Beatrice at Three Weeks

Officially, Missy was 3 weeks on Sunday. These pictures are brand new though, all taken today. She is definitely growing every day.

Forgive all the sleeping baby pictures. She does it so well though! Except when she doesn't...

Such a happy girl and so alert when she is awake!

She can look at you with the most bemused expression. Sometimes she looks so much older than she is, I half expect her to talk.

She does the crossed-eyes baby faces all the time, so funny.

She looks most like her brother when her eyes are closed.

Look at that smirk. She cracks us up with her faces.

Jury is still out on her eyes. But they will undoubtably be dark.

At Two Weeks

Today Beatrice Emily is 2 weeks and 2 days old. My mom could tell you exactly how many hours she is. Every day moves so quickly and she seems to change before our eyes. I took these pictures yesterday (in her third outfit of the day--she seems to produce prodigious amounts of laundry for one so small, how did I forget about that?) The sweater she is wearing was knit for me when I was a baby by my Oma. I thought it looked so pretty with the quilt my mom made for Beatrice. You can't see it, but in the middle is a "B" appliqued with a sweet little bumble bee on top.

Such a serious face, and such deep eyes. I am not holding on too hard for blue or green eyes. They are looking pretty dark already. But at least she is keepin her hair (so far!) This was her daddy's favorite picture. Just look at that little rosebud of a mouth!

I just love baby feet. Hers look like her dad's.

She is actually only a week plus a few days in this picture. But I love how protective Everett is with his hand. He is becoming such a good helper and is so sweet with his sister.

Also an "older picture" but it shows off one of her sweet dimples. My mom and grandmother remind me that dimples only become wrinkles, but they are so, so, so, adorable.

Princess Beatrice has arrived!

The week before Miss Bea arrived was busy, mostly because I was going stir-crazy with anticipation. Our sweet friends Kailen and Jackson came to play. Everett and Jackson are exactly 2 days apart and love to play trains, cars, animals--you name it!

Here is our sweet, sweet Everett the night before his sister's arrival. My brother Kit and his girlfriend, Amy, came up from Texas, met my mom at the airport and drove to our house together. Everett loves his Uncle Kit and was spoiled to death by the two of them. They very lovingly cared for Everett while when we went to the hospital and the first bit of recovery.

Miss Beatrice annouced she was coming about midnight on Saturday the 15th or is it Sunday the 16th? I am not quite sure about those middle of the night/early, early morning times. I woke up feeling not quite right and decided to sleep on it to see if how serious it was. By 2:30, it was definitely labor so I woke Russ up to tell him we were going to go to the hospital, but to go back to sleep for the time being. About 3 I woke up my mom and she quickly determined (with over 30 years of nursing experience to back her up) that we should get going because we had about an hour drive to the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital about 4 in the morning and our little princess was born at 10:54 in the morning on Sunday the 16th. She weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz and was 21 inches long. She also has a head of the darkest thickest hair ever!

All clean and bundled up. And a very tired mommy. They don't call it labor for nothing.

She is absolutely beautiful. Of course I am biased. But look at that face, such an angel.

Beatrice, wanting to make a good impression on her older brother, wisely arrived with gifts. She brought four new dinosaurs, which quickly became the most interesting thing in the hospital room.

Beatrice is in the picture, she is hiding under the quilt though. Russ keeps telling me to cool it with the "paparazzi" moments, but seriously I just want to document every minute with my sweethearts.

The very cool dinosaurs and my rosy-cheeked boy. He came from the playground and was all warm and little-boy sweaty! I love it.

Mister Everett has been blessed and spoiled. It has been like a birthday for him too! These cool building blocks were a present from my aunt, Tante Jon. Everett and his dad figured out how to make robots and have been playing ever since.

At home, cuddled up on the couch. My crazy pajamas were a gift from my mom when Everett was born. So soft and gentle on her new baby skin.

She is so much love, wrapped in such a tiny package.

And so alert. She has been holding her head up and looking around since she was born. She loves to listen to her daddy and turns her head to him whenever she hears his voice.

Look at how awake she is! Just watching us as we adore her.

Baby girl and her Nonni. And the quilt I made. See her pretty hair? I hope it stays. It would be so much fun to put little bows in it.

When she is awake, she is very awake. But she still has that God-given newborn ability to sleep contentedly through anything.

There is nothing like the smell of a new baby. I think if she does lose her hair it will be because we kissed it all off!