Missing Michaela

Dan and Linda brought Michaela back to Minnesota for the week on Wednesday. The quieter and peaceful house of only having a newborn at home is nice, but we are missing Michaela. She's only been gone a couple of days but the emotions have already ranged from sadness, guilt, and regret to calmness, joy, and thankfulness.

Malcolm edited the last pictures we took before Danielle was born last night, and we were both reminded of Michaela. She finally decided that it was alright to go down slides by herself again. Malcolm pushed her down the slide by herself much to her dismay and fear.

(For the last four months she had always wanted to go down the slide with Malcolm or myself, even though she had figured out how to scoot herself down a slide alone.) However, after the short and gradual slide in which she remained in complete control, she was happy and proud of what she had done. A few more times down that smaller slide that day and she was primed for what was to come.

Two days later Danielle was born and everyone in Madison got visitors. While visiting, Grandpa Dan took Michaela to the park across the street to the bigger and larger slides. After an initial fear of not wanting to go down the slides again, Michaela decided to conquer them all on her own.

First Bath

Last night Christine gave Danielle a sponge bath. It was the loudest that she has cried since coming back from the hospital and the newborn screen's foot prick. Some of the newborn baby smell got washed away, but it was time. I thought about helping, but instead just took pictures.

We noticed that Danielle's belly button was loose last night before the bath. We were pleasantly surprised this morning to find that it fell during the night, which is a great even as neither Christine nor I care for that smell.

Michaela went to Minnesota with Dan and Linda, splitting the next week between the Kallevig Grandparents and the Gold Grandparents. She will come back to Madison with Grandma Cindy on Wednesday. Christine and I miss her greatly, but already have appreciated the quietness of having only a newborn at home.

Danielle Elizabeth Gold!

Danielle Elizabeth Gold was born August 22nd 2008 at 8:43 am. She was 7lbs 3 ounces and 19.5 inches long. After a day and half in the hospital, Christine and Danielle came home to a busy apartment. Grandpa and Grandma Kallevig came down Friday afternoon to visit and watch Michaela, and Grandpa and Grandma Gold came down Saturday afternoon to visit as well. The weekend was nice having everyone around, although the apartment is fairly small for that many people.

After a completely different pregnancy with Danielle than with Michaela (being the second pregnancy instead of Christine's first), we are back to not getting much sleep and something similar as to what it was when Michaela was just born. While Michaela had troubles sleeping on her own as a baby and thus not much sleep for us, Danielle so far has been pretty good and willing to snuggle in and sleep for a few hours at a time during the night. I think that Christine would be able to get plenty of sleep with only Danielle. However, with Michaela still teething and her being a light sleeper, the two daughters together don't give us much sleep right now...as could be expected.