Daddy's Girl

Girly . . .

We are taking pictures of Kaylee, I'm just slacking at posting them. Here's some of the latest of our girly girl . . . I'm almost embarrassed to admit how quickly I've become one of "those moms." Some of you might be ashamed to know me now. So here are my confessions . . .

There are now ruffled bums in my house.

Kaylee has been wearing lots of pink.

I even match her soft pink pants with soft pink socks.She also wears bows on occasion. For example, her first dog show seemed
a perfect occasion to wear a beagle t-shirt and white bow.

If a bow doesn't match the outfit, maybe a flower will.And sometimes I make Kaylee really grumpy just so she can wear a cute outfit.
The pain of being a girly girl . . . pretty exhausting stuff.

Homecoming

Time to head home! I don't know why the checking out procedure always takes so long. We were in the hospital 2 1/2 days. The last 1/2 day was just waiting and waiting and waiting to get the OK to go home. Finally we made it though. We were happy to be back to our own bed, house, and beagles.

Danny was proud of his new shirt and new sister. Matt was convinced the hospital wouldn't let us go home sooner because we hadn't yet purchased anything from the gift shop. Sure enough, once he bought the big brother t-shirt, we got out of there really quick.A few thoughtful gifts welcomed us home. Thanks Billings and Grandma Maria for the beautiful bouquets!! Also, a huge thanks for the meals & goodies several people have brought by. Danny REALLY loved the cookie bouquet!!

Finally settling in . . . home sweet home.

Meeting Grandma and Grandpa Couch

Grandma and Grandpa Couch arrived July 5 and were able to meet Kaylee at the hospital. They helped welcome us home the next day and have been a huge help with Danny and adjusting to two. Grandpa was able to stay 1 week, but Grandma has been here over 2 weeks. It's been wonderful to have so much help! We were even able to go on a date last night to see Half Blood Prince while Grandma babysat!! I don't know what we'll do once all the help goes home. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Couch.

Hospital Moments

Except for an epidural that didn't ever seem to work (apparently because I progressed from a 5 to a 10 in one hour and by the time the epidural was administered it was time to push. . . . should have skipped the drugs all together!) our hospital experience was a good one. I guess when it's your second kid they don't bombard you as often with unsolicited advice. Overall we enjoyed a quiet two days. It's great to be home, but I also like the room service and lack of distractions in a hospital room. It was wonderful to just focus on Kaylee. Here's a few favorite shots from our stay.

Skyping with Grandma Hong

Getting to know each other better instead of napping.
Making faces at Dad.

Kaylee's first day

One of the best things about having a 4th of July baby is that the hospital has been SO quiet. Apparently most people don't schedule inductions or C-Sections around a holiday. With Danny's birth I have memories of nurses, doctors, salespeople (pictures), and NOISE constantly bombarding our room. However with Kaylee there's been lots of quiet uninterrupted time to just bond and enjoy her.

We did have a few visitors to make things interesting. Mindy, Uncle Rex, and Aunt Anne all dropped by. Sadly due to new security rules, only siblings are allowed to visit so Kaylee will have to wait to meet her Houston cousins. If you click on the picture of Anne and Kaylee you can get a good idea of what her hair looks like.












We thought it was pretty funny that she was toting a PAID sign around in her bassinet. I guess we'll be allowed to take her home after all.

I caught this video of Kaylee with hiccups. I know we're biased, but something about baby hiccups and yawns is pretty precious. I'm glad I got some good shots before today when she's managed to scratch her face up pretty good. Those cursed sharp baby nails!

It's so hard to believe we have a little baby again. We're already realizing that with two it's going to be a whole new dance, but we're looking forward to the adventure.

Big Brother

Danny was happy to come visit his new sister at the hospital. Truth be told, he was as excited about the chocolates we had for the nurses and the lake view as he was about the new baby though. Climbing up on mom's hospital bed and pushing buttons was very fun. However, Danny didn't really want to hold Kaylee upon first inspection. During a second visit, Aunt Anne was able to coach him through holding his new sister. He seemed a little more excited about it this time and was willing to give it a shot. You can tell he's still a little nervous about the whole thing though. He told Aunt Anne that Kaylee was "so cute" and "so tiny."
This morning Danny came to visit with Uncle Rex on their way to church. In addition to looking quite dapper, Danny was finally ready to hold his baby sister with confidence and pride.

She's Here!

Kaylee LaRue Hong was born at 3:34 AM on the 4th of July. She weighs 7 lbs 15 ounces and is 19.5 inches long. She has a small amount of blond hair (darker than Danny's was). Mom and baby are both healthy and doing well.



We are debating between Kaylee and Kailey as spellings for the first name. What's your vote?

Still Waiting . . .

Hospital bags are packed, our room is stocked with diapers, onesies, and a bassinet, and her room is all set for move in. Now we just need baby! Two weeks ago when I had started to progress my doctor made the mistake of telling me, "I don't think you'll make it to your due date." So now we've been more anxious than ever! This past Monday (a week before due date 7/6) I was still at a 2 with no changes, so I got a little bummed. I know she'll get here when she's ready. Danny arrived ON his due date, so maybe she'll be equally prompt. Here is the finished nursery. It is soooo much girlier than I ever could have imagined creating.
In the meantime we've been keeping busy with various house projects, church service, WORK (Matt's had a crazy few weeks), cooking, and Danny time. Here's a few shots of me teaching Danny about slow dancing . . . he already has the fast dancing down quite well. Not the most flattering shots of me . . . we had just finished doing some yard work and watering the flowers so I'm soaked. And trying to spin on your knees at 9 months pregnant is a little tough. Fun times, but I think Danny's more of a fast dance kind of guy.