Buff Baby.

Working out on her "gym"...! She looooves the yellow lion attached to this floor gym, and she'll follow him with her eyes quite intently as I move him back and forth.

She hearts Mr. Lion.

It is amazing how much more bright-eyed she has become over the last week or so. Her ability to track objects and people is so neat to watch.

And I absolutely melt when she looks all around to find my voice, locks eyes with me, and SMILES. Oh. My. Word. Puddle of mush, right here.

Baby girl is learning and growing and figuring out the world one day at a time.

Look at those eyes. I wonder what she is thinking.

I bet it is, "Wow, I love my Mommy."

At least that's what I'll tell myself she's thinking!

:)

Wedding Cake #3.

When I was newly pregnant, I received a call from a girl about a wedding cake. She was a bridesmaid at a wedding I had done awhile ago, and she wanted me to do her cake now. At the time, I thought it would be a good idea to book this cake seeing as my new baby would be about 6 weeks old at the time the cake was due. I saw it as a good opportunity to force myself to do something other than 'baby', a way to jump back into the world, a chance to do something I loved doing before baby and now after baby, too.

It was quite a challenge to find the time to plan for, shop for, bake, build, ice, cover, decorate and deliver this large cake with a little baby needing most of my attention. ;) My family stepped in to help, which was a huge blessing, and the cake was accomplished!

All in all, I am glad that I booked this cake. It stressed me out at the time, but now that it is finished, I am thankful for this chance to focus on something other than diapers, nursing, schedules and barf...if only for a few hours at a time.

But I must admit...I found my eyes wandering from decorating the cake to see what my little girlie was doing with her Grandma or Dad. Was she cooing? Was she smiling? Was she too cold? About to cry? Wanting a snuggle? Even though I was only over at the dining room table working, I still MISSED HER!!

Geez.

She's sucked me in.

And I love it!!! ;)

The Joy of Cooking...a Bun.

I went to the OB today for my 6 week check-up. What a weird feeling it was to enter her office NOT pregnant this time. Wow. For weeks and weeks and weeks, I spent many hours in that office and exam room with wonderful nurses and a wonderful doctor taking such good care of me and my little bun in the oven.

The strange thing was....now that the bun is OUT of the oven, I felt strangely out of place in the OB office. Might not make any sense at all, but I realized that I really did enjoy my first pregnancy experience. Don't get me wrong--there were seasons of nausea and worry and swollen ankles during which I did my fair share of complaining. However, I had an overall pleasant experience, and today made me realize just how special those (almost!) nine months were to me.

I loved conferring with my doctor about what to do during each stage of my pregnancy. I loved watching my belly grow and feeling more and more movement inside with each passing week. I loved preparing for our first baby's arrival through constant prayer, research, taking classes, decorating a nursery and attending baby showers. I loved talking with friends and family about our plans and hopes and dreams. I just loved this experience so much.

As I left the doctor's office, she grabbed me and gave me a big hug. She said, "You're all done here!", and I have to tell you that I teared up a bit. While I am beyond excited and happy that my little one is HERE, I think it is okay to admit that I was a bit sad to leave this first pregnancy behind. Not sad at all to have my baby, but it is comparable to planning for one's wedding. You plan and think and discuss and dream and wait and hope...and then, when the event is over, it is sort of strange to not have to think about it any more because, well, it is over!

Am I making any sense?!?! Probably not. Probably should get off of here and take a nap.

;)

Anyway, I felt like it was healthy and good to admit that I missed being pregnant just for a few moments in the doctor's office, but then, as I walked out into the waiting room, my husband turned Emery's car seat around so I could see her chubby cheeks and big, pouty lips. She was sleeping soundly, and I brushed the tears away with a smile.

What a blessing she is. And...she's here. That's the best thing of all.

(And...another way to dry those tears, getting on the scale! I joked with the nurse that I should have joined the "Biggest Loser" competition at work before I gave birth, because this is the most weight I'll ever lose in a six-week period---ha!! I used to dread that scale, but today, I wanted to hug it.)

(I didn't.)

(I'm not that loony.)

(Yet.)

And, for your viewing pleasure, my milk-drunk baby girl:

What a life.

:)

Product Review: 6-Week-Old-Baby Edition.

Hello from New-Mommy-Hood-Land! We're still here, still learning each other, still doing lots of snuggling...!

For a quick update:

-Baby is six weeks old already (good grief!!!).

