Springity Sprungity!

We are in our bright floral patterns and chillin' on the outside. Yup. Springity has sprungity!

Sleep when your baby sleeps...

Recipe for sleep deprivation: Take a precious baby who sleeps in 3-6 hour stretches through the night. Add a parent who has trouble falling asleep and/or staying asleep. Observe for 7 weeks. Result: One sleepy momma!

I have struggled to sleep for the last several months. I'm not stressed or depressed... Actually, I am just in love with my baby and our new little family!!! All I can attribute the sleepless nights (literally whole nights with not a wink of sleep) to is hormones. YAY! The list of awesome things that have happened to my body since becoming, well, a 'woman' is so... lovely.

When people ask how I am doing, I like to be honest: "Pretty tired. Baby is sleeping, but I can't seem to get much sleep at all!" Most of the time, that response gets me advice such as "have you tried 'this' or 'that'"...  I have to refrain from saying "I have tried it all, people. Literally all of it!" I WISH some magic thing or pill would take away the tired. Did you know Benedryl makes some people really hyper? I am living proof. Well meaning people tell me to "Sleep when your baby sleeps". That would be AWESOME... if I could sleep!!!

I spent the waking hours of this morning (when I was not sleeping) Googling "Sleep Deprivation", and it was scary. I should not have done that. All new mommas don't get enough sleep, yet they are still alive to have more kids and raise them to become thriving adults. Why worry? But, isn't that what mommies are good at?!?

And the rain came down...

In the midst of a crazy severe drought last summer, we all prayed for rain, and the Good Lord was faithful once again: About a week ago, we had some crazy storms, but they left enough rain to fill the river behind our place and give it a current. See the waves? This is one super proud river dweller! 

Lonesome Lunch

Some days, my lunch hangs out like this for hours. 

Can you see the precious reason I get distracted?!?

Special people at a special celebration...

We went to Houston last weekend for Michael and Meghan Barney's wedding celebration (the wedding was in January in Pheonix), and Claire got to meet some special people:

 Mommy's cousin, Elizabeth. Also known as Aunt E.

Mommy's Grandma and Grandpa. Also known as Mel and Kiki.

...baby Claire's day...

...exploring the world...

...communicating needs (mostly hunger)... 

 ...sleeping and growing...

1 bedroom, 3 people, 2 dogs...

What's it like for 3 people and 2 dogs to reside in a one bedroom apartment?

 The bedroom is cozy. See Claire in her 'crib'.

 The living room/study/dining/kitchen gets lots of use during the daytime.

 "Outside" for the dogs is on the porch. On the third story. 

When we first moved in here, I was terrified to put them out there.

Now, I sometimes forget they are out there and hours pass before I remember to let them back in.

Sweet Sadie

This is my sweet Sadie before Claire was born. She was her happy-go-lucky self! 

Today, my sweet Sadie is doggie depressed because I spend all of my time taking care of the baby.

Poor baby Sadie :(

Baby Face

I never used to pay much attention to baby faces... but, oh, since this little sweet little face has entered my life, I just can't get enough!

This is for all of you baby face people...

What happens on play dates stays on play dates...

It's Spring Break 2012, and this has been by far the wildest spring break of my life. It even beats the spring breaks I spent in Cancun during high school...

Why so WILD?
Well, when nursing mommies get together for play dates (which actually is a term for "I need to get out of the house and talk to other adults in the real world"), there are no nursing covers... Why bother? Everything is out there. How fun. I'm telling you. Wildest spring break ever.

5 things...

Dear Claire,
     If I can only teach you 5 things, this is what I would teach you:

1. The world sucks. The good news? It is only temporal and Heaven is forever.
2. On good days and bad days, God loves you so much... more than you can ever fully comprehend.
3. How much does God love you? He gave us Jesus, his only son, so we can spend eternity in heaven with Him. 
4. God loves your mommy and daddy, too! How do we know? He gave us YOU!!! You are God's precious gift to us, and we love you so much!
5. Don't waste your time... take it from me: Trusting God is easier than worrying.

I pray we teach you these things--I pray we keep these in perspective in everything we do. These truths are more important than the alphabet or fractions or the periodic table. They are more important than who your best friend is or who takes you to prom. They are more important than anything else in this world.

