Ashley is 1 week old today!  It has really flown by.  I’m a little tired (okay, maybe more than a little ) but it is so worth it.  She is such an angel.  We are getting the hang of things now and getting on a routine.  She had a doctor’s appointment last Friday and had lost more weight since leaving the hospital.  She was 6 lb. 5.5 oz. on Friday (when we left the hospital on Wed. she was 6 lb. 9 oz.)  I know it’s normal for babies to lose weight, but I didn’t realize she would continue to lose it even after we got home.  So that concerned me.  We kept up the strict nursing schedule this weekend (i.e. no sleep) and went back this morning for a weight check.  She now weighs 6 lb. 10 oz.!  I am soo happy she is gaining weight now!  The doc was impressed.  He said they expect babies to gain about 1 oz. a day, but she has gained 5 oz. in 2 days!  So that is really good. 

Van went back to work today and mom is still staying with me.  She’s going to be here until Sunday.  It’s reassuring having another mom here to help me and show me what to do.  I just want to make sure I know what I’m doing and am ready to take on mommyhood by myself.  Thank you Mom for all you have done to help us!  And thank you Dad for letting me borrow her for a couple of weeks! 

Ashley’s personality is already starting to come out.  She has the cutest little facial expressions.  When she is nursing, she does this thing with her eye brows moving them up and down.  Sometimes she scrunches up her little nose and makes wrinkles between her eyebrows.  She has been such a good baby!  She rarely cries.  When she sleeps she enjoys turning her head to the right (probably how she was in the womb).  She loves having her hands up by her face, so we have to keep little mittens on her or have her sleeves pulled over her hands.  Otherwise, she’ll end up scratching herself with her little fingernails.

Here are some more pictures from her first week of life…