Just A Moment

The baby is asleep,

ahhhh.

I have a moment to sit and think...

so why not blog?

(And apparently have an hour long chat

with Mom on the phone! 

This little girl is in a DEEP sleep!)

The last few days has been a blur.

My days have mostly been

filled with dancing around the living 

room calming a fussy baby.

She has really been expressing 

her female emotions! 

If she isn't sleeping,

she likes to be held.

I am thankful that she now

somewhat fits into the sling that

Angela got for us.

It has allowed for both my hands

to be free for a bit of time.

That is when I QUICKLY get 

some things done 

like throwing in a load of laundry

or unloading the dishwasher.

Claire has begun to really notice her surroundings.

It is really fun to see her reaction when

she hears Spencer's voice as he comes in the 

door from a morning or afternoon at school.

She looks towards his voice and

sometimes gives a big grin.

Her smiles make me melt.

Her eyes even smile.

Cutest.Thing.Ever.

We have LOVED using Skype to

keep up to date with her uncles and grandparents

(Hey Matt and Lauren, did you download it yet?!)

It is especially fun when she is in a good mood.

We have had visitors for the first week and a half.

It was so fun introducing her to her 

family and friends.

Then we had a nice break for a week

getting used to being a family of three.

I love it.

It feels so right.

It is so true when they say it is hard

to imagine life before baby.

I do remember it,

but I can't help but think

"What did we do?"

I will admit that we have spent our time

as a family of three taking leisurely walks

around our neighborhood,

and most of the time fighting over who gets to hold her

(the novelty of diaper changing has totally worn off,

so also fighting over who changes the diaper. Haha.)

and lots of time just staring at her.

We keep repeating to each other how perfect

her __________ is/are.

(Fill in the blank with adorably cute body part/feature.)

There have been times when its hit me like a ton of bricks

that we are TOTALLY parents!

For instance, 

one night she was quite fussy and 

she would calm down when we sang.

So we were having a conversation

about how to fold down the stroller in a sing song voice.

PARENTS.

Or watching a movie on a Friday night

and falling asleep on the couch at 7:30 (yes, PM)

just to end up shutting it off and hitting the hay at 8:30.

Usually, I'd be embarrassed

 but we were dog tired! 

PARENTS.

I'm sure there will be more moments to come.

Yes,

it is frustrating when there is barely time to shower.

Yes, 

it is embarrassing when your husband rubs

his foot on your leg and finds it is rather cactus-like.

Yes,

it is tiring to be up a few times a night to feed.

Yes,

we both hear "phantom cry" at school, in the shower

and other unusual times and places.

BUT -

when I see her peacefully sleeping,

see her drunk little face look up at me with milk dripping off her chin,

when she grasps my finger tightly

and finds her comfort only in my arms.

It is so, so ,so worth it.

Worth every sleepless night,

every headache,

every day spent bouncing and rocking,

every pain of childbirth.

Two and a half weeks went by in a blink.

She has changed so much since her first day here.

Her cheeks are chubbier,

she's grown 2.5 inches,

she fills out her clothes and

she is expressing her likes and dislikes.

(Likes car rides, hates being put in her care seat.

Loves to sleep, hates being swaddled.

Loves nuzzling a neck,

hates the football hold.)

The days are going to continue to fly by,

I hate to think of what's next.

Never in my life have I lived so much in the moment.

I know one day,

like my parents,

I will look back on these days

and just wish for one more moment with a  

milk-breathed baby in my arms.