All Treat

But, before the wedding, there was Halloween. Sprite made an incredibly cute Lady Bug. Here she is just before heading out to Trick or Treat with the neighbor girl.She was really confused at first, but caught on quickly. She wasn't all that in to taking the candy at first, but she loved being able to run up to each door and knock on it. As long as the neighbor was there with her, at least. Safety in numbers you know. And she caught on to the candy by the end of the night; Grandma taught her about peanut butter cups. The Halloween candy is now safely out of sight. Frankly, I need to find a moment to get it out of my house, so that I stop eating it, too.

For anyone who is curious, the costume was fairly easy to make. For the dress, I just added a skirt to a black onesie, by gathering the fabric and then sewing it on.

The wings were made by drawing out my own pattern on to four pieces of interfacing, ironing the interfacing on to the fabric, and then cutting all four out. I then cut two batting pieces of the same shape and size by just laying those pieces on top of the batting. Next I layered two pieces, right sides together, and then a piece of batting on top. I sewed around, leaving space to turn at approximately where I expected to sew it on to the onesie dress. After I turned it, I needed to gently press, and then I sewed the opening shut. (I didn't bother with top stitching.)

The wings were then loosely sewn on to the dress with a running stitch. I kept my stitches mostly in the seam line and they were nearly invisible. You have to keep it loose, though, or the stitches will pop when you put the dress on her.

Completing the ensemble - a little red tutu to fluff the skirt out, black stockings and sparkly shoes. That was all she wore to the Halloween party, but on Halloween itself the weather was crisp so I put a long-sleeved onesie underneath it. I couldn't find black at the time, but white really worked just fine. Oh, and I gave her a little purse to use as her candy bag. I had a black headband for her, but she wasn't interested in wearing it.

It really only took a few hours to make, even learning how to deal with the slippery fabric, and she looked a treat.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Intermission

We interrupt our regularly scheduled slog of hand sewing binding to bring you this Halloween Costume Construction.

I bet you can guess what Sprite will be this year.

On The Needles

There's also a sweater for Sprite underway. She picked the yarn out herself, pulling it off the yarn store shelf and refusing to exchange it for any other. That was a surprise; she usually wants them all. Perhaps she's part cat, because she finds yarn very enticing. And, of course, with one good tug she can (and has) undone hours of work. But, the sweater is coming together anyway, and with the bulky yarn I actually make a lot of progress despite my limited knitting time.

I'm not in love with the sweater, though. I think, despite the fact that I'm drawn to it in the skeins, variegated yarn is a mistake when I'm making a sweater. Perhaps the busy color scheme distracts from the pattern of the sweater itself? I'm not sure, but I am noticing that I only like muted variegated yarns when I'm working on something larger than, say a sock.

But, my girl still plays with the yarn every chance she gets, and I suspect she is going to love the sweater. So, I'll finish it and then try the pattern again in something a bit quieter.

Back In The Saddle

It's been six months since I've done any substantial sewing. But recently, Sprite turned one, sporting a GrandmaMade dress and an attitude.

Huzzah!

And with her new independence (and my new role of stay at home mom), has come just a bit more freedom for Mama. She's content to let me do my own thing for chunks of time, as long as I'm willing to pause and make the appropriate animal sounds when she brings me her toy.

So this week, we picked out some pretty fabric and I made her a summer dress.


This is the same Reversible Sundress I made last summer, and so I already had the pattern prepared. With that head start, the dress took me less than three hours to make, even with the need to stop for play breaks and to admire her fabric choices. (She entertained herself in large part by pulling fabrics off the shelf and spreading them about. Occasionally, she'd find a favorite and bring it to me to admire. Or perhaps she was requesting the next dress?) It was simple and quick, a great chance to get to know my new sewing machine - the one I received for Christmas and hadn't even threaded yet. But, oh it felt good to sew something.

And Sprite is such an appreciative recipient. When I held it up to her to check the size, she hugged it to herself and then grinned down at it before grinning up at me. She happily wore it all day Friday, protesting when her grandmother took it off her before dinner. And as pretty as she clearly felt in it, I got that special glow from seeing my kid wear something I've made her. Something I not only actually managed to sew, but that I think she looks cute as a button in.

Emboldened by the success, I bought fabrics for a new quilt the very next day. Its intended for a November wedding, so lets hope I find the time to work on it. Saturday was the OMQG Sew Day, and I slipped away for a few hours and did the cutting. Tonight I set the machine up with a neutral thread and set out my first strips for piecing. Here's hoping tomorrow brings a few sewn seams!

