Two weeks!

Sweet Leah,

I can hardly believe it's only been 14 days since you were born. You are already such a part of our family it almost feels like you've been here all along. For the first several days after we brought you home I had stuck in my head the last couple of lines of the theme song to the Wiggles - it goes, "We’d like you to clap and sing and dance along too / Now that everybody’s here, That’ll be so easy, That’ll be so easy, That’ll be so easy to do." It's the "Now that everybody's here..." part that got me. You're here now, and it really does feel like you were always meant to be here. (Please forgive the Wiggles reference - you have a big sister who loves them at the moment...)

You're such a good baby. I realize that you're two weeks old, still very much a sleepy newborn, mostly just eating, sleeping, and pooping, but you're still such a good baby. You have nursed well from the beginning (and efficiently since we got home from the hospital and you started eating "real" milk!), you've slept well from the beginning (you're now in the habit of giving us one 5-hour stretch at night!), you're strong (you picked up and turned your head side to side like a pro your very first session of tummy time), and you are super cuddily! (And, much to your Daddy's chagrin - he handles output, I handle input - you poop a lot!)

We took you to the pediatrician today and you got a clean bill of health. You've gained back all the weight you lost at the hospital and then some (you were down to 8 lb 5 oz at discharge, now you're a robust 9 lb 2 oz, the 75th percentile!). You're long - you were 20.5 inches long at birth, now you're 22 1/4 inches, also about the 75th percentile, I think. Your head is right around average.

One of my favorite discoveries about you so far is that you have dimples in your cheeks. I'd forgotten that your Daddy has dimples - he's had a beard for nearly seven years now so I haven't seen them in a while, but you reminded me. They are beautiful and make your sweet, chubby cheeks even more kissable.

You've started to look at us now. When you're awake (a little rare, admittedly, but it does happen!), you catch my eye and I can't help but anticipate that first real smile. Tonight the two of us had some quality alone time (Eden is in bed and Daddy's out with the guys), and we started at each other for quite a while, you making funny faces and me trying to mimic you. And then we cuddled and rocked and bounced when you got fussy and ready to sleep.

Your big sister adores you. She asks for you first thing in the morning - "Where's Leah? I want to hold my baby." You tolerate her for now. You don't fuss when she holds you, so I suppose that is a good sign. One of these days you are going to love her. Trust me. And then you'll both be teenagers and things will get spotty. It's OK, it's what sisters do.

I can't wait to see what you'll look like as you grow, whether you'll look like Daddy or Mommy or Eden, or just some new combination all your own. (My guess is the latter!). You're doing great, little girl. We love you so much already, and we are so thankful that God gave us such an amazing surprise - as your Daddy said while we prayed over you a few days ago, He knows what we want so much more than we do, and we are so thankful that He knew we wanted you, precious girl. We are so, so thankful that He decided to bless us with your presence in our family, and we're so glad you're the one completing it.

Love,

Mommy