Happier Bathtime

Well, we tried and tried to post another video of bathtime - real bath (soaking in her little tub) but it just isn't working so I'm throwing in the towel and will just put up some pictures. Emerson LOVED soaking in the tub, she was wide eyed the whole time. Since this bath, she has also gotten in the real sized tub with me, and she is in HOG HEAVEN to be in so much water. If her daddy is lucky, maybe it means she will love the water as much as he does. (I on the other hand...well, it took me 28 years to learn how to dive through waves in the ocean...)

She is doing great and sleeping pretty well most of the time and is a total eating machine. She has had a little bit of reflux type stuff going on this week that seems to be fading, so you can all be praying that will make its way right out of here, we do NOT welcome reflux in this house! She still makes the greatest little faces and my current favorite today is those she makes when she's waking up - she stretches her arms up over her head and scrunches up her face. I feel pretty sure I make the same faces when I'm waking up from a deep sleep...but it's been awhile since we've slept like that, so I'm not sure :)

We are getting ready for Thanksgiving on Thursday - having it at our house this year! We are so excited to celebrate her first holiday and our first holiday in our new home with our family. Here's hoping that it all goes well! Terry is probably mostly excited about Thanksgiving because it means as soon as we are finished eating, we can go get our Christmas tree and start watching Christmas movies. He has been begging to be allowed to start watching them early and I did cave on a rainy day last week - we snuggled in, turned off all the lights and watched The Family Stone, and I admit - it was great. I just don't like to throw Thanksgiving under the bus. But Terry has an affinity for Christmas movies and he says we crammed them all in last year. We have a whole separate section of Christmas movies in our DVD collection. If you are wanting to watch one, come on over - you can be sure there will be at least 3 playing a week at our house after Thursday!

Love, little e

Dear Dad.

Today you had to go back to work. Bummer. Big, big bummer. This past week has been the best week of my life. Okay, I know, it's been the only week of my life out of the womb, but it has still been the very best. Being home with you and mom has been the greatest - I have loved our snuggle time early in the morning after mom feeds me breakfast - you are so warm and cozy! Mom tells me she thinks I sleep the very best when you are holding me - I think she is right! She also tells me it is her favorite time of day to walk by and see us snuggling together - I think she really likes us. I love daddy/daughter time late at night when you stay up and watch movies with me while we let mom sleep a little bit. I hope that just because I am becoming a better sleeper you won't make me skip out on late night movies too often. Mom just goes to bed so early, boring! People keep telling me that I have your very same nose. I think this is great because I know you are hot stuff (mom tells me all the time about you being so cute) so I must be really cute also!

I thought it was really cool that you guys took me to church on Sunday and that Pastor Al introduced me to the church and you talked about me and everyone prayed for me. It wasn't my 'official' dedication, but it was great. I was 10 days old. And guess what? You were 10 days old when you were dedicated at church also - it says so in your baby album. I guess that makes us pretty close huh? And cool - I hope I will be as cool as you one day. Mom says if I am just like you it couldn't get any better. She even hopes I sing like you and jump like you and we already know I make funny faces like you - we make her laugh lots.

I hope you come home soon dad, I miss you and your snuggles and your kisses. Thanks for snuggling me this morning before you left for work and thanks for being such a great dad and bringing home the dough while mom and I snooze the day away. You are already my bestest friend and the greatest dad. Thanks for loving me.


I like you. I like you a lot. Like, I really like you a whole lot. The same a lot that you like mom, and the same a lot that you like me.

xoxo
little e

Splish Splash!

Here is a post-bath clip from earlier in the week; can't get the actual bath one to upload but you aren't missing much since she didn't...shall we say...well, she didn't love it. :)

Can't believe she is one week old today - she opted for extra milk instead of a cupcake to celebrate! We head back to the pediatrician tomorrow for a weight check - wondering how 'big' this little peanut will be!

