Cheesy Fatty Poopy Pants

Finally. Finally I have finished my thank-you cards from the baby shower... almost two months after the fact. But I feel like people should understand, and if there are any hard feelings, then maybe their priorities are backwards? I'm just so glad I don't have to worry about it again... hooray! Now to buy stamps so I can mail them out!

I hesitate to say it, because you know how awesome I am when it comes to jinxing myself, but Emma has had a really great couple of days. She seems to be feeling better in some ways and her brady's have continued to be few and far between. She had one random one this morning when she spit up and choked while I was carrying her from the couch to her pack n play to put her back in bed. Otherwise, she's been doing so well with her bradys. Her reflux seems to be a smidge better too- she's not arching her back, grunting, and turning red quite so much after she eats. Although she has been bottle feeding like a complete moron lately... lol. But for some reason, she almost forgets to swallow or something and half of the formula dribbles out of her mouth and down the front of her. Even with the gratuitous use of a bib, she still gets crusty onesies and a serious case of milk neck. And milk neck leads directly into cheesiness. She has been acting a bit weird lately- she's been crying when she poops (poor baby!) and just today she would cry from being so hungry, yet she would suddenly be too sleepy to eat. I would be more worried if she hadn't eaten so much and been awake so much yesterday.

I've discovered that she hates having her nose suctioned out, but good lord this kid has some gigantic boogers. Like semi-truck sized.

She smells like cheese most of the time. It's not so bad when she's at cheddar level, but once we reach feta, it's definitely bath time. Last night, we dubbed her "cheesy fatty poopy pants." And that pretty much sums her up, minus the grunting.

I woke up this morning loving my daughter. It was time for her to eat again, so I tried to nurse her, yet she refused. After she finished her bottle, I held her as I usually do but this time she was very calm and alert. I looked down at her and she started gazing at my face and then we locked eyes. And we both sat there staring into each other's eyes, mine welling up with tears. Everything changed in that moment. Love doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about her. And now I feel like she sees me, she knows who I am, and she loves me back. Being a mommy just went to a whole new level for me.

So I've learned that there are some things that never fail:
When I sit down and start nursing/bottle feeding the baby, the dog has to go outside. Like, she'll pee/poop on the carpet if she doesn't go out. She practically does the potty dance (AKA the piddly-jig) and you can just tell that she has to go or she'll explode.

I can put Emma in bed after feeding her in the middle of the night and she'll be so calm, quiet, and completely asleep. But at some point between the time I turn off the faucet after washing her bottle and when my head hits the pillow, she'll start fussing and making noise. It's practically a guarantee, to the point where I worry if she's still quiet by the time I get to the bedroom door.

If I sit down to write out thank-you cards (which I don't have to do anymore! Yay!), the baby will be instantly hungry. Even if I fed her two minutes ago.

If I forget to put her burp cloth/cloth diaper up against my shirt, she'll puke all over me. If I remember it, she won't puke at all.
*end list* :)

Yesterday was her due date! So we finally get to drop her gestational age, and she now only has her actual age and her adjusted age, which will remain until she's two years old. It's just so strange to think about everything that has transpired, especially now that we're sinking into a routine with her and getting used to her being here with us. But to think back to when she was struggling to breathe, when she had so many tubes and wires coming off of her tiny, fragile body, and when my heart ached for her to come home so I could hold her in my arms. Now we just need to ditch this monitor and all will be well!

We had a busy day yesterday, starting with her due date photos with my friend, who happens to be an amazing photographer. We had just enough time to get ready and packed and head to my in-laws' house for dinner... I love going over there because they're so much fun to talk to and we always have a great time. It's also really nice to get out of the house and have someone else hold the baby so we can move about freely :)

Aaaaaannnnndddd pictures!

 She's like a grumpy old man if she hasn't had her coffee.

 She's a tiny philosopher.

 "Tell me I'm beautiful."

 Trying the upside down football hold for gas. She looks amused in this picture, but she really wasn't.

 Mommy and baby hands :)

After her bath. She's so darned cute in a hooded towel!