New Background....Humor Me!

Forgive me for the cheesy new background. The Fourth of July comes but once a year; and I'm a sucker for the patriotic. I secretly want a red, white, and blue room in my house someday. Secret's out! I don't think Gerrit would go for that....Actually, I casually mentioned this idea to him one day. He said if the colors looked like the Twins colors, then he might be okay with it. For now, I will indulge my not-so-secret desire and decorate my blog to my heart's content. Don't be a hater.

Addie and Her Daddy

Happy 1st Father's Day to my man. I love you, Gerrit.
Thank you for being a wonderful dad to our Adeline. I couldn't do this without you! She's already got you wrapped around her baby finger. I'm sure that will never change. Thanks for loving your two gals. We love you back.

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

Adeline, the Wonderbaby, rolled over last night. That's right. 5 weeks old. She's a crazy person. (Probably a fluke, but it's documented nonetheless!)

As you can see in the progression of photos, she's not too thrilled about her choice to roll. I may look like a bad parent for just letting her struggle while snapping photos; but just like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, the struggle is what makes them strong enough to fly....or to roll again.

Phew. She did it. And to prove she was just fine after her adventure (and because she's so darn cute) here are some more pictures.

Here she's telling me how clever she is for rolling.

Can't take my eyes off this little lady for long. She's dangerous!

One Month Old!

I can't believe a month has passed since Adeline made her big debut! She's a month old!!!!

Our precious bundle. She's so pleasant this way. :)

I knew time would go by quickly. But that month was so fast, I hardly realized it passed. It's been a month of adjustments. Being a new parent is a rude awakening.

News flash: Infants are hard work.

Oh...you aren't surprised by that revelation? Weird. See, I got that memo, but must have skimmed the part where it said, "Everything you've heard about newborns is true!" I guess I assumed I would have a wonder-baby and I would be a wonder-mom. Well, I do have a pretty great baby. She's healthy and lovely and WONDERful. But I'm still me. A bit frazzled. :)

***
Gerrit and Addie...doing their thing. He just loves her. He asks me often to take a picture of them. We have several of them like this. Lots of father/daughter pictures.

I, on the other hand, have very few pictures of the two of us. Most of the time, I look like a tired mom with glasses on and greasy hair. But that's because hygiene is a luxury now. A complete shower is a real treat. This is the best I can do. Still tired looking, but my hair looks clean and I have remnants of yesterdays make-up. You're welcome.

This is literally her first time sleeping in the crib. She still doesn't like it for long. I had to document it!

Addie's been giving us a run for our money each night around 9 or 10. She cries almost non-stop for an hour. She's inconsolable. We've tried swaddling, white noise, car rides, tummy time, shhhing, bouncing.....oh my. It's as if she's trying to tire herself out for the night. Pray it's a phase! I actually started writing this post last night and had to come back today to finish because she was being fussy.

All in all, we are re-learning how to live life. Everything is an adventure now. We've had quite a few outings and that makes me feel more human--which is great. And she's a darling, lovable baby. One month old! Such a big girl!

Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner

One of my bosom buddies, Jess, took these amazing pictures of Adeline. There are more on her website. The precious headband was made by another of my dear friends, Rachel. You can oooh and aaaah over them while I tell you about our daughter.
I call her a "newborn on steroids" because she's the strongest little bugger I've ever met. She was lifting her head on Day 1. She kicks and squirms in your arms until she's found her perfect spot (a bit like a dog looking for her spot on a pillow). She can actually launch herself up on your chest with her feet. And to top it off, she beat Gerrit in arm wrestling! :) There's no stopping her!
Adeline's already got a little temper. (Who did she get that from?) She's like a mad woman if the food isn't coming fast enough. Then she gets her arms in her own way and gets even more upset. But with her strong little biceps, I have to pry them away to help her. She's also an emotional eater. When life gets hard (like after a rough diaper changing session), she goes a-looking for the food.
Obviously, she can't talk yet. But she clearly understands the words "nap" and "eat," because whenever I'm about to do either of those things, she's suddenly bright eyed and bushy tailed needing to be fed. IT NEVER FAILS--even if I've just fed her and put her to sleep! Doesn't matter....she knows....and she's out to get me.

She grunts like a caveman. When she's trying to wake up or getting near the end of eating, it sounds like she's using Morse code to communicate.

Addie gets some very serious expressions on her face. She looks at us like we're crazy. It's like she's saying, "Really, God? These are the people you chose to raise me?" But little does she know that she laughs in her sleep. She can't hide. We see her true colors and we love every one of 'em.

The Good, the Bad, and the Stinky

We took our first road trip as a new family this weekend. And you know what? The kid was a trooper. She's a great little traveler. Before I get to the title of this entry, here are the picture highlights from the weekend:

First picture with all 5 cousins!

The Moms of the family with Adeline. Gerrit took the picture and said, "Cassie, you look like you're in high school." I do a bit. I need to start wearing my wedding ring again!

Had to get Dad in there, too. He's always behind the camera, as dads often are.
Jozie loved being near Adeline. She said, "Grandpa, you can pet baby Adeline's head, you know. You can just pet it."

Owen finally worked up the courage to hold the baby. He kept politely declining when he was asked. But during the last half hour of our stay he asked to hold her and had great success! I think they'll be good buddies.

We like her.

Gerrit and Adeline are precious. I look like a tired mom. But I am. So, it's okay.

On to the title of the entry:

The Good:
* It was wonderful to be home. Gerrit thought we should challenge ourselves to make the 4 1/2 hour trip up north with the kiddo. We did it! Now we know it's possible.

* We had so many helping hands this weekend. Besides changing and feeding, we hardly held our child! My sister, Carey, offered to stay up with Adeline one night. The baby slept on her for almost 5 hours! Slept right through her regular eating time. If Carey didn't have a husband, children, and a life of her own, we'd just have her live with us. But everyone was extremely helpful.

The Bad:
* While we were there, I got a little thing called Mastitis. It sort of feels like having the flu. I couldn't get warm. For most of the day, I assumed that was because my mom keeps the house chilly. But I had a fever and aches. Then the antibiotics made me feel a little worse. Awesome. I have a follow-up appointment today, since I had to see a doctor in my hometown and not my current doctor. After all my prenatal and newborn appointments, the ladies at the check-in counter know me by name now. It's like "Cheers."

The Stinky:
*It's a really good thing that Adeline's closet and dresser are so full of clothes, because this little lady poops through everything! I've never heard of a newborn making so many messes. She far exceeds her pooping quota each day. I think by day 2 or 3 newborns are supposed to have 2-3 messy diapers. Yeah....how about 5 or 6....or 8? She was a pro from the start and she's only perfected her craft. We adoringly call her "Turd Butt," "Squirt," and "Poopty Poopty Pants." It's okay, she doesn't mind.

Men Look Away. This is a Question for the Moms Out There:

Could nursing bras be any more horrible? Seriously, the quality is AWFUL. The fit is ATROCIOUS. Just when you need the most comfort and support you've ever needed in that area, the bra lets you down....literally. My gosh! These were obviously designed by a man. A man who has never seen a woman, let alone a nursing mother. Not being able to have the under wire just leaves you loosey goosey. I might as well just apply the absorbent nursing pads with double-stick tape for all the support I'm getting. BAAAAAAAHHHHH! Also, who decided on the size of nursing pads? Have those helped anyone? Ever? They are probably big enough for "Breast-feeding Barbie", but certainly not for a life-sized, in-the-flesh woman. There are serious leakage issues to be addressed here!

*{exhale}*

Thus ends my postpartum rant. Forgive me. I have raging hormones. Just be glad YOU are not the designer of these bras, because I would come at you like a spider monkey. Watch your back.