Beautiful Girl

Every night when Andrew gets home from work, he picks Lucy up and kisses her all over her little face and says, "You are so beautiful!" This makes my heart melt, of course, but I also think it's a really important thing for him to say to her at any age.
To a little girl, Daddy is a hero, and his opinion of her is worth its weight in gold. Andrew telling Lucy that she's beautiful may turn her into a vain little thing, but it'll also build up her self-esteem. When a little girl doesn't have anyone to tell her she's pretty, she looks for someone to do it later. When she doesn't have a strong man in her life to hold her to higher standards, she creates her own standards, and they may not be as high as they could be. My dream for Lucy is that she is so secure in who she is that when she goes looking for love, she isn't looking for self-esteem too. Her dad adores her, and having a man adore you early in life is a good way to avoid needing one later.
Grandpa Dick spent years and years of our early lives telling us that we were smart and beautiful and that we could do whatever we wanted with our lives. As a result, I never settled for anyone or anything less than my imagination made up all those years. I have never been disappointed when life didn't go exactly as I planned, because I don't need my plans to work out to be happy.
My dream for Lucy is that she never settles, and that she never needs to search for her identity outside of her own heart. As her mom, I want to see all of her dreams come true, but more than that, I want to raise a person who is bigger than her dreams, and who can find happiness in whatever life gives her. I want her to believe that she's worthy of all of her successes, and that she's not being punished when she fails.
That's why I love it when her Daddy tells her she's beautiful.

Thursday Lazies

Lucy and I are staying home all day! We had a busy day yesterday, so we're spending today cleaning up the house, hanging out in our PJ's and waiting for Andrew to get home.
I just want to say a special thank-you to everyone who called, emailed and posted Birthday wishes to me. I am still trying to return calls and catch up with everyone, but I appreciate all of your happy words and birthday love.
We had a wonderful time out last night. We decided to go to Applebee's instead, and had so much fun. Lucy slept right through dinner, which gave Andrew and I time to catch up and be silly together. We always have so much fun, and my little dose of Percoset before dinner made me exceptionally silly. I thought I'd go pain-free for my birthday- it was so nice. My incision is still hurting, and last night it was acting up something fierce. Lucy has a tendency to kick it while she nurses, and usually it's not a big deal, but last night I needed medical intervention!
We had a big, huge dinner and spent about 2 hours just yakking away. Andrew wanted me to blog this: He was sitting across the table from me, and was gazing at me all gooey-eyed and said, "I am completely and totally enamored by you." I mistook his loving face for the "she's so cute and not very smart" face he gives me when I fall for his stupid jokes and I thought he was teasing me, and I said, "Do I have something on my face?" He looked at me like I was mental, and then I realized he was being serious and I just died laughing.
Lucy is having a fit. Back soon.
Okay, just a little diaper issue. Anyway, I am off to email Andrew and discuss this whole house thing. More later!

Lucy Pics!

Lucy and Mama relaxing after Applebee's

We don't do close-ups!

Lucy looking non-plussed.

Trying to help her uncross her beautiful eyes!

Lucy and Daddy playing on the couch.

Andrew cracks Lucy up!

Lucy wearing her shirt on her head before her bath.

Lucy's close-up.

Lucy wearing her Sunshine onesie from Aunt Katie

Being happy!

Mama and Lucy zonked on the couch.

Funny Face

Would I Do It Again?

First: The House. It was...interesting. It needs a LOT of cosmetic work, but we'd be idiots not to snatch it up in a heartbeat, I think. So maybe we will. More on that later.

