Luck Be a Baby Tonight

The more I speak to other mothers, the more I realize that I am one lucky mama. Please know that the following is not me bragging about my mothering skills (still working on those - apparently they don't come standard) but rather I am recognizing how incredibly fortunate I am to have such an amazing baby. I can sense that you are skeptical of the awesomeness of my daughter. An amazing baby, you ask? Yes. And here's why...

Let's start at the very beginning. Despite causing a wee bit 'o' trouble getting out here, she had nursing all figured out from the get go. The first time we met, she had her mouth wide open, ready to eat. She wasn't messing around then and she hasn't slowed down.

It's been nice not to worry about her weight - let's face it, with parents like us, we didn't think we'd have to :) Her head is certainly a good size. Maybe a little TOO good.

And while bath time can be a little bit tricky trying to ensure we clean between each and every roll, she is enjoying her baths more and more. And I just can't get enough of her chub, even if it adds some extra nooks and crannies.

I feel so very fortunate to have a world class sleeper on my hands. On Christmas Eve (so aptly timed - a wonderful present!) she began a 6 week stint of sleeping for 8 hours at night and then...wait for it...went back down for a couple more hours. Cue the Hallelujah Chorus! And please note that I recognize that I'm incredibly fortunate to have a baby that sleeps well at night and my heart goes out to those mothers of babies who don't value sleep as much as Teagan.

That said, she isn't a napper by any means. But when she sleeps so well at night, it would be a little ridiculous to complain, wouldn't it? But, under the right conditions, she'll sleep for a few minutes. And by "the right conditions" I mean either in my arms or curled up in her bouncy seat. If she's in someone's arms - fantastic! Good hour long nap - easy. However, she seems only to be able to last 20 minutes in the crib or anywhere else. My solution? Curl her up in the bouncy seat and let her snuggle into it enough to trick herself into thinking she's being held, and just make sure every few minutes she has some breathing room :) Please don't judge me!

 

Now, I've never been a morning person (Buddy will enthusiastically agree) but this little woman is. She's been good for me, because how can you wake up unhappy to her sweet little face! (Unless, of course, it's 4:00 AM!)

She has a big, beautiful smile...and bigger thighs. Feast your eyes on the chunky monkey herself. She smiles constantly and it warms my heart. I actually got a real, full-blown baby giggle out of her last week, but regrettably didn't catch it with the camera. Hopefully there will be more of those to come. And with parents like us who put her in all sorts of weird situations, she's bound to chuckle a little. But if not, I know we certainly get a kick out of her...

Starting to wonder if there are any downsides to this angel? Me too!