Arden's Two Weeks

Arden is already two weeks old! She had her check up yesterday. The doctor said the goal at two weeks is for them to be back to their birth weight. Hers was 7lbs 12oz and now she is all the way up to 8lbs 6oz! She has also gotten taller - she's up to 20.5 inches (was 18.75 inches at birth). Her head circumference is 14 inches (I have no idea if that's big or little?).

Her first two weeks have been night and day compared to Avery's. We just had such a hard time with her (if you want details on that, see my posts from 2011), but Arden is just a dream. I really think a lot of it has to do with her staying in until her due date and coming out at a healthy weight.

But I think it's also just an unmerited blessing from the Lord. I am sort of thankful that I had my easy one second. I just know myself and if Avery had been this easy I probably would have become prideful and thought that it was my awesome parenting or whatever book I was reading's strategy that was making her that way. Now I know it's nothing I've done.

While Arden has been easy, a certain toddler went a little wild for about a week. I think she was just so excited about the new baby being here, along with Nana here and different people stopping by for visits. She just couldn't calm down and was constantly bouncing off the walls, which if you know her that's not like her at all. She's usually very chill and calm. So that was a little hard, but she has settled down now. Rustin has been a huge help by taking care of her so I could focus on Arden (or in other words so I could feed Arden...all the time. It's no accident she's gained so much weight!). When dad's in charge shenanigans like this happen - do it yourself face paint.

Avery has been just so sweet. She decided that Arden needed all of her princess undies and socks in her bassinet.

Then yesterday she went upstairs by herself and got her stool and a book and said she was "reading" to Arden. It was so cute! 

We had Arden's newborn photos done also. I met Ryan and Laura O'Dowd when I went on my mission trip to Guatemala back in 2007 and have stayed friends with them since. Ryan started a photography business so we were excited to have him take her photos. I will post more soon when I get all of them, but for now you can see some on his blog. 

Another thing that has been just a HUGE blessing these past few weeks are friends and people from our church bringing us meals. It's so awesome and is almost reason enough to keep having more kids! haha