Second: I have been thinking. A lot of people have told me that my birth story with Lucy has made them terrified of giving birth. Well, my labor was not typical, and most people sail through it pretty easily. If you're afraid of giving birth, get an epidural. That can solve most of your issues. Yes, there are risks, but the pain is usually lessened. However, I don't think it was the pain that was the issue. Sure, labor is painful. But so is slamming your hand in a car door. :-)
Looking back, the worst part of labor was not being able to control my body and the course of events. I am a bit of a control freak, admittedly, and it was scary having so much going on in my body and not knowing when and how it would end. The pain was bad, but the mystery was worse.
People have asked me how I am doing with not having had a "natural" labor and delivery. Surprisingly, I am doing ok. Initially, I equated pushing my baby out with being a good mother. It was very important for me to complete the journey of creating a baby with the actual act of feeling her leave my body. To some degree, that's still important to me, and I mourn not being able to do it a little. When you have your heart set on something, it's sad when it doesn't work out. However, I decided that if I couldn't push her out, I would commit to breastfeeding 100% and be proud of Lucy and I when I saw it through and was her sole nourishment. The first few weeks were a nightmare at times, but seeing her little hands exploring around while she nurses, and seeing her sweet little face when she falls off in a milk coma make it well worth it.
And as for not having a "natural" delivery, I have a healthy and happy baby who is 100% real, so I guess every delivery is natural to some extent. I am sad that we didn't have that initial bonding right after she was born. It still makes me sad to think about it. But regardless of that, she won't ever know the difference, and my voice is still the one that stops her crying, and my body is still the one that snuggles her best. And I'm proud of my scar. It's visual proof that I love someone enough to cut myself open for them, and that's something to be proud of.
The day we were discharged, I swore Lucy was going to be an only child. Now, just 3 weeks later, I am naming her unborn siblings. I don't know how many children are in our future, and I don't know when we'll meet them, but I do know that the one we do have is just perfect, and was worth every second of those horrible 3 days. And she's starting to growl in her sleep, which means I have ten minutes to finish cleaning before it turns into a big bad roar.

Busy Birthday!

Today is my birthday! Woop woop! We have a busy day today, but that's okay because Lucy-Girl slept very well last night. She was up three times, but she ate very fast and passed out immediately afterward each time. She didn't even cry! Such a good girl.
Today Lucy-Bug and I are going to meet Andrew at the guard shack, and then the three of us are driving to Springfield to look at an old farmhouse that's in foreclosure. Andrew saw it last night and liked it, so it's my turn to fall in love, and hopefully we'll be able to make an offer. For the price, we could buy two of them. It's on 1.6 acres, and Andrew said I can buy a sheep if we buy the place. He doesn't know that I'm going for a sheep and a dog. Ha.
Tonight the three of us are going out to dinner at the Crabby Pig, and then we're going to go for a walk on the Canal. And then I'm going to make Andrew rent a girly movie and watch it with me. I'm the birthday girl. I can do that.
Today is our deadline for Long and Foster to give back the money. I will check the PO Box in an hour and update on this mess later.

Our Chubby Wolverine!

8 pounds 3 ounces! I am so proud! That means she's gained 9 ounces in a week- phenomenal!
Lucy and I are going to look at a house this afternoon, after my ham sandwich. Then we have to go to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription because it sounds like I have THRUSH. Ugh. It would be nice if that's what it turned out to be- I look forward to looking forward to nursing! :-) It's been a great experience, but I am getting a little tired of all the "issues" that come along with it. I guess I can't complain at all. Where functionality is concerned, I get an A, and Lucy is happy as a lark when it comes to eating. So, are any of these little issues really a problem at all?
We had a very nice weekend, but I am pooped after Lucy's escapades last night, so I'm going to set my phone alarm and try to get a little nap before she wakes up.

My birthday

is tomorrow, in case you've forgotten.
Last night was awful. Babies are nothing but trouble, I tell you. Lucy was up every hour all night long. That would figure, since she slept great all weekend. Little turkey. She is now lying on the couch happy as a clam, staring at the flowers and yelling about this and that.
We have another weigh-in this morning, in about an hour. I really hope she's gained some weight. I feed her constantly, so she has to be! I am hoping that she will have hit 8 pounds today. That would be the perfect weight for her right now.
Tomorrow is our deadline for Long and Foster to return our earnest money for the house. After that, it's small claims court. I am not in the mood to battle anyone over this small amount of money, but after the way they screwed with us, there's no way we can back down and just let them keep it. It's the principle of the thing. I wish people would just do the right thing in the first place so these sorts of things wouldn't happen.
I need to dress my little angel so that we can get out the door at a reasonable time. We're going to try to swing by a new house today and hopefully get inside. I also need to rent a car for this weekend, which means I need to talk to Andrew and find out if he's working on Thursday afternoon or not.
More later!

