She's a Cutie

I just wanted to post some of the recent pictures of emily. Happy Labor Day!

Emily 3 months SnapFish Album

A-goo

Ah yes, we have now arrived at that time when the traits that develop into a personality begin to show in a baby. Emily is growing up more every day, and she is beginning to connect with us in ways that are more and more specail. Her stares are turning into gazes, her confusion into excitement, and her cries into smiles and the familiar sounds of an infant discovering their vocal cords. A-goo!

Our little baby girl visited Dr. Lentsch last Saturday for her 2-month checkup. She was a trooper with the shots, and only a few tears snuck their way out. With some tender comforting from Jackson she was as good as new in no time at all. On the sleeping scene, Emily is still a dream of a child. Last night she went to bed at 10pm and didn't wake up until almost 7am! Since she is in the 90+ percentile of height and weight for her age, we know she is getting the nutrients she needs, so the doctor says to count our blessing (and our sheep) and let her sleep as much as she can overnight.

In other family news, I just had my 30th birthday and our good friend Mike Sieger and I will be meeting up with some friends for an embarassing night of karaoke tomorrow night. I am still torn between "This is it" by Kenny Loggins and "Sailing" by Christopher Cross. Maybe I'll just sing both?

Mommy to lay down. Daddy to take the baby!

So I know that Jackson loves his dad, it is just that it is pretty apparent that right now he loves Mommy more :) Each night after giving Jackson a bath, we brush our teeth and the come out to meet back up with Mom and Emily. If not the first words out of Jackson's mouth, surely soon we know that we'll hear the nightly signature phrase: "Mommy to lay down. Daddy to take the baby!" This is a reference to the fact that when he says this, Mommy is usually holding or feeding Emily, and Jackson has probably had enough Daddy time to hold him over until tomorrow. We are very happy that Jackson is able to express himself like this at such a young age, and we are happy to accomodate his need for some Mommy time.

This of course gives me, Daddy, some one-on-one time with baby Emily. Recently she started smiling, and those first smiles are unforgettable. It is amazing to watch her begin to experience happiness, and we can only hope that her life will be filled with many, many more smiles.

Here are some recent pics of the kids:

Emily thru week 7 SnapFish Album

4th of July

Although Emily is still very young, we have been pretty brave about taking her places. As of the 4th of July this year, Emily will be just over a month old. Fortunately, she has been excited about exploring the new world around her. Whether it is the sounds of a restaurant for dinner, hanging out at a swimming pool, or watching one of daddy's hockey games, Emily has already experienced quite a bit outside of our home.

Because she has been such a great baby when we go out, there was no hesitation to make a short trip to the house of some friends to celebrate our country's birthday. Here is a picture of dad and Emily from the 4th.

We were hoping to see how she handled fireworks this 4th of July, and started our evening off visiting with friends at the Scarborough's place. We had a great time catching up with the crew from Jackson's playgroup. He was having a blast getting up to speed on all of the latest kiddie gossip.

After dinner, we were waiting to see the Katy Mills firework display but the constant drizzle looked like it was going to rain on our 4th of July parade. We were able to catch a few backyard shows on the drive home, but this year the only exciting fireworks were on TV. This didn't stop the kids from having a good time as they popped fireworks, then proceeded to play with the confetti inside.

Here is a picture of Emily chowing down her 4th of July feast -- mmmmmmm formula :)

The First Weeks

So we are just about to the 3 week point, and things have been going pretty smoothly. I think we're getting the hang of this dual parenting thing. Jackson was a little bit of a stinker the first couple of days, but he has since adjusted to Emily's arrival and is now a great helper. Whether it is reciting Humpty Dumpty for his baby sister or fetching diapers, he is making the transition much easier.

The nights have been pretty smooth. Emily is a very good sleeper at this point. Last night she slept for 5 hours, so it is a much simpler experience than Jackson. Let's just say he was eager for life.... at all hours of the day :)

My Dad is in town for the week spending time with his grandchildren. It has been great getting to see him, and he is teaching Jackson lots about swimming, playing with trains, and making music.

See all of the pictures here: SnapFish Album

Emily's First Morning

While at Jackson's birthday party last weekend, Brent Owen commented that the biggest adjustment for baby #2 was shifting back into a pattern of little or no sleep. After last night, I can concur. Although Angel and I feel OK today, last night was rough. For those of you who are not parents, I'll give you an idea of how things go in the hospital.


Newborns spend quite a bit of the first day in the nursery. However, this time is split up into many small chunks interspersed with vists to mommy and daddy. The attending nurses check vital signs and make sure the baby is getting nutrients each time they breastfeed which occurs every 2-3 hours at first. This means that every couple of hours you are feeding the baby, burping the baby, and probably changing their diaper. Luckily, after that is done the nurses want to see her again so you can catch a couple hours of sleep. However, just as you get comfortable it seems, the little one is back for the next round of feeding. Of course there is a separate nurse to make sure mommy is doing well, so they are coming in at various hours to draw blood, bring food, etc. Althought it is tough, Emily has been an outstanding eater and is sleeping very well. Up to this point, we feel very lucky that Emily is cooperating so well in order to get her the vital necessities she needs in these first critical days.

I also wanted to mention a few of the visitors we have had share this awesome experience with us. Angel's mom, Barbara has been here with us through the whole experience. Yesterday Roger, Angel's father, came by to meet his new granddaughter. He also brought some sweet BBQ from some place in Luling. Aw, man that is some good stuff! Thanks grandpa! We also had a visit from the Faraces before we snuck out of the hospital mid-day Wednesday. And, of course, Emily's big bro Jackson stopped by for a visit after a fun day at day care.

Emily's Arrival - Part 3 (12:38pm)

Emily Dakota Bateman entered this world at 12:38pm on Tuesday 5/23, 2006. She is a healthy baby at 8 pounds 11 ounces with a length of 20 1/2 inches.



Mommy is doing terrific and is currently talking on the phone and laughing out loud. Mamo (Barbara) was here for the joyous arrival, and Dr. Ronen performed a flawless delivery. Of course the real accolades go to Angel for being such a trooper through the entire pregnancy, labor, and delivery.

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See all of the pictures here:
SnapFish Album

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