Facial Expressions

Brittany, your last comment was totally correct! We've concentrated so much on Colby's hair that we've all posted relatively few pictures of some of her facial expressions! So, really quickly while she was awake and alert yesterday I snapped a few pictures of her changing her facial expressions rather quickly. She was lying on the couch and the light wasn't the best, but here are just a few of her funny faces she makes!

On a separate note, yesterday was her 1-week appointment...even thought she was technically 11 days old. She's gained her birth weight and then some! She's now 8 lbs 6 oz! Her weight gain relieved her nervous new mother that she was getting enough to eat. We had an episode this week where we had tried giving her a bottle. She sucked it down so darn fast that it worried me that maybe she was hungry and not getting enough to eat. Never fear though! Evidently she wasn't hungry...just lacking portion control! She gets that from me, unfortunately.

Thanks for checking in! Kelly

Mom, why do you have that camera out AGAIN?

Look, I have a tongue.

Perhaps I'll slightly smile for one picture.

Checking her nails.

I have so many pictures of Nick with Colby. Last night he was walking through the living room and I asked him to take just a couple of pictures of me with her. As you can see, Frog is in her favorite stance.

Guests and Outings!

I know Colby is really going to hate me as she gets older and looks back through this blog. It seems, on this post anyway, that I'm picking the worst possible pictures of her! However, I want to show everyone how much she frowns! I tell people that she looks like Nick and she gets her cynicism from me!

First time in the bouncy seat. While she didn't cry, I don't think it was a relaxing experience for her. Today we tried the swing...she seemed to like it better then the bouncy seat for right now!

Colby had her first outing this past Friday. She went and stayed with Grammy McCormick for two hours while I ran errands. We dressed up for the occasion with a new outfit from Aunt Kori! She was pretty cynical about leaving the house, as you can see from the frowns on her face.

My friend Allison stopped by Saturday night with her little girl. Miss G did a great job of holding Colby, but again, Colby was cynical!

Last but not least, I thought i would include Colby in a more peaceful pose. She is the cuddliest baby and is happiest curled up on your chest. She pulls her legs up as far as she can get them, and this has earned her the nickname "Frog." Grandma and Grandpa Cooper came to visit Saturday afternoon, and for the first time ever, Grandma Cooper had her coat and gloves on before Grandpa Cooper....he was in this pose with Colby and wasn't ready to leave!

Thanks for checking in!

Kelly

1 Week Old!

Well, it's happened. So cliche'. I've lost track of my days. I thought it was Wednesday yesterday. Nick informed me that it was Friday this morning, and I realized that I forgot to call both Dad and Ella on their birthdays yesterday! So, Happy Birthday Dad and Ella one day late! I'm sorry! And, I can't believe Miss Colby is one week old already! Time is flying!

Colby is still doing well. This is the second night in the row that she's slept in three-hour segments. We go to bed around 10 pm. She gets up at 1 am and again at 5 am for feedings. Feedings take around an hour...she's not quick in the eating department, but hopefully that will change with age. After her 5 am feeding Nick gets up with her and they take a nap together on the recliner until I wake up. This is such a nice break for me! And, I think he likes to hold her for a couple of hours before he heads to work.

Yesterday Aunt Autumn and Cousins Claire and Ross came to visit. I didn't get too many pictures taken yesterday, but will have quite a few for tomorrow. Right now Colby is sitting in a bouncy seat for the first time. She's not smiling with joy...but she's not crying either. So, all is good!

Thanks for checking in! Love, Kel

Colby sleeping snuggly in her seat yesterday. Her cute sleeper is from our friend Jen!

During her visit with Cousin Claire.

Finally I got ahold of the computer.

I finally have a minute to tell you about some of the things that have been going on the last few days. I was resting peacefully when all of a sudden I got shoved out into the cold....not a pleasant experience. Here is what I have learned since then.

1) The minimum size for a house with children should be no less than 3000 sqft. We come with a lot of accessories and family visting us overnight. I relieze that we are small, but all of these other items need space.

