Welcoming a new family member (including some F1.2 love!)

[Golf4food]

Congrats! She's beautiful. Wonderful photos.

 

[donaldduck1967]

Congratulations to the Gcoucho Family

 

[Dan Murphy]

Congratulations, Groucho, and family. Leila is beautiful. Best wishes.

 

[Experiment_626]

They're mighty sweet ...

... and verra verra soft!

Congrats! You're in a similar place now to where I expect to be around the end of the year. My wife is expecting our second child in December, to join our little boy, Joshua, who will be four years-old at that point. We're all hoping for a girl but consider ourselves blessed either way. It's funny that just a few short years ago I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever have a family of my own (Joshua is not my biological son), and today I have a wonderful wife and a beautiful son. As an adopted child myself, there is something surreal in contemplating the idea that this next child will be a blood relative, after 41 years having none such in my life.

One more Lady and the Tramp quote -- this one can be applied to your child in regard to your camera equipment --

They're very expensive. You'll not be permitted to play wi' it!

SSB

 

[Todd_H]

I am also, if I say so myself, pretty darn good at swaddling, and Leila loves a good swaddle. I make 'em nice and tight so they stay on while they're sleeping, and she usually quiets down immediately after swaddling.

We used to call that the "baby burrito."

Jack continues to be head over heels in love with Leila - it's incredibly cute. He just can't get enough of her.

That's really cool. Sounds like Jack will grow up to be the protective older brother .

I have told my wife long ago, though, that I want nothing to do with putting tights on her! Pants and socks on boys just seem soooo much easier than tights and dresses.

Uggh... dressing little girls is pretty tough for us guys. I could do O.K. with the clothes (mixing and matching) MOST of the time, but it's the hair that always tripped me up. I can't do hair at all. Now, I can throw shorts and a t-shirt on my son and he's ready to go.

 

[Steve's Girl]

I have told my wife long ago, though, that I want nothing to do with putting tights on her! Pants and socks on boys just seem soooo much easier than tights and dresses.

OK, here is my word of advice for dressing little girls - most of the time, the buttons go in the BACK! I can't tell you how many times my husband would put my daughters' dresses on backwards. He just couldn't figure out why anyone would put buttons on the back of clothes. Oh, the ties usually go in the back too. My poor DH kept saying belts should be in the front!

 

[JR6ooo4]

congratulations!

Mikeeee

 

[Groucho]

It's way past my bedtime (plus I'm a little under the weather again) but I finally got a few more photos online of the new little one and wanted to share!

It's funny that just a few short years ago I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever have a family of my own (Joshua is not my biological son), and today I have a wonderful wife and a beautiful son. As an adopted child myself, there is something surreal in contemplating the idea that this next child will be a blood relative, after 41 years having none such in my life.

Congratulations! If you think it's surreal now, wait until everyone's in the delivery room, that's one thing you miss in adoption - which could be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it.

Uggh... dressing little girls is pretty tough for us guys. I could do O.K. with the clothes (mixing and matching) MOST of the time, but it's the hair that always tripped me up. I can't do hair at all. Now, I can throw shorts and a t-shirt on my son and he's ready to go.

Her hair is pretty easy so far, there's hardly any of it. Good point though - if she's anything like Jack, she'll always have a mop that needs cutting! (That'll change with Jack soon enough, I'm sure he'll get Dad's rapidly-disappearing hairline... )

OK, here is my word of advice for dressing little girls - most of the time, the buttons go in the BACK! I can't tell you how many times my husband would put my daughters' dresses on backwards. He just couldn't figure out why anyone would put buttons on the back of clothes. Oh, the ties usually go in the back too. My poor DH kept saying belts should be in the front!

Heh. The thing I don't get about the snaps on baby clothes is how they can be so difficult to open and close! It seems like you have to practically rip the clothes in half to open the snaps and they never seem to close how you want them to...

Anyway, here's a few newer shots... they're not current (actually, they're 2-3 weeks old) but I'm getting closer to catching up!

First off - that F1.2 really can give you some wild and crazy bokeh. It's a love-it-or-hate-it thing - I'm not sure yet where I sit. I may need to swap the Cosina for a Pentax F1.2 one of these days...

Jack still loves her!

...even if she's a little bored of him.

He does still like holding her sometimes. (Mixed lighting made WB a bit impossible on this one.)

I've got some good newer ones that I'll add before long. She already looks a bit different, it's amazing how much growth there is in the first few months. She's getting pretty aware of what's going on around her, starting to figure out what to do with her arms and legs, and occasionally giving us little fleeting glimpses of smiles. I still have pretty close to no free time whatsoever between taking care of the family and other obligations, but I'll have to get used to it, that won't change for the next, oh, 20 years or so!

 

[jann1033]

but it's the hair that always tripped me up. I can't do hair at all.

we have 2 girls and somehow husband always managed to put the barrettes in so tight it would plaster their hair to their heads ... they looked like they had face lifts ( ie bruce jenner joan rivers)

 

[kaffinito]

Well, really, sleep hasn't been too bad after the first few days. She sleeps pretty reliably at night for 3-4 hours at a crack. I bought one of those devices for letting them sleep in the bed with you (with side protection so you don't roll on top of them) and that seemed to help a lot - for her and us. (When she was in her bassinet, I could barely sleep as I kept waiting for any little noise coming out of there to escalate into a full-blown crying fit.) I am also, if I say so myself, pretty darn good at swaddling, and Leila loves a good swaddle. I make 'em nice and tight so they stay on while they're sleeping, and she usually quiets down immediately after swaddling.

Congratulations on the new addition to your family! I hope you all have many happy years ahead of you.

It's funny that just a few short years ago I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever have a family of my own (Joshua is not my biological son), and today I have a wonderful wife and a beautiful son. As an adopted child myself, there is something surreal in contemplating the idea that this next child will be a blood relative, after 41 years having none such in my life.

A bit of wisdom from someone who was adopted and who has two biological children: when you first see your biological child, you are face to face with your own biology and that gives you a connection to yourself that can't be underestimated. Congratulations and I hope that you and your family are very happy.

 

[kmadams]

Welcome Leila! I know in this picture you're thinking who is that nut with the camera taking all those pictures but some 25 years from now you'll be thanking him when it's time for the slide show at your wedding and your entire life has been documented from birth onward!! Just ask my daughter who got married this past weekend, it was a beautiful slide show and brought a tear to this mom's eye!!