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Lynn, fantastic Gran and postpartum-care doula
Catherine's mother Lynn came up to help us make the transition into parenthood. She and Bob drove up from Atlanta the night Ella was born and Lynn stayed with us for the first two weeks. She was absolutely fantastic! She spent the whole time she was here cleaning, cooking, doing dishes, doing laundry, and generally just taking care of everything-besides-the-baby, so that Catherine and I could focus on figuring out how we were going to manage our lives with Ella. I tried to talk her into staying until after Catherine's graduation in May, but I don't think Bob would let us have her that long.

When Lynn left, we had a freezer full of food to keep us for a little while, the house was cleaner than it ever was before Ella was born, and she'd even ironed every single shirt I own, so I wouldn't have to do that in the mornings before I leave for class (she went through more than two cans of spray starch in two weeks, which would be about a full year's supply for me).

Thanks bunches Lynn.

First Doctor's Visit
We went in for Ella's two week check-up, which was supposed to be with the nurse-practitioner & lactation consultant, but an emergency pulled her away & so we had our appointment with Dr. Whitney Alexander, who's Ella's PCP pediatrician. Catherine and I had met with her before Ella was born & she's really great, super-friendly.

Ella's growing like crazy--she was 7 lbs, 6 oz. at this visit, and three days later she's added almost another half-pound.

We asked Dr. Alexander about Ella's head circumference--her weight and length are right within the 50th percentiles or so, but her head circumference is way small. When she checked Ella's head size at that visit, she told us there was a pretty good chance that they did not measure her head quite correctly in the hospital, though her head's still on the small size (which might have something to do with why the delivery was so easy). In any case, she showed good growth and the doctor told us not to worry. She said it could just be inherited, but I informed her that I, at least, have never been accused of having a small head, though some have said the opposite about me on occasion.

I don't know if it's related to her head-size, but Ella's already lifting up that head and checking us and the world out. According to some articles we've seen, she's supposed to be holding her head up for a second or two at about one month, but within a few days she was starting to do so, and by this week she's already lifting up her head when we lay her on her stomach and doing little "baby push-ups." She's just trying to show off her strength. Of course, we're very proud.