4 weeks - Babies are hard, but awesome.

One of these days, I really will finish her birth story.  I keep waiting for it to be the weekend...and then I realize, again, that there is no weekends off from this new job.  Full time means FULL TIME.  All the time.  Always.  24/7. 

Except for Friday afternoon, when Jimi came home early from work.  I'd just finished feeding Evie, and she was happy and content - we were having a good day.  Jimi told me he was taking baby duty for the afternoon and that I should get out and enjoy the beautiful afternoon.  It was beautiful outside - I hadn't noticed.  I've not paid much attention to the weather for the last 4 weeks, and have left the house only a handful of times.  I was so overwhelmed at the idea of not being in charge of a little baby, I didn't know what to do with my newfound freedom.  Where would I go?  I'm sure I could've found someone to meet me somewhere for a drink or something, but that seemed like a wild idea, too wild, so instead, I did laundry, vacuumed Evie's room, cleaned up the kitchen, and went grocery shopping for an hour.  (I really do love grocery shopping, so that was a real treat.) 

She hasn't pooped in nearly a week, and apparently that's normal.  I'm obsessed with her bodily functions. She farts all the time, mostly upon waking and stretching.  They stink and are loud like her Daddy's and are absolutely hilarious and adorable and the best things ever.  Her doctor is on vacation this week, so we won't get her weight and length updates until next week - but I can tell how much she's growing.  Her little legs and cheeks are starting to fill out and plump up, and she's got the beginnings of a double chin.  Her legs are getting longer and are so strong - she kicks and kicks and tries to stand and uses her legs to launch herself off your chest.  Her little neck is strong, too - she holds her head up and bobbles it around, trying to see it all.  She loves bath time, cooing and watching everything going on around her...until bath time is over, at which point she gets cold and gets pissed off.  Much screaming oft ensues, though she can be calmed a bit by a full-body coconut oil massage.  Is there anything better in the world than a little naked baby?  She's so soft and little and sweet and adorable.  And she smells so good; I love smelling her little head when I hold her close, her fine little hairs tickling my nose. 

She got her first bottle late last week, and my nipples rejoiced from the respite.  Suddenly we've got the makings of something that could be a schedule (though I don't want to say that too loudly, lest I tempt fate) - Momma's gotten lots of good sleep in the last few days.  Of course, Daddy taking the middle-of-the-night shifts over the weekend was a huge factor in that.  I love that he can feed her now, and he really loves it too.  He's over the moon for her - it's a beautiful thing to watch. 

We went to the mall Friday night to buy her an Easter dress.  Not that we were going anywhere, just to my Mom & Dad's, but we wanted to have something pretty to put her in, and something that fit - all of her clothes are too big, sized 0-3 months, and she really needs to be wearing newborn right now.  We'd been through Macy's and Dillard's, found nothing, and were headed to JC Penny.  I was admiring the Vera Bradley diaper bags by the exit, and it hit me - "Jimi, did you bring the diaper bag?"  No, he didn't.  We'd come to the mall with an infant with just a carseat and a moby wrap as accoutrement.  Not a single diaper or wipe or change of clothes.  We laughed a nervous laugh and shrugged our shoulders.  Oh well.  Cross our fingers and hope for the best.  She slept the entire time, nearly 3 hours, waking only because I dared move her from the warm moby into the cold carseat - and then she screamed the entire way home because there wasn't a boob in her mouth.  Sweet baby. 

 I really love being her mom.  She's so neat.