Mommy lesson #5

You will weep tears of joy the first night you get some sleep. And the second night you get sleep, you will thank God. And the third night, you will start to think that you imagined how mind-numbing the first three weeks of sleepless nights actually were. Then, the fourth night you will have become USED to four hours of continuous sleep which is just damn GREEDY and your baby will fix that for you by refusing to sleep again.

And then the next night you will weep tears of joy... and so on. I think this vicious cycle lasts until your child is seventeen, but I'm not totally sure.

A love letter

To my Kate,

One month ago you came into our lives and completely changed everything. From the moment I saw you, I was flooded with an intense love. And in the short time since that moment, we’ve learned so much about you and about ourselves. Each week brings a new story, a new lesson, a new level of patience.

There are so many memories, small and momentous moments, that I will never forget. The first time I heard you coo, the first time you locked eyes with me. Staying up all night holding you because you couldn’t sleep anywhere but in our arms. The way you smile and how you stretch with your arms over your head every time you wake. I love the look you get on your face and the sound you make when you are getting ready to eat. I love how peaceful you are when you sleep.

You make me laugh daily and you bring such joy to our home. And when you cry, my heart literally hurts.

In this one month, you have blown every expectation I had about being a parent. It has been so much harder, so much more rewarding and so much more humbling than I ever imagined. And while I can’t even begin to imagine what the future will bring, I look forward to every single moment I spend with you.

All my love,

Mom

One month gone by, a lifetime to go!

Kate turned one month old today. I have so much to say, and yet so little time to say it! Today, to celebrate her big milestone, see some of her amazing cuteness below. I look at her and just want to yum her up... this kind of tasty adorable goodness could potentially solve all the world's problems with just one coo.

Mommy lesson #4

If a product has the word "miracle" in the title, and if you have heard/read amazing things about said product, don't wait a few days to test it out. That is just plain stupid. Because a company wouldn't call something the "Miracle Blanket" if it wasn't true.

I dedicate last night's sleep and the lack of a 3 a.m. meltdown (by both Kate and I) to the Miracle Blanket and my sister-in-law that sent it to me. Bless you. Both of you. Equally.

Mommy lesson #3

My nipples are magical. If I had known their raw and awesome power before, I would have probably used them to hypnotize everyone from taxi drivers to employers. I can't even imagine where I could be in life today if I'd begun utilizing them earlier, maybe I'd be CEO of a major company or even president of the United States.

For now, I'll just continue to use their power for good, or in other words, getting Kate to eat, sleep or stop crying in about 3 seconds flat.

Kate's productive morning

Newborns do not do much, but what they do, they do extremely well. This was impressed upon me this morning when in the first hour of her day, Kate did the following:

1. Had an extremely wet diaper.
   
2. Ate breakfast.


3. Threw up said breakfast all over clean onesie for the day.


4. Pooped. Big time.


5. Was hungry due to previously mentioned cookie tossing, so ate again.


6. Pooped again. Even bigger time. So big that second onesie for the day was rendered a casualty of the "blowout."


7. While getting changed into THIRD outfit of the morning, spit up some of second breakfast all over her changing pad.


8. Worn out from all her eating, pooping and spitting up, passed out in her bouncy for what will (I'm assuming) be a good nap after the busy morning she had.

As for myself, I just have aspirations of getting a cup of coffee before the afternoon begins.

Yummy in her tummy

Yesterday was Kate's two week ped appointment. A huge source of anxiety for me has been breastfeeding and whether or not Kate was getting what she needed nutritionally. When you can't see portion sizes and only get to count what comes OUT of one little person versus what is going IN, there is some uncertainty.

All fears were laid to rest when we weight our little champion eater. Usually, by the two week appointment, pediatritians like to see babies back up to their birth weight, which for Kate would have been 7 lbs. and 4 oz. Well, baby girl was up to 7 lbs. and 9 oz.! Dr. D (Kate's ped) said those extra five ounces were bonus and he was really pleased with her weight gain. Which meant I can now start pumping and offering her a bottle a day. Holla!

This little bit of news means that I may actually a) get some sleep at night and/or b) get to get out of the house for more than an hour at a time and/or c) NOT lose my mind.

And, while there are still challenges (i.e. the fact that Kate is a night owl and she only wants to sleep in her car seat which Dr. D. said will flatten her head) all I have to do is look at her face and my heart melts. It amazes me on a daily basis that Ben and I made her -- that this perfect little package is all thanks to us, and now we get to cherish, love and protect her. And in no time at all she will be so much older and no matter how stressed or sleep deprived we may feel now, we are so lucky to have these moments with little Kate.

Mommy lesson #2

Sometimes, babies will cry for no reason. For hours. And they have no regard for your sanity.

Mommy lesson #1

Showering daily is an unattainable luxury. Showering every other day is optional. Showering every few days is mandetory to keep from smelling like spit-up and breast milk.

All about Kate

Every day that passes, we learn a little more about our newest little resident and task master. Here are a few of her stats as well as the first lessons she has shared with us in the past nine days.

1. Birth stats: Born 8:53 a.m. on March 23, 2009. She was 20 inches long and weighed 7 lbs. 4 ounces.
2. Looks: Like a teeny bald angel (but I'm slightly biased). She has a dusting of blond peach fuzz on her head and there is an intense debate on the color of her eyes, however, we are positive they are either brown, gray, green or blue. People say she looks like Ben, but she has my lips for sure -- you should see her pout.
3. Likes: Eating, sleeping and pooping. I'm told this will change as she gets older, you know, she may pick up some other hobbies or start enjoying toys, etc. However, being an Edelbrock, she is sure to continue listing at least two of the three as her likes even as she grows into an adult.
4. Dislikes: Laying down. Currently, Kate sleeps either in someone's arms or on their chest (her favorite location) or in her car seat. Any other possible sleep location is 100% not acceptable, including the pack and play, the crib, the co-sleeper or the basket carrier. According to the pediatrician, this could be due to acid reflux which affects many infants early on.
5. Favorite Food: Milk (duh) although it must be from her most beloved cow (aka Mom). She eats nearly every two hours (except at night) and I'm pretty positive that come our two week pediatrician weigh-in, she will be a little chunkster.
6. Best Friends: Heart beat lamb (helps her sleep at night), Dexter (who has displayed a disturbing foot fetish since she came home... any chance he gets he tries to lick her feet), Dad (who walks the floor with her when she is cranky and is ready to give her anything her heart will ever desire), G'ma Entwistle (who is keeping me sane by helping with Kate when I have to shower, eat, nap or anything else that can't be done with a sleeping infant in tow), Grandparents Greg, Roger and Michelle who brag on her and even joined Facebook to keep tabs on her, and all her aunts, uncles and family -- especially her cousin Lily who is already planning to share toys with Baby Kate (as she calls her). Oh, and she likes me too, although she is certainly influenced by her love of my boobs.