Click, Click

Last week she accidently clicked her tongue. I clicked back and she watched intently and tried to copy me. Well, it took her a few days of practice but she can click her tongue now!

It is funny because if she hasn't done it in a few hours and I click at her, she will get all excited and then get a look of confusion on her face while her tongue moves in different directions. It is as if she is saying, "I think I know how to do that...darn it, how did I do that?...was it this way or that way....oh man, think Raychel think!" LOL

Anyways...enjoy the video! Turn your sound up to hear her clicks!

6 weeks old! WOWSERS!

We had a little photo shoot....Here are some highlights! =)

HELLO WORLD!!
She is ready for summer in this outfit with matching hat! Thanks Crystal! ;)

This is Daddy's BIG WRENCH!!!! It is just a little bit bigger then her! YES, it is laying on her hand...She just looked at it like, WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS!!!!!!! Do you think this shirt will ring true?

Raychel slept so well last night, 3.5 hours between 3 different bottles! WOWZERS...Mom didn't know what to do with that much sleep! Of course, I wasn't asleep for the 3.5 hours of her first "sleep"...but, I'm still thrilled with 3.5 hour sessions. Today she slept A LOT...so I don't think she will sleep that much tonight, but we can always hope!

She started drinking 3.5 oz -4 oz. bottles this week, YEAH! She went about 3 days of bottles almost every hour, 3 oz. at a time. Can we say growth spurt??

All smiles...She woke up this morning and smiled at me, then wrapped her arms around my neck and "sqeezed". It was soooooo sweet! She was full of smiles all day, she smiled for Mommy and Daddy and all of Mommy's friends at school! You just had to giggle and smile at her and she returned the smile! Camera???? Well, it was MIA today....found tonight, but now she is napping!

Well...I see her stiring, blog time over, I'll have a hungry girl to feed! I'll give her hugs and kisses for all of you!

I'm HOT!!!

As the weather has gotten warmer, we have learned that Raychel likes to be cool. Around noon, she starts to get warm and we let her hang out in just her diaper. That will make her happy until about 2:30, then she is ready to go downstairs. It is nice and cool down there, so we put her clothes back on and then head to the basement to "chill"! When we get down there, she will stop her fussing and go to sleep immediately. Thank goodness the basement is there, it is our saving grace!

Daddy thought it was funny to see Raychel sleeping downstairs, with the fan going, in just her little outfit and Mommy was sound asleep under a quilt. Hmmm....do you think she is more like her Mommy or her Daddy?? (Thank goodness the camera wasn't around!)

This is Raychel napping upstairs. I love this sleeping position! It looks comfortable, don't you think? (Ribbit, Ribbit) She seems to sleep in the swing like this every time! Yes, that is a disposable diaper you see! We have a few bags of size 1 diapers that were given to us, THANK YOU. So, we are having disposable diaper weekend!

Tummy Time

LOL, this shirt is soo true! However, she is becoming a better sleeper! She goes down easily, almost every time. We just have to work on the amount of time she STAYS down! She averages less then 3 hours between feedings.

Raychel likes to move! Last night Daddy had her laying on his chest and she maneuvered herself around and then scooted down his legs. Granted, she had some gravity helping her but she was squirming her way down on her tummy. She seems to have a strong desire to continue working, as you can see through her grunting and frustration sounds. She continued this for over 5 minutes before becoming too frustrated. She wriggled enough to move herself about 45 degrees to the right too. The slick service of the play mat does not help her move like she wants to, on Daddy's legs she had her knees up under her and would push with them!

Her head is getting a lot stronger, as she is able to lift it higher and hold it longer. She also holds her head up when you carry her through a room, if she is in the mood! She will normally do this when I'm getting a bottle ready for her, maybe she is checking to see that I make it correctly!