-She loves her floor play gym, and she loves to find her yellow Mr. Lion and track him with her eyes.

-We love our daily walks together.

-She's been to church twice, Sonic a lot, and we've even made it out shoe shopping--gotta start her early....

-Her eyes are so bright and aware, she smiles when we 'play' together, and she'll crane her strong little neck and turn her head around to find my voice when we're split up in a group. Love that.

-She is so big! She's outgrown almost all of her 0-3 month clothes already. Loooong baby!

-Sleeps about 5-7 hours at a time at night, and we're working on napping like a big girl sometimes (ie--not on Mommy's chest...even though that's where Mommy would prefer it to take place!)

-Nursing is going pretty well overall, although I'm learning that this baby is going to keep changing things up on her Mommy riiiight when Mommy thinks things are all figured out. ;) I'm very glad I'm doing it though, and my resoluteness has really surprised me. I thought I'd be done at the first sign of struggle--! Can I just say how wonderful it is to have supportive friends in this area!?!

And, while the little one is napping, I shall list a few of the products I've found useful as a new Mom. I'm no expert by any means, but who knew some of this stuff would be so awesome!!

1.) The Itzbeen Timer

Many friends suggested registering for this item that helpfully keeps track of how long "it's been" since you've fed and changed your baby. It even keeps track of which side you need to start on at the next nursing. At the time, I inwardly rolled my eyes at such a device, thinking that I would surely be able to keep mental notes of feeding schedules and my own boobs, for goodness sakes. I. Was. Wrong. During those first few weeks especially, everything was a blur, including the time of day! Thank goodness for this handy little device that kept us all on track. I don't know how many times I would ask my husband, "So, how many 'itzbeens' has it been since I fed her?" ;) Now that has become our little joke for asking for the time. We're corny. And we're okay with that.

2.) Large swaddle blankets / sleep gowns.

Thank goodness for whomever invented the sleep gown. This handy outfit saves so much time in the middle of the night when a diaper change is needed. They are so soft and cozy, and she just looks so sweet all cuddled up in her gown. Along with the sleep gowns, we have loved using large swaddling blankets at night. We wrap her up all snug as a bug, and she gets very relaxed. She does work on getting her arms out of the swaddle though, and we usually find her like this each morning:

So sweet. Love her.

3.) Baby Trend jogger stroller and car seat combo

This is a less expensive alternative to some of the more pricey jogger travel systems that we saw while registering. I did want this style of travel system, and I have been quite pleased so far. You have to adjust the front wheel so that it doesn't get wobbly, but other than that, I love it. I'm okay with a few adjustments, especially since I've been giving this stroller a run for its money with looooong walks almost daily in our hilly, bumpy neighborhood. The car seat has the triangle handle which has been easier on my wrists when carrying her around, and I love the neutral colors. Baby seems to enjoy her time in there, too! The motion puts her right to sleep. Thank goodness. :)

4.) Summer video monitor

We heard both positives and negatives regarding video monitors, and I am glad we went with this option. While I see how it could be tempting to sit around and watch every move she makes with the video receiver, we have surprised ourselves with how little we use that feature. I will say that it is handy to have the video monitor when you're not quite sure if she's making 'I'm waking up and want to eat' noises, or if she's just settling herself back to sleep. I'm sure it will come in handy when she's a bit older and more mobile, too. ;)

5.) Method Rice Milk and Mallow Baby Wash and Lotion

When the pediatrician noticed that our little one had a bit of sensitive skin, we purchased this set of Method baby products. They are so gentle on her skin, and they smell SO GOOD. After her bath, I kiss all over her little neck and head. She smells good enough to eat up! The wash comes with a handy dandy lid that serves as a cup to pour water on her when it is time to rinse. She's enjoying bath time for the most part, and Mommy is enjoying the pleasant smells of these Method products. YUM.

And there you have it! A few helpful items from us to you. It is amazing how baby things quickly take over your home and your shopping cart...

...but who cares when there's a face like this to smooch!!!

One Month - A Letter.

Dear Emery,

You are one month old today, little birdie! Happy one-month birthday! Your Dad and I can NOT believe an entire month has already passed since you made your way into the world. Time has flown by...and I hear it just keeps going faster and faster...!

(not even one day old)

(one month old)

You have grown and changed so very much in these last few weeks, baby girl, and we are so excited to start seeing little glimpses of your personality coming through. You will pause and hold very still whenever someone other than Mommy is holding you and you hear my voice in the room. You will looooook around to find me, and you are starting to lock eyes with us more and more. You will coo and say 'ahhh'....I love this. I love that you are finally 'seeing' me and recognizing me.

