Tag Archives: grace

dear peanut {six months}

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happy six months, my sweet little peanut! 

a very merry half birthday to you.

{did i just type half birthday?  as in, half way to one year old? good gracious.}

how happy and effervescent are you?  big eyes.  expressive brows.  wispy, warm blonde hair.  button nose.  wide, gummy grin that extends all the way to your long, curled toes.  your strong and chub-a-licious legs.

and those bright pantaloons.  dressing you is getting better and better.  although, i have imposed a bit of a fancywear embargo for our everyday apparel since you are such a droolypuss.  and talk about much ado about nothing!  not a tooth to be found.  any day now, i expect one of those pearly whites to just pop through, officially signaling your passage from infanthood into toddlerness.  but, in spite of the salivafest, nothing dental to report.  {hold off, little tooth.  stay safely nestled in those precious pink gums.  let my baby girl be a baby for just a smidge longer.  pretty please.}

by the way, you are in the 2nd percentile for height and weight.  tinier than 98% of the baby population.  the doctor just giggles as she reads it.  she thinks you are the cutest, petite little bundle.  and she is sufficiently impressed by your half-year-mark abilities.  you are small.  but FIERCE.  determined and strong.  frankly, your papa and i are already shuddering at your will.  ever since you learned that rolling is a handy way to get around, you are all over the place.  and fast too.  as soon as i plop you down, you are on the move.  rolling and shifting and grunting and flapping your arms wildly, beating on your belly little a little drum.  you pull at the blanket and shimmy until everything is just so…and then, you are off again.  rolling, rolling, rolling.

it is amazing to watch as your brain processes the world around you.  making connections.  perceiving space.  comprehending relationships.  now, when you see a toy {or anything that tickles your fancy, for that matter. fabric, earrings, ponytails, dog ears, etc.} that is outside of your reach, the wheels begin turning as you concoct a plan for how to get your little fingers on it.  it usually involves some grunts of frustration, a few furrowed brow glances at papa, followed by strategic rolls and flops and toe curls and pulls…and then, voila! your little fingers arrive at your desired location.  you grasp for your toy, pull it toward yourself, clutch it lovingly, and flop over onto your back in sheer victory and delight.  and while it isn’t pleasant to hear your sounds of annoyance and see you strain, it is pure magic to see your face in that moment.  that moment when you realize what you have overcome and accomplished.  and then, your parents realize how much you have grown.  how big you are.  you are doing so much.  you have such an independent streak.  we can already tell that you are going to keep us on our toes.  that you will challenge us.  that you have soooo much more that you are eager to learn and do.  that you have a big and bold personality locked and loaded in that tiny frame. “and though she be but little, she is fierce.”  that you will be complex and contemplative and analytical.  you will surprise us and enchant us.  bright, bright, bright.

we can’t wait to watch as your personality continues to develop.  we can’t wait to see what God has in store for you.  and we pray that God equips us to parent you with grace and strength.  may we point you to Him.  may you love Him deeply and follow after Him passionately.  may your childlike wonder continue as you explore His world and His words.  may you hold His promises to your chest and treasure them in your heart.  may you savor His presence.  may you experience and rely on His tender kindness and mercies.  we look forward to watching you as you grasp for and cling to His Word with tenacity and untamed love.  we pray that you will comprehend His precepts, revel in the joy and freedom that He provides, and walk boldly and victoriously.  “let her sleep, for when she wakes she will move mountains.”  through the power of Christ’s redeeming love – in Christ alone, soli Deo gloria - may you move mountains little girl.

love, love, love,

your mama + your papa

dear peanut {five months}

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happy five months, little miss elinor!  that is one whole hand’s worth.  just a few weeks shy of your half-birthday.  eeep!

