Moments to Remember

I've had a rough few days with Grace.  Week 6 was amazing.  She slept really well at night, and was awake and content during the day, aside from a few nice long naps... This week has been harder.  She is crying during the "witching hour" inconsolably.  The cry is heartbreaking, but that's another post for another day. 

When I have these rough moments with Grace, it helps to think of all my happy moments with her.  There are some moments that are just absolutely precious, and I want to hold onto those moments and never forget them.  She literally grows bigger and changes every single day.  She is still a little baby, but she is already so so much bigger than the tiny little creature that came out of me in November.

1.) Bath Time.  Oh my gosh, bath time with Grace is so sweet.  At first, it was really scary for us because she was so tiny. And it is a hassle to get everything ready and set up, and a hassle to put it all away after.  But it is honestly one of my favorite times with her.
She sits in a special infant insert in a baby tub, and Brian holds her steady in his strong hands.  He talks to her to keep her calm, and usually makes me laugh.  I sponge her down, wipe her face and wash her hair.  Grace sits calmly through the whole thing, listening to Brian's voice, looking around, and kicking her legs in the warm water.  She doesn't mind when I pour the water on her.  She doesn't mind me wiping her down.  She's just content and it is adorable.
Afterwards, he wraps her tightly in a towel and puts her jammies on.  It is one of my most favorite times we have together as a family.  This spring, he's going to be really busy, and probably won't be able to do bath time with us.  I never want to forget how special her baths were during these first few months.



2.) Baby Smiles!  Grace gives out the sweetest and best smiles in the world.  She started a few at week 6, but just now in week 7 she has been giving them out more than ever before. They still aren't predictable, and she doesn't hold them long enough for me to capture on camera.  But a smile from her can make my day instantly.  She smiles for her cousins Dylan and Max, and for both of her grandmothers, but mostly she smiles for her daddy.  She loves to smile at him. 

My face is weird in all these.
But she is adorable, so
I'm including them.

3.) Sleeping Baby Cuddles.  Is there anything sweeter than a baby sleeping in your arms?  Sometimes when she falls asleep on me, I think "If only she were sleeping in her swing or in her rock 'n play, then I could be up and doing laundry, or dishes, or eating!  Or just sleeping myself!"  And so I set her down, planning to do one of those items like sleeping or laundry.  And  lately she fusses, so I pick her back up, frustrated and annoyed.

But a day will come when I will have plenty of time to do laundry.  A day will come when I will have plenty of time to sleep and eat and do whatever I feel like doing without a baby crying every time I put her down.

But when that day comes, she won't be a tiny baby.  She'll be grown up and gone and won't need my arms to sleep in anymore.  So, for now, my laundry pile is going to grow, and my house is going to get messy.  Because I will never have these moments back again. Because no matter how tired my arms get, they will always hold her for as long as she needs it.
She will never be so tiny, and I'm going to cherish every moment of it.