Growing

Helen at 2.5 weeks



Helen at 5.5 weeks



I notice how fast Helen is growing all the time, but it seems most apparent when I am nursing her (she doesn't fit in just one arm anymore) or when I am bathing her  (she just keeps growing out of the tub). In fact, at 6 weeks old, I removed the green "newborn" sling that you see in the photos above (for obvious reasons) and put her right into the tub below.

I have already started packing away outfits that hung ridiculously off her tiny frame just 6 weeks ago. Being a data-driven kind of person, I was curious for some concrete facts about her growth. The best option I have at home is our digital bathroom scale, which reads to the nearest half-pound. Thus, I can stand on it alone and again holding Helen, and get her weight to within +/- one pound.

Today (6 weeks and 5 days old) she weighed in at 11 pounds (meaning 10-12 pounds). Even if she is only 10, that is a pretty impressive gain from the 6 pounds at which she came home from the hospital, just 46 days ago.

She is definitely done with being a newborn. If she is awake, she wants no part of snuggling up close to my chest anymore. She pushes back with all her might so that she can look around. If I lay her on her tummy, she pushes up with her arms and looks all around. She wiggles constantly - apparently what they say about in utero activity indicating a lifelong activity temperament has some truth. We may not be ready for another child this active!

Helen at 4 weeks



Helen at 5 weeks