Casandra's Visit to Hoosick Falls!!!

Cassandra's Visit to Trumansburg!!!

Here's lookin' at you, kid :-)

Happy 1 Month Birthday!!!

Cassandra is one month old! On August 1st, she reached the one month mark and I cannot believe how time has gone by so quickly! We are so fortunate and blessed to have such a wonderful baby girl. She is currently 10 lbs 1 oz and 22 inches long! I must admit that I have been terrible about updating the blog but life has been very hectic as we (happily) adjust to our life with Cassandra. (not to mention my grad school classes as well) So here is an update as to how our little girl is doing. Generally, she has been doing very well. Her sleep schedule can be erratic at times (for example, waking up at 3AM and not wanting to go back to sleep until 7AM) but we have gotten some nights where she has slept for five hour stretches. She is more aware of her surroundings as she stares at various objects and is amazed when I carry her upstairs from the basement at night. Her neck muscles are getting stronger as she can hold up her head at times and look around when she is lying on either our chests or shoulder. It has been so much fun as we get to know Cassandra. Every day brings a new noise or face that she makes, especially the smiles!

In addition to spending time with her inside the house, we have been able to take Cassandra outside of the house. We have been able to take her on numerous walks around the neighborhood (In the process we have seen two other stork signs announcing other babies. Other future members of the Class of 2027!) and have taken her to both Tanner Park in Copaigue and Robert Moses! Tanner Park is a Town of Babylon park that is right on the Great South Bay. There is a pretty boardwalk that we are able to walk on with a spectacular view of the bay. It has been so nice to be able to talk a walk right on the water and enjoy the breeze. In addition to the views, the park has a nice food stand (and bar) with outdoor seating and live music every night! We have actually been able to have dinner as a family outdoors on a few occasions. There is also a bandshell at the park where there are numerous free concerts throughout the summer. Due to her feeding schedule, we have yet to see any of the concerts but that will be something to look forward to next year. We have also been able to her take her over to Field 5 of Robert Moses and walk on the boardwalk. Once again, it has been so nice to be outdoors with the family and enjoy the fresh ocean air.

Finally, I want to say what an amazing job Nicole has done being a Mom! Between all of the feedings and the magic calming touch, she has been absolutely amazing! It has been a wonderful month and we look forward to many more! I am so lucky to have such a wonderful wife and daughter!

Hello from Nicole

Well after almost 3 weeks I have found some time to get on here. Life has certainly changed in these few weeks, but all for the good. We are still learning to adjust our lives to Cassandra's schedule but she's so cute, we don't mind! It's great to see her change every day. She is so strong and is already picking her head up so much when she is on her tummy and we feel like she could roll over any minute(although I think she has a few months for that). It has been so wonderful to have Keith home with us for the summer. I can't imagine doing this without him. He has been a great father and a tremendous help to me. Whether it's getting me my meals, doing late night calming/feeding, or changing dirty diapers he takes charge without complaint. I am grateful for such a wonderful family.

Hopefully we can get some more pictures up soon!

Happy 1st Week Birthday

Today is July 8th and it is Cassandra one week birthday. She actually slept very well last night so Nicole and I actually were able to get multiple 3 hours blocks of sleep! Her pediatrician's appointment went very well (except for the torrential rain) and we will go back in one week. In honor of our first week together, we got her all dolled up in a dress, took this picture and took our first walk around the block. She was as snug as a bug in a rug in her stroller as Mom and Dad got some much needed fresh air.

Home Alone

Well, it's been a few days since i've updated the blog. Cassandra came home on the 3rd and on the 5th, Nicole's family left and we have been on our own. For the most part, things have been going well. It has been such an amazing time getting to know Cassandra and having a good sense of humor as we have been pee'd on twice while changing her diaper ;-) The nights have been interesting in that she goes through very long stretches of feeding and then as soon as we put her down...squirm, squeak, WAAAAAHHHHH. Repeat cycle 2 to 3 times until she is finally tired. Last night (Sun/Mon) we got her to sleep for two 3-hour stretches. However, today, has been a different story. We think she is hitting a growth spurt as she is constantly eating but she has been SO fussy. She'll feed and then not want to eat and then CRY. This must have gone on for about 6 hours today. We finally got her changed and swaddled so that I could use the "Happiest Baby on the Block" trick. Which is...swaddle, turn them on their side, shush in their ears and then sway. After doing this 3 times, she FINALLY calmed down enough so that I could put her in her swing where she has been sleeping soundly ever since. Hopefully, when she wakes up, she'll be legitimately hungry so that she can feed well. Once again, we'll see how the night goes. In preparation, I think I'll have my second double espresso of the evening.

I know I have been delinquent with my picture postings so I will try to get some more shots up tomorrow as I finally got all of the images downloaded onto my computer. Tomorrow is also a big day as we will be taking her for her first pediatrician's appointment.