Daddy is absolutely smitten at the slightest smile or coo! I spend hours just staring at her smiling...and occasionally crying. It's such an humbling experience to watch your infant grow, learn, and change. They rely on you so heavily to take care of them. They have no fear, just certainty that Mommie and Daddy will take care of everything. I can't stop saying thank you enough. Every time she smiles, or grunts I'm grateful. Every day I wake, I'm grateful to have another day to serve my child with unconditional love. Ahhhh! It's the coolest job in the world!
This month we had THREE major milestones: 1) Mariah took her first bath and boy was it scary! For starters, I was terrified she'd drown in the tablespoon of water I bathed her in! I just KNEW it was too cold and she'd get hypothermia within 60 seconds of being wet. As the bath commenced, I was certain she'd slip out of my hands because she was so squirmy and wet. All around, I think she was very confused as well. She kept staring at me as if to say "Why are you doing this to me? I'm not enjoying it and neither are you! Why don't we just stop?!" Daddy caught this expression on camera...priceless.
2) Mariah's eyes followed the pages of her book as I read to her. I try to read to her at least twice a day. We are reading the same book over and over again right now to provide repetition. Usually she'd just gaze aimlessly or stare into my face as I read. Well around week 4, she actually focused her attention on the book's pages and as I turned the pages, she turned her head. I was super excited! Sounds so incredibly small, but things like this are HUGE for a new Mommie!
3) Mommie and daughter spent the afternoon out together! This was more of a milestone for me I guess. But, every mom is terrified, I'd assume, driving their little one around alone for the first time. I wanted to visit one of my dear friends who also has a newborn. So, Mariah and I got dressed in adorable outfits. I did my hair and put on a light touch of make up...and we hopped in the car all by ourselves to visit our friend. It was a huge moment in my Mommie experience. I was super nervous about her back there all by herself. At every stop light, I put the car in park, reclined my seat, and leaned back there to see if she was okay. Of course, she was! I was just ... ya know... a paranoid new mom! When we got to our friends house, Mariah did a wonderful job eating, playing, and napping right on schedule without any prompting from Mommie! It was super duper fun!
Month 1 has been a wonderful blessing. The time has flown by. In other news this month, I completed my spring semester course and should be graduating with a Masters in Educational Leadership and Human Development from George Washington University in May! I look forward to making the trip back to D.C. to spend some time with friends and graduate!! I was also waiting, ever so patiently, to hear back on my Ed.D. application and the news came in. :) I was accepted! WOW! Uhm, not sure what's next. Do I go? Do I defer my acceptance for a year? Can I do "stay-at-home-mom" and "Doctorate student"???? I don't know! I'm praying about whether or not this is the path God wants me to take. I have two weeks to accept, reject, or defer my acceptance. We shall see!
One last note, my dear friend Gail is the mother of a 3-year-old. When her son turned 1, she had a birthday party in her home and decorated the house with pictures of her child from each month of his life. I STOLE that idea!!! Check out Mariah's one month pictures. As always credit to Modern Joy Photography for capturing our life's priceless moments. [Side note: MJ Photography will be in Houston and Austin on June 10-13, 2011 if anyone is interested in booking. Packages start at $250. Email jessica@modernjoyphoto.com for booking info.]
3 comments:
I love that yawn at the end! I'm assuming that is her yawning and not squawling. :)
Congrats on her 1 month!! She's a beautiful girl..you must be so proud!
Your description of bathing a newborn reminded my of the time that I bathed my new baby for the first time. She was a slippery as an eel. I nearly had a heart attack, but I was backed up by my mother-in-law, who had the experience of 4 children. I enjoyed reading your post. As always, it was so thoughtful.
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