Rose kicked off her seventh week by going wakeboarding. Yes, she enjoyed it... see for yourself.

She also decided it would be a good week to stop sleeping long stretches and go back to eating every 3 or even 2 hours. We were spoiled for a few weeks. She has also been ravenous the last few weeks... she never ate as often as 2 hours, but now she is always hungry. She also had her first really awful bouts of gas--after some medicine she finally felt better (hours later). She seemed to get more stomach aches this week than ever, but she is doing ok now.

She has attempted to suck on her little fists here and there, but hasn't really become a finger sucker. She also licks my shoulder, arm, blanket, or whatever is nearby. Also, she used to fall asleep instantly in her lamb chair with the vibrator. I am sad that this trick no longer works--getting her to nap takes a little more than that now, though I still use the chair a lot. We got out the bumbo for the first time yesterday. She looks so teeny in it! Her neck can rest against the back of it, though sometimes she slumps over.

We are not quite there yet, but she looks so grown up in it!!! I don't want her to grow up! She is also making the transition from newborn diapers to size 1 (there is such a huge size difference here-- why are the size 1's so big?) She had 2 blowouts yesterday (always at church of course), and they are getting more and more common so I'm thinking it is time. She is still in newborn clothes with the occasional 0-3 month outfit, but she is long and skinny and a lot of baby clothes are very wide so they don't quite work. She has grown out of a couple of her pajamas and a few tiny onesies and grown into all the other newborn clothes that were too big.

It is fun that she coos even more now. She responds to you when you talk to her. It is pretty exciting. She smiles and has great expressions when she's dreaming. She still attracts a lot of attention when we go out. Everyone asks me how old she is and comments on how beautiful she is and how new she looks. People ask if they can look at my baby at the grocery store and Walmart. The older ladies love it. I have to time our outings during naps so she doesn't cry in the carseat and also because it is the only way I can go without feeding her for so long. I love our carseat, btw. I am very happy with our Maxi Cosi and would recommend it! The only thing is it doesn't sit in a shopping cart very well like some do, but it is so lightweight and so cute and easy to put in the car.

Becoming a mom is so much fun and is as wonderful as I hoped it would be. I was surprised by the fact that having Rose has brought Raimo and I closer, and it is not necessarily based on time spent together or how we help each other, but on how we are so much more of a family with her. You would think that all of our attention would be focused on her and less on each other, but somehow, as busy as I am with baby and he with work, we are closer.

Everyone is posting about how they have to start school. I am so happy it is not me!

Rose at 6 weeks

Little Rose is in her bassinet. She is awake, just looking around. She was pretty adorable tonight so it was hard to put her in bed! She was cooing a little and looking into our eyes, giving us some smiles and listening to stories. Man, some of those childrens' books really make Raimo and I tear up. They are so sweet and sentimental. And we are pretty in love with our baby so any book about parent and child makes us lose it. Anyway, Rose has gotten pretty good about going to bed at night--no more bouncing and rocking her to sleep (only when her tummy aches at night). And she will sleep till 3:30 or even 5:30. She eats more in the day now to make up for it I guess. I feel like I am actually getting caught up on all those weeks without sleep. She still gets to join mom and dad in bed in the morning around 6 or 7 for snuggles and sometimes more sleeping. She is so cute in the mornings--she is most relaxed then. However, she howls when she gets strapped into the car seat and put in the car. She is only happy if she has just recently been fed and is able to fall asleep (so unlike the first few weeks where she would fall asleep instantly in the car!) I am hoping this changes before we embark on an 8 hour drive to California.

On Monday (the 15th) she rolled from her stomach to her back. Such a little thing and so momentous! Monday was also our last night in our apartment and by Tuesday we were living in Sandy with Raimo's parents. She napped pretty well those last few days that we were moving... thankfully! But I also had help from Monica and Tammy so I was able to get everything done. I am tired of moving. I was glad to be able to be settled again and give her some more attention.

Rose is seriously a good baby. While there are moments when parenthood seems very overwhelming (when she is crying very very loudly or when my body is so so tired), overall it has been an easy adjustment with Rose. From the beginning she ate every 3 hours like clockwork and slept pretty well. She was a very easy newborn, and, even as she is growing, has not been too colicky. And for me, it has been so much fun! I could hold her all day (and I do). It is like playing house, but the real thing and way better. And she is soo beautiful! Like a little china doll. At 6 weeks, she is a bit bigger than when she was born, but she is still pretty small. She has filled out in the cheeks and thighs a little, though she is still very long and lean for a baby--long fingers, toes, legs and arms. And she has a tiny little head and tiny face (about as long as my pinky) and tiny features. It is hard to tell that in the pictures, and she is prettier in real life. I wish I could capture it better so I can look back on it. Her eyes have changed and are sapphire blue--not really my eye color or Raimo's. We'll see if they change again.

Daddy sings Justin Bieber's "Baby" to her, substituting "baby, oh" for "baby Rose". I try to think of songs that have Rose in them, but all that comes to mind is "Moses supposes his toeses are Roses" so she's heard that a few times. Also "There Were Bells" has the line "and there were wonderful roses." I sing a lot of show tunes and love songs to her. Raimo sings "How do you like your eggs in the morning?..." and primary songs. She responds to our singing-- not to music from the radio or cds.

She is still in newborn diapers and newborn clothes, some 0-3 month. We just rotate outfits. I am guessing she is 7 pounds now and has probably grown an inch since the 2 week appointment. Her hair has grown slightly. It is still very sparse. She fits in her headbands now so she wears one every day! So fun!

Sneak Peak