Naked On Main Street!

You know it's a good day when someone strips you down to your diaper and makes a little tent in your stroller so you get just the right breeze. Some babies have all the luck.

The Naked Walk and Alpha Dog

I just finished feeding the cherub and thought I would write a little and say Happy Memorial Day. My birthday is on Wednesday, if you've forgotten.
We went on a nice long walk today, down the the school, around to 7-11 and back up the big hill. It was very nice, and it felt great to get some exercise. I can't wait to get my body feeling just a bit better and to get out and run. I think we're going to start going out after our 5am feeding so that we're walking in the nice cool mornings, rather than trying to battle the heat. I feel bad when Lucy starts to sweat. (Ok, I feel bad when I start to sweat, too...) As you'll see from the picture, sshe was down to a diaper by the time we were halfway through the walk. She liked it- she does love the nakedness.
We came home and had a kind-of lunch of popcorn, cheesecake and crackers and watched "Alpha Dog," which had SO much profanity. But it was a good movie, even though the nice kid was killed by a crazy boy at the end.
Lucy is eating as I'm typing this, after having completed a three hour nap. I wasn't a Boppy user until just this week, and now I pretty much wear it 24/7. It makes feeding her a breeze! Of course, trying to feed her in public is just a three-ring circus, having spoiled myself with the Boppy. Babies have nipple confusion, Mommies have pillow confusion.
We are going to head out to the grocery store in a bit for lunch stuff for the week. I'm dying for a ham sandwich, so I think we'll do sandwiches for the week. Andrew only works three days this week, and then we're going HOME! I am so excited. I think we'll just tank up the baby really good before we leave, and try to drive straight through. Thank goodness there is no rush-hour in Frostburg. In fact, it's kind of an "anti-rush hour."
I just defined the word "replete" out of thin air. I actually gave the dictionary.com definition to Andrew and then I looked it up, and it was right. I love it when I do that. It's my only cool trick.
Ok, I'm going to post a couple of pics, heat up some chicken and pilaf, and head out to buy my ham. How great is it that today is Monday and Andrew is off?!? We slept in today and snuggled the Lucinator between us til 9. It was so nice. I love federal holidays. Even though snuggling no longer means the two of us spooning the day away. Snuggling now means having little feet in my abdomen, a second set of hands to change that 7am diaper and someone to laugh with when she giggles in her sleep. And that's almost as nice. We have our entire retirement to snuggle.
Haha, I'm going to go give Lucy and her poopy diaper to her unsuspecting daddy.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

Andrew, April and Tim are playing tennis on the Wii. Lucy is passed out in the Boppy, and I am killing time online. Tim put an internet channel on the Wii, and now we can do ANY internet stuff on the tv. I think that's very cool.
We went to Mass at 11, and then we went to the mall and had lunch and wandered around. We got a bunch of movies at Blockbuster, and we're going to watch movies and go out to dinner at Sandspring tonight. I think tomorrow we'll just have a quiet day aroud here- Andrew mentioned changing the brakes on the car and taking a walk. I think it's going to be another scorcher. Let me see if I can find some more pictures of Milkface.

Lazy Saturday

Well, Lucy let us sleep until almost 7:30 this morning! The day always goes so slow when you get up at the crack of dawn. She's had a very awake day, with the exception of our trip to the mall and WalMart, so she's napping on my chest as I type this.
Oh my goodness, she is just so sweet and cuddly. We gave her a bath this morning, so she smells like a sweet little baby. She's just so warm and cozy and cute. She's starting to do the Hungry Wiggle, so I don't know how much I'll be able to type, but we will see.
We're going home next weekend! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. Andrew has a three day work week, and then he's off on Friday, so we're going to rent a larger car on Friday morning and drive to Mom's. We'll be there til Saturday afternoon, and then Lucy is going to come to Aunt Em's birthday party with us on Saturday night. We'll be staying with Andrew's parents on Saturday night, and then we'll be going to Josiah's 1st birthday party on Sunday afternoon. Whew! It's Lu's first trip home, so I'm really excited. And we get to see the new room at home, and we'll be out of Frostburg for an entire weekend! It's our first weekend trip of the summer, with the next being the beach trip for Father's Day.
April and Tim wil be here soon- I was hoping Miss Lucy would wake up and eat before they arrived, so that she's all ready to visit by the time they're here, but it looks like she's going for a record nap. I think I'm going to lie down for a few minutes myself.

More Lucy Pics!

"Woooooo Daddy!"

"Do you see how worked up I am?!"

Lucy watching the Fisherman on the wall.

Still watching the Fisherman!

Babies are just scrumptious!

Loving on Lucykins.

Lucy and her very proud Papa!

Lucy submitting to the power of the Boppy.

Lucy snuggling her blue quilt.

Posing in the Boppy!

Home again, home again.

We had a nice time out at Andrew's office and then Tom and James took us all out to lunch at Applebee's. After lunch, Lucy and I went through the car wash and to the post office, and now we're at home trying to motivate Mommy to clean up a little. This place is frightening. However, the first thing I need to do is feed Lucy, and she just doesn't care. She's been asleep since 11am, and it's 2:30 now. Time to pull out the cold washcloth...
I got our hospital bill in the mail this morning. The grand total was...let's say...over $9k and under $11k to safely deliver our little angel. That's an outrageous amount of money. Thank goodness for insurance! Granted, most of it was thanks to the surgery and our extended stay, but I had no idea it costs $600 a night for a baby to NOT use the nursery.

Lunch With Papa

Lucy and I are going to take a little trip to Andrew's office today, to meet everyone and have lunch. Andrew had an excellent and unexpected review yesterday, and we're very proud of him. We're going to the office to break up his day a little bit, and to have something to do for the afternoon. We are very excited, but we need to bathe and get pretty first. We're looking a little rough after last night!
Well, I guess I'll make this short. I can see Lu's bouncy seat going crazy, and she's making happy growly noises, so now is the time to get her into the tub!

Some Wii Frivolity...

Well, we went out and bought the Wii. We traded in the PS2, and I'm surprised we got what we did for it. That thing was OLD. We ended up paying about $200 for the Wii and this and that to get it all started. Normally, I would care about this amount of money, but my husband works so hard, and we're super responsible. I think we tend to forget that we're so young and in a very fun part of our lives. Our life revolves around saving money, paying down debt, house-shopping, feeding the baby, our 401(k) and the 40-hour week, so this is a warranted event.
After GameStop, we went shopping for Laura, since next week is my birthday and I'm in desperate need of new "not maternity" clothes. Andrew just told me to buy whatever I wanted and have fun, so I did. While it's a very empowering experience, having a baby can do a number on your self-esteem, even when your husband can't stop telling you how gorgeous you look post baby. With my body changing so much and so fast, it's hard to feel pretty on a daily basis. It's really a rollercoaster of "wow, look at that"s and "ew, please remove the mirror from the room"s. I found some cute things, and I'm excited about having clothes that fit. I'm in my prepregnancy jeans today, and feeling good, and paired with a new shirt, I feel unstoppable. Lucy and I have to run out and exchange a dress this afternoon, and I hope Suz comes with us to keep me company. Not that Lucy isn't an excellent shopping buddy, but she's proving to be a bit of a snooze when it comes to having someone who responds to me. She always has the same look on her face- just not the active listener I was hoping for. :-)
So, I need to scoot. We're both clean and bathed and ready to get out for a bit. I do need to mention that Lu's lavender baby wash makes her smell like a little old lady. Lucky for her, she's a very cute little old lady. Nevertheless, I can't help but think she's going to beat me in bridge one of these days very soon.

