The new normal

Mary Ellen woke me up at 4:45 for her feeding last night (in case you didn't know, this girl is a rock star sleeper), and I found it very difficult to go back to sleep. It was the first day of my new job, and I was just too excited to sleep. Today was extra special, too, because I got to share it with my mom. She's been here for the past 10 days, and we had one last day to enjoy together before she heads back home (boo!). Mary Ellen cheerfully went along on all of our little errands, gave us plenty of huge smiles, and is now soundly tucked into her bed for the night.

Anyway, while I'm a little nervous to start this new chapter of our lives, I am so thankful and so blessed to be able to be home with my little one. With one day down, I am even more excited about the new normal. Today I got to see how happy and busy she is throughout the day and catch a glimpse of just how busy she'll keep me. Even though I was home with her for seven weeks, she's changed so much since I started back to work on Sept. 2. She is now willing to spend time on her tummy, she's happy to be left to chat with one of her many friends (Deer, Lion, etc), and she has a fascination with ceiling fans. She took a few good naps during the day, and best of all, she was so happy during her awake time. Mom says that she smiles with her whole body, and it's true. This was just one day of many, many more to come, and I can't wait to spend my days with my baby.

Okay, now for the pics:

Mary Ellen is 2 months old!!

The Rams may be headed for another dismal season, but it's much more fun to watch when you're hanging out with a baby. Right, Brian?

Grandma's Best Girl


We see this face from time to time, and usually it's pretty easy to figure out what's wrong. The list of possible issues is pretty short right now: tired, dirty diaper, bored, or hungry (though, let's face it, this would be a full-blown wail if she was hungry).

A snapshot from my first day of "retirement." Life is so good!