Smelly Belly + First Bath

Getting squeaky clean!

Yesterday was Emma Vance's two week birthday, and to celebrate we took her to the doctor to be weighed. (Very exciting things happening around here lately...ha!) Thankfully she's gaining, weighing in at 9 lbs. 1 oz.! The way Ryan and I figure it, she has one job as a newborn--to eat up and grow big--and this week she gets an A+.

In other news, I was in the kitchen after her 8 a.m. feeding on Monday (and she was having activity time with dad) when I heard something clink down onto the ground. I almost ignored it, since I didn't yet have my contacts in, but decided to check it out. Hmmm. Her umbilical cord? Apparently it must've been stuck somewhere on me (yuck) and dislodged itself onto my kitchen floor. Lovely. However, we were really excited regardless of its disgusting journey on my person, because on Sunday afternoon, it began to smell AWFUL (despite not getting it wet and not showing any signs of infection), earning her the temporary title of Smelly Belly.

Smelly Belly no more!

Truthfully E.V.'s umbilical cord was not convenient for diapering and really not that cute, so I wasn't upset to see it go. On the other hand, I know that symbolically it means that she's officially not a part of me anymore; she's an independent lady whose time relying on me is now slowly beginning to wane. The 18-year-long hour glass has been turned, and that makes me sad. I know that it's only been two weeks, but I already dread her getting any bigger! I like her the way she is now, and although I know each phase of her life will be exciting for all three of us, I'd prefer her to stay tiny if possible. Who do I talk to about making that happen? :)

Smelly Belly survived for a few days post-cord with sponge baths, but last night we decided to pull the proverbial plug and give her a real bath. She was a bit perplexed (as is to be expected), but seemed to LOVE the warm water and attention. Despite getting a little water accidentally dumped on her face (bad mom!), eating a soapy hand (and NOT reacting badly to it...could it have tasted good?) and ultimately pooping in the water (hey, she was relaxed!), it went very smoothly. As a result of such a lovely scrubbing, her hair has become all poofy! It's definitely in faux-hawk territory, and we'll need a couple of days of wear to have it settle back down again.

Here are some more pictures of this big event, which may only interest The Grandmas, but I'll put them up for posterity's sake anyway...