4 Weeks!

Our little Scarlett isn't as little anymore... I absolutely love taking care of her - life is getting even better. Even though I'm with her literally every hour I can see how she has grown and her changes. She is quite alert and beginning to "talk" more and more. I love hearing her coo's.

At 2 weeks I had mentioned how she is quite the grunter. It's hilarious how much she grunts. When she's sleeping we hear her grunt the most. Especially when we move her while she's sleeping, it's like we've seriously offended or disrupted her beauty sleep. It really makes me laugh.

Another thing I love is when she is asleep in her car seat and you are taking her out, or lifting her sleeping body out of the swing she stretches her arms up over her head, her head flings back in a stretch, and her legs curl up which pushes her butt out and she arches her back. I'll be sure to get a photo.

When you change her diaper and you're putting the new one on, she'll fling her legs straight at the perfect moment when you are sealing the new diaper's tabs in place. It's hilarious!! She'll be relaxed in the fetal position or just dozed off/sleeping and then all the sudden she just stretches out those long legs as straight as they can go and it makes it incredibly easy to finish putting the new diaper on. I'll be sure to get this on video.

I'm good at taking photos... but we really need to get some of these things on video! We have a camcorder coming in the mail very soon, I'm very - very excited!!She's such a good baby. I love talking to her. She is becoming a great friend to me. I'm grateful she usually only cries when she is hungry. However, the other night she was laying on my chest, on her tummy - completely out, asleep. I got up to swaddle her in a blanket and as I transitioned her from laying forward to laying on her back she let out the loudest/scariest shrieks ever!!!! I think I completely terrified her. It was very alarming. After a few of those screams she went right back to la la land, fast asleep.

I took this video today - my little newborn is becoming a 'real baby' :(

hmm - this video isn't good quality at all... she is cute - promise.

Why her name is Scarlett...

We weren't keeping our name options a secret before she was born but we were positive we wanted to see her and spend time with her before we gave her a name.

One night when I was probably about 32 weeks along Seth asked if I liked the name Scarlett. Not sure where he came up with it, and still don't know. But we both don't know anyone named Scarlett. After we added it to our 'options' list and mentioned it when people (everyone and their dog) asked if we had a name picked out they all loved it. This definitely played a role in me being okay with the name Scarlett.

I love the name Scarlett. I love it because it fits all our basic rules for a name: it's unique, you know the gender of the person w/o seeing them, anyone can spell it, easy to pronounce. But because I don't know any other Scarlett's it was difficult!! You know, you look through a name book and find a name you like and then you think about the people you know with that name and about what that person is like. If they're "cool", smart, pretty, etc. And if you know someone with that name that brings up serious bad memories or they had "a past" you think twice about that name. Right!? Anyway, now I know a Scarlett, and she's pretty cool, smart, and pretty - so it totally works.

Scarlett's middle name is O'linda - which is my middle name. I was named after my great grandma on my mom's side. So ... Scarlett's middle name comes from her Great-great Gma.

I love being a mom. It's still becoming a real thing to me... it's been a process. Sometimes I feel like I'm "just taking care of this baby". Isn't that absolutely terrible to say?! Then I have moments like earlier today when I'm singing along with the Josh Groban Pandora station as I'm feeding her and the tears roll down as I realize how extremely blessed I am. She is so precious, and Heavenly Father actually trusts me with this little girl's life. It's crazy!! I love holding her. She really should just sleep in her bassinet but I'll just hold her.Isn't she the prettiest little girl newborn? It's crazy she's half Seth & half me!!! We're waiting to see who she looks more like. We know two things for sure: She has Seth's fingers!!! and my ears! I have two absolute favorite people in this world, my Seth and my Scarlett. I'm one lucky woman!

2 Week Check

Length: 21.25 inches (85%tile)
Head Circumference: 14.5 inches (72%tile)
Weight: 6 lb 12 oz (10%tile)

Scarlett and I met with her pediatrician today, Chris Broken Leg. Yes - her last name is "Broken Leg". Scarlett is doing well, and we're grateful she's healthy! We're really trying to get her to gain some more weight... No concerns or reason to worry yet, but getting her to gain weight is our focus at the moment. This stuff is not easy! Not that I was expecting it to be a piece of cake but no one really talked to me about how breast feeding can be such a pain in the butt and then when you're doing all you can get yourself to do with the amount of sleep you're getting as a new mom - she hardly gains any!?! Ugh!! We'll see... we're still learning together. I'm grateful Scarlett is patient with me!

At 2 weeks old (officially tomorrow), Scarlett likes to...

- Poop after we've changed her wet diaper 2 minutes ago
- blow bubbles during meal time
- look at mom or dad when they're talking or holding her. She totally recognizes our voices.
- amaze people with her long hair that is curly when wet and major spiky when dry.
- stretch her long arms and legs whenever she gets a chance. holy cow she's long and little.
- sleep with a tight blanket around her but with her arms free and close to her face.
- grunt and big sighs when we wake her up to eat or move her around to burp her, etc.
- actually hold her binkie in place, she's pretty consistent with this, I think it is on purpose.
- and she super loves her mom's sweet kisses and calming "shh shh shhh shhh" when she's having a hard moment expressing herself. aka screaming her little lungs off to the whole neighborhood. Which usually happens moments before a fantastic poopy diaper comes - or trying to get a good meal started. whew!



This photo was taken this morning... the quilt she's laying on was HANDMADE by her great grandma Hartley. She'll cherish it forever! GG Hartley is amazingly talented!

One Thing I Love

I'm working on "The Post" - I promise... but can I just say one thing in the meantime.
Scarlett was due 3/4/10. The doc suggested to be induced 3/1/10. I asked if it'd be okay to be induced 3/2/10 though. Why?

Because When he suggested 3/1/10 - it was in three days and I felt I needed more time to prepare everything that should have been prepared weeks ago? And because it'd be super cool if she was born on Tuesday... her birthdate would then be "3.2.10" 3-2-1-0. pretty neat, right?

So on 3/2/10 when I was in labor (started pitocin at 6:30am) at one point (4:30pmish) I wasn't progressing anymore and the nurse gave me the "C-section" talk. We weren't at a point when that was extremely necessary but if things had continued the way they were going - it was going in that direction. However! nurse change... I started progressing with 'her help'. (just rotating from my left side to my right, strange.) and I was ready to push at 9pm.

We didn't start pushing until 10pm. (allowed an hour for 'rest and descent') and sparing more details except the strong point I did everything in my power to get her to come by midnight. The clock was right in front of me on the wall - I was watching and hoping to get her here by midnight.

But... little miss Scarlett came at 12:36 am on 3/3/10. Why am I more than 'okay' and HAPPY about this?

1. Anyone throughout her life, "When is your birthday?"

Scarlett replies, "3/3" <--- incredibly easy to remember. 2. March 3rd is a Japanese Holiday!!! Having served in Japan I've always considered giving one of my kids a Japanese middle name. This didn't work out for Scarlett. But I'm thrilled that she was born on a big Japanese Holiday. Guess what holiday it is?

Girl's Day (Hinamatsuri)

I love it. Our little Scarlett just waited long enough to come on Girl's day, We'll have to have a tradition on her birthday tied to something japanese/girl's day-ish. Don't you think?

(Scarlett in the hospital on 3/4/10 - working on a burp.)

I'll keep working on that post - promise.

She's here!

Scarlett O'Linda Burke

Born March 3, 2010 12:36 a.m.

7lbs, 21 inches


absolutely perfect




more details to come