Adjusting

My first week and a half of being a new parent went so smoothly, I honestly couldn't have imagined it going easier. As we got closer to the two week mark things got exponentially more difficult. Hopefully we'll level out soon. But for now here are the ups and downs of new parenthood...

Downs first to get them over with:

1. My baby doesn't sleep during the day. Apparently naps are beneath her.

2. Mastitis sucks, and I don't think I even have a very bad case.

3. My bedroom permanently smells like baby poop, even though I can't seem to find any lingering traces anywhere.

4. I'm no longer allowed to go anywhere because my little lady is only comfortable when she's being held or swaddled and it's illegal to drive while holding or nursing your baby.
5.Miss Daphne always cries the loudest and the hardest when I decide to finally get in the shower.
6. My house is messy, and I would so much rather sleep than clean it.

As for the ups:
1: I get to snuggle and kiss this cutie all day long (and I do mean all day long because she is awake all day long!)

2. I've always hated blow drying my hair, and now I don't have to because I'm never leaving the house again.

3.Bryce is such a cute daddy! He literally pushed me over to get to the baby first when she was crying last night.

4. I've never felt so happy and emotionally healthy in my entire life as I do right now.

5. Baby smell, soft baby skin, cute baby noises, baby kisses.

6. You probably can't tell, but in this picture all of the mail is addressed to my infant. This is all the mail we got Saturday; I have become obsolete. That's totally fine-she's welcome to start pitching in and paying some bills!

7. My messy house doesn't even bother me that much because I'm cloistered upstairs snuggling my tiny sweetheart.

8. Half my preggo weight has fallen off! I know I have a long way to go and the rest of the lbs aren't going to disappear quite so easily, but Man! I feel skinny compared to a few weeks ago.

9. Baby laundry is so much cuter than regular old adult laundry. It doesn't even feel like a chore to wash all those pooped-on sleepers.

Wouldn't trade these days and nights for anything!

Special Delivery!

All my life I have enjoyed the thrill of getting the mail. It started when I was very young. I would look forward all year to the month of April when I knew there would be brightly colored envelopes addressed to me, filled with birthday wishes and often a 5 dollar bill. I looked forward to getting the friend magazine and those mini cereal box sample. My Grammy was unparalleled at sending cheesy cards for every holiday. Even though my anticipation was only indulged a few times a year, that didn't ever stop me from hoping, or from running down to the mail box in my bare feet.

As I grew up I got more mail, cards from far away friends, the random college letters and credit card offers. Even now that I am an adult and my mail usually consists of grocery store circulars and insurance offers I still get excited everyday when the mail comes. I never quite get over the exhilaration when I hear the distinct sound the mail truck makes as it comes up the street stopping every so often and then slowly passes by my house. I went through quite the phase of ordering free samples of random things last spring, and isn't the purpose behind online shopping to get a package on your doorstep a few days later?

Even though getting free samples is fun, I have a packet of NatureMade Sunbutter (sunflower seed peanut butter) still sitting on my counter from June, and my income can't support regularly ordering books on Amazon that cost more to ship than the purchase price. So, one of my new year's resolutions is to write more letters. I figure if I write letters, I'll get answers to letters, and then I will actually have a reason to look forward to picking up my mail. Besides, I've got to do something about that box of stationary under my bed that's been accumulating for the last 20 or so years.

So, friends far and near...anyone want to be my pen pal?