Christmas, done right

This Christmas was perfectly balanced. We did everything that was important to me, but I resisted the urge to overschedule or overdo.

We visited the tree farm, and put up about half of our decorations. Enough that it felt like Christmas, but not so much I was overwhelmed. And I chose the ones that either wouldn't break or wouldn't break my heart, so that I didn't have to worry about quick little hands as we walked by.

We went to the mall once (and only once) to check out the decorations and find her Christmas outfits. (While there, we made the second out of three visits with Santa. We definitely covered that tradition this year.)

I made the munchkin's stocking, but left the embellishments for another year. I did line it with super soft corduroy from my local quilt shot. Even though she isn't nearly old enough to grasp the importance, she enjoyed pulling things out of it. It was also her only gift from us. We filled it with spoons, rice cereal, a teething toy and a new Dr. Seuss onesie. She cut her first tooth the week before and has been dying to eat solid food. So, the cereal was the best gift we could give her. At five months, she was not surprisingly more interested in eating the paper than in any of the gifts.

It was also the only handmade item given this year. Gifts were lovingly selected and carefully wrapped, but they came from a store. This wasn't the year for handmade for me, and the season was so much more fun because I recognized that. The same goes for baking. I wanted Christmas cookies, but I was fine with getting the dough from the grocery store and just decorating them.

But, we set aside a day for a special trip with Grandma and Aunt Megan. That was important enough for the extra effort.

By the evening of the 23rd, there was nothing left to do but watch The Grinch and drink hot chocolate. By the afternoon of the 25th, we were curled up together reading books. And every hour in between was spent enjoying my girl and her first Christmas.

I'm sure I'll miss it some years, but I sure hope we have many more Christmases with just this lovely mix of important traditions and quiet pleasure. I really feel like we got it right this year.

A Real Christmas

We woke up Saturday to a gray, cold rain. I declared it the perfect weather for my plans to immerse myself in all things Christmas and sat down to make a list. A few more gifts to pick up, 15 mini cakes to bake for office presents, a trip to the Quilt Shop and a stocking to make for my baby girl...a list worthy of the week before Christmas.

Then my little one woke up from her morning nap in a decidedly restless mood. Normally a munchkin that delights in the very existence of her world, nothing was right yesterday. She didn't seem to need anything in particular, except her parents.

And so, I gave in to it. The day would be about playing with her. We did run a few of those errands, when being out with other people made her happy, but the rest of the shopping list was put aside to wait a few more days. Cakes were baked after she went to bed, and while they aren't the prettiest baked good I've ever gifted I'm confident they'll be appreciated anyway.

I thought today might be the day I got back to that list, but when we got home from church it was clear that today wasn't that day either. Instead, I turned my phone off, set the list aside and decided to just be here. We spent several hours in the rocking chair, took a long nap together, and spent over two hours playing with blocks. Perhaps I'll get a start on her stocking after she goes to bed tonight. Or perhaps I won't. Either way, this has been the perfect week before Christmas. Focused on family and time together, enjoying the rhythm of life instead of fighting it.

The gifts will get wrapped, or they'll be given with just as much love in brown paper bags. And if the stocking doesn't get made, she can borrow mine. But, we will be with family. We will celebrate the birth of a man who asked not for gifts or baked goods, but for kindness to one another. And we will have enjoyed ourselves on the way to the celebration.

At Five Months

Oh my, kid, you continue to be such a joy. Every month a bit more fun than the last. I may be late writing this letter, but its only because I can't even begin to capture the magic of you these days.

You still laugh and play with wild abandon. And you are learning more and more sounds with which to express that joy. Gs and Ls, lots of ahs. Sometimes you'll throw a B or D in there. You watch how we form words so closely, and we can see you oh so quietly practicing new sounds.

Perhaps most effectively, and certainly most thrilling to me, you now use Mama (or just as often Mamamamam) to call for me or express excitement at seeing me. Boy does it work. You were fussing yourself to sleep one night when you plaintively cried out Mama from your bed. Your Daddy looked and me and said "you're sunk now." And he was right; I couldn't resist and picked you up for a cuddle. His turn is coming, though. You're right on the verge of saying Da-de. You were practicing last night, watching how Daddy was saying it and trying to imitate him. You got tired, though, and turned to look at me and said Mama instead. We had to laugh at the way you reverted to the one you have down, clearly done trying to learn something new. But today you tried out Da-de again while we were playing, and it was clear as day. I couldn't get you to repeat it, but you will. And you will hold your Daddy in the palm of that chubby little hand.