you are five months…going on fifth grade.  personality is bubbling out all over the place.  you are effervescent.  and, at times, somewhat scary.  you will be a handful, for sure.  no shortage of attitude and energy and opinions and zest and personality here.  no ma’am.  but, we wouldn’t want it any other way.  and the battles of the will are already beginning.  for example: your new favorite is bathtime flailing.  on one hand, super cute.  you are discovering that you can lift your bottom up and then plop yourself down and all the water will rush up onto your belly.  you also like to plug the faucet with your big toe so that the water sprays every which way.  and, you like to spread out your hands and place them on the surface of the water like one of those water strider bugs and then you slowly raise your hands up before…splash!  okay, but on the other hand, potentially hazardous.  you have also discovered that you can kick the knobs and make them move.  and while i applaud your chimpanzee dexterity, it also freaks me out when you get your toes on the cold water knob because you never kick it to make the water colder…you always shut that guy off.  leaving only a stream of hot water.  {pretty sure this tops the caring for an infant no-no list}  and so, i find myself washing you with one hand while keeping the other up as a blocker.  which you have taken as a challenge, of course.  break through the barrier!  get to the hot water so i can burn my delicate baby belly skin!  with every kick attempt, i respond with a firm, “no elinor” and a grab of the foot.  and my oh my, you aren’t too keen on that.  you arch your back and furrow your brow…and wind up for another kick.  determined and defiant little thing.  and i am not trying to be the ogre who ruined bathtime but jeepers, i don’t think you will enjoy third-degree burns.  sheesh.  and so, my prayers are that i will be able to engage you firmly and with grace.  that the battles to come will result in softer spirits and molded wills.  that your papa and i can protect you while also teaching you to discern and navigate without our assistance.  most of all, we just pray that God shows us what to do next.

you are quite persnickety about your naptime, my dear.  you love your sleep.  but you want it done a certain way.  we have created a creature of habit.  i just know that you will have a super chic dayplanner like me one day and we can be all nerdy together and “check our calendars” and “pencil things in” and “check!” things off when we have successfully completed them.  but i hope that you have some enjoy-the-moment-let’s-be-spontaneous-go-with-the-flow-ness in there too.  so…sleep.  you like to go for a solid 12-hour stretch at night and i wake you up around 8:30 for some breakfast.  and i am pretty sure that if you didn’t need to eat to survive, you would keep right on snoozing until noon.  really, you just wake up so that you can enjoy your first meal of the day, roll around a bit, and sing and squeal.  then, you very quickly shift from a ball of happy energy to a sweet little sleepy thing.  the thumbsucking begins and i swoop in and whisk you away for your nap.  what a life.  and when it comes to your nap, you like things just so.  rushing water setting on your sleep sheep.  check.  swaddled up all tight and plopped onto your side.  check.  arms exposed so you have an easy thumb path should you become startled and need a bit of soothing to doze off again.  check.  a super soft blanket draped over you and tucked up by your hands so you can rub it between your fingers as you fall asleep.  check.  and, the most important element:  a solid window for naptime, no less than 1.5 hours in duration.  you don’t mess around.  your papa and i have learned that if we are busy and find ourselves with only 45 minutes for a nap, it is best to just let you play and catnap in our arms or in some kind of carrier contraption.  because “not it!” on being the one who has to wake you up from your truncated nap.  oooohh you give us such a death stare.  chilling.

currently… you love rolling yourself in your blanket like the cutest little burrito bundle.  you drool constantly.  you nibble on everything.  you are fascinated by dishes and cups. {probably because you are smart enough to understand that they are food and beverage vessels}  you like to impress us with your feats of strength, flipping from back to belly and the back again.  you are kind of a mama’s girl which is really cute but can hurt your papa’s feelings.  {i continue to reassure him that this is a phase and that pretty soon i will be old news and he will be her hero}

you have taught us so much in these past months.  and we know that we will all continue to grow and learn together as our little family.  you have taken me out of my type-A comfort zone.  and teach me patience and kindness.  and your sweet papa…oh, he just loves you and wants to wrap you all up and keep you safe.  forever.  he is learning to relax and let you explore the world…and even squawk at inopportune times.  you stretch us, sweet girl.  and we are grateful that God is using itty-bitty you to teach us and mold us.  we want to do this parenting thing well.

i must say that communication is getting better and better.  you are much more vocal these days.  and not just those newborn waaahhs.  you have a whole repertoire.  squawks and squeaks and giggles and ooohs and aaahs and weees.  a sound for every occasion.  and we are starting to understand your cues.  plus, you are adding in new facial expressions to help us along.  some of them are just copycat faces, i’m sure.  but others are indelible parts of your personality.  you have your sassy sideways glance.  you have your own smile of glee.  and you have your serious/focused face.  all you.  it will be so amazing to see how your face changes over the years but still maintains your very own expressions.  and one day, when someone says something absurd and you respond with that wilting sideways glance, i will just about burst.  remembering that very same expression that you have made since you were a wee one in diapers and a feathered headband.

love, love, love,

your mama + your papa

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dear peanut {four months}

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happy four months, miss elinor!

wow-ee.  four months old, huh?  i can hardly believe that you will be wearing your 6-12 month summer dresses soon.  you are such a big girl.  and i must say, you are an absolute delight.  so cheery and smiley and fun.  little bits of your personality are shining through and it is amazing.  you are so entertaining.  becoming more and more like a little person.

you are quite distracted these days.  your mind is always going as you process the world around you.  it is so funny to see what fascinates you.  a cup, my toes, your fingers, stripes, the wall.  you just can’t get enough of your environment.  your new favorite is your wall of prints in your room.  you will take a break from your bedtime snack to just lounge and stare.  i watch your eyes as they dart around, settle on an image, and then move on to the next.  each one is like a new adventure.  you sigh and smile and ooh and aah.  so darn cute.  and that print of the “peanut riding the unicorn” definitely holds an extra special place in your heart, you seem to have a real connection there.  but you are also mesmerized by the picture of cinderella’s castle.  oh little girl, what fun we will have at disneyland one day!

you are mostly an independent player.  we are simply observers.  you swat at your dangley bugs, you nibble on your toys, and you suck on your thumb while chatting away.  every so often, you allow us to be a part of playtime.  and that is pure delight.  but i do love how content you are to kick and squawk and entertain yourself.  and playtime has become much more exciting these days because you are so much mor active and squiggly.  you like to do an exaggerated flip from side to side to show off those baby obliques.  and you like to press the bottoms of your feet together and hold them up in the air while you hum and coo.  then, you will take in as much air as you can and extend your legs and arms simultaneously to kick off your bicycling legs action while you exhale and make rapid panting puppy dog sounds.  after all that is done, you will let out a big sigh before getting back into it.  this time, you add in a backbend/scoot which allows you to shift your body and move yourself in little circles.  major cirque du soleil moves going on.

and once you have tired yourself out, you move your head to the side and stare off into the distance while breathing slowly and deeply – and occasionally rubbing your little eyes.  this is when we get to swoop in and scoop you up for a nap.  these few moments are the best.  you sigh and nuzzle and grab onto our shirt and melt into a little ball of sweetness.  all that energy dissipates and you become a calm and sleepy thing who just wants to cuddle for a bit.  and so, we squeeze you and dance with you and you smile.  and then, in goes the thumb and you drift off into sleepyland.  being a baby is tiring, after all.  and you love your sleep.

you adore your stroller.  you love excursions.  lunches, shopping, walks, whatever.  the fresh air agrees with you and you seem to really enjoy listening to the din of the world from the comfort of your stroller {with your little mozart the monkey companion, of course}.  i want you to know that your parents SO appreciate your accommodating and contented spirit.  you go with the flow and let us take you wherever we go.  we hope that you will always enjoy traveling, meeting new people, and experiencing new things.  may you maintain that sense of adventure.  may you always be confident and bold as you explore and enjoy the world that God has created.

and the faces, oh the faces.  as your personality emerges more and more, your expressions are becoming more meaningful.  you don’t just give us involuntary facial spasms.  you do it with purpose.  you furrow your brow, you roll your eyes, you smile sweetly, you shoot us a sideways glance, you raise an eyebrow…each expression is a distinct communication. we love it.  and we hope that you always flex your expression muscles.  we like a good dramatic face around here.

love, love, love,

your mama + your papa

dear peanut {three months}

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happy three month anniversary, sweet one.

so, you are three months old now.  it is remarkable how much you process each and every day and how much you absorb and grow.  you change so quickly.  your little mind is expanding. you are moving so fast.

you are smitten with your left hand.  mostly, your little thumb.  which has become the cutest little soggy digit that you ever did see.  such joy and admiration.  you lie on your back and study each little finger while you hold your hand up just marveling at the beauty. i hope you’ll always understand that it doesn’t take nail polish and trinkets to be pretty and interesting.  you are fearfully and wonderfully made.  beautiful just as you are.  a darling little lovely from God.  may you always marvel at His works.

