one month down, many more to go . . .

Iris is five weeks old now, and I thought it was time for a little update. I'm pleased to say that she fulfills all of our wishes and dreams. She's a girl, which is what Brandon and I both wanted. She has an impressive amount of dark hair, which is what Brandon has always dreamed of. And, she is not colicky, which is a relief and a delight.

Iris is doing well enough that it gives me a strange sense of foreboding. I feel like something really wrong is bound to happen soon. Garrison Keillor once said that Minnesotans like bad weather because it gives us a sense of security--that good weather makes us nervous because it means something bad will need to happen to restore balance. (Except that he said it a lot better than that, but I can't find an actual quote.) I really am a Minnesotan even though I've spent almost as much of my life here in Utah. In fact, it even seems as if writing that Iris is doing well will jinx it.

Iris can raise one eyebrow, just like her dad. She has just started to make darling cooing noises. She smiles at stuffed animals and humans. She still slumps and sleeps and eats a lot.

I'm exhausted. But, we seem to have gotten through the worst of the recovery period. Hopefully no more trips to the ER, swelling, incredibly high fevers for me and the kids, etc. Now if I could just get a little more sleep. Ha. Maybe in a year.

p.s. It's a day later now, and I think I already jinxed myself. Iris was really cranky this afternoon.

In the darling kimono my friend Shauna made:




Right after pooping all over her clothes and blanket (unbeknownst to me):

Furrowing her brow (her most frequent expression):


With Grandpa Kim at Elsa's birthday party: