Recent Happenings

My little lady has started to 'coo' and giggle.  We are having fun talking to her, and watching her try to talk back to us.  Its the cutest thing.  I love seeing her darling little smile.  I have to wonder though if she thinks we are crazy for the tones we use when talking with her.  I swore I would try and not do the high pitched voice most of us tend to do when we talk to a baby.  I am sure you all know what I am talking about.  Yet, I seem to have forgotten that I spoke those very words, and frankly I cant help it.  Oh well, she wont remember I did it anyway! Here are a couple pictures of her recently that I took on my phone.

Ouch!

Okay, cutting little tiny finger nails is not easy.  To be honest it terrifies me to death.  The first attempt I thought I did pretty good.  Second attempt... not so good.  I cut her thumb... poor thing screamed. I then started to get all teared up as I snuggled her in my remorse.  I am happy to say that it was the last finger I had to do.  Next time I am going to have to make Rand do it.

1 Month

                                                      (Photos taken by the lovely Katie Oborn along with header photo)

Lula Jane is already one month old.  Wow, really?  Saying that feels like we should get an award for surviving that long!  Have we had our little girl that long already?  Is it weird that we can't imagine life before her?  That every moment spent staring at her, we simply can't imagine doing anything else?!  And that when we have left her all we think about is her?

lack of sleep... check
waking up every three hours...... you bet
changing more diapers then we ever imagined possible for a little human..... check
checking to make sure she is breathing every now and then... check
still amazed that she is ours.... check
loving her sweet little face... check
dealing with blow outs (were talking up the back, front, down to her thigh).... check
taking her on car rides just so she will fall asleep... check
loving every minute of her little body getting chunkier.... check
feeling like we are starting to get a handle on things she likes/ dislikes..... sort of check
staring at her just to watch the faces she makes.... check
amazed at her tiny little features.... check
still trying to decide who she looks like... check
constantly thinking how cute she is.... check
never imagined we could love a little human more... check

Motherhood... (wow that word still terrifies me) has been the greatest blessing of my life.  Yes, it's hard at times, but looking at her sweet face makes everything better (even the lack of sleep!).  Motherhood is much of the unexpected for me.  So most of the time I have spent guessing what each cry means, or what she needs from me.  That can be hard at times.  Yes, I have cried when she was crying.  Yes, my heart still breaks every time I hear her sweet little cry.  Yes, I have caught myself having conversations with her.  Yes, I kiss her cheeks like crazy.  Yes, I am the crazy mom who has you wash your hands or use hand sanitizer.  Yes, I am the mom who can't wait for her to recognize me visually and smile.  Finally, yes I still cant believe she is ours.

I cannot say how blessed this whole experience has made me feel.  From the moment they laid her on my chest, as we looked at each other eye to eye, we bonded.  It was one of my most sacred experiences.  I will forever remember those first moments, the first time we were a family of three instead of two.  How amazingly blessed we are!  To have the opportunity to be a mother is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world.  I feel so blessed to be able to have gone through pregnancy, feeling every movement, every hiccup.  Then to have this little human come into the world and know you created them, and they are yours..... forever.  It honestly makes me cry.  So before I actually start to cry about this for the millionth time, here is some of her stats from two weeks ago.


Lula Jane's two week stats:
Weight: 8 lbs 12 oz (90%)
Length: 21 1/2 inches (95%)
Head: 13 inches (50%)

Dear Miss Lula,
Life with you makes so much more sense.  We cannot imagine anything more perfect than you.  You complete our small family more than you will ever know.  We are grateful for the spirit that you have brought in our home.  We love you so much!  Each day you grow up, we look at you and wonder how on earth we are so lucky.  Your little smile and your little cry make us smile and cry with you.  We often talk about you when you're asleep and when you are eating.  Sometimes we laugh.  Sometimes we cry.  We never imagined you would be so perfect, so much fun, and bring us so much joy.  You're the best!

Love,
Mom and Dad