{and then, you stuff your thumb in your mouth and gurgle}

you like to sit up and look around.  your head bobs a bit and you tighten your tummy.  this vantage point amuses you for a spell and then you are over it and wish to return to your squirmy mat where you and kick and semi-flip and do mini-backbends and flap like a hummingbird and bat at your dangly bug friends.  you are charming.

you make faces all the time.  in fact, it is difficult to get a normal and non-swishy looking photo of you because your face is always moving around.  i end up taking about 300 rapidfire shots and almost everyone looks drastically different.  i think you get that dramatic face from your mama.  sorry.  it comes in handy for stage work but it can make the photogenic thing for everyday life a bit of a problem.  i hope that you learn to embrace this hyper-expressiveness.  it will make for some very lively pictures.

every once in a while, i have a flash of what you will look like during your sassy teen years.  you shoot me a sideways glance, curl your upper lip, lift your brows, and dramatically roll those big eyes of yours in the other direction.  and sometimes you even shift your body weight while doing so and give me “the hand”.  cheeky little thing.  but then, you roll right back my way and flash that giggly, toothless grin and all is well.

by the way, you have already discovered the manipulative power of a strategically placed cry.  every so often, you will give us a sad little look, whimper, turn on the tears, and pull out the pièce de résistance – the pouty lip.  you aren’t much of a crier but when you do, it is kind of heartbreaking.  we aren’t fans of the cry.  and we try to resist the urge to say “oooohhhh…” and hop, skip, jump into some kind of pathetic parenting action.  but as i mentioned, that pièce de résistance gets us every time.  oh little girl.

also, you talk all the time.  all. the. time.  you talk to the buddies.  you talk to your papa.  you talk to your fingers {by default since they are in your mouth all the time these days} you talk to the crawleys of downton.  you talk to the record player.  you talk to your blanket.  you talk to your books.  and you love to talk to the art in your room.  your new favorite is to take a conversational break while i am feeding you.  you pause, give me that demure smile of yours, and then we have a little chat while you stare at your art.  like a fancy little connoisseur or museum curator.  currently, you seem to have an affinity for “the peanut riding a unicorn” piece.  but i’m sure your tatses will continue to evolve.

a few weeks ago, you added another sound to your vocal repertoire – the velociraptor squawk.  but it is like a glitter-covered, big pink bow wearing, magical fairy dust version.  high-pitched squeals of delight.  your eyes dialate.  your arms begin to flap wildly.  your legs and teeny toes get into the action too.  you get the whole body working and then emit the largest giggly screech.  so cute.

you are becoming more and more interactive and delightful.  we can carry on conversations.  you sing along with music.  you giggle when you get tummy raspberries.  you look around the room when we dance.  and you wrap your little fingers around our shirt when we hold you – you cling to us.  and oh, we sure are attached to you.  we love you little girl.

love, love, love,

your mama + your papa

dear peanut {two months}

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you are two months old.

such a big girl now.  a darling little bundle of baby who is in love with her hands and loves to suck on as many fingers as possible.  a sweet little one who loves to stare at lights.  oh how you love those bright things.  a precious girl who is always fixated on vibrant colors and polka dots.  you stare at your wall, books, and your pretty quilt from grandmama ridley.  your eyes are locked and i know your mind is racing.