Welcome home Emerson! Here we are in her room trying to also show the fall leaves out her window. Aunt Steph took this photo on her phone when she came to meet Em
We can't believe it's already been five days - then again the days do all run together when you sleep in 20 minute intervals! In her first few days, Emerson has:

• met lots of people that love her
• tried out 8 different places to sleep (mom's arms, dad's arms, pack-n-play, swing, carseat in the car, carseat on the floor, moses basket on the rocking stand, moses basket on bed)
• found one last night that works - swing but not swaddled, just in her cozy cocoon - thank you Aunt Amy, the 4-5 hours of sleep mom got were great!!!
• gone on her first family walk swaddled up in my sling
• gone to the doctor and gotten an excellent report
• spent 40% of her life eating and the other 60% sleeping
• pooped on mom twice
• peed on dad once
• hung out on the front porch with mom while dad did yard work
• is about to get her first bath (I almost don't want to wash her because I just always want her to smell like THIS - her own sweet little smell)

We have so many favorite things about her and seem to find new ones every minute. Some current favorites are the little creases under her eyes that give her such sweet sleepy eyes; her nose that came straight from her daddy; and this face she makes when she is really cozy and we think she looks like a little turtle poking her head out of her little shell. Here they are:Sweet little Em is one very loved girl by her parents - it is wonderful and overwhelming all at once to love someone this much. We are settling in today for a snug, rainy day at home and trying to treasure every little minute that Terry has home with us this week for family time!

Emerson's Big Day

Hello World!!!

Emerson Jayne Bruce is here!!!

Yesterday was a huge answer to prayer as everything went so smoothly and everyone is happy and healthy. 2 hours after Ellen was given the low dose pitocin her water broke so they moved us to our birthing suite. Ellen progressed very quickly & dilated from 3 - 10 centimeters in just 3 and half hours! She pushed for one hour and there she was - little Emerson! Overall the whole thing went very smooth with no complications. Emerson was healthy and Ellen was in great shape and is on her way to quick recovery. Above are a few pictures from our special day. I'm sure there will be many more to come but for now enjoy our little girl!

vitals:
6 pounds 5 ounces
20 inches long
the softest skin I have ever felt

Terry, Ellen and Emerson (who is quickly working on being and becoming a Bruce!)

Ready or Not...

Here she comes!

Short version of the long story is that I've had some protein in my urine since my appointment last Friday and mildly elevated blood pressure; so they ran some lab work and took me out of work Monday to start bed rest. While on bed rest, I had to do some other fun lab work and a 24 hour urine collection (because it's really easy to pee in a cup every time whilst pregnant!) and then went back in to the OB today. My BP had 'spiked' (140/90 - super high for me, normally 90/60) so here we are. The plan has/had been to give me something to help finish getting my cervix ready; but from the minute they hooked me up to the monitor (LITERALLY) I started having really regular contractions. Soooooo, no medicine to help the cervix get ready because that could make me have too many contractions and freak little Emerson out; and instead they will give me some low dose pitocin overnight and my midwife just said she thinks we'll have her here by tomorrow afternoon!

More tomorrow once she comes!

Welcome Mikayla Clare!

Have been waiting for pictures to be able to share the exciting news of Bruce grandbaby #15, bringing the score to 7 boys and 8 girls (stole the pictures from Dave's facebook!). SOON, we will take over the family to really outnumber the boys with girl #9 and grandchild #16 - what proud grandparents Bob & Gloria are! We were so excited to be pregnant at the same time as Dave & Natalie even if it was a cross country pregnancy!
EAT.YOUR.HEART.OUT. over this most adorable face. I LOVE this kid.

Natalie had a c-section last week and delivered this beautiful sweet girl at a whopping 8 pounds 15 ounces, 21 healthy inches long! Welcome sweet Mikayla Clare Bruce!

Congrats Dave, Natalie & Kaden -we are so excited for you all and cannot wait to let these cousins meet - so fun for them to be so close in age!

HIS name is Ralph...

(the guy in the picture - you know, Ralph Waldo...)

HER name will look like this on her elementary school artwork:

Her middle name is a family tradition and a honor of love and while I wish I could say that this was mine, it might be even cooler that Terry found this on the back of his Luna bar (yeah, you know - nutrition for women) last week:if you can't read it, it says:
"Mom: Now that I'm about to become a mother myself, I'm more grateful than ever for the strong, inspiring exampule you set for me and my child-to-be.
Love always, Ellen"

Seriously. It really says that. And it wasn't me that wrote it - though it should have been, and is what I would say, and is what we are saying with her middle name. Which not all of you know mom's name - Jayne. So follow along here. My mom's (Jayne) sister is Ellen. Jayne (mom) had an Ellen (me), and Ellen (aunt) had a Jayne (cousin). Cousin Jayne just had a daughter this year and named her Ella. So while we were tempted by Jayna (kidding) we stuck with the tradition of Jayne.

Welcome little Emerson Jayne Bruce, we know you will be here soon and can't wait to smooch on you and snuggle your sweet self!

* By the way clues from the name game post (1) Ralph Waldo, (2) Emerson, Iowa, (3) a very cool company - EmersonMade.com