May I Introduce To You, Mr. Mom...

I recently started back at work a week ago. Up until the big day i was Mama-Extraordinaire... and by that i mean, i wore the Mom pants. I must say i was a little apprehensive about leaving Lola with Pieter for longer than the usual hour here and there. So his first on Daddy shift with her was disastrous. Lets just say that on a scale from 1-10, it was about an 8 or a 9. i have been working early morning shifts also, and usually i get a number of texts about her being awake, being too noisy, being fussy, not eating, smiling too much.... all which apparently bugged him. On Thursday i was working and realized it was the normal text cry for help time. So i initiated it just to see how things were and i got no response. i continued to text and text and i finally got a response. Pieter said that they were fine. When i got home he was holding her and she was fine! There were no tears that day. Pieter is turning out to be an amazing father! I can tell by his interactions with her that he is enjoying the one on one time with Lola and i think she is enjoying it also. It is interesting to see her different personalities with each of us. I feel like she gives each of us the same love, but gives us different kinds of love. She is more playful and smiley with Pieter and more snugly with me. Nevertheless, we love our daughter and we are loved by her. I am so proud of our little family. I am so proud to be the mother of an amazing, garbanzo bean faced, funny little girl. I am so proud to be with a man who loves and cherishes his daughter so much.

my first week of work...

...is over!!! i am really looking forward to sleeping in, and by that i mean not having to be at work. Pieter has done a really great job with Lola this past week. i think he is more comfortable and confident in his parenting skills. i must say, i am kinda jealous. from what he has told me, it has been really fun spending time with her. i love them!

today's post.......

.....will be short and sweet.

today was my second day back at work. it was a different shift than my last one, but was the same one i worked before i popped out the little one. today gave me a chance to brag about Lola and explain how wonderful she truly is. im sure i will be given many more opportunities to gab and go on and on about her, but for the time being i'll take advantage of it! i love you Lola.

i cant be mad...

last night i tried to put Lola to bed at 930. Lola actually went to bed at 11. i hoped and prayed to the sleep gods that she would sleep well and more importantly, that i would sleep well. sure enough, Lola decided it was going to be an every two hour night. so every two ours i was up feeding her and putting her back to sleep. there were times where i would doze off. along comes 7ish and after feeding and burping her i put her on her blanket, on top of our bed. out comes the loudest, squishiest sound. it sounded similar to the way a woopie cushion sounds when there is too much spit in it. so i pick her up and she has managed to poop up and out her diaper, through her pajamas, and through her blanket. lets just say i was not a happy camper. as i waited for her water to get warm i started to undress her, soon realizing that she had gotten poop only a couple inches shy of her neck. lets just put it this way, SHE DESTROYED HERSELF!!! so i put her in the water and begin to say, "are you kidding me? why do you hate me!!!??" she looks at me completely straight faced and smiles at me. it was the biggest, most endearing, most beautiful smile ever. how could i be mad after that...

advice

everyone likes to give you there opinion- especially when there is a baby in the picture and your a first time mother. Lola spent the first 9 weeks of her life snuggled up in between Pieter and me every night. i remember hearing all sorts of comments and advice from family members, friends, and random bloggers. i quickly realized that there were two teams of opinions when it came to advice on getting Lola to sleep in her crib. personally, i was raised as a "let her cry it out" baby. but when it came time to get her to stay in the crib, i just didn't have the heart to leave her there, crying. maybe im being too sympathetic, but to me, being a mother has really been about finding my own rhythm- finding out what works for me. so finally, 9 weeks after being the baby divider in our bed, i put her in crib and that is where she has stayed. maybe she needed to do it in her own time. either way i am proud of her!

today i was watching Rachael Ray. she was interviewing Selma Hayek and one of the audience members asked what the best advice her mom gave her. Selma responded that her mother had told her to put her baby to sleep every night because she never knew when it wouldnt be like that anymore and that one day, when her daughter was grown up she would wish that she could go back.

i can say that there are times that it takes a really, REALLY long time, but i really do cherish getting that time with Lola. there is something about getting to rock your daughter to sleep every night, even when she fights it and it takes two hours. i love it.

cleche'

i remember a couple years ago i wanted to be able to express myself through painting and writing. i started off strong, painting and writing frequently. it has been about 2 1/2 years since i have written last. just recently i have realized that i am inspired to jot down the things that have touched my heart. my life has changed tremendously in the last 2 1/2 years. i am now engaged to my boyfriend of almost 4 years and am the mother of an amazing little girl, Lola. i know this sounds cliche, i have decided to make this blog about my daily experiences with Pieter and Lola.