When you nurse, you are quite the little guzzler...! We've had to employ a few tricks to help you slow down and savor your meals instead of gulping them down in 5 minutes flat! You are eating about every three hours or so, and you are gaining good weight, too. You are starting to get the sweetest little rolls on the tops of your arms and your thighs, and we love to squish them. (And Mommy loves to see these rolls, because it means you are eating good...yay! Um, and you have torpedo poo's...that's all I'll say about that one...!) The pediatrician said you are in around the 90th percentile for weight and height--big, healthy girl! You are finding your neck more and more, and you like to push back and look around at the world all the time while being held upright. You can lift and turn your head from side to side while lying on your tummy. Strong girl!

Sometimes, you suck on my pinky for a few minutes before you fall asleep. I love this, too.

Without jinxing it, we think you have figured out the difference between night and day. You still get up every so often to eat in the middle of the night, but you have consistently gone right back down to sleep every time--thank you!!! ;) During the day, you like to be walked around, lay on your play gym, sit in your bouncy seat or rest on Mommy's chest. You nap a few times during the day, but once the sun goes down, you are ready for sleep. And, once the sun comes up...you are up and at 'em for the day! We swaddle you up tight for night time sleep, but you always manage to wiggle your arms out of the blanket and fling them up over your head to sleep. Sweet baby.

When you snuggle with me, you put your hands in my hair and gently twirl it around and play. I love it.

You've had your first ride in the car, first walk in the stroller, first bath, first doctor's visit, and first holiday (Easter). Each experience was hard for Mommy, because it means you are growing up so fast--but I love watching these things that were at one time just dreams come to fruition. I love actually seeing you in your car seat that we picked out a long time ago. I love laying you in your pack and play that we assembled before you arrived. I love putting you in little outfits that have been hanging in your closet for months.

We waited and waited for you to come to us, and now you have been here a whole month.

You are actually here, with us, in our family.

What a month it has been.

Love you, sweet baby.

Mommy

Happy First Easter!

(PS-Thank you for your kind words and encouragement regarding my previous post. I appreciate my bloggy friends. Very much.)

(Oh, and I'll let you know about the karate drop-kick lessons.)

;)

Sticks and Stones.

It is official. I have experienced my first moment of wanting to drop-kick someone for saying something negative about my precious child. Don't worry. I held back. But I really wanted to do it.

Let me explain.

You see, Emery had a sweet little heart birthmark on her head, and I even blogged about it a few weeks ago. It was so precious and tiny, and I loved that it was in the shape of a heart. Well, it turns out (as our pediatrician informed us) that it isn't a birthmark at all. It is actually something called a strawberry hemangioma; it is a collection of rapidly dividing cells of the blood vessel walls, and most of these top-of-the-skin tumors are harmless. (You can kind of see it in the pic below.)

The pediatrician said it will most likely grow bigger for the next few months, but by around 6-9 months, it should recede. The tumor is in a 'good' spot as it is in her hair and not around her diaper area or on her face, he said. Anyway, we were so surprised to see this sweet little birthmark puff up and grow, and I am glad to know that it is something harmless that will eventually go away.

However.

Over the last week or so, Emery was introduced to some new people that shall remain nameless, and it hurt my heart so much to hear a few of them give her one look and exclaim something to the effect of, "Eww, what is that red bump on her head? Will it be permanent? Poor baby."

Excuse me?

I. Will. Hurt. You.

I hate that the first thing these people noticed or remarked on was her little red bump. They didn't even notice her sweet, pouty lips. They missed seeing her big, blue, clear eyes. They didn't catch her little coo's or her feminine hands or her sweet little chin. How sad that their first response was so...well, rude. Made this Mama Bear want to do some serious damage. How dare you say "Eww" when looking over my beautiful child for the first time!

Anyway, I realize that as life goes on, this hemangioma will be the first of many issues over which I might become heated when people don't treat my child(ren) with love and tenderness. I know I will have to learn to let these types of inconsiderate and hurtful comments (sometimes) roll off my back through the stages of her life. I understand that not everyone will think my baby is as gorgeous and sweet and precious as I do.

But.

It still hurt my heart.

Being a Mom makes one have to grow thick skin.

Either that, or I'm going to enroll in karate lessons in order to perfect the art of the drop-kick.

Either/or.

;)