One Month

Dear Gracie,
Yesterday you turned one month old.

This picture of you is quite deceiving since you spent most of yesterday screaming at the top of your cute little lungs.  In fact, you held this pose for precisely .2 seconds - long enough to basically wink at me as if you were just screaming for fun and could stop at any time if you wanted to.  It only took those .2 seconds for me to forget that I hadn't taken a shower and was wearing a seriously breast milk stained shirt and fall in love with you all over again.  I do that probably around 50 times every single day.

I didn't realize that within just one month you would already be changing from a sack of flour that I loved to snuggle on my chest to your own little person.  You recognize Daddy and I's voices and faces over anyone else's (something that brings tears to my eyes almost every time), you have different cries for different things you want, and you smile several times a day in a social way and not in a I have gas or involuntary facial muscle spasm way.  I think you like us!

So far, you seem to love the following things: being swaddled, listening to The Randy Rogers Band, falling asleep with Daddy on the couch, watching Daisy with a concerned look on your face, saving all your blow out diapers for Daddy, being covered in kisses by your Grandpas, and sleeping in your car seat for hours after we actually take you out of the car.

Big events in your life this month:  being born (duh), taking your first stroller trip to the lake, meeting lots and lots of family members, holding your head up for ten seconds during tummy time, your first road trip to Indiana, and your first glimpse of your future boyfriend, Austin.

I can't even explain how much joy you have brought to us, Gracie girl.  It's only been a month and I can't remember what our lives were like before you. 

xoxo

Momma

Photograph...All I've got is a photograph

I'm so sad that when I just googled the lyrics to Photograph by Def Leppard that the lyrics for Photograph by Nickleback came up first.  Ugh.  Nickleback makes my skin crawl.

Dimple Dee Do!

Anyways, for anyone looking for an update, I've got a little something for you!  Here is a link to our Grace Elizabeth photo collection on Flickr:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/77836552@N04/collections/.  We're trying to separate pictures out by week and update them every few days so that you can watch Gracie grow.  It's amazing how much she has already grown and changed.  This morning when I went in to get her out of her crib and wipe the crusty spit up off her face and the back of her head (seriously, there is nothing better to ruin your breakfast appetite than cleaning spit up out of your newborns ear in the morning!), I just stood and stared at her.  She grew two inches and put on 1 pound overnight - I'm sure of it!  How did that beautiful little human being ever fit inside of me?  The stretch marks on my stomach are yelling at me "We know how she fit in there!" right now.

I'm going to continue to write in this blog now that things have settled down a little bit.  I'm not sure at what frequency I'll be updating, but there will be something new to check out at least once a month.  I love setting low expectations!!

xoxo
AK

You're here, and you're perfect!

Welcome to the world, Grace Elizabeth Fleming. 

Mommy and Daddy love you so much.  You have made our lives brighter in mere seconds.  I can't write anymore right now because the screen is swimming through my tears. More later - I'm going to go stare at my beautiful daughter for a while.

xoxo

AK

p.s.  Grace, here is the song that inspired your name.  Ben Folds is one of my most favorite musical geniuses, and your Daddy and I spent one of our favorite nights in Austin ever at one of his concerts.  Gracie girl - you will always have a part of me! 

Oversharing

Last night we went to the hospital to have a baby (we thought).  Three hours later we were on our way home.  Apparently, when I thought my water broke, I actually just wet my pants.  Nothing embarrassing about that...nothing at all....

xoxo
AK

p.s.  Baby, last night I dreamt you were a boy and you were playing in the sandbox on my parent's farm.  I'll just pretend the dream ended right there and that there weren't also giant grasshoppers playing violins walking down the road.  I've completely lost it.

Operation Baby Get Out!

So, here are a few things we have tried tonight to get watermelon to evacuate the premises:

1.  Yell "get out" at my stomach.
2.  Have B talk in his annoying robot voice trying to annoy it out.
3.  Sing "Send Me On My Way" by Rusted Root to my stomach.
4.  Eating ravioli with hot sauce on it with a side of pineapple.
5.  Trying to reason with it by telling it my paper was finished, my sister has a new phone that can receive pictures, and B's sister is back from her work trip.  I think those were all the requests we had for me to cross my legs until they were accomplished.

Surprisingly enough, none of these worked.  So, if you're planning on texting or emailing me to ask if I'm still pregnant, why, yes, yes I am!  Believe me, you will know when I'm not.

xoxo
AK

p.s.  Baby, you keep sticking your foot out on the right side of my stomach, and when Daddy or I touch it, you move it.  I really think if you are reacting to our touch that you are ready to come out.  Seriously.  Because it's actually a little (A LOT) creepy, and we keep sitting on the couch doing it and saying "EWWWWWW".

Welcoming a new planet to our solar system!

I think my belly has moons orbiting it.  Seriously.


xoxo
AK

p.s.  Baby, I'm almost done with my final paper.  Just wanted to give you an update so you could start packing your bags.  I'm setting a deadline of 2 PM, so if you could just start making your way sometime after that, Momma would be so happy.  Thanks, dress warm, and see you soon!

Home is wherever I'm with you!

After a long search, a few turned down offers, and quite a few slightly unreasonable tears on my part we finally found a new apartment!  We put money down for the security deposit on Monday, and have a move-in date of May 1.  This means watermelon will be coming home to stay for a little longer than expected at our current place, so we did our best to set up a temporary nursery that I wouldn't feel guilty about.  I know, I know, watermelon will have absolutely no recollection of this apartment, but I will, and I want it to be as special as it can be.  There is so little I have control over in my life right now - just give me this!

So, there is some random furniture in here (huge mirror and dresser on the right) that we just don't have anywhere else to put right now, but you can get the gist of what we did.  My Granny hand made the quilt, and passed it down to me several years ago.  It is so special to us.  Here's a little close up of the artwork above the crib:

I started collecting original prints off Etsy and from local art stores as soon as I found out I was pregnant.  There are three of my favorites.  Below is watermelon's dresser and diaper changing station.  I know these picture angles are kind of weird, but I was trying to cut out the extra office junk that is still hanging out in this room until we decide where B is going to work from for the final 1 1/2 months here.

I mostly DIYed the artwork above the dresser from cute little note cards I found at Michael's a few years ago.  See, B, there's a reason I carry around those huge totes of random craft supplies every time we move - there are millions of projects in there just waiting to be born!

Over the past two years, B and I have lived in two states, three apartments (including his sister and brother-in-laws) and have spent several months apart.  We've learned that it doesn't matter if we're in a huge house in Cedar Park, or a tiny one bedroom apartment in Boystown, if we're together, we're home.  Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes said it best in their song Home, " Home is wherever I'm with you!"  No matter where this little family of four lays our heads, we'll be together!

xoxo
AK

p.s.  Baby, you are going to be a video star!  We set up Skype on our computer, and both sets of grandparents are also set up so they won't miss our on anything.  Anyone else out there want to get their chat on with us once watermelon is here, just let me know!  I just can't promise that I will be showered or dressed in real clothes.