Thank you

I just wanted to take a minute to thank every one who has been so sweet to us since we learned about our pregnancy (and after her birth).  From gifts to food to clothes and even offers to babysit, we are truly thankful.

At first I started telling people "No thanks" when they would offer to watch her for a few minutes so we could get out of the house.  I guess parental instincts kicked in and told us to say no.  Eventually I realized that time away doesn't mean you are abandoning your baby, but rather taking a break so you can gather yourself and actually be a better parent.

Two of my co-workers/friends watched Persephone one day before Hardy went back to work so we could enjoy lunch alone.  We DID go to lunch, but it was literally 2 minutes away and the service was so fast we were back within 30 minutes.  They thought we faked it, ha ha.  Truth is we didn't have a whole lot to talk about so we didn't drag lunch out longer than it needed to be.  It's kind of a tug-o-war when you're away from your baby (at least so far in my case).  Part of me lets out this sigh of relief knowing I'm still human and my name is Amanda and I'm 27yrs old - but another part of me starts wondering what Persephone is doing and if she's ok...etc.

But seriously...you just don't know how much people love and care for you. 

I would especially like to thank my mom.  Not that I don't appreciate anyone else, but sometimes you need/want your "Mom" regardless of what anyone else offers.  She's helped me become more comfortable with being a mother myself.  Occasionally I get a little anxious when I can't figure out what a certain cry means or why she's being fussy and when my mom is around she gives me suggestions that really help.  ((It doesn't hurt that when she visits she keeps Persephone at night and Hardy and I are able to get uninterrupted sleep - even though I still wake up when I hear her cry out)).  I know some of you are probably saying that's the only reason she gets a special shout out...but it's not.  And even if it was that's ok cause this is my blog and I can do what I want.  I kind of hate that she lives three hours away, because I wish she could visit Persephone more often, however, I think it makes her visits that much more exciting (for both of us). 

So one more time and it won't be the last - THANK YOU EVERY ONE for your help and love!

Who Am I?

Cannot believe that today our sweet little girl is 1 month old already...1 MONTH?!? Seriously?

Eating: 3.5-4oz per feed

Sleeping: 2.5-4hrs...obviously at night if we can get a 3 or 4 hour stretch its amazing.

Skills: I don't know what a 1 month old should or shouldn't do, but she's very alert and attentive. She follows voices and objects really well. I also call her a little turtle when we do tummy time or if you are holding her propped on your shoulder because she really gets going when she lifts her head and turns it from side to side.

This milestone is bittersweet. It makes me sad, because I do miss having her all to myself in my belly; but also happy because its so neat to see her grow and develop. It's amazing what the body can do. Looking back its hard to believe I went through an actual labor and delivery.

Things have been going well, I get a lot of compliments and comments on how content of a baby she is. Of course, I'm still learning things about her and her signals, my mom hit the nail on the head when she said I'm intimidated by her. WE are no longer in charge, little miss priss is. I'm still a little nervous when she cries and I don't figure out why fast enough. My brain sometimes can't comprehend why she doesn't "know" these things. Aren't they programmed to know basic functions and communication skills prior to birth? LoL

Tuesday was a rough day for me, she slept fine the night before but at one point in the day she woke up and stayed awake for nearly 4hrs fighting sleep and fussing every now and again. I felt like a failure when I couldn't get her calm. She finally calmed down enough and dosed off to sleep and we had a better night.

My mom could hear the stress in my voice that day when we spoke and was sweet enough to come out here on Wednesday, but she'll be leaving tomorrow :( waaaahh! I love having her help/guidance and company.

Speaking of company, I get a lot of people saying "I bet you're glad you didn't have any visitors today." , but truthfully...visitors are what help keep me semi-sane on a monotonous day. Granted I don't really favor unannounced visitors because I might be pulling a "pajama day"...BUT you don't realize how important adult interaction is until you don't have it.

She's a sweetie pie and adorable, but of course I am biased. Even though I still find myself struggling with certain things I wouldn't change it for the world.

Daily dose of cuteness

Things I've learned

In just three weeks I've already learned some interesting things about babies and being a new mom.

- Sleep is underrated

- Sometimes babies make noise just to make noise

- Your nipples can actually scab and peel --- gross fact, but totally true

- Don't try and go sans bra...unless you want to soak your clothes

- You're not in control, the baby is

- What is sex?

- Healing after vaginal delivery is painful and uncomfortable. Even with ice packs, hemorrhoidal pads and Dermoplast, expect discomfort unlike any kind you've probably felt in your downstairs region.

- Showers are now short and sweet and somehow shaving my legs feels too time consuming most days

- The way other people raise their kids may not be the exact way you should raise yours

- In our case you really do need a good stash of newborn diapers...

- ...because sometimes you will waste 1-2 diapers during a change if your baby is still doing their business while you're attempting to change them

- Babies peel and even though you want to get some of it off, don't

- Patience is...well it's a big deal

- I've unintentionally neglected my cats (insert sad face)

- Being out of my normal routine, I've already forgotten to pay some bills...luckily I realized this prior to them being late

- Getting angry at your husband even though he's pulled his weight and probably been more involved than most Dad's is inevitable

- Somehow hearing my own baby crap her pants makes me have to go to the bathroom

- You may want to change your sheets on a daily basis because hormones can cause excessive night sweats

- If you feel like you need to cry, just cry...because most likely you won't have a chance to later and it's better to release it -vs- hold it in

These are just a few random thoughts from my experience that have been going through my head lately and I thought I would share.

Newborn photoshoot

I am in LOVE love LOVE with these photo's of our sweet girl :)