Pretty baby

I just love having a baby to dress up. Thankfully she doesn't mind. The yellow dress was for church yesterday. Mimi got it for her.

I just love the laughing picture! She is such a happy baby. Not nearly as happy as she makes me.

"Aunt" Marcia gave her the Got Milk outfit. I think I should send it to them so she can be in their next ad! She looks like a little thug!

Even tiger mommies understand

I love her expression. So perfect. I am so lucky to have my Brynn-Brynn who sleeps 12 hours a night (and has for many weeks now). Napping is not her favorite pastime, however. I feel lucky to get 45 minutes at once. If I had to choose between the two, I would choose 7pm-7am like she does over a couple of 2 hour naps during the day. I can't complain. Gone are the days of me deciding that I need a little nap and actually get to take one. Well worth it, I say.

Shower at the Library

Okay, I know it is very late. Blame it on Erick. He downloaded a free picture program, Picasa 3, and I'm having way too much fun with it. I'm turning off the computer as soon as I click "Publish Post." These are the pictures from our baby shower (complete with baby!) at the Spartanburg Library where Erick works. Everyone there is so nice. They asked him before I had Brynn when I would want them to give us a shower. I was so huge and miserable then that I knew I would enjoy it more after she was here. I was right! People brought homemade food and lots of nice gifts! We are so thankful.

Our Family

This picture makes me so happy. How often can you get a good picture of one person, let alone three. Especially when one of those is a baby. She almost never looks at the camera. I love our little family.

Another product review. Don't know why I'm into doing this these days...

In another attempt to find something to satiate my nearly constant chocolate cravings, I got the chocolate Special K protein shakes. On the plus side, it is very creamy and is only 3 WW points. On the strange side, after drinking about half of the bottle and puzzling a bit, I came to the conclusion that it tasted like pureed pinto beans. It may have had a dash of unsweetened cocoa powder. Once I decided that I thought, "Well, I like pinto beans," and I finished the bottle.

Regardless of what the box advertises, I was hungry an hour later. I wasn't surprised; I've never been one to be satisfied by drinking my meals.

It is better to drink out of a bottle than from a weird Slim-Fast shake can, but at least those taste like chocolate milk and not like a popular legume.

Things that make me feel like a good mommy...

• A sticky cheek at the end of the day.
• Having her formula measured out in the little container.
• The obstacle course of baby paraphernalia that is our home.
• Now knowing how to spell "paraphernalia."
  
• Cutting her fingernails without cutting her fingers.
• A neat basket of [clean] diapers.
• Hanging up her tiny clothes.
• My Facebook page that is a shrine to her cuteness.
  
• A stack of stained but clean bibs.
• Her good morning smiles with tear puddles still in her eyes.
• A giant container of nursery water that takes up a whole counter.
• A bottle drying rack and basket of bottles that takes up a whole counter.
• The aroma of baby shampoo that lingers in the bathroom.
• A good night's sleep.
• Losing count of the kisses I've given.
• Being the only one that can swaddle her just right.
• Speaking in third person now feels normal.
• My new confidence as a woman.
  

Advice for new mommies

There are several things that I was probably told before or during the first few weeks my baby girl was here, but I was either too hormonal or stubborn to hear them at the time. Here is my list of the truth about the induction period of motherhood.

• Listen to the advice people give you. It won't make you feel any better right now, but one day you'll remember something you heard and be glad.
• Trust yourself. You're doing better than you think. You will figure this out.
• Breastfeeding is really really hard. Women who do deserve medals.
  
• Your baby has not read "the books." Neither should you right now.
  
• People do not expect your house to be clean right now. If they do, they should clean it themselves.
• No parent really enjoys the first few weeks. If they said they did, they either have forgotten or are lying.
• A stranger entered your house and completely disrupted everything in your life and requires your attention around the clock when you feel crummier than you ever have before. This does not instantaneously make you feel emotionally close to your baby. Everyone lies about this too.
• It's okay to cry. A lot.
• Speaking of crying--it takes a while to learn your baby's cries. "The books" don't mention that part. (another reason not to read them)
  
• Your baby won't remember any of this. You won't remember much of it.
• It gets a lot more fun very soon.
• Remind yourself that it is all worth it (as often as you need to).