you are quite the winsome one, little elinor.  and you are such a happy and content baby.  you rarely cry.  and when you do, i know what you mean.  your extended whiny waaaah while we are playing is my cue that you are finished being awake and are ready for your nap.  your grunting, coughing uh-uh-uh only comes when i wake you from a nap and you are letting me know to quit messing around with all that chatting and kissing and FEED ME.  and of course, there is your fussy time at night right before bed.  but we don’t mind that so much.  it is kind of cute when you kick and punch and squawk.  and we know that you are just getting it all out before bedtime.  and the only thing that gives you some peace is holding onto your papa’s finger. {beyond precious}

oh, and can we talk about your smiles?  too cute.  you smile at us during diaper change time, you smile during playtime, you smile when we are doing baby yoga moves, you smile during picture time, you smile when we wake you up, you just smile.  and it is pretty irresistible to your parents.  it is as if you are telling us that you like us.  and boy, we sure do like you.  AND you are getting so close to giggles.  the other day, i was talking to you and i started laughing and you responded with a happy hiccup-y sound.  it was so darn cute.  i can’t wait to hear your giggles.  i know it will just melt us.  and those coo’s?  we live for those.  how we love our little conversations with you.  you coo.  we talk back. it is glorious.

you are so alert.  always wanting to be a part of the action.  you explore the world with your eyes and swat at everything just to check it out.  it is amazing to watch as your brain continues to connect the dots.  your eyes are following things more and more.  you move toward sounds.  you toss yourself from side to side.  and then, you exhaust yourself and just want to sleep.  and you are such a good sleeper.  blessing of blessings…you have been sleeping seven plus hours at night for almost the past month.  what a little delight.  just keep doing what you are doing.  and you love your morning nap.  that first sleep session after your morning feeding is a serious one.  when i wake you again, you shoot me this look like “really mama?  you are waking me up…oh wait, FOOD!”  it is amazing how quickly you move from that sassy wake-up face to a smile to that FEED ME cry.  we just love your personality and expressions.  we just love you.  happy two months, sweet girl. we sure are enjoying watching you grow.  but please don’t grow up too fast.

love, love, love,

your mama + your papa

this is ourselves under pressure {dum, dum, dum, da-da-dum-dum}

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so, i am someone’s mama now.  i have a daughter.  this is quite the identity shift.  good-ness.  a tiny little person now looks at me with helpless wonder.  i have to take care of her.  my decisions directly influence her life.  her wellbeing.  her personality. her identity.  her outlook.  kind of heavy, no?  but wow, so good.  such a tremendous blessing.

but boy oh boy, there are so many decisions to make!  and they come at you fast and furious from the first moment of life.  two seconds after labor ends, the choices begin.  because before you can bat an eye, you are handed a sweet little bundle and immediately make the leap from pregnant lady to mother.  the last nine months worth of pregnancy literature is tossed out the window and now you have to know about how to care for a little one.  nurses ask you questions.  you have to provide nourishment.  you have legal documents to sign.  do you want newborn photos?  meanwhile, you are elbow deep in meconium diapers and still rocking your swanky hospital garb.  and then the real decisions come. and with each one, a corresponding judgement by others.  whether it is stated or simply perceived judgment, it feels real: would you like the vitamin k eye goop? (or do you want your baby to get an eye infection) will she receive the immunizations? (or are you one of those people) breast or bottle? (breast is best, bottles are for slackers)  sheesh.

now if you have made it to this point, you have already weathered the judgey-wudgy-ness of pregnancy.  you are having a med free birth? (good luck.  yeah right.  you will cave and get the epidural.)  how are you feeling?  great? (oh.  well, just wait until the next one.  you are lucky.  i hope the baby is as easy on you once she arrives…)  look at you!  (you are so small!  you look like you are about to pop!)  and round and round we go.  people are so strange with their comments.  it is like they just have to point out the downside for fear that you will be too positive.  thank you people.  there are so many positive people in my life who utter kind words and offer prayers.  elinor is blessed to have loving family and kind influences.  however, i have been shocked by the amount of “other” comments that have been less than warm and fuzzy.  strangers and acquaintances who feel the need to point out the flipside.