You're sitting up on your own for long periods of time now. So well that the pediatrician checked your birthdate in disbelief when he saw you doing it. You're also trying to get in to a sitting position on your own, and you almost can if you're reclining. We continue to be amazed by your strength. And your cleverness. If you're in your swing and want to get up, you have started holding on to the sides and using your hands to pull yourself up.

While your preference is still to be constantly interacting with you, with new skills comes a greater independence. You're more willing to sit or lay and play with your toys alone for a few minutes. And you'll happily play in your jumperoo (where you jump, jump, jump) as long as I stay within sight. The kitchen also fascinates you now, and I can do a little bit of cooking as long as I bring your Bumbo chair in so that you can watch. You're also putting yourself to sleep more often now, though that generally requires a bit of fussing (and sometimes alot of crying). You take a pacifier from Daddy and I now, too, so that helps. Oh, and your Daddy is very grateful you've agreed to accept a bottle from him now. Thanks for that.

You had a big month, which was capped off by Thanksgiving with the entire family. Baba and Diado came up for a visit, and we all went to DeLand for a big family meal. You met the rest of your cousins there, and took a long nap on the floor with Julie. We were all particularly charmed by the image of you guys sharing a quilt on the floor, and I love that you will have a cousin so close to your age. It will be so much fun watching you grow.

It is so much fun watching you grow.

A Moment

I lie in the morning shadows, wishing I could hold this moment forever. The weight of your head on my shoulder, the warmth of your body tucked against mine. You look up at me so seriously, and then a small, sweet smile crosses your face as you raise an uncoordinated hand to pat my face. You are exploring my features, learning my face in a new way. Grabbing at my nose. My breath catches at the magic of it, and I wish I were a writer, an artist. Someone who knew how to capture this moment.

At Four Months

Oh my lovely baby girl, you are so much fun. I suspect I'll be saying this alot, but I love this stage. Four months - love it. Your sense of humor is so clear now, and you crack yourself up. Everything is a game to you. Making faces with me, trying out your voice with screeches and squeals (and oh my are you vocal these days), grabbing for a toy or the dog (who does not think this game is as much fun - life delights you. You aren't particularly coordinated yet, but you grab life (and the dog) with gusto.

You are so vibrant that strangers are drawn to you like a moth to light. And you revel in it, laughing and giggling, flirting with coy looks as you bury your face in my chest. Unless, of course, your Dad or I actually let that stranger, or, you know, grandparent, hold you. You're a bit early on that one, my love. Your poor Grandma, in particular, has been labeled as the person who comes and makes your Mom leave. All she has to do is walk in to the room and your face crumples. We're making sure to spend more time with all of us together, because she sure loves you alot. You are starting to let her hold you more again, and its a relief to me I'll admit.

That's your MO, though. You are precocious, early to figure things out, but then you take your time once you have. This month you practiced and practiced rolling over from your back to your tummy. For days I watched you on the verge of getting the hang of it, and you'd practice for long stretches of time. Then you got it, suddenly making rolling over look easy and reacting to my celebration with a look that clearly said "what, that? no biggie." And once you master the skill, you no longer feel the need to do it very often. You'll go days now without rolling over (or trying to roll over). But then, when you decide you'd like to roll over, you do so as easily as if you're rolling hundreds of times a day. Do you practice when I'm not looking?

You could be, actually. I went back to work this month. Its only part time, about 20 hours a week away from you. You've adjusted well - developing a routine with your nanny that is completely different from the one you have with me. She's still the only one that you'll really take a bottle for. (Your Dad would really appreciate your adding him to that exclusive list, by the way.) The two of you take long walks and watch the big kids play on the playground at least once a day, and I often come home to find the two of you playing on the floor. Though, just as often, I come home to find you dozing in her arms sucking a pacifier. That's another item you will take only from her, preferring to suck on your own thumb or our fingers when you are with your Dad or me.

What am I forgetting? I know there is so much. You have had a developmental explosion this month. I let go of you one afternoon and you sat up by yourself for a good 30 seconds, a feat you haven't repeated again. We established our first holiday tradition this month, with a Mama-made Halloween costume and a little trick or treating (of sorts). And... life it goes so fast, but it is so great.

