sacrament. She is truly loved by all:)
The godparents
Jeff's daughter, Kim
Grandma and Grandpa Sabers
Grandma and Grandpa Nelson
One of the favorite gifts - a handmade headband holder crafted by Aunt Jamie
Eli just adores Emma, from her head to her toes!
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