Thursday night she wanted to sit upright on the floor, so I got out the bumbo seat just to see if she could sit in it. What's a bumbo? It is a REALLY COOL seat that was designed to hold infants upright before they can do it for themselves. She can hold her head up in this chair for a few minutes before she gets tired. She really liked that perspective of the world, if only for a few minutes!

She has no teeth...

Great Grandpa Sievers enjoyed watching Raychel. He noticed that she doesn't have any teeth and thought that was quite funny! I think he thought she was pretty great, even without teeth!

Weekend Fun with Family

We had a big weekend traveling to Abilene to a family reunion and to meet up with great grandparents! The Sleichter reunion was held in Abilene and Raychel was the youngest person there, but has 2 new cousins on the way in December and February. Her two exhausted parents could barely stay awake long enough to talk to anyone! Maybe the next reunion, when she is 2, we will at least be more rested! But we may have other problems, like chasing a 2 year old! ;)

Great Grandma Sleichter feeding Raychel a bottle at the reunion.

(picture courtesy of Emily Barnes-THANKS Emily!)

After leaving the reunion, we went to see Great Grandpa and Grandma Sievers. This was the first time Great Grandpa met Raychel. He thought she was pretty cute and enjoyed watching her and all of her movements and sounds! Great Grandma thought she had been busy growing, it had been a month since she had seen Raychel.

Before heading home we were able to meet up with Great Grandma Deines too! She had been at her grandson's baseball game but was passing through Abilene as we left. Raychel slept in her carseat through the whole visit, but G.G. was happy to see her again and talk to us.

This was the first visit G. Grandma D. had with Raychel. She has grown a lot since then, don't you think?

We couldn't leave this post without an adorable picture of Raychel and more Raychel information. Yesterday she went to the Dr. and we found out that she was over 10 lbs. now! 10lbs. 2oz. to be exact! She is growing soooo fast, we can't hardly keep up with her! The Dr. says that she looks great and is a perfect little baby! Well duh, her Mommy and Daddy could have told him that for free! haha =) We are thrilled that she is doing so well and is so happy!

Hanging out with Dad. She likes having her feet rubbed!

She has been an excellent alarm clock, waking me up every few hours without fail. However, the 2 times that I needed her to wake me up she slept too long! She had gone back to sleep at 6 am before her appointment yesterday and usually never sleeps longer then 1-2 hours, so I didn't set the alarm. At 9:10 she woke me up...just 50 minutes before her Dr. appointment!! We rushed to get showers and get her fed before the appointment. The first time she let us sleep until 6:37, Mommy and her were supposed to leave at 7:00! We were just a tiny bit late! I guess I'll have to start setting the alarm clock when school starts, you just can't trust this one!

She is starting to be a better sleeper! For naps and bedtime we have been able to put her down in a "drowsy" state and she will put herself to sleep! YEAH!!! Last night we put her in her crib, completely asleep. Mommy tried to get other things done before going to sleep (she doesn't learn too fast about sleeping with Raychel sleeps!) and got into bed at 1:30, an hour after Raychel. At 1:45 the baby monitor lit up with her cooing. The video monitor showed her kicking her legs and waving her arms. She continued cooing for 15 minutes before falling back to sleep without any help from Mommy! She woke up at 3:20, had a bottle (3.5 oz.) and back to sleep at 4:00. Again she wasn't completely asleep and played in her crib for 10 minutes before going back to sleep. She slept from 4-7:30 too!! She even slept for another hour, 8-9, after that Wow...Mom was soooo thrilled to get 2 3 and 3.5 hour long visits with her bed!

Raychel was sleeping, until Mommy talked. She still has a pretty strong startle reflex!

We thought she looked like an angel!

Just a little baby humor...

Check out these baby products! Maybe we should have registered for some of these!!

http://www.cracked.com/article_16475_20-baby-products-great-traumatizing-infants.html

Has it been 1 month already?

It seems like she just came home yesterday, except for all of that growing she has been doing!! Wow, we can't believe it has been a whole month! Yes, you were all right...our lives will never be the same again. However, we are pretty okay with that....I mean, look at her, how could you not want that in your lives forever? =) We are totally smitten with her!