Naptime

She is SO cute when she's asleep. She's also adorable when she's awake.

2 hours ago, she was swaddled all tight- this is one child who will not be sleeping with us when she's two. With all those limbs flying, it would be like a warzone.

ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!

I called GameStop and put a Wii on hold for my honeybun. We are going to the mall tonight to buy it. He is very pumped, and I am so happy to be buying something for him that he really wants. He is such a frugal guy, and he didn't even buy a Playstation 2- I had to buy that for him almost 4 years after it came out. So we're going to buy him his Wii. Enough of this money-saving. Everyone needs a little fun once in awhile!

Lucy's Lips

Since Andrew and I started dating (and kissing), I have always thought it's funny to yell or talk into his mouth because it echoes and it's just funny. I don't know why this cracks us up, but it does.

So it stands to reason that Lucy's favorite activity is to listen to the sounds we make into her mouth. She loves to open her mouth as wide as she can while we kiss into her mouth or babble to her. What's sad is it's the only trick she knows, and when she's awake, it's all she wants to do. So we spend most of her awake time making kissy noises. Last night as she was falling asleep I went to kiss her forehead and as soon as she heard the noise she was wide awake with her mouth wide open, waiting to play.
We just got in from a walk to the Post Office and the Library. It is much harder walking up that hill pushing the stroller. I don't think I'm ready for it quite yet. It was about 85 degrees out there, and not pleasant at all, so we're staying in with the fans on, making kissy noises at each other until Daddy gets home. Maybe the three of us will go out tonight and find something to do.

Laura's New Mommy Must-Have List

I found this kind of thing helpful when I was pregnant, and since I know about a billion young people who are expecting babies, I think it's my duty.



Things you need:



FOR MOM:

• A lactation consultant, if you're breastfeeding. Get a good one BEFORE you deliver. You'll need her from go-time.


• A shoulder to cry on. Maybe 2. The first couple weeks are highly emotional, stressful, scary and exhausting. There isn't enough Kleenex out there to help a new mommy. Find lots of people who have done this before and accept any help that's offered. That includes meals, errands, cleaning, prayers and crying. You might have been pregnant with this little person, but he or she is still a complete stranger who doesn't give two poops about how you feel. You do not know this person, and just because you have a connection to them does not mean you're going to fall in love right away and never find them to be exasperating and frustrating. Babies are a big adjustment and falling in love takes time, just like any relationship. Speaking of poop, I'll be right back.


• Lots of water


• Ibuprofen


• Underwear you don't love


• Stretchy clothes

FOR SLEEPING

• A good lullaby album- "Sleep, Baby, Sleep" by Nicolette Larson is Lucy's favorite. It may be on repeat in our bedroom, but Lucy hears each song like it's the first time, so we have to suck it up and let it play. She loves it, and we love her when she's sleeping.


• A co-sleeper or bed nest. Baby does not want to sleep alone. Prepare for this in advance. You can't spoil a newborn, so let the little angel sleep with you.


• Zip-up sleeper bags- Carter's makes really good ones. Nobody wants to match buttons at 3am.


• A working remote for baby's "play time" at 3am.


• A good bouncy seat and lots of batteries. I would take all the weird dangly toys off. It makes it easier to get baby in and out, and there is nothing worse than an overstimulated and confused infant.


• Waffle-weave receiving blankets- they're stretchy, thin and easy to swaddle with.

FOR BREASTFEEDING

• Two or three brand-new really soft towels. You do NOT want to use your everyday "they dry so well" scratchy towels, believe me. Just spend the money and buy something super soft.


• Lansinoh Super Soft Nursing Pads. A warning: These are the best ones out there, but they're individually wrapped. A word to the wise: Unwrap them all at one time and restack them in the box. Just trust me on this.


• About 20 cloth diapers. There is nothing glamorous about feeding a newborn. Surround yourself with absorbent material.


• Soothies- they're in the feeding aisle at Walmart and Rite-Aid. I wouldn't use them past day 5, but I wouldn't go to day 5 without them.


