Holla’ if you love Mr. Rogers!! I can still sing, “There are many ways to say I love you.” Today I understand that song! Here are the ways I’ve recently been told someone loves me:

1. Aaron is cleaning the kitchen. (If you’ve seen my kitchen in the last week, you’ll know what an epic task this is!)

2. Lilah rests her head on my shoulder and gives a content sigh. (favorite!)

3. A fridge with delicious cheese inside and a bag of brownies on the counter. Thanks Ali and Steph!

4. People who invite me to hang out with them.

5. Strangers at the Gateway telling me my baby is beautiful.

6. Milk shakes as a reward for surviving crankiness

7. Good Ensign articles

8. People who watch my baby while I go to a movie.

9. Lilah’s laugh

10. A recharging hug

So, I’m interested. How did you hear “I love you” today?

The funny thing about babies is that they change size. Lilah can go from looking teensy to me to looking huge so fast! When I hold up her clothes I think, oh she’s so small! Then when I look at pictures from last week  I think, you’ve grown so much- you’re huge! When I hold her and she’s napping she looks so small. But when she’s playing daddy dance party she looks so big. It’s amazing every time.

Lately we’ve started laughing in response to things. She’s happiest first thing in the morning, after a good night’s sleep and before she remembers that she’s hungry. (I think that pretty much describes all of us- don’t you?) She always laughs when dad pinches her cheeks and she usually laughs when mom makes faces at her. I would go to the ends of the earth for that laugh.

My favorite Lilah moment is when she’s full from eating and she lets out a burp only grown men should be capable of making, she will lean her little head on my shoulder and let out a sigh that says, “Thanks for food mom. That was delicious.” I live for that sigh. <3

Poor Lilah. What a rough night.

She’s started liking being naked and loves taking a bath. We’ve started bathing her every night because it is calming, and because she usually barfs enough during the day to warrant it. Last night our rhythm was off and she was naked for several minutes before getting in the tub. The whole time she was naked I knew the clock was ticking… any second I could be peed on! But she was either empty or held it in. She had a great bath, we wrapped her in her towel, Aaron dumped the bath water and I was carrying her to the changing table when she POOPED (not peed, pooped!) all over! And not just a little! Well, what will the parents do? We did what any lazy, burned out parents would have done. We held her over the sink and sprayed her off! Poor girl went from calm and happy to looking at us like we were crazy to crying the “what the fetch are you doing???” cry. But the fun didn’t end there. Oh no, she had pooped in her towel and our other towels were in the wash, so she got to be dried with a wash cloth instead of swaddled in something warm. If we thought the crying was bad when she was being sprayed… Well, then we booked it to the changing table and strapped on that diaper fast! No repeat performances, thankfully. Once she was wrapped in the teddy bear jammies and swaddled in her softest blanket, she felt much better. And so did we.

Oh sweet pea, where would we be without these evening adventures? I’m so glad you put the pizzaz in our lives!

I love being a mom. I really really really love being a mom. Didn’t think I’d love it this much, but I do. It’s incredible! My baby is beautiful and sweet and beautiful and cuddly and beautiful and soft and beautiful. And beautiful. Even when she’s up at 3 in the morning and she thinks its time to play, I still love being her mom! Now that she’s been here one whole week (far out!), I’d like to document my favorite moments:

It was late and I was tired and cranky and was trying to get things washed and put away and nothing was going the way I wanted it to. I was starting to reach maximum frustration when I decided to give up and sit down. Lilah was squirming, so I picked her up to rock her and instantly felt better. She and I just sat and cuddled and she made cute faces at me. It was delightful. She is all light and sunshine!

Getting ready for her first bath, we braced ourselves for screaming and crying of epic proportions! She really hates being cold. But, instead she let us wash her and she seemed more content in that bath water than she sometimes is all wrapped up in blankets. It was fun to check out all her little limbs again and count her fingers and toes and realize that she really is as perfect as we imagine her to be.

After she was born the doctor put her on my chest for me to hold. Aaron’s head was next to mine so we could both see her. He said something, and the instant she heard her voice she turned her head, looked right at him and smiled. She recognized his voice and was glad to hear him.

…said my husband as we sat here on the couch, NOT having a baby, like we thought we were going to ALL FREAKING DAY. Oh my gosh the waiting is killing us. Deep breaths… deep deep breaths….
So, what creative things should I share with all you peeps out there? He keeps suggesting food. So, here we go!

Things I would eat right now if they were placed in front of me:
1. Taco Bell bean burrito (So bad for me, but tastes so good!!)
2. One dozen chocolate chip cookies. (I have eaten a dozen by myself.)
3. Chicken taco salad
4. Onion rings
5. A bowl of grapes
6. Strawberries and cottage cheese (If you’ve never had this combo, I HIGHLY recommend it)
7. Steamed spinach with parmesean cheese
8. A bowl of guacamole. With chips of course.
9. Banana cream pie
10. Pot roast

Things I would not eat right now if they were placed in front of me:
1. A pasta dish of any kind. Not feeling the pasta at all. Weird.
2. Snickerdoodles. Not as much favorite.
3. Twizzlers. But I never eat those.
4. A hot dog
5. M&M’s
6. A turkey sandwich. We talked about this last night actually, I don’t like turkey or ham on sandwiches. It may be a little strange, but unless the bread is exactly the right texture and the turkey or ham is the right thickness, I think these 2 meats make the most disgusting sandwiches! BLEH. And if there’s American cheese on the sandwich- forget it!!
7. French fries. Sometimes I like them, but the occasion is rare and there MUST be fry sauce.
8. A baked potato
9. Pepperoni pizza
10. Castor oil. I’m desperate, but not that desperate.

Please pray we’ll have this baby soon. Like in the next 10 minutes. The patience is gone. GONE.