My Latest Bath

Ok, so tonight I knew a little bit better what to expect from tubby time. I might look a little unhappy in this picture, but that's only because it was taken after the bath was over. I think I enjoyed the warm water this go round, I didn't even cry when daddy washed my hair. But just to keep them on their toes, I still peed on my towel while they were drying me off. I can't let them know that I enjoyed it.

My Protective Daddy

My daddy must think I can already walk or crawl away from him. In this picture that mommy snapped, he looks like he's trying to squeeze me into a little Stella pancake. It's like he's trying to make me smaller than I already am. I'm so small that I make my little daddy look like he might actually be big. I'm learning early, context is everything.

Daddy says he's protecting me from clowns. There are no clowns in my room, or anywhere in the house. Mommy says daddy's afraid of clowns. It makes me wonder about his favorite joke: Why don't cannibals eat clowns? Because they taste funny.

Daddy doesn't think clowns are funny at all.

My Gratuitous Baby Shots

For part of the evening last night post bath, I was very sleepy. Apparently a warm minute and a half bath will just wear you out. So for the very first time, mommy put me down in my crib. Mostly it's been a pack and play in M&D's room, or on their bed if I'm really fussy. But this time mommy decided I should try out my own crib. She covered me in one of my blankets and I settled down for a nice evening nap. What she doesn't know though, is that I heard her coming in to check on me (she thinks the baby monitor only works in one direction). I posed myself in these irresistable photo ops. It worked, she immediately yelled for daddy to get in there with the camera. They're both such suckers!

My Visitors Cont.

More visitors all the time, lots of new people to

meet. Here is mommy holding me with one arm and holding my cousin James with the other. James and his big brother Turner came to visit me recently. Turner seemed to like me okay, but he was fascinated by Big G's train that was set up at the front of the house, so I didn't get a lot of face time with him. James apparently was very curious about me when I was in mommy's tummy, and now I finally get to meet him.

My First Bath Revisited

Wow, not what I expected at all. Mommy had told me that baths were very soothing, I did definitely did not think so. I guess the warm water was nice, but I was too busy crying to enjoy any part of it. Daddy washed my hair, and mommy sponged off the rest of me. I was happy to be done, then they dried me, and wrapped me up in a blanket and all was good with the world again. Daddy said this picture, post bath, was not particularly explicit and allowed me to publish it.

My First Bath

It must not have hurt, because I didn't notice it happening, but some time in the last several days, the clip tying off my belly button fell off. Not sure where it went, I bet daddy will find it in the bed when he isn't expecting it. Anyway, the nurses told M&D that this would allow my first bath. I'm not really sure what it entails, having never had one before, but mommy assures me it will make me a clean and good smelling baby, as if my current state has deterred her from hugging and kissing me thus far. Anyway, I'll be back later with story and pictures if daddy deems them appropriate, he says the internet is not a good place for me to put up naked pictures.

My Guests

Very exciting, I've had lots of people come and visit me. A few came to the hospital, but mommy was in a small room that didn't allow for a lot of extra people. She encouraged most people to come see us at my house once I came home. Well, now I'm there and I've had quite an entourage come through. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of everyone, but I do have a couple to share. Thanks to everyone who brought food. Through mommy, I get to taste all the different dishes that M&D have been noshing on. Today, my Uncle Andy and Aunt Brooke came over to see me. They just got back from skiing in the Alps. Daddy did have the wherewithal to snap a couple of pics of them, I've put them up. Andy brought one of his favorite lasagnas, I know there will be some happy pasta eating this week.

My Rio Trip Revisited

So the very nice Dr. Kancitis saw me again this morning. My jaundice has lessened considerably, and I am up a little more than two ounces since yesterday morning, topping out above six pounds. The doctors told mommy and daddy that they could stop supplementing me with formula, and roll strictly with breast milk. I'm going back to see Dr. McKenna on Tuesday. If I plump up a little more, I can probably get a full clean bill of health, very exciting. More later if I have any new adventures today!

My First Walk

Very exciting, Mommy and Daddy took me for my first walk today. This is my all terrain baby mobile given to me by my Grandma Mogie before I was born. M &D got me all decked out in my stylish pink paraphenalia and loaded my carseat in. We then took a stroll around the neighborhood. It was a little cold, but I was well bundled. We didn't see many people out, but a few friendly doggies. I guess their parents were exposing them to sunshine to lessen their bilirubin too. Daddy says nicer days are coming this week. Yay! That means more walks.

My Rio Trip

Actually I didn't go to Rio, but daddy says that I must have been there since I look so tan and both of my parents are so pale. Actually we learned why. Because I haven't been eating as well as I should have been, my bilirubin is high. Not dangerously so, otherwise they'd have to stick me under the blue tinted french fry warmers, but high enough. Bilirubin is a liver enzyme that leads to jaundice. Daddy says his was tested high once, but that probably had to do with alcohol. Anyway, it's this light jaundice that makes me look like I have a healthy suntan. We are working on this now. We went to see the nice Dr. Kancitis at MCV this morning. My weight was up a little, and my bilirubin was down, both respectively positive directions. We're going back in tomorrow to see if I am doing increasingly better. Mommy and daddy got chastised by the doctor today. See, apparently I slept well enough to not wake up mommy and daddy and I missed my 3 am feeding. She said not to let that happen tonight. They said they would set an alarm to make certain tonight. Can't win for losing, I finally get a good night's sleep and it's not the right thing!

