The Charm Hold...10 days old

 This is called the charm hold. It's supposed to loosen up their suck....so they don't completely suck the life out of you. I don't know if it ever really worked but it sure was a funny sight.

Just a little peanut on Jon's lap.

Grandma and Grandpa Browning

 Jon's parents came to help and hang out with us. It was so great seeing Opal in their arms. And what great dinners Joan made. We still have leftovers!

Opal definitely loves her Grandparents. I loved that she loved them so that I could take naps!

...10 days old...

100% Milk Drunk

Here is a middle of the night feed where Opal was completely out of it afterward. I had to get a picture of it.

...9 days old...

Oh my!

...9 days old...

Thunder Thighs

Check out these wonderful legs. She was so small that the only thing we could get to stay on to cover her legs were these socks we pulled up her thighs.

...8 days old...

Ouch...

Don't you hate it when you poke yourself in the eyeball while sucking on your thumb?!

...8 days old...

Food from Daddy

  

 For about the fist four weeks I had to pump after I nursed our little girl and then we had to "finger feed" her what I pumped because she wasn't eating very well. Jon really enjoyed getting to feed her. We would put the milk in the bottle and it has a little tube we would tape to our finger. She very often would grab Jon's finger and hold it to her mouth.

And then after feeding....snuggle time.

...7 days old...

Snack Fingers

There's nothing like sneaking your fingers out of your burrito wrap for a little nibble.

...6 days old...

Time to get a new pin cushion.....sorry Jon

 This pin cushion was one of the first sewing projects I ever did. It's a bit flawed in that it is too shallow to cover the bottom of the pins. Last night I was trying to finish a sewing project and was very distracted with Opal. Half of the time I was trying to nurse her and sew at the same time........doesn't work very well. My sewing tools were scattered all over the place. 

I finally gave up because Opal wouldn't let me put her down. We went into the bedroom and I was trying to calm her down to get ready for bed when Jon screamed/yelled. My first thought was that I had left a stray pin on the ground. I got up to see if he was still alive and low and behold he had my whole pin cushion shoved into his foot. I guess he had already tried to pull it out a couple of times, but it was in there real good like. So then I told him I was going to pull it out fast like a bandaid. I pulled super hard and quick and it wouldn't come out. That was a sickening feeling....for us both I'm sure. I had put Opal down at this point and she had started crying. Jon after three attempts of gibberish said very slowly take care of our daughter and I'll get this out. So I picked her up to comfort her as we watched Jon slowly pull the pin cushion out. I swear he was pulling for a good ten seconds. Instantly blood was running out....well once he took his sock off.  I felt sooooo bad....I still do. Sorry honey!

Snuggle Bug

Those first couple of weeks she was so content to just sleep on one's chest. Now that she has more wakeful periods she like to be entertained. She'll still sleep sleep on you when she's really tired though.

Looking at her face never gets old...

She does that little think with her hands when she's about to wake up.

....6 days old...

Funny Face

Just in case you haven't noticed, but Opal is our lives right now. My posts are intended for our friends and family that don't get to see us often. So basically for the next while my blog posts will probably be all about her and how we think she is so cute and look at her new trick and stuff. 

Bread vs. Opal

Our friend Jon brought us some homemade bread that was delicious! It's crazy that Opal wasn't much bigger than the loaf. 

....6 days old...

Visitors....5 days

 We had a bunch of visitors come over from Berkeley to hang out.

 These ladies are like family to me.

 We skyped with my Dad and put him up on the TV....and didn't tell him right away...he he he....

And Jon found a new use for the boppy.

Just relaxin'

Chillin' with my legs out....

Opal's first bath at home.....5 days old

 This first bath was traumatic to say the least. It basically took four of us to do it. In hindsight we should have just given her sponge baths until her umbilical cord fell off. It was so stressful trying to keep it dry and keep her warm. The stopper in the sink failed and all the warm water we did have in there drained out immediately when we put her in.

 She was SCREAMING the entire time...which made my stomach hurt and tears come to my eyes.

Jon and I had no idea what we were doing and luckily we had my Mom and sister there to talk us through it.  Rachel also videoed the process while my Mom snapped some shots.
Zoe sat on the couch and watched in bewilderment at us all.

 We finally got her calmed down a bit by giving her my finger to suck on.

All in all we decided it went pretty well......and all it took was four people to bath this tiny little girl.
 I forgot about the drying off pictures.

4 days old

 Mom holding Opal

 Back in the day when she didn't mind being in her car seat......definitely not the case now!

 Some more holdings.......by Grandma Quebbeman.

 Check out those wrist, forearm, and bicep fat rolls!

 It was very entertaining to watch Rachel and Zoe play Just Dance 2.

 We have so many of these pictures where Opal is snuggled up on someone's chest.

First doctor's visit. It felt weird to go out with her and a bit more stressful and time consuming.

16 days old

Opal loves to be bundled. She is so strong though that she is always busting her arms out and then wakes herself up with her spastic/jerky movements.

Grandpa Turley...two weeks old

 When my Dad visited a couple of weeks ago he got a lot of Opal holding time. She loved laying on his chest.....and always seemed to end up in weird positions. 

This is the weird fetal position she curled herself into.

Bob with Opal

 I love it when my family comes into town because then our family friends from Berkeley come over to visit. 

 We took my dad to the beach.....he loved the name....Ocean Beach.

 We also went to the windmill in Golden Gate Park and walked around.......I would love to know the history of that place but there is no explanation anywhere. 

 Me and my Dad

 I love this silhouette of my dad.

Opal is two weeks old in these pictures.