I love you, my sweet girl,
Mommy

One Month

It has been one month since God blessed Chris and I with the most precious gift of raising Claire. She is growing and learning more and more each day. We don't deserve such blessing... God is so good.

Diaper size: 1
Clothes size: 0-3 months
Favorite activity: laughing at silly faces and staring at her dangling shapes (and kicking her feet like she is marching-as in the picture above-because it makes her so excited)!

Attention everyone, Natalie is discreetly nursing in the back!

You know those moments in life you want to be invisible? Yes, I know those moments all too well. And, now that I am a mommy, it is a daily occurrence--no lie.

Last night, Julie (my friend who is also a new mommy) invited me to a MOPs (Mothers Of Preschoolers) meeting. Even though I was apprehensive about going (because I am the greenie of the group-first time new mom), I went because was due for some mommy fellowship.

Claire and I arrived at the community center a few minutes early to give us time to get situated... I hate walking into a room full of unfamiliar faces, especially with a stroller I am still learning to drive and get through doors. I found Julie and headed to her table. I caravan-ed myself, baby, and all of our stuff to the only open seat, bumping everything possible on the way. I sat down and tried to make conversation with the ladies at my table, but all I could think about was when Claire was going to start crying for dinner. As if on cue, she started crying when the announcements were being made. So, I looked to my friend Julie and mouthed "I've never nursed in PUBLIC!" Is there a word that means beyond uncomfortable and embarrassing? That would go here. But, better to bite the bullet and learn to nurse in a group of seasoned moms.

Well, the announcements concluded, and Claire was happily making her way through her first helping of dinner, hidden behind the 'hooter-hider' but making enough noise to be obvious to everyone around me. When is it developmentally appropriate to teach table manners?!?

"Now it is time to introduce our guests!" said the MOPs leader at the front. She asked me to introduce myself... and then realized I was nursing. Awesome. Why did the timing have to be so spot on?!? So I said "My name is Natalie, and I am nursing in public for the first time!" It felt like a confession. Like I was at my first AA meeting admitting I needed support to a group of people who have already been through this and ready to support me... Strange enough, this feeling of relief came over me. It felt good to have my secret out in the open. Done. Now I can say I have nursed in public and I have the confidence to do it again. So beware if you see me reach for my hooter-hider...

So I got a call...

I don't like the concerned tone, Mommy!

So I got a call on Wednesday afternoon from Claire's pediatrician. I immediately knew it was not a good call because of the concerned tone: "Mrs. Hubert, this is Dr. Atkuri. I am calling because Claire's blood work came back abnormal for the thyroid hormone. We would like to get her in first thing tomorrow." My heart sank. I wanted to cry, but I knew I just had to keep myself busy and try to not dwell on it. I did the dishes, folded clothes, and had Julie and her precious baby, Emma, over for a play date. But it was still all I could think about.

I called Chris at 5 because I just couldn't deal with it alone. I tried to keep calm, but the tears just had their way.

When I was feeding Claire that night, I prayed with her and sang our song as usual.

"Jesus loves Claire, this I know!
For the Bible tells us so.
Little ones to him belong
They are weak, but HE is strong!"

The simple truth of this song was so reassuring: Jesus is our strength when we are weak. Even the 'little ones'. And their Mommies.

Yes, I was an angel. But this is what I really thought...

We headed to the doctor's office early on Thursday. They did the blood work and Claire did not even cry. She is such an angel.

Dr. Atkuri was reassuring that Claire seemed to be healthy, and that the error could have been in the blood testing. She was sure she would have good news when she called later that afternoon, but that was no promise.

I told Claire that God is in charge, and promised my sweet girl that we would do whatever we needed to do to take care of her because she is God's precious gift to Chris and I.

So, I'm okay, Mommy?

I spent the next few hours at my Aunt Kathy's house visiting with her and Cousin Elizabeth. It was such a blessing to have this time with them, and it was a good reminder that God's goodness is ever present in the world.

Thursday afternoon, the doctor called-I could almost hear her smiling. The results were negative, and Claire is a healthy baby!!! In an instant, I was crying, smiling, kissing Claire and thanking God that she was healthy.

No matter what, and in all circumstances, I am so grateful that Jesus is our strength. Even when we are weak.