you make all these decisions and just pray that God protects your little one.  and no matter how much you research and feel comfortable with your choices, there are always the nay-sayers and dooms-dayers there to make you second guess and feel discouraged.  just when you are feeling good…just when you are settling into motherhood and breastfeeding and baby hygiene and scheduling and sleeping…someone says something insensitive and rude.  and why do these remarks seem to come from women?  women!  mothers!  people who have been through that fragile time.  what is that?  shouldn’t women be the most understanding and encouraging?  why then do women get so sassy?  it isn’t always blatant, sometimes it is just a tone.  but it is there.  and you can’t win.  there is always another opinion.

you are breastfeeding?  good luck having a life.

you are bottle feeding?  so you are just selfish and don’t want what is best for your child.

you are vaccinating?  so you think it is okay to inject poison into your baby’s tiny system.  you must want them to have developmental issues…

you aren’t vaccinating?  so you want your baby to get polio.

you are co-sleeping?  you must enjoy needy, weirdo children.

your baby sleeps in a crib?  so you want your child to be detached and sad.  good luck bonding.

you demand feed?  your baby will be selfish and you must do it to fulfill your own needs.

you schedule feed?  so you don’t care about the needs of your baby.

you are using a pacifier?  cheater.  and have fun with that nipple confusion…

you have been out on a date with your husband already? wow.  i could never leave my precious baby this soon.

you aren’t baby-wearing?  too bad you won’t have a real attachment to your child.

you are baby-wearing?  what are you, some kind of hippie?  enjoy your co-dependent child.

what kind of stroller are you using?  oh, that is an interesting choice.

how is her tummy time quality?  you know how vital that is.

how is she eating?  oh, she is a good eater?  well, just you wait until you introduce solids / just wait until she teethes / just wait until…

are you getting any sleep?  wow.  she has been sleeping through the night since five weeks?  ha. i’m sure you won’t be so lucky with the next / just you wait until you introduce solids / just wait until she teethes / just wait until…

and round and round we go.

you feel discouraged and stressed and pressured.  and it is so senseless.  i mean, don’t we put enough pressure on ourselves to be übermom?  why let the words of others seep in and mess with our minds too?   each day has enough trouble of its own.  how about we all just make a pact to speak words of encouragement to each other.  come on preggos and mamas!  let us just be kind.  let us open our ears and arms and close our mouths.  let us pray instead of preach.  let us speak words of blessing.  let us lift each other up instead of comparing.  let us inspire and learn from each other instead of passing judgement.  this whole mama thing is such a remarkable thing.  such a meaningful calling.  how about taking a deep breath, allowing ourselves to just enjoy the experience, praying for the wisdom and grace to make it through another day or growth spurt or stage, and quit it with all the pressure-cooker parenting.

…

footnote:  this new role of mine has inspired a new feature on the blog, mama musings.  i plan to feature stories of amazing mamas and also use it as a place for my honest experiences with our sweet little E.  stay tuned.  and drop me an email at swankyanddapper@gmail.com if you have something to share.

dear peanut

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hello, little miss.  you sure are getting to be one big peanut!  we had your one month checkup a bit ago and you are perfection.  getting taller and plumper each day.  and that head, oh that head, it is growing.  your papa and i happen to think it is to accommodate your significant brain.  you are already one smart cookie!  you follow me around with your eyes.  you stare at things and analyze the world around you.  you move your head toward your papa’s voice.  you gaze at your colorful dangling rattle toys and kick away with excitement.  you coo and squawk.  but, we know the truth…those are much more that sounds.  you are talking to us, aren’t you?  your own sweet little language that we simply love.

and, it’s official.  you can no longer fit into your newborn onesies.  you are officially a 0-3 month sizer now.  i must admit that i had a bit of an emotional moment at your dresser when i realized that the newborn phase has come to a close.  you are just all baby now.  our little peanut.

oh, and can i just brag about you a bit?  you are starting to sleep through the night.  we are talking a whole 7 hours in one stretch.  amazing!  keep it up sweet girl.  while i will miss our special time together in the middle of the night, i must admit that your face looks even more adorable and yummy after a good night’s sleep.  another milestone.  i can’t wait to see what you will show us next.

