Dale and Alice Hooper Family, 2013

As everyone was preparing to drive south from Idaho to Utah after Miss V's baby blessing, I requested a Hooper family photo. I've been working on my photoshop skills, and I think I went a bit far adding eyebrows to the ladies. Sorry, Mom. 

Sister Niki Returns Home

Zak's sister, Niki, recently returned home honorably from the Ohio Cleveland Mission, where she had served the people of Lima, Ohio. She worked hard and lovingly cared for those around her. We had just welcomed Baby V into the world before Niki flew home, so we couldn't go to the airport, but she came to us and our new baby. She's staying with us for a few days, and we are grateful for all of her help. She even brought back some souvenirs (which V will grow to fit eventually).

At Home With a Newborn

One of the painkillers the doctor prescribed was giving me hives, so I stopped taking it after about a week, and I've officially used up the other painkiller. I have ibuprofen in the cabinet, but I've been all right without it. Thankfully, my GI tract is "regular" again. I'll have to wait on the stitches. I'm still just as wide, but it surprises me each time I see myself from the side and realize I'm not round anymore. Sometimes I miss the pregnant belly, but Baby makes up for it.

I've started taking V to the store and church, but strap her around me with the Boba carrier Mom bought for us. It's worked fairly well so far, mostly because Baby V has slept the majority of the time she's been in it around town. It hasn't been as long as some doctors recommend for keeping a newborn away from crowds, but with her in the Boba, and nice weather I'm not as worried. Please don't get sick, Baby.

I associate with other adults a couple times a week, and have tried to Skype and facetime family members regularly to let them see how she's growing, and give me opportunity to keep up with everyone. V can't straighten her legs in the newborn pajamas (above), so we're setting the tiniest ones aside. I can understand why my cousin let me take her children's baby clothes. They grow out of them so quickly, and then you just store them until the next baby comes.

I've been very blessed to be able to breastfeed, to be a stay-at-home Mom, to not have postpartum depression, and to have a camera. Husband is such a great blessing to me. Last night after her second night-time feeding, she stayed up for another hour, but Dad took her with the goal of letting me sleep, even though he's the one that had to go to work in the morning.

Now that V has some wake time, I feel like I need to be teaching her. I sing Children's Songbook songs about the gospel and Savior. I tell her every time I pick her up to nurse, "I love you, V." I need to learn more Baby sign so I can use more than five signs around her. I still think it'll get more difficult when she won't just sit there and do what I'm doing, when I have to be creative with play and activities. I'm definitely enjoying this time as a Mom now. My dad joked that I won't be able to match the picture documentation with my future children, but I love capturing each outfit, expression, and precious moment. I'm getting a little nervous that I'm feeding too often (it feels like every hour or two during the day), in which she only eats for a few minutes instead of getting a full feeding, so I'm trying to transition now into the "On Becoming Babywise" feed-wake-sleep schedule. I have so much to learn, but when I hold this precious tiny human in my arms and smell her perfect baby scent, I can't help but thank Heavenly Father for giving me this amazing opportunity to care for one of His children.

So far we think she has Zak's hair color (but my amount of hair) and his detached earlobes. Our noses and chins are fairly similar in shape, so we'll have to see how hers look in time. When we had the 3-D ultrasound at 39 weeks, she looked so much like Zak, but now I think her face looks a lot like mine did as a newborn. We'll have to see if her eyes stay Porter blue or change to Hooper brown and green. Either way, I think we've got an adorable daughter.

Baby Zak

Baby Nicole

Weekend Drive

 Last weekend we packed up half the house and drove to Swan Valley to try the square ice cream (Zak had to settle a conversation at work about which shape of ice cream cones has the greatest mass.  We didn't mind.) Baby V slept most of the way, after she cried/screamed herself to sleep at the intersection a block from our apartment. I felt pretty helpless, just waiting for the light to change so we could pull over and I could do something to help her, but fortunately she fell asleep. Zak and I were both pretty excited to go for a drive, so we ended up continuing on to Lower Palisades Lake. My hero held up the umbrella during a diaper change so the baby would stay dry. She is growing so fast. Last night during the second pajama change we realized the newborn-sized pajamas don't allow her to straighten her legs. She has officially outgrown some of her outfits.

New Baby V

Zak and I recently welcomed our daughter into the world. Our little miracle bundle baby. The cord wrapped itself around her ankle, so during each contraction toward the end her heart-rate dropped. To keep her safe, the doctor encouraged me to push before I was fully dilated, so there was some tearing in addition to the episiotomy, but with the epidural I received beforehand, I was fine. Everything was worth it to get Baby V here. She weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces, measured 20 inches, and made her appearance with a thick, light brown mohawk. We love her so much!

Waking up several times throughout the night for diaper changes and feeding came as an adjustment, but I'm getting used to the three-hour sleep cycles, and appreciate all of Zak's diapering efforts. Having family come and friends from church bring dinners have been a tremendous help, also. New

Before leaving the hospital she was 8 pounds 1 ounce, but at her two-week appointment she was just an ounce shy of her birth weight, and had grown an inch already. Wow. She's realizing how much Mom loves to use the camera.