BRITTA: One Month Old

RICHLAND, WASH. -- Little Britta turned a month old on New Years day. According to her one month stats, she's not so little. She's our third baby to show that we like them chubby around here. She's soared into the ninetieth percentile and beyond for everything. 

Her muscular problems remain a medical mystery. Already in her short month of living she has seen more than 10 doctors all across the state. None of them have ever seen hands like hers before (she basically just flops them backward) and are baffled by her low muscle tone.  

So far docs have ruled out every test that's been done so far and are just waiting to hear back from one more (a really nasty, lethal disease that is heartbreaking) sometime in the next few weeks. 

Other than all the doctor visits, this little lady is a delight. She's just about the cutest thing I've ever seen and she's started to smile a lot at us, which always makes us melt. 

Marin LOOOOVES holding Britta

Britta cozying up with Aunt Mikael

Britta in the lace blessing dress my mom made for her.

Mikael took these beautiful photos on Britta's blessing day.

Isaac's family that came to down (Uncle Derek took the photo)

 One Month Old Stats:

• 11.7 lbs. (92nd percentile)
• 23.5" (99th percentile) 
• 15.87" HC (99th percentile... she has a large head apparently. I call it the "Reeve head.")

Sleeping: I feel like Britta's sleeping habits are such a tender mercy. For the last few weeks she has gone between 6 and 8 hours stretches at night. I have to interrupt her beauty rest to feed her. Otherwise, I'm not sure how long she'd go. I know this awesome sleep probably won't last forever, so I'll be grateful for it now. Especially since Paige (little stinker) has been waking up several times a night for the last few months (URGH). So there you have it, right now Britta is a better sleeper than her 2 year old sister. 

Wearing: 3 months, 3-6 months 

Things I Don't Want to Forget/Interesting tidbits:

• Has started smiling. It's the cutest thing.
• Cries only when she's hungry, tired or needs a diaper change. I guess that's pretty basic, but basically I'm trying to say she's not a fussy baby. 
• Had a beautiful blessing given to her by her dad in church last Sunday. Grandma and Grandpa Reeve and Aunt Mikael and her family all came to town for it. It was such a nice weekend with them all here to celebrate Britta. 
• This weekend we head to Seattle again for Britta to get an MRI of her brain and spine. 
• Also this month we head to Seattle again to get braces for her hands. Physical therapists hope it'll help make her hand muscles stronger to keep them positioned in the right direction.

Welcome Britta Paula Reeve!

RICHLAND, WASH. -- I was so certain our third baby girl would arrive early. So certain. A few months before she was due, doctors did an ultrasound to check her growth. When they declared she was measuring two weeks early, it just cemented my feelings further. "She's going to be early!" 

Well...

Fast forward to Thanksgiving. Nothing. My parents came to town. Nothing. My actual due date, November 28, rolled around. Nothing. 

I tried everything I could think of. Except one thing. 

A few days later a friend convinced me to try castor oil. It was the last thing I wanted to consider. I'd heard horror stories. But as my mom's days in town neared to an end, I was desperate. So I tried it. On Thursday, November 30, around 8:30 p.m., I drank some with a glass of orange juice (per the friend's instructions).

It worked like magic. I woke up shortly after 1 a.m. that morning with some serious contractions happening. We headed to the hospital around 4 a.m. on December 1. I was already dilated to a 6. And just before Noon, our little Britta was born.

Despite what the doctors thought via ultrasound, she was not big. In fact, she was my smallest baby weighing 7 pounds 9 ounces and measuring 20 inches long. 

Britta Paula Reeve, 7 lbs. 9 oz., 20 inches long

She's beautiful. Her little body has some muscular problems doctors are trying to figure out, but she is one of the loveliest things I have ever seen. And we are all so in love with her.

Welcome to our world baby Britta!  

Paige and Marin are smitten and fight about who gets to hold her and help change her diaper.