Daddy's Girl

This picture makes me start humming "My Girl" in my head. She LOVES her Daddy. :)

Boppies Aren't Just for Babies

I have decided that Boppy has a new market in dog accessories they need to tap into. Anytime the boppy is left unattended one of the pups immediately hops in it. The crescent shape is the perfect size nook for our boys to snuggle into and keep warm. Charlie has certainly not enjoyed losing our undivided attention on him, but he also is relishing in the extra blankets and accessories around the house.

Visit with Grandmother Peaches

Abney Moving on Up to Size 1

Okay so I know I'm supposed to be excited as my little girl grows into a beautiful young woman, which I am...BUT I can't help being a little sad as my baby gets bigger. After an exciting few days of making Nana change her own clothes a couple extra times a day, we moved Abney out of her newborn diapers and also started putting he in 0-3 months clothes. This picture is from the first week which was almost two weeks ago and now she pretty much fits in the outfit. She is such a big girl now!

You are My Sunshine

Aunt Karen shared a special song from Amanda's childhood with Abney via this soft sunshine. It plays "You are My Sunshine" while each of the rays light up. Abney loves it! She is especially entertained by the lights. The only trouble is to keep it on you have to tug on a cord each time so Mommy has been getting a workout walking back and forth each time it cuts out. LOL Thank you Aunt Karen and Amanda!

UGH!

The trouble with technology is that it is rarely dependable. I have no idea how to reset my itzbeen and yet it has reset three times this week. I love it and have become almost totally dependent on it so when it resets I have to try to remember when I last changed her diaper, fed her...egads! I'm going to the website now to figure out how to make this stop so I can go back to being dependent. LOL
In happier news, Abney and I went to open house at the daycare we want. They are opening a second location a few miles away and we are hoping to get into one of the schools. It sounds like we have a pretty good chance because they are building the new school based on need and currently are planning for three infant rooms. Yay! One way or another they are letting us know within the next two weeks, which will give us plenty of time to figure out our plans. I'm not super excited to put her in daycare as an infant, but with a little help from her Nana and potentially Grandpa we are hoping to get her closer to six months before we have to take her. Fingers crossed!

Priceless

I know I have some posts to catch up on but right now is one of the most precious and priceless moments I have experienced. I'm laying in bed with my baby girl sound asleep on my chest. She is still so tiny and yet has grown so much since we first met. I still don't understand how its possible for her to be here and to be real. Sallie calls her a cabbage patch doll because Abney is so surreal. Yes, I've poked her a couple times to make sure she is breathing because she is being so still and sweet. It reminds me of when she was in utero and I couldn't feel her but I knew she was there. This moment is one I will never get back and I wonder if I will ever experience something similar again. We are home alone, no disruptions, and no one but me and my little partner in crime. She makes every day better and a new adventure. And yes, it is more fun and a little more work to run to Walgreen's on a whim. :)
We've been listening to Christmas music all week and it has been fun to share the tunes and to be reminded for how thankful we should be. It has been a crazy few years with peaks and valleys but I've always had my family and friends to support me. I promise to do everything in my power to give Abney and her future siblings even more love (if that's possible) and surround them with people that will be there for them. I'm hoping Abney's first word will actually be love.
Okay enough of my idealist optimism for tonight. My next post will include the run down on the week and me hitting my wall and begging my Mommy not to leave me home alone. LOL

7 Weeks

Abney has eyebrows! I never realized eyelashes, eyebrows, and other features took their time to show up. She literally changes before our eyes every day. Last night she was smiling a ton at me! We played "wheels on the bus" and a game where I walked from one side of the crib to the other and she would turn her head to follow. She can rotate her head (while on her back) all the way to either side. Such a big girl!
Today is her seven week birthday and we are at my first postpartum doctor visit. So far so good. She is sleeping in her stroller while we wait. It is so much more fun to stare at her beautiful face while I wait instead of dreaming of it. She also helped distract me when they poked my finger. I'm such a pansy about needles!