At Three Months

At almost exactly this time three months ago we met face to face for the first time, you and I. It would be hours more before we'd get to spend any time together, thanks to my fever, but already I could see your face in my mind with no effort at all. Three months later, I know your face and the many emotions that cross it better than I know my own.

There have been a lot of emotions to see. This has been your fussy month. I didn't realize just how fussy you'd been, really, until we spent last weekend at Aunt Megan's and Grandma got to see you first thing in the morning. You are always at your happiest after a good night of sleep, and she was amazed by just how cheerful and content you were. Its true; you have been a little high maintenance recently. Its been a month of sinus congestion and ear aches for you, and so we've had to work a little harder at keeping you entertained and make sure you stay on a good sleep schedule.

Thankfully, we seem to have that worked out, you and I. You are napping very well now. Three times a day you fall asleep with only a little help from me, and you wake up promptly one hour later. (We already knew you had a calendar, and now you seem to have an alarm clock, too.) And at night, you let me know around 7 that its time to start the bedtime routine. A warm bath, nightgown and nursing later and you're dreaming sweet dreams. The next step, though, will be letting someone other than me put you down for bed.

And, because you're sleeping better or perhaps just because you're getting older, you are even happier and more fun when you are feeling well. You still love best to play with us, and you express your joy with your whole body. You can scoot yourself backwards and forwards now, and you're a breath away from rolling over from your back. You also spend even more time on your play mat - grabbing the toys, looking at the animals printed on it or just quietly watching the light and listening to the music. The other day you even decided to nap there. You were laughing and playing, and then suddenly you stretched, rolled over to your side and went to sleep.

We spend alot of time out of the house, too. You love our long walks and spend hours on the Avenue with me. We even had our first play date this month. You loved watching our friend, who is almost two, run around the park and play. I loved watching you follow her with your eyes, bouncing excitedly on our laps and laughing. You are just so much fun.

This is our last month of spending all our time together. In a few weeks, I'll be going back to work for a few hours a day, and someone will be coming to stay with you while I'm gone. While I really believe this is the best balance for us, I'm sure going to miss all this uninterrupted time with you.

The Royal Court

Gwen would like it known that, yes, she is learning to share, thank you very much. And what do you mean does she mind not being the princess of the house anymore? She already has the baby trained to insist on multiple walks a day, doesn't she?

At Two Months

Two months. Two months. Its been a lifetime - your lifetime, specifically - and no time at all. You're a healthy, lively baby girl. Already outgrowing the smallest of your clothes and melting my heart with your dimples. I swear you're growing before our very eyes.

And we know why. You nurse like a champ. No hesitation to latch, and no question you know just where the milk comes from. The sound you make as you take to 'the milk dud' (your father's term, used just as often to describe me frankly) is part greed, part satisfaction. We call you the milk monster, and you've earned the name. You hold on fiercely, fisting my shirt in your tiny hand or gripping at my skin with your fingertips, and gaze up at me with big blue-gray eyes. Every once in awhile you smile without letting go. It kills me every time.

Not nearly so winning is your new refusal to really nap. You've taken to sleeping for half an hour or less during the day, often cat napping in my arms but jerking awake at the slightest movement. This leads inevitably to an overtired baby who whines, fusses and eventually cries inconsolably until finally, finally falling asleep at night. Some times you can't even find your way to bedtime on your own, and Dad or I end up dancing with you until the rhythm finally soothes you and you drop off. But, we're starting a new routine, you and I. I'm trying to learn to read your cues that you're getting tired and develop cues for nap time that tell you its time to sleep now. You learned the nighttime cues so quickly; I am hoping we'll have an easy time passing through this stage now that I'm recognizing it for what it is.

And it will be so worth it when we get these naps worked out. You are simply charming when you wake up fresh from a good sleep. You grin and laugh, reach out for us with sheer joy. The world is still a fascinating place, and when you're feeling good you are so very interested in it. That's the best time for your tummy time or to lay on our backs and watch the ceiling fan. You aren't a fan of being left on your own, but you'll lay there if I'm playing with you.

Boy do we play these days. We spend more time at your play mat, as you slowly gain the coordination to hit the toys and hear their noise. Its a game you find as absorbing as you do frustrating. You love 'Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes.' We play it so often your Dad has found himself humming it at work. And now we've added 'The Wheels on the Bus' accompanied by the bicycle move that helps with the gas. (Oh, the gas. You're still so bothered by this, sometimes crying out in your sleep. We've already passed the magic six week mark, when Grandma thought it would go away, and now we're waiting for three months when our friends have said it will pass. We're still hoping.) And your delighted when your Dad flies you like an airplane or I bend my knees and put you tummy down on them so you can wave your arms or bend your knees to move up and down.

But, what you love best is just to talk with us. I rest you on my knees and read books to you or tell you the nursery rhymes I now have memorized. You watch me with serious eyes and then break in to the biggest grin. Or you'll watch soccer with your Dad, earnestly listening while he explains strategy to you and simply fascinated by all the bright colors and movement. Sometimes you talk back to us, cooing and vocalizing with the best of them.

You still prefer the outdoors, though. Now that the weather is finally changing we spend most of our early mornings out under the grapefruit tree. Dad and I drink our coffee, and you happily sit with us and watch the world. Some mornings I take a book outside and we just stay there, even after Dad has left us to go to work. Or we take the dog and go for a long walk through the neighborhood, looking to see what is happening in our little world. We sometimes take two or three walks in the day, even walking down to Park Avenue to window shop or sit in the park. Your love of the outdoors makes it hard to deny you.

Its hard to deny you anything, frankly. You're alot of work, child of mine, and I rather suspect you always will be. But, its a result of your curious, alert nature and that is exactly what makes you so amazing to watch. We took our first overnight trip - to Baba and Dado's house - on the day you turned two months. You took in the new environment, the big dogs and even your first dip in a swimming pool with huge eyes and curious hands. It was a little overwhelming it seemed, and you preferred to do your exploring from my arms or your Dad's. But, your Dado won you over with his willingness to endlessly show you the wonders of his garden. And your endless fascination with it would have won him over, if he hadn't already been yours.

Just like the rest of us.

This post has been sitting in drafts, delayed by an increase in fussiness and a decrease in sleep. A trip to the doctor (for your first shots, poor thing) reveals fluid behind your ear drum. Your current trouble sleeping may be as much about an earache as a nap routine. Baby Tylenol resulted in the first long sleep you've had in two weeks. Now, if you'd just fall asleep for your afternoon nap...

Primary Day

The polling place was the Lions Club just a few blocks from our house, always staffed with silver-haired citizens from a time when civic duty was takenvery seriously. My Mom would step in to the booth, slide closed the heavy drapery smelling slightly of the dust that had collected since the last election, carefully make her selections and pull the handle of the (now infamous) punch card machine. She always voted, and I always got to be there. Sometimes she would let me pull the handle, breaking the rules I'm sure.

I haven't missed voting in an election since I turned 18, all through school making my decisions based on the huge envelope of clippings Mom sent and carefully completing my absentee ballot. These days my polling place is the recreation center at the top of my street, perfect for walking to with a cup of coffee. Its always staffed by members of the Orlando Ball

et, whom I understand have taken on the responsibility for many years. I walk up to a booth that reminds me of a plastic version of the carrels from my high school library, and I carefully make my selections and fill in the bubble with a black pen.

Today my daughter went with me.

Already

Already she looks less like a newborn and more like a baby. The dimple in her cheek has been joined by dimples at her elbows and knees. Her hands and feet are still oh so small, but no longer are they the impossibly fragile hands and long feet of a newborn. Now she has plump little hands that grasp tightly to my shirt, and round feet she uses to dance. She curls her body in to mine, and she is such a soft little bundle. Oh my, how fast it goes...already.

To My Daughter

You're one month old today, and already I can't remember what life was like before you.

Our family has become your very own paparazzi, and you already talk to everyone on skype. Most newborns don't start their mornings with video chats, but half of your adoring audience lives over seas. Its not all about distance, though. Daddy sometimes calls us from work, just so he can see your little face and maybe show you off to a friend.

But, its not really surprising. You're very entertaining for such a tiny one. The world is fascinating, and you are so alert. You watch us with big, serious eyes and then suddenly break in to a grin. You'll even smile at us, reacting to a playful tone of voice. I know the books all say that smiles at this age are gas or coincidence, but even the skeptics have had to agree you're smiling at us.

Some times, for no apparent reason, you'll purse your lips, open your eyes wide and stick out your neck, giving you the look of an adorable baby turtle.

You know your Daddy's voice, turning to look for him when he comes home after work... You are a Daddy's girl, already, and its so sweet to see that I can't regret it.

As long as the world stays interesting, you stay happy. I can't sit still with you for too long. You want to be entertained, and since you don't yet interact with toys I am responsible for your entertainment. So, we're constantly changing positions or locations, trying something new, and looking for ways to keep your busy little mind happy. In the last few days, you've gotten the hang of consistently getting your hand in to your mouth and started sucking on your fingers. This seems to keep you busy for a few minutes.

Don't be in too much of a hurry to make me expendable, though. I don't really mind entertaining you. Fortunately, you like almost anything. You don't protest tummy time as much as I expected, and you easily push yourself up on your arms to look around. You're so strong, holding your head up and looking around for long minutes. Really, you've been doing that from the time we brought you home, but I still can't get over it. You're pulling your legs up in to a crawling position, too, already checking out how all these muscles work and trying to get things coordinated. I'm starting to wonder if you're going to be athletic, definitely a trait you won't get from me.

Yesterday you rolled over from your stomach to your back. Repeatedly. I want to savor this time, when you're so tiny and all ours, but here you are growing before my very eyes. Its probably a good thing you're a quick learner, though. I think you may take after your Aunt Megan, because it makes you so mad when you don't have the skills yet to do something you want to do.

You love the outdoors. Whether its taking a walk, sitting in our yard or just look out the window, you are entertained. If you're fussy and need soothing, all I have to do is walk outside and you magically stop. Of course, the second I step back in to the air-conditioned house the fussing starts again. You don't seem to care that this is mid-summer in Florida.

We're grateful that you save most of the fussing for the day. Somehow, you've figured out night is for sleeping and usually can be counted on to sleep from around 10 pm to just a little before 7 am, waking up every three hours to nurse and then falling right back to sleep. You're remarkably good at self-soothing, putting yourself to sleep when I put you down sleepy. During the day is a little more erratic, and some days you hardly seem to sleep at all. Then there are other days when you do nothing but sleep, though you often insist on doing so on my chest.

Your one real complaint about the world so far would be when you have too much gas. Then you are awake day and night, telling us that you hurt with a plaintive cry that breaks our hearts. Your Daddy has become an expert at the massage that helps you deal with it, and Mama helps too, if with a bit less skill. You seem to understand, pulling your legs up to help us, and you take the gas drops without complaint, too. Grandma swears that the gas always gets better at 6 weeks, and we're holding her to that.

***

You just woke up from the nap you've been taking on my chest, and you're sitting up against my hands looking for all the world like a miniature adult. I said 'hi' to you and you grinned back up at me, showing the little dimple in your cheek. Is it any wonder I'm completely in love with you?

Morning

I want to remember.

After nursing, a drop of milk still resting in the corner of your mouth, you lie beside me on the bed. My body instinctively curls around your tiny frame. Your feet, crossed at the ankles as is your habit, rest on my thigh. Your wide eyes watch the sunlight streaming through the window above us, and your hand idly rubs against my skin. Every once in a while you stretch luxuriously, but always your little body comes back to rest against mine. Together we wake up slowly.

Nature Girl

When she's fussy, too tired to sleep or just bored, all I have to do to soothe her is step outside. She loves to be outside and quiets instantly. Sometimes she'll fall asleep, but most of the time she looks around her with wide eyes.

I try to imagine what its like to feel the warm summer breeze on your face for the first time, to look at our neighborhood with those new eyes. How does she understand those tree branches dancing over her head or the sound of the children on the playground down the street? Neighbors get a second look, but she ignores the dogs that pass us on our walk. Is it instinct that the noisy car passing by doesn't warrant her attention, but the call of the Osprey swooping over us causes her to curl protectively in to my chest? She's learning so much about her world already. I wish she could tell me what she thinks.

A Moment

We've had 24 hour a day help from family since we came home, with one family member literally handing off to another. I can't quite imagine how we would have gotten through those first days, when I could barely use my abdominal muscles and we were all very, very tired from our journey to become a family, without them.

But tonight I'm feeling much like my old self and things are slowly coming back to normal. So, we found ourselves alone at home for awhile - just the three of us for the first time. I was at the stove cooking dinner, he was on the phone, and the baby was watching it all from her bouncy chair. And then, the inevitable, the wail of a dirty diaper. We met eyes, silently deciding which parent was in the best position to handle it. (Him.)

And butterflies fluttered in my stomach. This is ours. Our child. Our life...

Happy 4th

Our little Firecracker, born July 4, 2010 at a healthy 7 lbs. 6 ozs.

Her arrival was a rougher journey than we'd planned, but some things are worth whatever it takes to get them. Being her Mom? Worth every bit of it.

Waiting: Day Four

Mary Jane booties to match the Matinee sweater.