Not my style...

This morning (like most mornings) you refuse to sleep in your crib after about 4am.  So, your daddy and I will cuddle up with you in the recliner for the last few precious sleeping hours.  This morning, you awoke around 8am, had breakfast and were awake and alert as can be.  We read the all black-and-white "bug" book that I'm convinced helps you "engage" due to the contrasting colors/pictures.  You loved the book - you'd follow/track it when I moved it with your wide eyes & I even got a few smiles.  When we were done, I figured we'd try some tummy-time since you were in a good mood.  Nope - tummy time is just not your smile.  You quickly became crabby so I hurried to put on the Moby where you instantly calmed down.  Being on a hard floor is just not your style...

After a while in the Moby, you became fussy again but I needed to make breakfast and put away some laundry.  We tried walking around/bouncing and talking silly but you weren't interested.  The only two things that calmed you this morning - the oven fan and the hairdryer.  With the assistance of these household items, I was able to eat and laundry is neatly packed away :)

Here's my FB post for the morning:

Out of all the fantastic baby items we purchased & were gifted, the things most soothing to my baby this morning are the loud oven fan & my hairdryer. Go figure...

Happy Haze

Well, the first month is over - and what a happy haze it has been.  After coming home on Xmas Eve, dealing with bili lights for several days, a return to the hospital on Xmas day, figuring out how to nurse/pump/use the car seat/use the stroller/soothe you/use the Moby & Bjorn/figuring out what goes in a diaper bag (& remembering to bring the diaper bag with us!), completing my thesis (oral boards) & mailing off, two home nursing visits, newborn photo session (and picture viewing session) with poop all over the nice, white fluffy photo-blanket, returning for your 2-week visit with repeat labs, a trip to The Children's Hospital, bathtime strategizing, meeting Bacchus & Circe, completing my case list (oral boards), pulling off the side of the road & hopping into the back seat to nurse, visiting Brian's office folks, trips to Good Sam & St. Joe's (and Dr. Zarlengo's home) for my oral board hospital affidavits, your daddy's campaign kickoff at the Downtown Tavern where you nursed & had your diaper changed on a booth in the Cowboy Lounge (what a fun story that will be when you turn 21!), interviewing and hiring a nanny, and the amazing lack of sleep...it's been the happiest month of my life.

It's Sunday morning, we are sitting in the master bedroom (where your daddy had the cable hooked up so we could watch TV in the mornings).  We've watched Meet the Press (Newt Gingrich took South Carolina's primary win over Romney last evening ).  You nursed and are sleeping while I shop for onesies ("Mommy is my Valentine", "My First Valentine's Day", "Congratulations! You get to sit next to me on the airplane", "Love me Tender") - for our planned trip to Graceland in a few weeks.  Your daddy is working on his computer answering emails regarding his election/Lincoln Day dinners and strategizes about the campaign.  Your Uncle Mark has already texted several times.

The highlight of the past month has definitely been your smiles!  First smile 1/15/12 when you were only 3+ weeks old!  I didn't believe it was intentional at first but your proved me wrong by smiling FOUR times that evening while I talked ultra-silly to you.  I even got the fourth smile on film!  Since then, we've seen many intentional smiles - although I haven't been so successful getting it on video (we did capture a half-smile on video last evening).

We read your first book yesterday - "Are you my mother"?  You were crying, inconsolable so I just sat in the rocker with you and grabbed a book.  I started reading (LOUDLY) and you suddenly stopped crying, cranked your head around to look at my face and intently listened to me read the book over and over and over.  Priceless.

You're stirring...