There you go.

Fiber One "Poptarts"

These Fiber One Chocolate Fudge Toaster Pastries are yummy. A little bulky tasting in the end, but they are good and fudgy to do the trick for this hungry Weight Watcher member.

Beach Trip

Last week we went to Myrtle Beach and stayed in my aunt and uncle's house on an old army base. It was so wonderful! I wasn't sure how Brynn would do sleeping in the room with Mommy and Daddy in a Pack 'n Play, but she was perfect as usual. (Sometimes the joy of having such an easy baby is dampened by the thought that there is no way I can have another child this good. This little voice keeps saying, "You just wait..")
I wish we could have stayed longer. I don't know how long it would take for me to tire of having days of lying on the beach, shopping, eating, playing the Wii all hours of the night, etc. etc. etc. I guess I would eventually. Sounds like a fun experiment.
I can't imagine what it would be like to never have seen the ocean. One lady came up to us on the beach to take a picture of my brother buried in the sand. She said her friend had never been to a beach, so she was taking pictures for her. I feel so fortunate to live so close to mountains and the ocean. I don't know why anyone would want to live anywhere else. I guess they have their reasons.
I'm pretty proud of this video...my first attempt at making a movie. Flip Video makes it very easy. I love my Flip camera.

Yuck!!!

Gentle Naturals Cradle Cap Treatment: This stuff is terrible! Brynn has pretty bad cradle cap, so I thought I'd try this. It turns out I prefer the cradle cap! I cannot get all the goop off her her sweet little head and it smells awful. I feel like a bad mother when I look at her greasy, clumpy hair. I'm working on getting it all off without annoying her, but after two shampoos it is still there. Yuck!

Rain...

Rain usually makes me sad. Ill even. I consider myself to have a sunny personality, so rain does not compliment that well. I know we need rain, and I always feel obligated to thank God for the rain on behalf of farmers and flowers, but honestly I don't think I mean it. I'm selfish like that. There should be some better way of getting moisture and cleanliness to the earth other than making everything so dark and miserable. I need sunshine. Maybe I have a vitamin D deficiency or Seasonal Affect Disorder.
Today, though, I'm in a need-rain mood. I want a day to be in the house and do nothing or everything, I haven't yet decided. Being stuck in the house is a lot more fun with a sweet baby that smiles and coos at whatever Mommy does. Rain makes me slow down and remember things like that since I have to work harder at being happy and pleasant on days like these. So thank you, God, for the rain today. I mean it this time.

Something funny

I was sitting in my classroom today (doing work without being paid) and the assistant principal came in to check on end of the year stuff with my substitute. I found it amusing that she checked off my stapler, tape dispenser and scissors. I bought all those myself. How nice of them to make sure I still have them.
Then she asked about my classroom library books that I send home with students. "Um, do you mean my books I brought?" I asked. Come to find out there are actually books available to teachers in the school for just such a purpose. I love being held responsible for things I'm never told about and being a raccoon of the school faculty along with the rest of the special education department.
The students who need the most help get whatever is leftover. Makes sense, huh? This raccoon is irritated.

A beautiful start

I get a certain satisfaction from being up before everyone else. This morning is especially nice. Brynn repaid me for having a hard time getting to sleep last night by sleeping until a late 7:30 and smiling and waiting patiently for me. She went right back to sleep after her tummy was filled. I've already showered with my new favorite shampoo (Herbal Essences!). I'm dressed in a shirt I haven't been able to wear since Brynnie came, and I'm ready to go shopping with 3 of my favorite girls. I'm also wearing my wedding rings again for the first time in at least 6 months! They're a little snug, but I haven't been able to get them on since early in my pregnancy so I'm happy and wearing them anyway. All this led to me needing to create a blog. Now my little angel is waking telling me my time of solitude is up for today. That's not so bad either.