Great New Product!

One of Nana's friends since junior high sent me the most fabulous gadget. An itzbeen! It is a timer to track diaper changes, feedings, nap/wake time, and medication. So cool! With Nana, Ben, and I taking turns with care this will help us all be on the same page and know when Abney has taken care of business no matter what that business might have been. We are starting the timer today and will see how it goes. Apparently after using it for a few days it will set alarms for approximate time she may need a diaper change, bottle, or nap. How cool is that?

Home Alone-AAAAAAAAAH!

I know I am behind on posting this but our night together was so much fun I have to capture it on the blog. We dropped Ben and his boss off at the airport and it was slightly hysterical because as soon as I was in the front seat and it was just the two of us she started screaming. It was as if she knew my abilities were limited and it set off an alarm. She calmed down when we made our first stop at Target to pick up some diapies and other baby necessities. Naturally, our new vehicle malfunctioned and the lift gate lever broke in the Target parking lot. I looked at it for a minute and just thought, awesome. I'm on Camp Creek in Atlanta, it's 50 degrees outside and I have an infant in a car that will not close. I only let myself be "Debbie downer" for a few minutes until I decided to figure out how to fix the stupid thing. It was surprisingly easy to do a quick fix so that I could take it back to the dealer. (Yes, of course I called the dealer in my fury and told them I would be on my way with the "117 point inspection certified vehicle" I took home two days earlier).
Abney and I stopped at home first for feeding, changing, etc, before heading out again. We hit the dealer together-not literally although I seriously considered it JUST KIDDING! :) I was feeling so good about our outing since she was quiet and sweet that we went to Babies R Us next. I have been dying to get a Baby Bjorn and Grandma Ruth was kind enough to give us one for Christmas that we needed to pick up. I am now obsessed! It is so fun to have her close to me and yet be able to move around and do stuff around the house like feeding myself.
We spent the evening quietly with Christmas music playing, the fire aglow, and dancing around together. It was awesome. I have a great video of Abney playing with her Fairyland and once I learn how to get them on my computer properly I will share. She is growing so much every day and it amazes me to see her learning and changing. I would call our first night alone at home a success, but we certainly miss having our Ben here with us.

God has given me an Angel

That's what I said yesterday when I laid Abney down for her nap. She and I had been snuggling in bed together and it was time to put her into her own bed for true rest. I kept looking at her thinking she couldn't possibly be that perfect and still be real.
I cannot get over how blessed we are to be given this beautiful creature to share our lives with. She makes me smile every day and reminds me that no matter what else is going on around me or on my list, that nothing is more important than holding her in my arms.
This morning we took Ben to the airport for a recruiting trip in Phoenix. He will not be home until Monday and we miss him already. Luckily, Nana is coming down tomorrow to help out while he is out of town. Tonight will be our first night completely on our own. I'm a little nervous but know that she and I will figure it out one way or another. She is my little partner in crime these days.

Progress Report

One month check up this morning went great! Abney weighs in at 9.3 lbs and is officially 21 1/2" long. She is tracking well and above average but not extreme for either category. The doctor says she looks beautiful (DUH) and healthy as can be. I was so pleased with the news and it makes me feel slightly more secure as a parent.
Ben was supposed to come with us this morning so he could meet her doctor but since his darling wife screwed up the appointment time once again he did not. I have this little trick I had been using to put the appointment time in my blackberry thirty minutes early. Well for some reason I didn't do that for this appointment and did not realize until my alarm alerted me that we had ten minutes to get there. Whoops!
Abney was not happy about it on the ride over but fortunately was satisfied when she got a little food in her belly and then was on the table. She was fascinated by the lights and different instruments hanging on the walls. I listened to her coo and watched her gaze and then took her around the room so she could look at each close up. It was so cute. This new phase where she is making noises to communicate with us and being more active throughout the day. She also has started smiling more often but has not yet given us the official "I'm smiling because I love YOU" just yet.
Not so patiently waiting... :)