2) The daytime is the best time for sleep, night is for midnight snacks and tv. (You can't have a midnight snack in the day.)

3) Don't look at me like i don't speak your language, b/c you don't speak mine either. And yours is hard to learn b/c everone thinks that "babytalk" is cute. We don't.

4) Don't complain about the dirty diapers, you have milk fifteen times a day and see if you can make it with out an accident.

5) Yes I cry when you put alcohol on my cord, hey you cut it, you deal with it.

6) Apparently no one likes me b/c for the first couple of days you kept handing me off to someone different every ten minutes.

7) I'll make a deal with you, you change my diaper now and i'll change yours in thirty years.

8) You look tired, get a nap, no one likes a sleepy babysitter.

9) Yes i do look different every day, let me shove you through a key hole and see if it takes you a little bit to get you figure back.

10) I really don't care how cute you think this outfit is, it hurts when you shove me arms and legs through there. Just put it on and leave it on already. You don't change clothes everytime you spill, I have seen you wardrobe.

11) Whats this i hear about a coin toss? You had nine months to pick a name and you start my life off like Monday Night Football!

Thanks for checking in there will be more later.

Colby Kathleen McCormick

Visitors!

Yesterday Aunt Kori and Cousin Amelia came to visit Colby. Kori brought three boxes of hand-me-down clothes from both her and Karen for us to go through for Colby. She was a lifesaver taking charge of sorting clothes, washing them, and organizing Colby's closet and dresser for me! Thank you so much, Kori! It would have taken me weeks to get around to getting this done!

We're all still doing well and trying to find some semblance of a schedule...'trying' being the operative word. Right now Colby seems to have her days and nights mixed up. She wants to sleep all day long and have a bit of a party at night. I'm desperately trying to get this reversed.

The side benefit of Kori visiting was that we also got to spend time with cousin Amelia. Here are a few pictures from the last day or so.

Kori and Colby saying hi to each other.

Amelia's classic sleeping pose...too funny!



Nick taking over last night after he got home from work.

Amelia with her favorite toy: the sea turtle.

Colby with her crusty milk mouth.

Another view of the crusty milk mouth.

Amelia and Colby hanging out on the floor while Kori and I worked in the bedroom.

Kori thinks Colby will outgrow her newborn onesies in the length first and not the girth.

Someone pick me up!!!! I'm tired of being down here on the floor!!!

Amelia 'enjoying' her cereal.

Nick and Colby right now as I'm posting this

...in their favorite evening pose.

Thanks for checking in! Kori took video of Colby and is posting it on her blog this week. So, check in there! Also, I have been really lazy taking pictures...not in quantity, but in quality. So, if you check my blog for the pictures, I promise I'll soon get back to being pickier in what pictures I post and making sure that I've done a good job when taking them and not letting the camera do all the work!

Kelly

We're Home!

Well, we came home yesterday! I tried talking several of the nurses into coming home with us, but no one took us up on the offer despite the fact that they all told us that Colby was their favorite baby in the nursery this week. The fact that they wouldn't come home with us proved to me that this was probably some line that they were told to tell every new mother in the "hospital customer service' class they were forced to take at some point in their career!

In any case, we got home yesterday early afternoon. Colby enjoyed a few more visitors before we left and again when we got home. Most of the afternoon was spent with her father in the recliner sleeping. We all tried to catch up on some much-needed sleep yesterday afternoon.

Our first night at home was ok, but once again, I wish I would have had the nurses from the hospital here to help out! We decided to move her cradle into our bedroom, as, yes, we are worrisome new parents who felt like her bedroom was way too far away from us for her first night here. Unfortunately, she would only sleep for 30 minutes or so and then wake us up. At midnight, I decided to put her in her carseat and decide if she would sleep better there all cuddled up, and that did the trick. She slept for the next three hours. We'll have to try the cradle again in a few days when she's not so into tight confined spaces!

Right now she's asleep in her carseat again and has been for the last couple of hours. She's resting up for company this afternoon. Aunt Kori and Cousin Amelia are coming to visit before heading back to Indiana. We'll post pictures of their visit!

