Yep. I knew it was going to happen one of these days. It just seems too soon. I'm not full time yet, I'll be working 2-3 days a week for the next 2 months and then go back to full time after that. It is very hard to leave Lil, but I am happy to know that she is getting very good care. The woman who is watching her is a stay at home mom with a 9 month old. She will be able to give Lily the individualized attention that is really important to us.
As I left work today, just as I shut down my computer, I winced. I was suddenly struck by the thought of the very last time I pushed that button. That day, just as I pushed the off button on my computer, my cell phone rang. It was the call that changed our life. The call telling me that there was a little girl waiting for us in California. In some ways, it feels like an eternity ago. I remember how surreal it was - the woman from the agency giving me the details of the situation and me calmly answering her questions. I probably didn't even sound excited to her, I think I was in complete shock. It wasn't until after I hung up the phone that I started to tremble and really let into my mind the idea that it could actually be true.
Then I flashed back to my current life and Lily's gummy, smiling face. It is almost beyond comprehension for me.
We spent this past weekend in South Carolina visiting a bunch of Brook's Flickr friends. There was a huge 35th Birthday Extravaganza party, complete with roller skating. We had SO much fun. Lily was perfectly content - even in the car. Our usually happy kiddo tends to scream from the minute she's strapped into the carseat until the moment she is taken out, so we were very nervous about the car ride, but she did fabulous. I think it helped that one of us was able to be in the back with her to sing songs and play during the trip. She actually cried less on this 10 hour (each way) trip than she normally does on a trip to town and back. Here's hoping this is the start of her making peace with the carseat :)
Some funny photos:
Her hair has been really growing fast lately...
and I hate the pacifier, but she keeps it classy...
Also, did you know that I can do tricks on roller skates?
You are two months old now! The changes you have gone through in the last month have blown us away. Sometimes we think we couldn't possibly love you any more and then the next day, our hearts just make room and fill up even more. Yesterday daddy heard me in the living room singing to you and he said it almost made him tear up to think about how sad I was before you came along. Daddy and mommy wanted you so badly and the waiting was very hard. I think the waiting made us appreciate you even more. You are everything we ever dreamed of and you make our lives so happy!
You are becoming quite a little person these days, with distinct likes and dislikes and you do your best to make them clear to us.
Some things to note about your 2nd month of life:
You smile a lot more these days. It still takes a little work to get them out of you, but it makes us feel so special when we do. You are liking the bath much more now, kicking your feet and splashing. Coming out in the cold air is still not much fun for you. You are drooling a little, mostly while blowing bubbles like crazy. You have a giggle, but it is pretty elusive. Your feet sweat a lot. You HATE the car and scream a lot while in it. You like daddy to toss you high over his shoulder and pat your butt. You sleep through the night more often than not. You are getting more independent and will tolerate more time sitting by yourself. Before this, you wanted to be held pretty much constantly. You still love to be held and cuddle, though. You are a morning person. It is your happiest and most content time of day. You are getting way more interactive with your toys. In your bouncy seat, you love to watch the animals move and sway. Here is a little video of you enjoying them:
i can hardly wait to see what the next month has in store!
A woman from Corey's work made Lily this beautiful dress with matching booties and bonnet. It is simply gorgeous. This item will certainly be passed down as a treasured family keepsake. Thank you so much Sheryl.
Our friends Lexi and Doug have a brand new baby girl! Her name is Chloe Alexis and she is the cutest little peanut. She makes Lil look like a giant in comparison!
A lot of people have asked about why we chose cloth diapers. I personally chose cloth for these reasons:
-They are new and improved. No more pins! They are also simple to wash at home.
-The fact that Lily's diapers won't still be sitting in a landfill when Lily's great-great-great-great grandchildren are here (disposables last 250-500 years in a landfill). Diapers are the 3rd largest single consumer item in landfills.
-They are softer on Lily's tush - I know prefer cotton underwear to plastic.
-They are cheaper for us. Even though we use the fancy kind, all in all, Lily's diapers will only cost approximately $400 (most were bought as gifts) as opposed to the $2000 worth of disposables an average child goes through. Plus, they can be used for additional children without additional cost.
-They are cute!
I solved the stinky diaper pail problem with a trip to Target where I purchased one of these odor absorbing things and some of this to stick it to the lid of the pail. Works like a charm. Even Corey's super-sensitive nose approves. I also got a handy dandy, washable, diaper pail liner from our local cloth diaper store, where I also get the eco-friendly laundry soap that I love.
My friend Lexi and I made our own cloth wipes, too, which I keep moist (with water and a drop of lavender oil) in a little plastic container on the changing table. They work great and I just toss them in the pail with the diapers.
And just because I can't have a post without a pic of her, here she is :)
Yesterday I left out of of my favorite photos from Sunday. It is one Lexi took of me and Lil on a bench that her pop made for her mom. Isn't that bench amazing?!
On another note, Lily has become a really good sleeper. For the past 6 nights she has slept 9 or 10 hours in a row! Before that, she was still waking up ever 4 hours or so to eat, so this is a big change for us. She seems to be much more aware of her hands these days, too.
My friend Lexi is very, very pregnant. Not for long though, she might even be in labor as I type this post! We took photos this past weekend and she was up for anything, so it made it really fun. We were shooting outside so I said "How about you get in the creek?!" and she was all "Sure!". She's having a water birth after all, so she might as well get used to it :)
Lexi's husband, Doug, returned the favor and took some photos of me and Lil...
Yesterday, we closed on the property we were in the process of purchasing when Lily unexpectedly arrived. The property will now be known as "Lily's Woods". It is 30 acres of mature woods, surrounded by an Indiana State Forest. We look forward to managing a healthy forest with the goals of quality timber production, recreation (hiking and camping), and hopefully maple syrup production (on a very small scale). Lily will have so much fun hiking in her very own woods! Maybe someday we will build a cabin and dig a pond for Lily to fish in. For now though, we are just going to make a campsite so we can spend more time there.
Lily and I went shopping with our friends Lisa and Henry yesterday. Lisa agreed to come along for a shopping extravaganza up in Greenwood. Little Henry was totally chillaxin' through the whole thing, but Lil was a little perturbed by being stuck in her car seat while driving. Darn those laws and there baby protecting ways! She'd much rather be cuddled than strapped into that little seat.
We made the rounds to a few stores and ate at the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. When the hostess said "Party of 4?" and Lisa and I looked at each other quizzically, and then said "Uh... yeah!". Both of us tend to forget that we have another little person there with us now. We just can't believe it. We had a nice long talk over lunch about all the struggles we went through to get to this point, and how we still can't believe these two beautiful kiddos are sitting next to us.
Henry was putting on quite a show with his adorable grins, but Lily seemed a little indifferent. Give her time... ;)
We are currently on our way to check out a glider/ottoman for Lily. We have scored lots of deals on great stuff on craigslist, so hopefully this will be another one.
I have not had a chance to go through the pictures yet, but we had a great time Saturday at Lil's 2nd Welcoming party. She sure is a lucky girl to have so many people to love her. To say that this was a "big" party would be an understatement. Corey's mom provided lots of wonderful food with the help of Corey's cousins, aunts and uncles (who fried up 20 chickens for the occasion!). I hope to get some pictures up asap.
Just your typical Indiana girl who loves her kid, her husband, photography, the great outdoors, cooking and crafting (knitting, spinning, sewing and pretty much anything else old ladies do). These are my ramblings.
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