Happy Halloween!

We celebrated Halloween a bit early this year since Scott is on the road today and tomorrow. Wednesday we had a few friends over for a little party...our first with Reese! She dressed up as a cute little dalmation while we all enjoyed some great food and fun. The night before the party, Scott and I carved pumpkins and roasted the seeds. Reese wasn't exactly in the mood for carving as you'll see in the picture.

At her last check-up, she weighed 9lbs. 1oz. so we know she's eating enough! She is more and more alert each day which has been fun and trying at the same time. She's noticing her surroundings more and not liking sleep as much. We're hoping she gets back on track with her sleep soon. Scott is on the road today and tomorrow so it will be my first night solo. I'm really keeping my fingers crossed she gives me at least a little sleep!

Here are a few pictures from our party and some random ones from over the last week or so.

Reese...wide awake!

A few firsts...

We've managed a few firsts over the last week or so. I decided to venture out to the hockey rink on Friday so Reese could watch Daddy for the first time. We got there at the beginning of the 2nd period and she did great...until the end of the 3rd when she decided she needed food NOW. After a brief crying fit and a couple pics to mark the occasion, we quickly rushed home so she could eat. As you can see in the picture, she's not exactly a happy camper! On a brighter note, the team did great and pulled off a win against a big rival. We also gave Reese her first real bath which was a pleasant experience for all. She was perfectly happy just hanging in her tub despite the fact that we were expecting much worse. Daddy has also joined in on the fun of feeding, and she's taking it just as easily from him (although a bit slower) as she does from me. It's a nice break for me and so long as she can go back and forth, we will continue with a bottle a day. I just finished her birth announcements online yesterday and think they turned out really cute. We will keep the picture we decided on a surprise until they arrive!

As for today, I'm hoping to meet up with a friend for a little coffee and a play date. We will see how Reese is this afternoon but keeping our fingers crossed. Daddy is on the road today and although it will be a long day, it is much better than 3 long days. I was thrilled when Scott came home yesterday with the news that they would be flying to the game tonight instead of taking a bus. It means he's only gone today and home tonight rather than 3 full days on the road. Phew, what a relief that is!

Good news...finally

We finally got the good news that Reese's bilirubin levels are coming down! This means no more hospital visits and blood draws for little buggy. After 6 separate visits, we are all thankful to be home for good. She is eating and sleeping great and overall a happy baby. As of this morning, she weighed 8lbs. 5oz. which is 4oz. more than her birth and the doc is pleased with her weight gain. We will meet her new doc tomorrow who will be paying her a home visit for a general check-up.

Daddy has a home game tomorrow night so Reese and I are thinking of walking over at some point. We will have to wait and see how she's doing as it seems the evenings are a bit trying lately. We can't really complain though because she is such a great baby, only really fussing when she needs or wants something. Once we oblige, she is perfectly content. It's hard to believe almost 2 weeks has gone by. Time sure does fly and she's already changing and growing so much. We are trying to capture every moment possible!

Here are a few pics from the last week or so.

Eventful first week

Well we are thrilled to have our little beaner finally in our arms. This first week has been a whirlwind of sorts and we've definitely had our hands full. We are however, loving every minute! Reese has been to the hospital almost every day last week for blood tests to check her bilirubin levels. The doctor was concerned with how yellow she was so ordered further testing. After 3 days of tests, she was admitted for phototherapy treatment on Wednesday. Reese and I parked it in the neonatal ward for a full 24 hours so she could sit under the lights and hopefully help flush the bilirubin out. Daddy joined us after his game (in which he scored a goal for Reesey bug). After a day and night of treatment, her levels were slightly lower so we were able to come home. We are heading back tomorrow morning for another blood test to make sure her levels are continuing to go down...fingers crossed! She has been an absolute dream baby since the treatment. Eating so much better and sleeping great. She has put herself on a routine of sorts, eating every 2-3 hours with a brief wakeful period, followed by sleep, sleep, sleep! We are most certainly adjusting to less sleep and all the other joys of parenthood but embracing every moment. Here are a few new pictures of the first week. Will keep them coming and hoping to get a video up soon. Thanks everyone for all the well wishes, we can't wait for you all to meet Reese (she can't wait either!). We finally have our internet hooked up so our skype is now up and running. Hopefully we'll be able to grab a few spare minutes to return calls and emails soon. Sending lots of love from the three of us!

Introducing Reese Elizabeth Matzka!

Hey everyone,

We arrived home with our little Reese (surprised everyone??!!) yesterday at about 7 pm just 13 hours after she was born. She was born at 6:02 am on October 5th, 2009 in Orebro, Sweden. She weighed in at 3645 grams or 8 pounds 1.5 ounces. She measured 19.3 inches in length. She was very active for the first 2 hours after birth, then basically went to sleep for about 6 hours. She's been up and down since we arrived home. Anyway, time to catch up on some sleep (yeah right, good luck!!). Check out the pics.

Scotty, Catie, Reese