Thanks for checking in and for all of the kind comments you all have left on the last posting! Love you all! Kelly

Trying to block the camera from her face, I think.

Grandpa and Grandma Rankin came and visited Saturday night and Sunday morning at the hospital.

A good picture of how blond the hair really is!

Cozy with Grandpa Rankin

Grandma and Grandpa Cooper visited for the weekend too!

Right after getting home from the hospital. When we put her in the carseat at first, she screamed. Now it's one of her favorite places.

Colby on Daddy's lap. Do you love her fashionable hat? It's the only hat we have that fits her right now. All of the ones I bought her fall down over her eyes. This one is from the hospital.

Daddy and Colby in the pose they kept pretty much all Sunday afternoon.

....Yep, and still a few hours later.

Right now...all cuddled up in her 'bed'!

Introducing Colby Kathleen McCoromick!

Yesterday at 1:14 pm we welcomed Colby Kathleen McCormick into our family. She weighed 7 lbs and 11 oz and was 21 inches long. She came into the world fast and furious, but most shocking about little Colby is her mass of white-blond hair...I'm not talking about a little bit of peach fuzz here. I'm talking one-inch long blond hair! Our nurse said she hadn't seen anything like it in 30 years of nursing, and Colby's pediatrician said the same thing. I've tried to capture it as much as possible for you in the pictures below.

Many people have asked about the name. We just really liked the name Colby, but had argued over whether it should be spelled with a "C" or a "K". When we couldn't decide on a different name, we honestly flipped a quarter in the delivery room after her birth: heads we spelled it with a "C" and tails with a "K". Well, the quarter came up heads; so, "Colby" it was! The name Kathleen has always been one of Nick's favorite names; so, that was why it was chosen.

We've had a steady stream of visitors over the last 24 hours, and we've enjoyed seeing everyone and introducing friends and family to Colby. I will post more pictures later, but for now here's the first batch! Thanks for checking in! Kelly

Right after birth.

I finally got to see her. Monitors were blocking my view of seeing her getting cleaned up after the birth.


Colby looks tiny in Nick's arms. He hasn't gotten tired of holding her at all.

Cousin Amelia came to meet Colby! I can't believe how much she's grown! She loves interactive toys now!

Amelia was pretty worn out though, and Aunt Gail gave her a bottle and put her to sleep to rest up for a weekend at Grandma Cooper's and Aunt Karen's!

A picture of the hair.

View #2 of the hair.

View #3!

Nick cuddling with his new favorite person in the world.

The new family.

Come Out! Come Out! Wherever you are!

Dear Baby Mac,

It is time for you to come out. You have given me enough sleepless nights over the last three months that at this point your waking me up every two to three hours could be a good night's sleep. I know you have two weeks yet before you are due to arrive, but I think if you saw all of the great things we have for you, you will want to come sooner.

Like your new bed...with this great cool bedding that all of your aunts bought you. Notice there are no pink bows or blue sailboats. Your bedding is very simple and sophisticated!


And do you see the bible verse that your mom spent HOURS applying to the wall?!! These quotes don't stick to textured walls easily!!! But, I do hope you love the verse. I learned in a bible study that there's no actual bible verse that says there are guardian angels, but the belief that everyone has a guardian angel is taken from this verse in the book of Psalms.


These are just a few of the pictures of the people that will love you once you arrive! I have more to put up yet so that we can practice their names just like the pictures in my Grandma Rankin's den when I was growing up! Grandma and Grandpa Cooper gave you this dresser. Notice the subliminal message I've placed on top of the dresser. :)


We've put new windows in most of the house so that it will be a little warmer for you...but just a little warmer! We're not known to ever have the heat higher then the mid-60's!

Aunt Kendall gave us the decoration over the window in your room. It's my favorite verse in the bible and was read at our wedding.

Grandma and Grandpa McCormick contributed towards this new rocking recliner for you!


And, it's our turn to use the cradle from Grandpa and Grandma Rankin!

So, as you can see, everybody has contributed towards your arrival! So, come out, come out, wherever you are!...because your mother said so!