Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Not Quite New Born



Vada is officially ten weeks and three days old. Not quite new born anymore and its showing.

She is sleeping a little less and she is more observant while awake. She follows me with her eyes, and turns to me when she hears my voice.She holds up her neck for longer periods of time, coo's, SMILES, and shows interest in some of her toys. Its all very fun and exiting. This morning around 5am I was talking with her.. well, I was talking she was listening, and she kept giving me the biggest smiles. Id stop talking and she would kind of start to kick her legs. As soon as I started to talk again she would smile at me and stop being antsy. It actually made me tear up. If I have to loose sleep, then this is the way I want to loose it!

Sign Language...?

So, Justin and I had to sit down and have a talk with Vada tonight. It turns out she picked up a sign that was not from the Baby Einstein videos that we've been watching together. We had to explain that this particular sign is not a good choice for her first signing word.


Photobucket

Sunday, May 9, 2010

A Day For Mother's

Mother's Day this year was very special this year for so many reasons. Vada was finally here, alive and well, having fully recovered from her Duodenal Atresia surgery. She has officially been home for seven weeks now. Which is kind of sad when you think about it because today is the first time that we have really taken her anywhere, or allowed her to really be around anyone for that matter. Today was her first introduction to our church family. As well as being introduced to the majority of Justin's family as well.

When Vada was discharged from the hospital we were told to keep her home for sometime. She needed time to adjust from the hospital to a new environment. It was the cold and flu season and with her heart issues we wanted to protect her from picking up something as much as we could. We were instructed to keep her away from group settings like preschools and day cares because children tend to carry lots of colds. So we (meaning her and I) went no where. No church, no lunch at the girls schools, no where. It also meant that we limited people from coming over. If you were sick, had been sick or had been around someone who was sick then you were unfortunately not welcome to come over at that time.

So today was big. Today I was able to proudly introduce people to my baby. Finally.



The girls and Justin were with me as well. That may sound like a given, but having Justin home for the holidays isn't always as simple as it sounds. His schedule is a preplanned set schedule. So we can look ahead a couple of years and know if he'll be working on a certain day. (For the most part looking ahead works out fine, unless he switched with someone.) We looked up when he next have my birthday off and its something like in another four years. So having him here today was extra special. The girls are a given because it is Mother's Day, which is my day no matter what day it falls on, but its still special to have them with me



Lately, Justin and the girls have been giving me some great gifts. As my mothers day gift I received a new camera with two new lenses and two beginner classes. I cant tell you ho excited I was to get the it all. I actually got it all early, and had took my first class before Mother's Day. Plus I had messed around with it quite q bit and had taken some pictures I was proud of.



Today I wanted to get some family pictures so after church and before meeting up with Justin's family we went to Black Hawk State Park. It's a pretty place. A nice spot to get some good pictures. Today the gnats were crazy though.

I'm pretty picky when it comes to pictures of me, so unfortunately there really wasn't any that were of all of us that I liked. I took some great ones of the girls and of Justin and the girls. But nothing of the who family. Justin however got two, basically of the same pose, but two none the less that I really like. However they were just of Vada and I. Good because up until that point I really didn't have any of her and I that was really nice. Bad because I kind of felt and feel guilty because the other two girls weren't in it. Finding balance with three kiddo's is still a work in progress.

Either way, BH State Park was a nice detour, and I am glad we took the time to get some really great pictures.



After wards we headed over to Justin's aunts house. The kids ran around with the other kids and someone was always holding Vada so I sat, oddly, because this was the first real stretch of time that I had gone without holding her myself. Everyone just kind of relaxed. It was nice.

I am so grateful to not just be any wife, but Justin's wife. I'm grateful to be able to say he is my best friend and my husband. I am grateful that I get to be the mother of three beautiful daughters who I love so much. God has blessed me richly.

My Mother's Day was a beautiful one this year.