New Mom Chronicles

Who do you think she looks like?

Ok, here we go...

Daddy:

Mommy:

Baby:

Motherhood, 18 days and counting...

I've been a Real Live Mom of a Real Live Out-in-the-World Baby for almost 3 weeks!  My first thought is that I can't imagine what my life was like without her.  But then, there are those times when I can most DEFinitely remember...sleeping 9 hours straight at night, going out for dinners with friends, deciding at a moment's notice to take a nice drive down the coast and have cocktails on the ocean.  But these times are fleeting, and they all melt away when I get a whiff of that awesome Baby Smell.  My own baby's sweet perfume that makes me want to hold her! and squeeze her! and name her George, er, I mean...well, you know what I mean.

My mom is in visiting until Tuesday, and it's been SO great to have her here.  She loves to hold her little grandbaby, and has been working her butt off around the house.  This morning, she left to go to the grocery store, and Husband, Zoe, and I had some family cuddle time in bed.  I do believe it's the best feeling I've ever had in my life, being sandwiched in between my loving husband and my sweet sweet little girl, enjoying the quiet morning just the three of us.  I can't even describe it, except to say that it's one of those moments that you know, as you are having it, that you will cherish it for the rest of your life.

Ooh, another first that happened the other night is that I sang my baby to sleep.  Those of you who know me well, know that I have a decent singing voice but am certainly not a soloist.  Well, apparently Zoe doesn't care about that.  She just laid in my arms and was calmed down from Fusspot to Sleepyhead in no time.  That Elizabeth Mitchell CD has been a savior.  Somehow it makes me feel more motherly to actually know the words and melodies to more than one half of a lame lullaby.

The sleeping has been going better these past 2 nights.  She's been up every 4 hours, which gives me 3 hours in a row - TWICE!  Haha!  Who would have thought I'd be so happy about this!  During the last months of my pregnancy, I became a Professional Sleeper, going for 10-12 hours at a time, waking up only halfway to pee once or twice a night.  Maybe this helped to prepare me for the lack of sleep to come, banking that many hours?  But then, I have been feeling some of the cumulative effects of the lack of sleep lately, so maybe not.  It was a nice thought though.  Believe me, I feel very, VERY lucky to have such a good sleeper.  Even if it's only for now.  I am acutely aware that my circumstance in this regard could change any moment.  I am grateful for the moment.

All in all, motherhood is going pretty damn well.  Considering the difficulties that a lot of my formerly-pregnant-now-mommy friends have been having over the past few weeks, I know I am extremely blessed.  I don't know if it was the difficulties during my pregnancy, or the whopper of a labor & delivery that earned me this luxury.  But whatever it was, I am soooooo thankful.

Now, without further ado, here are some more recent pictures.  This is the other part of motherhood that I'm experiencing...everybody wants to see pictures of my preshuss, preshuss Angel, right?  Because she's the most beautiful baby in the world, right?  I just know she is.  No other baby is nearly as beautiful as my baby, as demonstrated here:

Hahahaha!  Oh, too funny.  No, really, here we go...this is a pic of the incredibly awesome Moses Basket that Grandmommy bought for us.  Zoe loves it and has already slept many hours basking in its retro circle-y wonderfulness:

That's how we've been dressing her this past few days.  I've become quickly addicted to Babylegs.  They are a great invention!  Zoe has been battling a nasty case of diaper rash (How can they stand it, the babies??  Good Lord!  I'd be crying rivers if my behind looked like hers!  Ack!  Poor, poor baby.) and these legwarmer-type things allow us to keep her bottom aired out all day long.  Diaper changing and checking is so much easier too.  And yes, I'm aware that this outfit portrays her as a San Francisco Hippy Baby.  It's one of her many Looks.  Along with Sweet Sweet Baby Girl:

 

Did you notice the shoes?  Oh my.  Here:

I KNOW!  Aren't they the most PRECIOUS EVER!  Thank you, Shasha!

So now, to avoid Cuteness Overload, I will leave you.  I'll try to post more in the upcoming days.

Best Friends

A friendship made in college with a 15 year history...now grown women in our thirties supporting each other as we bring our little girls into the world...

Our little girls' first play date...

Look Ma, No Hands!

Phew!  The Moby Wrap is a wonderful invention.  As I type, my daughter is snuggled to my chest with this contraption - basically a loooooong piece of somewhat stretchy cloth.  So cool.  It means I can eat with her on me, too.  And just generally be able to move around and not kill my arms.

No more pictures today.  We haven't taken many more.  Just not enough hours in the day, it seems.  I'm sure we'll have more for you next week when my mom comes out to visit / take care of me while Husband goes back to work.  I cannot WAIT for her to get here!  I'm reaching the point where I just want to show Zoe off.  I'm continually amazed at what a joy she is.

We've settled into a little bit of a routine these days.  I'm doing the night shift with her, and I really don't mind.  We've been given the go ahead by our pediatrician to let her sleep for as long as she will sleep at night, since she's gaining weight at record speed and nursing is turning out to be really easy for both of us.  I'm up about 3 times a night, but I get about two and a half to three hours of sleep in between each hour awake.  We wake up int he morning, Husband gets up to make the coffee while I feed the Angel in bed with my phone/headset and nursing basket* at my side.  I sit with little Zoe after the feeding and enjoy her milk-drunk awake time.  We coo and stare at each other for a while, then get up and start moving - eating breakfast, sometimes showering, just getting the day started.  The next nursing session has been spent in the rocker/glider, with my favorite lullaby CD playing on the CD player.  This is my favorite time of the day.  I sing to my little baby.  How awesome is that?  I really hope that, even as things change and life gets more hectic and Zoe grows, we can continue this quiet time together.  Afternoon is usually for showers and visitors, chores and more nursing sessions.  Evenings are spent mellowing out with Husband, watching some of our favorite Tivo'd shows.  Then to bed for another nighttime routine.

And yes, Husband is extremely appreciative that I take the nighttime shifts.  I need to be up for the boob anyway.  I don't see the reason - yet, at least - for him to be up too.  One of us may as well be running on 100%, especially seeing as he's the one bringing home the bacon at the moment.  And he's been truly working his butt off during the day.  He keeps the kitchen clean, the house neat, me fed and watered, and basically does anything that I ask him to.  He even fed me my lunch yesterday while I nursed Zoe.  He's a good catch, that one.

We had our second pediatrician appointment yesterday.  The verdict is that we have given birth to an overachiever, even at just a week old.  But, with her being an Aries born in the Year of the Golden Pig, are we really that surprised??  Zoe is "at the top of her class", per our pediatrician, in terms of her weight.  She was 10 lbs., 13 oz. at birth.  One week later?  11 lbs. 2 oz.  [For those of you who don't know, babies usually lose 5-10% of their birth weight in the first week, then gain it back by the end of the second week.]  Also, she's never been jaundiced.  Considering that I supposedly had gestational diabetes, that Zoe was suctioned out of me with a vacuum, and she was postdates by 15 days, the pediatrician said this was practically unheard of.  Yea for us!

That's the news that's fit to print for now.  We are open for visitors as long as they/you are healthy.

Sigh

Do you think I should call a baby modeling agency?

No?  How about now...?

She is such a blessing, this little one.  She smiles in her sleep - and even when she's awake - all the time.  She's a happy little soul, and I've been entrusted with her care.  This is a dream come true.  My heart is so filled with love for her.  I'm in awe.