Amelie's First Days

Here are Amelie's first few days in pictures.

Amelie Karen Anderson was born Friday June 28, 2013 at 4:52am, delivered by Dr. Heather Schoen at Exempla Lutheran in Wheat Ridge.



She's a daddy's girl already.



Her first visitor was Kristina, but I forgot to take a picture.  Her second visitor was her great grandmother Ginny.

Her next visitors were Aunt Janelle, Axel, and Lucas.  They came home with us and took care of us our first couple days at home, making us tasty food, playing with Logan, and taking care of Amelie.  Thank you!

Relaxing with Daddy.

Amelie gave her big brother an electric train set to bribe him into liking her.  It seems to have worked.  The train is his new favorite toy, and we go through about 1 battery per day keeping it running.

Daddy, Amelie, and big brother Logan

Our first family picture

Auntie Kenny meets Amelie

Amelie meets Grandma Z

Janie sent a hot air balloon to welcome Amelie.  The hot air balloon turned out to be very fun for Logan's toys.  His lego people got a few rides before the balloon popped high up in a tree.

A rare eyes-open picture.  The purple glow under her hand is the bili-blanket she had to wear for 4 days for jaundice, not a sign of alien birth.

Amelie's Birth Story

Dear Amelie,

You were born on Friday June 28, 2013 at 4:52am. It started the day before with a visit to the doctor’s for my 38 week appointment, where they decided that you were no longer thriving in the womb and it was time to get you out.  You were small for your age, and getting slightly smaller as the weeks went on compared to where you should have been on the growth curve.  I was not happy about the induction. I was pretty sure I just had small babies.  Logan was small too.  Plus, I had read all sorts of natural birth books that make you think any doctor’s intervention is trouble. But of course I did not want you to be in any danger, so I left the doctor’s office that afternoon with plans to return to the hospital that evening for an induction, and a prediction from the doctor that you would arrive by noon the next day.

I went home and had a few hours to get things in order.   First, I played with Logan.  We played in the tree house, and on the slack line, and in the hammock, and in the swing.  We played some baseball.  I felt a little sad for him that his days as an only child were ending and we might never have as much time for him again.   I was worried about the induction.  But in the end, I was excited to meet you.  I wrapped up some final work things, packed my hospital bag, and we set off, dropping Logan at Tammy’s house on the way to the hospital.

Our entrance to the hospital was a lot different than it was with Logan.  I was not stopping in the parking lot and on the stairs doubled over with contractions.  Instead, we strolled in as if we were checking into a hotel.  I got set up in bed and around 9:30pm was given medicine to thin my cervix.  The nurse said we might have to repeat that a few times, and this process could take as much as two days.  But Dr. Schoen assured us this would not take that long, and in the end you were much quicker.  Contractions started without any further medication and around midnight my water broke.  Having checked natural birth off the bucket list with Logan, this time around I got the epidural (a good choice- I am now a believer in  modern medicine). We dozed off until the doctor came in to wake us around 4:45am.  It was time to push.  Your head came out on the first push (you do not have the giant Peterson head), and your body on the second.  You were covered in white vernix.  You were tiny—5 lbs 8.8 oz, 18.75 inches—but healthy and perfect. You nursed right away. We were so happy to finally meet you. 

Tree house

Mark spent his Father's Day, and most of the following week, building Logan a tree house.  It is a pirate ship tree house, with steering wheel, telescope on the upper deck, and pirate flag flying.  Logan loves it-- he has been pulled away crying to go to bed on several occasions.  Its been a good father-son bonding activity, and good timing with the baby soon to divert my attention from my mama's boy.

The caveman version.  After successfully constructing this little house, they were ready to move to the trees. 

 Putting up the first board

Logan helping. 

Some time soon after this, Logan fell off the ladder, scraped himself up, and we were done helping.  Then a bunch of work happened... and we got to this point:

First deck done

Second deck done

Logan steering his ship

The tree house is done for the moment, though there are plans underway for the rope bridge to the third platform, the zip line to the 4th platform, and the eventual REAL treehouse when Logan is old enough to build his own.

Waiting for baby

We've been staying close to home the past few weeks awaiting the baby's arrival.  Last weekend I went into nesting mode. We've been given hand me downs from a few friends, which are all now labelled, sorted, and boxed by 0-3, 3-6, 6-12 months.   I sent Mark off to Goodwill with a vanload of furniture and stuff that no longer fits in our house.  These babies, as little as they are, take up a lot of space.  In the process of cleaning things out, it was funny to see all the things that I used to have time for... binders full of notes on green building, boxes of craft supplies, Consumer Reports printouts of the best of every possible type of purchase (I was maximizing my $5 one month subscription by printing out their recommendations on anything I might ever have reason to buy in the future).  Mark was not affected by the same nesting urge, so we still have many boxes full of sentimental rocks, record albums we've never played, commemorative t-shirts, travel vouchers from 2000, old pieces and parts of electronics we may someday need, and other very important things... but we cleared out enough to give her a little space.

Logan on the bouncy bridge at the park

Logan climbing in the barn.  His favorite is to climb up to the window, lean out and shout "surprise!"

Rodeo Parade in Evergreen with the Johnsen's.  I have fond memories of the Labor Day parade in Newtown growing up; this year I tried to teach Logan my skills for maximizing parade candy haul.  He didn't quite get it.  Every time he got another piece he would retreat to the curb and spend 10 minutes carefully inspecting and eating it before going for more. Probably for the best.

Logan really likes baseball.  Mark got him a tee so they've been practicing in the yard.  Kenny & Mark are teaching him about the Rockies, and he can now tell you that his favorite team is the Rockies and his favorite player is Cargo.

Logan got a big boy bed.  He sleeps on it in every direction except the normal one. He wasn't so sure about giving up his crib, so we have both in the room for now (with the goal of moving the crib to the baby's room sometime before she needs it). Most nights he sleeps in the bed, but every so often I go in in the morning and he's climbed into the crib at some point during the night.  Last week, I found him in the crib and Buddy in the toddler bed. 

Mark got a frolf basket for Father's Day.  He has a course around our yard, and most of the goals are pieces of junk hanging from trees (bicycle wheels and tin cans and pieces of hardware and old buckets).  Now if we just get him one of these every Father's Day, in 18 years we'll be able to take down the junk.

Logan's favorite hiding place.  This is where we prepare for battle against pirates and tigers.

Summer time! Popsicles on the deck.

Logan and Devon

Devon is Logan's best bud at day care. I'm told they fight all day but are inseparable, even accompanying eachother to get their diapers changed. Logan's stories about Devon are mostly about how Devon took his toy, or gave him an owie, or committed some other act against him. But I also get lots of pictures like these: