A Week of Milestones

Who knew that week six would be so chock-full of milestones?! Emmy is smiling in response to us now, and that is ever-so-rewarding! She has a very cute gummy smile and her whole face lights up! Of course, she can waver very quickly from big grins to big cries...let's hope that's not an indicator of future bipolar behavior. She has also starting tracking items with her eyes this week...she watched a little sheep on a mobile go in circles over her head. Nice to know she can see a little something now, and it keeps her attention for a nanosecond. She is holding her head up more and more, and is a bit less of a bobblehead. If I prop her up on her forearms, she can push her chest up a little bit (it reminds me of a nature show where they show the prairie dogs sitting up and sniffing the wind, but I digress). Finally, and this is major here people, she slept from 5p-1030p, ate/chilled out with Keith for a bit, and then slept from 1a-5a. Seriously, this could be the beginning of something life-changing! (We can hope at least!)

Wow, if all this occurred during week 6, what does week 7 have in store for us?!

Sleepy Baby, Sleepy Mommy

Thanks Moms!

Well, we've had some help here for the past several weeks, and it sure has been nice! Keith's mom came up from Florida for a week to help with babycare, and my Mom has been here from Indiana to help out for the past couple weeks. It afforded me the ability to catch some winks in the mornings after being up most of the night with Emmy, and also let them get to know their new granddaughter. We really appreciated their help, and Emmy loved snuggling with Grammy & Nana.

What I Wish Someone Had Told Me...

I am finding there are several things about having a newborn that no one felt compelled to share with me prior to delivery. These are things I probably would have liked to know beforehand, as I generally like to be prepared (at least mentally) for what is ahead. Maybe it's a consipracy among women...don't tell the newbie what she's REALLY in for, or else those wacky pregnancy hormones will tip her over the edge! Or, that brand new mom is so tired, she couldn't possibly want to know the REAL DEAL about the first 6 weeks postpartum! Humph!

I still say I would have liked to know beforehand how hard breastfeeding was going to be, and that it's an ongoing process of tweaking to try to get it right. Or that newborns have to eat every 2-3 hours, and soon, your whole existence revolves around feeding this little creature...once your done, it's almost time to start right over again. No one told me about flying poop or that baby girls can shoot pee just like a boy. I think it's mean that newborns can't smile at you yet. It would be so nice to have just a little positive feedback from this person you are pouring so much effort into. "That's great, Mom, keep up the good work. Your efforts are duly noted and much appreciated." Also, how about the importance of trying to establish a routine early on, so that you have some sort of predictability to your day. Or that there's a big difference between being on a schedule, and being on a routine. No one really tells you what the aftermath of delivery will be on your body, that your belly becomes a bowl of jelly, or that your nipples get so sensitive that you can't even stand the cat to brush against you. How about sharing that babies will change your relationship with your spouse, and that suddenly you really have to make an effort to acknowledge each other in a meaningful way on a daily basis. Marriage pre-baby was all about each other, and for right now, it seems to be all about baby.

On the flip side, no one told me how much I would love the smell of our baby after her bath, or delight in the fluffiness of her hair after a shampoo. No one mentioned I would want to cry when she outgrew her first newborn sized sleeper. No one said how nice it is to see your baby in her grandparent's arms, and how happy she makes them. Or that, yes, I would be one of those Mom's who pokes her baby to make sure she's breathing while she sleeps. Or how proud I would be to take her out and show her off to the world.

I guess some things you just have to find out for yourself.

Growin' Like a Weed

Well, Babygirl had her one month checkup yesterday and all went well.
She now weighs 8 lb, 12.5 oz (up from 7 lb 1 oz a month ago) and is 21
and 1/8 inches long (19.5 at birth). She is squarely in the 50th
percentile for all growth measurements. She's 5 weeks old today and
took her first library trip with us last night. I'm sure it won't be
her last, as we both love to read and want to instill that into her as
well. So far though, she's not very interested in the books I've been
reading to her. I suppose once she can actually SEE SOMETHING past 12
inches in front of her face it will make a difference. She does like
listening to music, and it helps calm her down to sleep. Keith and I
might have to dust off our old clarinet & coronet for her when she
gets a little older!

Emmy and Her Boys

I believe the cats have officially welcomed Emerson into the family, and accepted that they have to share our laps with another sibling. They check on Em all the time, especially when she's crying...they want to know what's up! Amos likes sitting in the bouncy seat and the bottom of the jogging stroller, and Riley likes to watch Emerson take her bottle. We're glad the transition of a new family member went so smoothly.

Suspicions Confirmed!

Yes, our suspicions that Emmy is a child prodigy have been confirmed! She is one month old today (unbelieveable!) and is already holding her own bottle. She grabbed the bottle out of Grammy's hand today and insisted upon holding it herself to show us what a big girl she is already. I happened to have a camera handy and snapped some pics for you non-believers. See for yourself...

It's Funny....

It's funny how much your perspective on things changes once you have a baby in the house. Suddenly, getting dressed is highly overrated and talking to the mailman at 3pm while still in your pajamas isn't the slightest bit embarrassing . Sure, the house needs cleaning...but it doesn't get under my skin quite as much as it did before. If I sweep today, great...if not, the dust bunnies will be there tomorrow. There were a few TV shows I watched faithfully before, but haven't seen an episode since Emmy came home. Oh well, what's TV when you've got a baby to sing to? I remember now how it felt to pull an all-nighter in college/grad school...that buzzy-head feeling that comes from too little sleep. It's back again, but not because it's Finals Week. Showering, eating, all that takes a back seat when you've got a little being that needs fed/changed/held/soothed/kissed. As always, I have a To Do List...and nothing is getting crossed off. My, how time flies by when you're on your third baby outfit of the day due to unfortunate eruptions and diaper malfunctions.

Am I going a little stir-crazy, being house-bound most of the time, when I am used to going to work every day and interacting with lots of people? Sure...but I also realize this time at home is precious, and short. There's always work, there's always TV shows, there's always laundry that needs done. But, there's only one first smile, and I'm going to make sure I see it.

Need I Say More??