• Ibuprofen


• A breast pump, even if you plan on that "on demand" nonsense. Some women produce enough milk to wet-nurse an orphanage. I have the Evenflo comfort something. You don't need anything ridiculously expensive, but you need something.
  
• Sports bras, nursing bras and nursing tanks. Buy them all.
• The Nursing Mother's Companion- I would read this twice, maybe three times, before ever attempting to latch a child onto your boobie. Breastfeeding is a natural thing, but it's a very unnatural process. Babies have a terrifyingly strong grip.

FOR GOING OUT

• A Moby Wrap. Best thing since sliced bread. You can make one for about 5 bucks and learn how to use it online.
• Shout Wipes, OxyClean Mini and Tide Pens.

I will add to this as I find things that are necessary. I think I spelled that wrong.

All the pics fit to print!

Dozing with Mama

The almighty pacifier!

Lucy's cake from Uncle Brian and Aunt Clarissa

Lucy and Uncle Brian

Lucy and Cousin Jackie, who just couldn't resist a real, moving baby doll

Andrew and Alison at Burger King

Did somebody say "burritos?!?!?!"

Lu and Aunt Suz

No time...No time at all...

Well, it's 6:45am. We got to sleep in a little this morning. Life is a little easier with the pacifier. The three of us went to bed at 11 last night, and Lucy slept until 2:30, and then she ate a quick snack and slept til 5:30, when I stuck the pacifier in to buy another hour. She seems to be going between the pacifier and nursing pretty seamlessly, and would prefer tonurse, so I think it'll be a good way to keep her happy between feedings. I was starting to get pretty sore playing pacifier to her little sucking spurts. It's also a good way to get rid of hiccups, which are a recurring frustration for Lucy.
I feel terrible not having any time to keep up with my correspondence and emails. I got all of Lu's birth announcements done, and I am working on thank-you notes, but email is the last thing I have time for right now, and I have so many unanswered emails in my inbox. When I even have a second to devote to something other than the baby, I try to get housework done or catch up on paying bills or running errands. No wonder people hire housekeepers.
My birthday is next week! I am excited. Andrew told me that he's taking me shopping for my birthday, since I haven't been shopping for clothes since last spring. I am really excited- I need to feel human again. Not that my maternity jeans aren't great, but...
Andrew is unavailable all day. Those days are the longest for me, because he doesn't email me interesting things or call me. He has clients in all day and will be in a meeting from 8-4. Yuck. That also means that his other work is going ignored for the day, so he may end up staying late to catch up on some stuff. That doesn't change the fact that I need to figure out what to make for dinner.
Lucy and I are going to have a moderately quiet day. We need to go to walmart to buy diapers, so I think we're going to take a little walk around the mall. Maybe. We may just come home and sleep, too. But we do need diapers, and there is absolutely no way around that. And Lucy needs a bath, because she spit up all over herself last night and I'm holding her very far away from me trying not to smell her. That's a good sign that it's time for a bath. If I'd been more awake last night, I would have done it around 2am, but she slept so well I didn't have to make up fun activities in the middle of the night!

Clinging To My Marriage

It's funny how a baby can unravel an entire household so easily. Lucy is so small, but she's such a big person. She's a very strong-willed little girl, and she's very willing to voice her opinion on just about anything. But she's also a little ham, and she's already trying so hard to laugh. She has a very cute little smile, and is very willing to show it.
On the other hand, she's a little stranger in the house. They say the first two weeks are the hardest. We have two days to go, and it's true that each day gets a little easier. Nursing has taken a very good turn and we're both enjoying it now, regardless of the fact that I produce enough milk to nurse the entire island of Jamaica.
The past two weeks have been exhausting and trying, and have reduced both Andrew and I to tears over this and that, but Lucy is such a precious little thing, and we love her so much. It's hard to feel sorry for yourself and your lack of sleep when the reward is so great.
Our marriage has grown in such an amazing way in the past 10 months, but the past three weeks have been our strongest by far. When Lucy was born, we sobbed with joy over her big cry. When my body was just screaming for relief in recovery, Andrew was right there with a big smile, reminding me of what I'd just done. When I couldn't take another second of breastfeeding, he made me try one more time, and then one more time after that. When she just won't settle down at night and I'm delirious with exhaustion, he whispers to both of us until we're peaceful again. We've been on a rollercoaster of emotion and activity and strange new things, and I don't think we'd be smiling as big without each other to cling to. Andrew is a tower of peace and quiet in the middle of all of this, and he is such an amazing partner to have. I don't think we've ever been this tired and overwhelmed, and that the same time, we've never been this in love. Life is good, and God is always so generous with His gifts.
This doesn't mean I'll stop hoping my little gift will sleep through the night.

