Seven Weeks

I love this smiley baby!!!

We have had a great week; it has been very encouraging for this stay-at-home mom!  Speaking of that, I am still planning on going back to work part-time in January and am looking forward to it, although I think it will also be really hard to leave Natalie.  We interviewed a sitter last weekend and are really looking forward to her staying with Natalie two days per week.  A friend recommended her based on her experience with her own two kids, so we feel really good about this person watching our daughter.  Taylor will also stay home for one half day so that I'm able to work 20 hours.

Natalie is becoming a better traveler.  While she typically doesn't like getting in to the car seat, she has done really well once she's reached her destination.  Trips to Trader Joe's, Babies R Us, a friend's house, and church were all very successful, much to my relief.  I thought I would be nervous about people looking at her and "getting too close," but I've actually enjoyed it.  So far we haven't had any strange incidents with people.

She is also becoming a fantastic sleeper.  Over the past 5 nights, she has typically slept for about 9 hours - straight!  This does not mean, of course, that I sleep for 9 hours straight - I still wake up a lot. :)  I really try not to take this for granted; I know how difficult getting sleep patterns established can be.

On this particular day, I would put her down for a second (on the couch, in her bouncy seat, and in her crib), only to have her fall sound asleep for at least an hour.  Hasn't happened since, but it was awfully nice when it did!  For this picture above, don't worry - I sat with the computer on the floor right below her. :)



The day she discovered her mobile was also pretty wonderful.  The sound of the song it plays is pretty annoying, but Natalie is enthralled by the moving ladybugs.  It buys me some time when I need to do something.

I also had my first night as a "single parent."  Taylor gave a presentation in Albequerque and was thankfully only gone for one night.  It really wasn't too bad, but it was yet another reminder of the difficult work of single parents.  I was watching a television show last night, and one of the characters is a single woman who adopted a little girl.  She said that there were lots of moments that were difficult, but that the hardest thing was not having a partner with whom to share the triumphant "firsts" of childhood: steps, words, laughs.  This struck me as so true and is something I'm very grateful for.  I love sharing with Taylor about Natalie's day and seeing how intensely interested and excited he is by what she's done that day.    



Taylor saying goodbye to Natalie before leaving for Albuquerque.



Natalie had her first babysitter this past weekend: my dear friend Abby!  It is such a blessing to have a friend so overjoyed to care for Natalie while Taylor and I went out.  We went to Sparkroot, a cool new coffeehouse downtown, where we also went the night before I was induced.  A lot has changed since then, and it was fun to talk about it.

Motherhood [parenthood] so far seems to be a constant paradox: the deepest love I have ever known, combined with momentary frustrations that can be quite challenging.  I am very aware, however, of how fast this time is going/will go.  I love how a friend said it on her blog - this is exactly what I have been thinking:

"There is a combined sense of joy and wistfulness that comes with knowing that I am actively living the happiest days of my life. I am instantly nostalgic for moments as they happen and pass... I am pressing these things into my mind, willing them to always be."

And of course, another video.  Okay, so it looks pretty similar to last week's video - but her smiles are just so cute!  My sister told me that we sounded pretty funny talking to her last week, so I tried to tone it down, but I just can't help myself.