January 2007 - Grandma Tia Visit

Hi all. I know it's been awhile since I've updated. Shame. Shame. Shame. Anyhow, I'm slowly doing the updates. January was a crazy month juggling two children. Fortunately, I had four weeks of help! My mom, the lifesaver, arrived the day before Mariah arrived and took care of Anna Claire while I relaxed for five days while I was in the hospital. I thought I would come home and we would do some fun day trips. Unfortunately, we hit some bumps the first couple weeks. I found out I couldn't breastfeed and will never be able to. (Don't even get me started on the complete lack of assistance for and outright prejudice against moms who bottlefeed these days. That's for another day.) I had to stop breastfeeding cold turkey and became so enormously engorged that I looked ten times larger than Pamela Anderson! Meanwhile, Anna Claire got terribly sick and I got a terrible breast infection. My poor mom had to sit home with us while Anna lay sick on the couch, watching her ABC video over and over and over. What a labor of love!

Daddy bonding with Mariah

Mariah was not too happy to leave her five-star hospital home

Mariah -- finally ready to face the world

Grandma Tia and Anna Claire: two book-lovers

Mariah Madeleine's Birth

We are so excited to welcome little Mariah Madeleine to our family! She was born after a super fast labor (I was induced) at 11:08 a.m. on January 4. She weighed (at least) 7 pounds 7 ounces and was 19 inches long.


We named our little Swiss Miss Mariah after her fourth great grandmother who was a hardy pioneer. Mariah means "the Lord is my teacher." Madeleine is a Swiss-French name that refers to Mary Magdalene, the disciple of Christ.

Our little Mariah came so fast that the doctor barely made it to the delivery. They told us when she was born that she was less than six pounds, but when the pediatrician looked at her after a full day of not eating, she weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces -- so the original birth weight was a mistake!

I am enjoying my stay at a luxurious Swiss delivery clinic right now, where I munch on gourmet food for lunch, dinner and "teatime". They even treated Rob and me to a luxurious champagne dinner (sans champagne). Anna Claire has come to visit several times and loves her new baby sister. When she first saw her baby sister, she jumped up near her and said, "Hello, baby, hello!" She wants to hold her constantly.

A picture is worth a thousand words so here are a few:



Our little Swiss Miss


Baby Mariah -- the night before she was born


Our first picture with baby Mariah


Daddy-daughter bonding


Mariah's first family photo


The Big Sister caring for her Baby Sister


See, I'm really good at this Mommy!


On the clinic balcony - check out the view of
Lake Geneva!


Mommy and Baby enjoying the view!


Mariah meets Grandma Tia


Our gourmet champagne dinner -- sans champagne!


Look Mommy, I even have HAIR and
it's dark brown!


Uh oh, already a binky girl



HELLO WORLD, I'M HERE!