Happy Saturday & First Blood

Well, today was very nice. We slept in until 7, and then cleaned up the house and waited for Calvin and Katherine to get here. We all had a quiet morning playing Wii and relaxing, and then we went for a long walk downtown and had lunch at Gianni's. And we bought cookies at Lorenzo's! Woo! We got home in the early afternoon and spent the rest of the day napping.
We had yummy leftover chicken casserole from the Kettermans, and now Suz is here and we're watching First Blood. Who doesn't love Stallone??
Tomorrow the cousins will be here, and Lucy will be meeting Uncle Jewish Brian in the late afternoon. (She has more than one Uncle Brian)
So, that's the weekend!
PS: Lucy slept in her crib last night!! Have we turned a corner??

Relaxing Saturday

"My Daddy is a lazy bum." Andrew & Lu sleeping in.

Our walk downtown with Calvin and Katherine- Lu's first time in her new stroller!

Sacked out at Gianni's

Lucy and her blanket collection.

Lunch at Gianni's!

Uncle Calvin and Lucy napping.

Lucy's Smile

Wrapping up the day

Lucy and her Daddy, napping off the wonderful spaghetti and meatballs from the Twiggs.

Lucy recuperating after a day out with Mama.

Lucy enjoying her Moby Wrap. The kid LOVES this thing, and it's so nice being hands free. I feel like a kangaroo. And look at those forehead wrinkles! Somebody takes after her Grandpa Dick!

This kid cracks me up.

She's such a good sport, cooperating with all of my experiments.

Lucy and Dr. H at our first post-partum check-in. Dr. H is by far one of the best doctors out there, and we have him to thank for a successful delivery!

Breast is Best???

Lucy is trying to nap on the couch, so I am going to try to post a blog. This one's about breastfeeding. I am exclusively breastfeeding, and Lucy has yet to experience a bottle or a pacifier. I am told that breastfeeding is a highly connective and rewarding experience. I am also told that climbing Kilimanjaro is rewarding.
I chose to breastfeed for many reasons.

• It's free
• It's the best thing you can give your baby
• It's good for your baby's mental state and emotional well-being
• It's free
• It's uncomplicated and very accessible
• It's a highly romanticized experience, and all the pictures look very beautiful.
• Breastfed babies smell better than formula babies (it's true. sue me.)
• The baby weight comes off faster- 8 pounds to go, but that is probably because I can't remember to eat anymore.

So far, I think Lucy and I have had a very good go at it. She is a good latcher and has caught on quickly, and I haven't bled yet, so I think we're doing ok. I only spent the first week sobbing, and the second week has been reduced to teary whimpers. And I thought the bad pain would be over with delivery.

Lucy's mental state and emotional well-being seem very good. However, she has no idea if it's day or night, and her expertise in this subject isn't very evident, considering the way she comes up for air like a Malaysian pearl diver.

The pictures do make breastfeeding look far simpler than it is. They don't show the baby screaming and throwing her head back in anger, and they don't show the mother covered in ice packs or trying to shower without standing in the spray of the water.

However, even after all of that, it's still free. This is a big bonus. And, I can pull her off her nest at night and she's eating within seconds. I would hate the nighttime even more if I had to get up and make a bottle. And her burps don't stink, which makes her so much cuter.

