Long overdue update

So, I should have posted an update about a million times over the past few weeks, as Cate has had a lot going on in her life. Of course, that is exactly why I have not gotten any updates posted. A quick overview:

Cate at 4 weeks old: On June 27th, Cate was baptised at Word of Life Lutheran Church here in Lincoln. Both sets of grandparents, my sister Rachel, and Chaz's sister Della and her family were able to attend. Rachel and Cate's cousin Kirstin agreed to serve as Cate's godparents. We feel so blessed to have Cate welcomed so lovingly by our Lincoln church-home.




However, my sister Rachel did not leave. Hurricane Alex hit south Texas where she lives, closing the airport. So, Rachel stayed around an extra week.

Cate at 5 weeks old: Less than a week later, we headed out on Cate's first road trip to Concordia, KS. First, Cate had the chance to meet her "twin" cousin (Chaz's sister had a baby girl the same day we did). We too were thrilled to see the entire Clair family. Cate also had the chance to meet Great-Grandma Waneta Steimel. In these photos, Cate is in the white and red outfit and her "twin" cousin Maggie is in all red.

Then, we had the joy of having a blessing ceremony for both Cate and Maggie at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in KS. I am so glad that we were able to introduce Cate to both of her parent's religious traditions and we are so lucky that she has received so many prayers.


Finally, Cate (and my sister Rachel, who joined us in Kansas - still stranded due to Hurricane Alex, see above), got to enjoy their first experience shooting off fireworks for the Fourth of July with the Strait and Clair cousins. Despite a day-long rainstorm, the rain cleared long enough that evening for a beautiful show.

Cate at 6 weeks old: A few days after returning from Kansas, Chaz took off for Chicago, IL to attend Maggie's baptism (Cate and I weren't ready for the 10 hour car trip each way, so we stayed behind). We enjoyed a few crazy mommy/kiddo days (including an awesome visit from a group of my former speech-team students), and were so glad when Chaz came home.

Finally, yesterday Cate and I went to Children's hospital in Omaha to have Cate's hips sonogram ed for Hip Dysplasia (sp?) (or hip-dislocations). The radiologist said the balls of her hip joints were perfect, but that the sockets were a bit too shallow (normal = 60; Cate = 55). We go back to Omaha next Tue to meet with the orthopedist to decide what that means. On our trip, we got a chance to hang out with two of my favorite people, Abbie & Ryan Syrek, and Cate was thrilled to meet mommy's old friends.

Okay, today at 6.5 weeks she weighed 10 lbs at the mom's group I go to. Not an official weight, but it is a clear indication that she is growing like crazy!

I'll update more soon.

Catherine's (almost) 4 weeks old...

More visitors!

Catherine is excited to have her Aunt Rachel in town. Rachel got into town around midnight on Wednesday night/Thursday morning, and Catherine got to go with me to help pick her up. She clearly has been having fun with her Aunt...

Catherine's baptism is this weekend, so we have lots more visitors arriving tomorrow/Sunday morning, including both sets of grandparents and Chaz's sister Della and family. We look forward to celebrating with our loved ones (both near and far).

I can't believe how fast our little one is growing. Three and a half weeks already!

Father's Day - Catherine's 3 weeks old

Chaz and Catherine's first Father's Day was pretty great. It actually started with a dinner out Friday night. Chaz was supposed to have a softball game Sunday night (before the rainstorms hit), so we moved that part of the celebration to the start of the weekend. At Chaz's request, we went out for Pizza and Beer (well, Cate skipped the beer...) and it was a fun outing. For Father's Day, I got Chaz a gift certificate for a couple of books from Barnes and Noble. Catherine got Chaz a second gift card so he can pick out a couple of books for him and Cate to read together (for him to read to her for now). So, on his first Father's Day, Chaz gets to continue his love of reading and share that love of reading with his daughter.

Then, on actual Father's Day, we went to church where both Chaz and Cate received a special father's day blessing. We then went out to lunch at the sandwitch shop next to church. Then, we came home and enjoyed a quiet evening watching movies Chaz picked off Netflix. A wonderful day.

Here are a few Father's Day photos. Cate is 3 weeks old now. I can't believe how fast she is growing.

2 Week Check Up

Today was Cate's two week doc appointment. She did great (the doc's actual words were "she gets an A"). Cate has grown quickly in her two weeks home with us. She is now 8 lbs 3 ozs and 20.5 inches long. She is falling in the 45-50 percentile in all of her measurements, so for the time being, she is a pretty average baby. She is also eating like a champion (the lactation consultant calls her a super efficient eater) which is nice too. All in all, a successful day. Now we don't return to the doc until Aug 3. I've fallen terribly behind on taking photos, but I promise more of the growing-kiddo photos soon.

Doc Appointment Update

We finally made it to the orthopedic specialist yesterday morning and the visit went very well. According to the Doc, Catherine's likely just fine. After examining her, he said he couldn't find any odd movement in her right hip (the one they diagnosed at the hospital) and there was just a little clicking in her left hip. So, for now, no treatment recommended. Catherine is scheduled for a follow-up ultrasound on July 13th, at which time they will determine whether she might need a brace on her hips. That appointment had to be scheduled once she is a bit older, because apparently the estrogen that makes mom's (my) body flexible for delivery could give us a false-positive result. So, we're just encouraged by the positive news, and hope they find nothing when they look in just over a month!

Picture from Catherine's first trip to Church: My mom (her grandma) bought her a hair bow, so she is quite festive.

Visitors and other fun

Though it is hard to believe, baby Catherine is one week old today! The time has absolutely flown by. In fact, Chaz's cousin Kelly had a baby son last night, making Catherine no longer the youngest kiddo in her extended family. What an exciting week!

We've also been blessed with a number of visitors this week. Grandpa Bob & Grandma Lorene came by on Thursday and had lunch with us on their way home from Chicago. It was great for us to see them outside of the hospital, and I think they were impressed with how fast our little one was growing. Della & her family then was able to stop by on Friday. Catherine had a blast meeting three of her older cousins, and Kirstin, Zach & Keidra are welcome to come visit (and babysit) any time they wish!


Finally, my parents (Grandpa Mick and Grandma Jill) are both in town now. Jill arrived Wednesday and has been helping us out tremendously. Mick arrived last night, and they are both going to be here for a bit. Catherine loves visiting with them, and we're so glad they're here.

This week has been filled with little firsts: first bath, first walk around the park, etc. I've become the crazy parent that takes 1000 pictures. Good thing she's still too young to object!