Twelve weeks.

We have made it to the end of the fourth trimester. We bid goodbye to our squishy newborn this week and said hello to the bright and wonderful baby girl that we have been lucky enough to introduce to the Earth! It is incredibly bittersweet- at times your birth feels both far away and yet incredibly close. Now that you are a babbling, wiggling, calm and content infant I feel more and more accepting of a new season for us. With the spring equinox we shed winter and in turn we shed this milky time of nesting. We are welcoming all that is ahead of us with open arms. Mornings no longer feel like falling down a well when your Pop heads to work on his bike. We have things to do and people to see! And we trust each other, something that is fundamentally different from day one. It's easy to forget that you start out as strangers when you bring home a little one- even if you are family. You now know us and we are still learning you. And when you smile from ear to ear we even entertain the notion of love.

Your eleventh week brought us very busy days and very sleepy nights- one night you were out cold at 7:00 pm! We enjoyed Mexican food with our dear friends and sweet baby Neve where we took over an entire eight top and proceeded to be "those parents" who stay until closing and turn the table into a glorified living room. Your Grandpapa even made a surprise appearance, joining us for margaritas and baby admiring. We shared lunch with your Pop and showed you off to his coworkers who never tire (so far) of visiting with you. We shared a meal with our housemates and baby friend Vincent... delicious vegan lasagna and too much conversation revolving around baby poop. 

 

I had to mail off packages this week and we ran our first errands solo- you were happy and alert in the Ergo, a fact that many people love to point out to me. We took a long walk on the Greenway with the dog. I nursed you on the go, after you woke up from a two hour nap, about a quarter mile from the car. We hung out at Mimi's one morning and looked at my baby pictures... you are my Mini Me! We then took the stroller and two dogs on a leisurely neighborhood walk which you seemed to enjoy immensely. You are so content to observe the world and take it all in with a wide eyed alertness. 

We rearranged the living room with you in my mind, carving out a space for the playmat and all the toys that you can't quite play with yet. This change in feng shui really felt like the welcoming of spring with the clearing of clutter and opening windows for fresh air. You had your first trip to Bobbie's Dairy Dip with the housemates- we all chowed down on black bean burgers and milkshakes while the two babies chilled in your car seats on top of the picnic table. Afterwards we bought you a twelve week birthday present... an "O Ball" which you sampled downstairs at Vincent's playmat and seemed to potentially enjoy. 

We ushered in the weekend with implementation of your new swing, a gift from the Grand S.O.B., and a visit with Grandaddy who brought some heirlooms for you to enjoy. One evening we walked from Grandpapa's and enjoyed dinner with Mimi too- everyone took turns holding you and several tables left with the (correct) assumption that you are the best baby ever. We swung by a friend's house after dinner - you slept in the car while we visited around a bonfire. To top off your busiest week yet we went to see Grandma and Grandad dancing at the Playford Ball... you were danced with twice! Your pop wore you in the Ergo and we all waltzed away. We think you really enjoyed the music and all the movement, something we hope to explore more with you as you grow. 

In twelve short weeks we have learned how to change a diaper in the dark... how to get you to fart!.. what you sound like when you're hungry, tired, overstimulated, wet, bored, mad, sad, hurt... how to hold a (very interesting) conversation with you... that babies are a excellent indicator of who your friends are... that you like to be part of the action almost always... that baby spit tastes like, well, baby spit... that milk drunk is the sweetest and funniest dang thing we've ever seen... that babies are incredibly portable... that a well timed bath can be a solution for everyone... that grandparents will always want to hold you!.. that every poop is a cause for celebration (and often another bath!)... that you don't need half the stuff people tell you about but that flexibility is the best asset we can have... that we have no idea what we did with ourselves before you.