love, your mama

one month

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today, my sweet little miss elinor is one month old.  it went by so fast and yet, it seems like she has been here with us all along.  she is a natural fit.  we sure do love our little family.  it makes me all gushy knowing that she is a month older, a few ounces chubbier, a little less newborn-y.  but, we sure are loving each new day.  our little one is growing and learning new things…and delighting us anew each day.  she spends more of her day awake and wide-eyed.  she has teeny tiny tears when she cries.  she looks at me and her gaze follows me as a walk around.  she is sleeping in good chunks at night and we are getting close to dropping our middle of the night feeding.  i must say that while i will be thrilled to get a full night’s sleep, it does make me kind of sad to know that our nighttime feedings will soon be coming to an end.  another milestone.  and another sign that our baby girl won’t be “brand new” forever.  {sigh}

miss elinor, i prayed for you before i knew you.  i loved you before i met you.  and i continue to fall more and more in love as i get to know you.  you have your papa and i by the heartstrings.  we can’t wait to see how you continue to grow and develop and amaze us.  we already like your little personality a whole lot and anticipate such fun in the coming weeks and months and years as we continue to bond as family of three, see even more of “you” come out, and increase in our love for you.

love, love, love,

your mama

dear peanut

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dear peanut,

this has been quite a week.  and may i just say that i am slightly overwhelmed that you are already THREE WEEKS OLD!  and, you are starting to fill out your 0-3 clothing!  you are such a good little eater…even though you occasionally spit some of your food all over your papa.  burp cloths are our new best friend.

we have gone on some strolls through the neighborhood and around outdoor shopping areas, and you have been a trooper.  there have been many outings and visitors as well, because people want to see your cute little face!  and who can blame them.  thank you for being so good as we parade you about the city and plop you in and out of car seats and strollers and carriers.  you seem to somewhat enjoy the activity which we think is pretty great.  you go with the flow and like the hustle and bustle.

this week, we have started getting into the swing of things.  you know that nighttime is for sleeping…wahoo!  and you love to be wide-eyed during the daytime so you don’t miss anything that is happening around you.  the world is such a big and fascinating place for your little eyes to behold.  and i love holding you while you explore your surroundings.  i can see your brain spinning and taking it all in.  so much fun.  we are so excited to watch you grow and learn in the coming days and weeks and months and years.  you are doing it all so quickly and we are just trying to keep up and rejoice with every moment.

love, your mama + your papa

dear peanut

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::  two weeks  ::

dear elinor,

your papa and i are just so in love with you.  you are so darn cute!  those little mouse squeaks and sighs.  your fussy face with furrowed brow.  your fists of fury that punch wildly when you are frustrated or leaving a little something for us in your diaper.  your yogi frog legs.  your bicycle kicks.  your fingers and toes.  your wild eyes.  your sweet smirk.  we are in big trouble, little lady.

by the way…your papa is pretty amazing with you.  such a natural.  he is taking such good care of us.  and hearing him call us “his girls” is my new favorite.  i sure do like our little family.  and i know that it will just get better and better as we continue to learn about each other and find our groove.

i feel like i am slowly getting the hang of you.  at least enough to know that there is really no getting the hang of you.  you love to surprise us.  sometimes you are a grumpus and sometimes you are just a doll.  sometimes you want to be all bundled up and rocked and sometimes you want to enjoy some tummy time, straining to prove that you can control your own head and move about with ease.  just when we settle into a nap schedule, you decide that napping isn’t for you and you would prefer to remain awake and alert.

you are always curious.  you love to observe, eyes darting around to capture your surroundings.  and all the while, God is using you to teach me.  i am learning how to be more patient and soft and nurturing.  i am learning when to take action and when to be still.  i am learning how to protect and put your needs ahead of my own.  i am learning how to perfect the swaddle.  i am learning how to maximize our feedings.  i am learning how to pray.  i am learning how to savor the moment and fully engage in the present.  i am learning how to be flexible.  i am learning anew how much i need a savior and very present help.

here’s to exploring and growing and learning – together – with God’s help.

 

love, your mama