Birthday dinner for Jim (belated post)

This year's birthday dinner for Jim's 32nd (on Aug. 26): CHALUPAS!! The dish is slow-roasted shredded pork & pinto beans with all the fixings - tortillas, lettuce, cheese, salsa, avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, red peppers, and mango. Very, very tasty. (Yes, this is one first-time recipe that we will make again. Don't tell - it was also extremely easy to make, which is why the 39-weeks-along pregnant woman chose this recipe.)


For dessert we had Oreo-banana layered chocolate pudding. (The pudding was homemade and very rich.) Also very tasty. This post is belated because Jim's birthday was so close to Gemma's arrival date, and we were going a bit crazy in the week prior getting ready and every day hoping she would come. Of course, the craziness of these days makes those days look easy. Wow, sitting down to a nice dinner together and actually eating it with leisure. It may be a while before we get there again.

Welcome to Daniel Arthur Hawkins!

Daniel Arthur Hawkins
born 24 September 2010
7 lb 14 oz

son of Matt and Hannah, and brother to Phillip and Samuel
Congratulations on your safe arrival, Daniel!! Your cousin Gemma is looking forward to meeting you and playing together.

(I borrowed this photo from Hannah)

Naps, A Soccer Game, and Eggs & Toast

One of Gemma's favorite afternoon nap locations (thanks to Jaja for the idea), is on top of the dryer - when it is running...
And for her evening "rock me to sleep" time, here she is in another favorite location - on Daddy's chest.
On Sunday afternoon we three headed out for Gemma's first soccer game! The IU women beat Western Michigan 2-1, though we ended up only staying for the first half since the pep band (which normally we LOVE, as it is a very fun element to the games) was so loud. (How come I never noticed that before?) Also it was a humid afternoon and little Gem was quite toasty in her carrier.

Once again the athletic department distributed lots of free goodies during the game. We scored a T-shirt and a $10 giftcard to a local Italian restaurant, which Jim earned by cheering "Go Hoosiers!" extremely enthusiastically after the IU goal in the first half. We will gladly take any visitors interested in competing for free stuff to future mens' or womens' games.
Sunday evening (Eggs & Toast night) we experimented a bit and had this 'sandwich': homemade English Muffin toast, grilled eggplant, egg, tomatoes, parmesan and basil.

Couldn't resist this one of Gemma looking so alert in her Moby carrier! We continue to take our daily walks and she seems to love them.

Does she like a bath? No!

Gemma has now had two baths (since her umbilical cord fell off) and so far she does NOT like them. She screams the whole time. Maybe she is just too small and gets cold too fast. Fortunately as soon as she gets snuggled up in her towel, she immediately calms down. Phew. I know I'm smiling for the photo, but it is VERY heart-wrenching to have your little girl screaming and crying real tears while you try to give her a bath.



Meanwhile, on the Chubb-o-meter, I think she's moved from a "zero" to "one". (What's the scale, you ask? umm...) Gemma is definitely showing more plumpness in her belly and cheeks and chin. She eats her meals with gusto and every day she gets a little bigger. Our cutie is growing up already! At her two week check-up on Wednesday, she had grown an inch and was up to 7 lbs. Here she is looking cute waking up from a nap on Friday. Still trying to get a photo of a full-fledged yawn in action!

Gemma's first week at home

Today our little gem is 11 days old! So far she has been very healthy - sleeping and eating well, with some 4 hour stretches of sleep at night even. We continue to marvel at how beautiful and perfect she is, and she charms us with her cute noises and big yawns. At her last weight check she was already back to her birth weight (she was 6 lb 8 oz at birth and 5 lb 15 oz when we left the hospital), and the double-chin is starting to make an appearance.

Here she is at 5 days old, sitting in Jaja's lap and getting some sun.



We have discovered that Gemma LOVES this Moby wrap and settles down immediately when we put her in it. She and I, and she and Daddy, have taken several walks around the neighborhood. (Jim and I fight a bit over whose turn it is to carry her... We are so proud of her.) Also we have had to take a few car trips and she has been absolutely perfect in her car seat.

Rachel, this shot is for you - Gemma in her cousin Asher's former yellow outfit (it is still a bit too big right now!) and bouncy seat.

And Katie, here is Gemma in her Smartwool booties. She seems to be a fan, doesn't she?


Today (Saturday) was Gemma's first trip to the Farmer's Market! She was very well behaved and we got several "Oh, sweet" comments from folk. Mom stocked up on eggplant, peppers and squash to make ratatouille for supper.

Gemma Taylor Gieser! Her first two days of life!

What a remarkable experience: watching and waiting for nine months as this little being formed in Julianna's body. Then comes the day when she arrives in our world, living and breathing, squirming and dark-haired. What a wonder she is, a gift from God.

Gemma was born on Wednesday, September 1. Weight: 6 pounds, 8 ounces. Length: 19 inches.

At a routine check-up on Tuesday the doctor expressed concern that Gemma had not gained any weight for the past four weeks and noticed that amniotic fluid levels were low. She felt that Naartjie (as we called her in utero) was not getting the nutrition she needed to grow: it was time for her to come out. So, as ordered, we went to the hospital on Wednesday morning to have Julianna's water broken.


Jul had a quick labor and delivery: her water was broken at 8.45 am, which, as hoped, got her body moving into action. Contractions began regularly fifteen minutes later. From noon they became intense. At 2.08 pm Jul felt the urge to push. She did - and Gemma was born 9 minutes later! (We'll omit the first photos, as neither mother nor daughter are looking their best).


Gemma's first bath, given by a nurse shortly after delivery.


Grandma Hawkins, or "Jaja" (which means "grandmother" in a Ugandan language), arrived later that afternoon.





Grandma Gieser, or "Nonna", drove down from Wheaton on Thursday.


I appreciated friends who gave me permission to change their kids' dirty diapers, but long ago I decided that I would wait to learn that important skill until I had a child of my own. Here I am, in action...this was probably the fourth or fifth dirty diaper. How am I doing?



The journey from our recovery room to the car. Afterwards Julianna said that it was one of her proudest moments in life.


Gemma didn't make a peep during her first ride in a car - and I drove especially carefully with such precious cargo inside.


We're home!