My First Doctor's Appt revisited

Ok, so maybe I was a little cavalier earlier about my impending Dr's appt. Dr. McKenna was very nice and didn't look much older than me, though he had kids older than me so I guess he is. He did make me stay in my diaper in a cold room for too long, but other than that I'll give him a pass. Apparently, my dieting has turned me into Mary Kate Olson. I'm down to 88% of my birth body weight, so Dr. McKenna says I have to go in on Saturday morning to get checked. The goal is to add an ounce of body weight a day, I guess I need to start working in concert with mommy to eat better. I learned a better understanding of a vocabulary word today. I had heard daddy call people he doesn't like pricks and I didn't really get it. Today I got my foot pricked to draw blood and I immediately got it. Pricks suck! I'll give you an update on more tomorrow about my health when I know more.

My First Doctor's Appt

What fun it is to be a girl. Being only three days old, every day's an adventure, everybody I meet is a new face, and best of all, I haven't worn the same thing twice, yet. Today's stylish repertoire consists of two receiving blankets comfortably swaddling me. The outer one was made especially for me (says so on the label) by my Aunt Jane. Cute snowmen abound on it. Daddy says it's very cold outside and that I need to be bundled up to keep warm, so excited for my snowmen!
We're going to meet a pediatrician today, I'm not sure if Dr. McKenna will be mine permanently, but he's the one who could see me before the weekend. Maybe, since my eating standards are not up to restaurant reviews yet, I'll do a pediatrician review. Maybe I could get Daniel Neman to publish it for me. I could review all my favorite things, mmmm colostrum. Anyway, I'm not scared about my doctors appointment, I'm only worried for my daddy. I've had shots before, and I did okay, but he hasn't had to watch me get them. I'm afraid he'll pass out. I'll let you know if that sissy hits the deck or not. I see mommy coming.... that means lunch!

My First Night At Home

What a fun night. Every time mommy or daddy thought they were going to get to sleep, I'd just let out a short sharp peep to let them know I was watching and waiting. Then I'd give them another ten minutes to settle and Blamo! I'd let loose with a set of pipes they had no idea that I possessed. You see, I heard all the doctors and nurses advise them to sleep when the baby sleeps, but I noticed that they were not doing this during the day. So I caught up on sleep during the day, and then let loose on them last night when I was wide awake. You should see them this morning. Neither of them drank a drop last night but you'd never know it from the bags under their eyes.

My Favorite Cousins

My mommy and daddy both love the show How I Met Your Mother, I got exposed to a lot of it while I was still in mommy's tummy. The entire show is told from a flashback standpoint of a dad telling his kids exactly what the show's title implies. All of the flashbacks come back to present day. This blog seems to be turning out the same way, except my flashbacks really only go back two days at this point.
Anyway, half my life ago, and that would be yesterday, my cousins came to visit me while I was still in the hospital. You can see them in the pictures. The one holding me alone, is seven year old Emily. I was born the day after her seventh birthday. The one who is holding me, while respectively sitting on mommy's lap is Charlotte. Charlotte will be five this year. She was born right before mommy and daddy got married. They're both so pretty and smart, I can't wait to grow up and be just like them.

My First Trip

Well, I guess these pictures are a little deceptive. My true first trip was from the 6th floor to the 8th floor of MCV the day I was born. As soon as I got there, they put a sensor on my ankle so no bad people could spirit me away. Naughty girl that I am though, I slipped it off more than once, those nurses kept putting it back on me though.

But I digress. These pictures are from my first car trip. The first one is me all swaddled in my favorite blanket that Aunt Lisagor gave me. It's so warm on such a cold day. M and D packed me away in my carseat and then bundled me up like a burrito. I learned all about burritos from my friends Miguel De La Cruz and Maria Valaquez who were my neighbors under the french fry warmer at MCV.

The other picture is my excitement when I arrived home. Mommy's daddy, Pop, had requested an 8 foot tall pink stork to announce my arrival. There were balloons and other decorations telling the whole block about me. Wow.

My Parents

These are my parents, John and Logan. I kept hearing people telling them when I was in mommy's tummy, but they have NO idea what they are in for. This picture was taken right after I was born. judging from the camera angle, somebody should tell daddy that self shots are best left to drunk people. Of course, who knows? It was 10 AM, but I guess daddy could have been drunk.

Hello World

My first post: hello my name is Stella Logan Vetrovec. I haven't learned to crawl or talk, much less type yet, so my parents are doing me the favor of transcribing for me. I was born at MCV in Richmond, Virginia on 1/22/08. I weighed 6 lbs 11 oz at birth, but I've been dieting a little and have slimmed down a bit. But not nearly as much as mommy over the last couple of days, she almost has her pre-me figure back. I came home from the hospital today and took my first tour of my house in Church Hill. I guess my parents did okay with the decorating, but I'm going to see to it that a few things change around. Starting with: not enough toys on the floor. Definitely need to change that. Well, I get tired quickly, so this is enough for now, but I promise more later.