Elizabeth's Growth Photo - Week 5

Already sitting up like a champ...and looking more and more like her mommy every day!

Elizabeth's Growth Photo - Week 4

"Is that a bug on the ceiling? Daddy? Mommy? Don't you guys ever clean this place?"

Elizabeth's Growth Photo - Week 3

Amazing what one week of bottle-guzzling can do!

Early October fun at the zoo

"So let me see if I've got this right - cows are where milk comes from? But how does the milk get from the cow to my glass? So many questions. Someday, I'll figure it all out..."

"...but for now, I'm all smiles for milk - and cows!"

Elizabeth - second week

Ready for action - where's that bottle?

Getting a kiss from big sister Rachel

Rachel and her cousins Leah, Nicholas, Madeline, and Rebekah Huie, who were nice enough to drive up (actually, nice enough to convince Aunt Sarah to drive them all up) from Chicago to visit us last week

Giving Grandma H. my biggest yawn possible. (I made sure she didn't take it personally - but if you try to take my picture during naptime, I'm gonna yawn. Just sayin'...)

Hangin' with Grandpa H., chocolate chip cookie maker extraordinaire!

Elizabeth - first week

Elizabeth had quite an eventful first week. Due to a pneumothorax that developed in each of her lungs, she needed to stay in the NICU for seven days before coming home. Ultimately, while she faced some unexpected challenges in her first week, she showed the doctors and nurses that she's got plenty of fight in her.

We were finally able to bring Elizabeth home on Wednesday, September 29th. Even better, she came home with a clean bill of health, and we're so thankful and blessed to have her home - and healthy. She's truly our "little warrior" (our friends and family members with Marquette University ties can probably understand the double meaning behind the "warrior" reference).

Here are some pics from Elizabeth's first week:

Opening her eyes

Catching a snooze...

...and then catching another snooze for good measure.

Paul's three beautiful ladies

Elizabeth with Grandma Van Ermen

Welcome Elizabeth Anne Handrich!

Elizabeth Anne Handrich arrived on Tuesday, September 21st. Weighing in at seven pounds + one ounce, and measuring 20 and 1/2 inches long, she warmed our hearts from the moment we saw her!

"Why must you put me on this cold, cold scale? Wrap me up and get me warm!"

Elizabeth and Martha's first mother-daughter moment

Smiles all around