Check out this change:

These are a few of her favorite things (in pictures):

1. Stretching...

We don't know when she will outgrow this chair, but she is certainly on her way. She loves to stretch her legs out and let them hang off. If we strap her in, she can't get that far down and she gets upset!

2. Smiling...

We have yet to catch her in a full out smile for you, but boy does she share them with us. She gives BIG smiles after she eats and when she foucuses in on our faces. She just started sharing a little giggle with us too! We are looking forward to seeing her smile and hearing that giggle more and more!

3. Lounging with Daddy...

Daddy is so fun to "chill" with! He finds all kinds of comfortable positions for me! She likes to lay on his tummy and look at the lights, lay tummy to tummy and snuggle clear up to his chin, and sit upright on his chest. He also gives GREAT backrubs that makes her calm down immediately!

4. Eating...

She loves her bottle. She is eating 3 oz. every 2 hours right now. She falls asleep while she eats, so we have to keep her awake by pestering her in various ways. Daddy is really good at "picking" on her! He bonks her on the nose with the bottle nipple, rubs her ears, squeezes her cheeks, and pulls the bottle in and out of her mouth. Whatever it takes, that formula is EXPENSIVE...she must eat it ALL!! =)

5. Tummy time...

She is getting pretty strong. She likes to look from side to side and raise her head up. She has started to push hard enough to tilt sideways briefly. When she is done with tummy time, she will go to sleep! She seems to love sleeping on her tummy, but Mommy won't let her sleep that way at night yet!

6. Standing up...

She started putting weight on her legs last weekend. In this picture she is on her way up to standing. Her legs will be straight and she holds her head up, pushing against my shoulder. She will do this 2-3 times before getting tired!

7. Playing on my play mat...

She loves to lay on the play mat and look around and coo! She has entertained herself for a lengthy period of time. Tonight, for the first time, she batted at one of the toys and didn't get mad. She was surprised by it and then hit it again. She is really starting to figure out that she has hands!

I could go on and on...but I'll stop for now! =)

What are those things?

Raychel is starting to discover her arms, hands, legs, and feet. However, watch how she is scared by what happens in this clip! She was happy until that toy jumped out and got her! She really surprised herself!

How was your day?

Raychel started talking last week and I caught a little on tape, finally! She was a little upset during this conversation, you could call it crying more then talking! I think she wanted to see Mommy, not a video camera in her face! Anyway, it is long but too cute! ENJOY!

Baby Faces Link

She is finally on the Baby Faces page from the hospital. Check her out... http://www.mercyregional.org/index.asp?NID=3626

Looking Around

Raychel found a new, fun activity yesterday. She decided it was fun to lay on her play mat (or anywhere for that matter) and look around, stare at things and people, and move her arms and legs! Oh, and she has decided its fun to squeek, grunt, and coo! Mommy likes this new activity as it allows her to get something done! Daddy thinks its fun to grunt back at her! =) Of course she won't talk much for the camera but she does make a lot of "noise" sometimes!

If you look closely you can see her blue diaper! Daddy had a VERY dirty diaper the other day, his first one! She decided to give him a stinky right before bed, but after Mommy was asleep! (Way to go Raychel!) He learned that you turn the diaper AWAY from you before you spray, otherwise you get covered in doodee! LOL Don't worry, she evened the score today! We have sooo much fun!

Busy Growing

Just a smile to start your day!



Raychel has been busy growing. We had a visit from the Clay Co. Health Department on Tuesday. She visits every newborn in Clay Co. to make sure the baby is doing well, to share safety information, and to discuss the imunization schedule. She weighed Raychel and she is now tipping the scales at 8lbs 5oz.! Because she is sooo big, we can start using the cloth diapers we bought! YEAH!!! She is wearing them all day now on the smallest position possible! Daddy got the sprayer installed on the toilet, making those #2 diapers a lot easier to deal with!



We have been busy with tummy time. Wednesday she used her arms to lift her head off the mat about 5-6 inches. She turned it side to side twice too! She continued this for a few minutes before she was tuckered out! She also holds her head up when we hold her and throws her head and upper body off of you when you are holding her on your chest! So, we are getting stronger everyday!

4th of July Fun!

Here we go! We spent the 4th of July in Wamego with friends! It was quite a BIG day for Raychel and family, but we had fun too! From left to right: Derek, Crystal, Kyra (Ryan and Holly's little girl), Ryan, Jill, Raychel, and Nick. Photographer: Holly! We decided to walk to the festivities downtown! It was a beautiful day!

Raychel was so excited, as you can see! She stayed nice and cool under her canopy!

We took Raychel to her first car show, the first of MANY!! I think she loved it, what do you think? I know Daddy loved to see all the cars, one of his favorite activities! (Mom thinks it's fun too...shhh, don't let Daddy know that!)

After going to the car show, eating homemade ice cream, and munching on tasty watermelon we headed back to Nick and Crystal's house to relax and cool down!

Nick held me and I was quite comfortable!

Crystal fed me and it was soooo tasty, I sucked it all down!

After heading back downtown to watch the parade, we BBQ'd, and the grown ups enjoyed a few hours of good conversation! I spent that time telling them that I was tired and gassy...but eventually I felt better. Kyra and her Mommy gave me a kiss to make it all better before leaving for the fireworks!

Then, we went to see the fireworks. WOW, they were so loud! I just went to sleep in Mommy's arms. She covered my ears, which helped so much! I think I'll like them a LOT more next year!

Yep, she is a Deines...

We went back to the Dr. today. She is gaining weight, she weighs 7lbs. 11oz.!! Daddy says, "She is a convenience store now!" Have you ever been to a 7-Eleven gas station? (My family would fondly remember the "safety pennies" story!) We definitely have the gas! Sorry, we are out of pop but we do have lots of yummy formula! ANYWAY...she is growing!! Yeah, but still only in the 25th percentile for weight! We'll keep working on the growing!

So, why is she a Deines you ask? Well, she is in the 94th percentile for height! I don't know any Sleichter that has been there...correct me if I'm wrong. She measured 22" long today! Yep, she'll be taller then Mommy very soon! LOL

All in all, she is a healthy little baby!

So excited videos, talking too!

I am experimenting with my voice! Sometimes I get all excited too! (Yes, Mommy can just watch me forever...don't you want to too?)

I know you don't come on here to read about Raychel...you want to SEE her! So, here are some pics from today! Check out that double chin...we are growing!!!

Hey, what are you taking my picture for?

HEY MOM....Don't show them my double chin! That is NOT very nice!

LOL...okay, if you tickle me I'll let you see the chin! (How do you like that for a smile?)

Pictures from 1 week, 4 days old!!

Sleeping beauty!

Check out my bunny slippers and John Deere tractor!

What's up?

Lunch time with Daddy!

I am sooo long. Just watch me grow taller then Mommy!

2 Weeks Old Today!

Wow, she is 2 weeks old already! I know, I know, that is not very long. But, so much has changed in the past two weeks in all 3 of our lives...it's been amazing!!!

Sending out GREAT BIG THANK YOUS to both Grandmas for all their support! They each stayed here to help with Raychel, cook and clean for Mommy and Daddy, and work with sleep deprived parents!

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR

HELP, LOVE and SUPPORT!!!

Also, thank you to the Grandpas for letting us have Grandma's help!!

She is really starting to fill out and get chubby cheeks, legs, and tummy! YEAH! We are strictly formula feeding now. She is doing well with it and demanding more and more milk as the days go by! We are just thrilled that she is happy and healthy! We go to the Dr.s on Thursday, so we will have a weight update then!

Hi! How do you like this for a look? LOL