6 Weeks Old

Our little Lauren is already 6 weeks old.  Wow.  I am SO THANKFUL that I do not have to go back to work after only 6 weeks of maternity leave.  I can't imagine going back to work at this point in our lives.  I'm really blessed to have an employer that will allow me to take off more time than the "average Joe."  Lauren is growing RAPIDLY.  She is eating a lot of the time (including pretty frequently at night).  I'm very thankful that we have a co-sleeper in our room so I can just nurse her and then put her back in her area without getting out of bed, since she eats a number of times throughout the night.  

I've even mastered the art of changing diapers in bed by nightlight!  It's a good thing that I have bad eyes because I can move around quite well without being able to see all of the details -- my function at night in low light is probably better than average because even with my glasses on it is better than what I can see in the daylight with no glasses!  (I'm not joking - talk to my college roommate, Marianne, who used to say I looked like a mole squinting to see the clock without glasses!)  Of course, Jon is still sleeping down the hall in the guest room so he is getting plenty of sleep to be able to help out with Hannah in the early morning....and it is nice to have his side of the bed to store changing supplies!

At 6 weeks Lauren weighs about 10 1/2 pounds - which was Hannah's weight at 4 months (it's so hard to not make comparisons).  We've also gotten her to take a bottle a couple of times, but it is certainly not her preference.  Overall, Lauren is a very happy baby and is just starting to offer up a few smiles.  Jon is still waiting for "his" smile, but I've seen them a few times.  Most of the time Lauren is sleeping or eating, but she is starting to have more awake times where she looks around.  It's been so much fun to see her start to take everything in.

Jon is going back to work next week for two days following his 6 weeks of paternity leave.  It's been nice to have him home to help out with Hannah -- and we've sent Hannah to the sitter on a regular basis to keep her on schedule and enjoying time with her friends.  It's been so nice to have all of this wonderful family time.