After all is said and done, it's a harrowing experience, and I think that it takes a lot of patience and pain, but it's well worth it. Looking down and seeing her little profile is so sweet. I didn't want to stop being pregnant, because she and I had such a special bond, but breastfeeding brings it back, knowing that I can still provide the only thing she needs. (And it's gratifying when she's fussy, because all babies have that "You did this to me" face, and I can think, "Cry away honey; you still need me.")

Well, I need to eat breakfast. I am starving, and I'm running out of time. Lucy is having a half-nap, and I doubt I'll be able to horse down an entire bowl of cereal. Oh well- at least you only need to hold one spoon while you eat. We have lots to do today, but I'll try to post pictures later!

A Big Thank-You!

We just want to say a big public thank-you to Grandma Jen, who did SO much for us over the past week. It's been an emotional and crazy week, and we just couldn't have done it alone! She was tireless in her efforts to keep us sane, clean and fed. Her knowledge of babies and those first few long nights was so nice to have, and it made us much braver in everything we had to do. She is a living saint, and we love her so much!

Babies keep you busy!!

Whew. It's been a long week. I am trying to feed Lucy and type with one hand, so this could take all night...
First things first. I love this little chicken so much. She is so good, and so beautiful, and she just makes our life very smiley. She has been a very easy baby so far, and very easy to live with. Having Andrew off for the first couple weeks has been nice. We finally had the chance to put her in her bouncy seat and spend some time alone tonight, and it was much needed and so nice. It has been so nice having our family here, but it's nice getting back to normal and doing our own thing again.
It's been strange coming off the pregnancy train and getting back to my regular body. Lucy is a champ when it comes to nursing, and we haven't so much as hit a speed bump yet, so I'm really happy about that. She's a very business-like nurser, and she gets the job done and gets on with life. I like it when she happens to pass out while she's eating, so I can kiss on her and snuggle her. It's our special Mommy/Lucy time. Andrew loves the fact that I'm breastfeeding, and is absolutely amazed by the whole process, so it's really nice to have such a great support. It was really important to me to extablish a good nursing routine, and I'm really happy with the way things are going.
It's weird seeing Lucy outside of me and hearing her cry after having her inside me for so long. And, the three of us are still getting to know each other. The last few weeks of the third trimester were exhausting for Andrew and I, and I'm so glad to have things getting back to normal. Lucy really doesn't take up much space, and her routine is simple and easy to follow, so we're doing well. She's so cute, and so kissable, but you never realize how exhausting even the most happy baby is until you have them connected to you 24 hours a day. Breastfeeding sure makes our nights easier- it's so nice to just reach over and pull her close, instead of having to prepare a bottle and listen to her cry. It takes us about 2 and a half minutes from the time she wakes up to change her and get her eating. It makes for quiet nights. And she's an amazing sleeper, so that helps right now. In fact, she's totally zonked right now. I'm an idiot for not sleeping. I will finish this soon.
Ok, I'm back. And it's the next day. Thank goodness people don't expect too much from new mothers. I can't be held accountable for anything these days....
OH, we are going to look at a house tonight at 5pm. Please keep us in your prayers as we begin our house hunt again! It's a long haul, and so far we really like this little house- it's out of our hands, I know, but I sure would like to find a place to live. One thing at a time. First we need to figure out our nighttime routine. Once we do that, everything else will be simple. Lucy is sweet, but she still has her days and nights all turned around, and it makes me very tired.

What day is it, anyway???

Lucy Tuesday 5/15/2007, kicked back and napping.

Lucy sporting her Aunt Em's beautiful dress - a beautiful dress for a beautiful girl!

Lucy sleeping in her GIGANTIC carseat. There is more carseat than baby in this picture!

Uncle John Faber (FYI- good looking fellow for all you single ladies out there) holding his great niece.

The Cookes @ home with baby Lucy!

Godmom Lisa & Mom Laura loving on little Lucy (wow, alliteration)

Lucy looking more & more like her mom when she opens her eyes!

Beautiful Mother Day Flowers that Andrew bought me for my first Mother's Day.