Picture Post!

Since SOMEONE (*cough* Christina *cough*) is impatient for more pictures (even though I text them to her), here is a post full of pictures that haven't made it to Facebook. Enjoy!

Sweet Sixteen Weeks

 Our little love bug is 16-weeks-old today! It's hard to believe that we brought her home only 16 weeks ago. Long gone is the newborn who seemed too small for her car seat, who slept on her daddy's chest almost every night, and could easily be swaddled asleep. Our baby girl has grown in leaps and bounds the last few weeks.

Now Eleanor sleeps through the night, has favorite toys, is growing out of her clothes, and has discovered she has a voice (one she uses is a million different ways). We try to read to her every night and on weekend mornings, which she enjoys for the most part. She loves watching Veggie Tales Silly Songs or Food Network with her mama. Haha! She has discovered that her hands can grab and grasp things as well. Her favorite thing to play with is her Hunger Caterpillar which gives her a bunch of different fabrics, beads, and a rattle to explore.

My favorite developmental leap Eleanor has made is that she can rollover from her tummy to her back. This new skill was an elusive one for a few days. Eleanor would be in her cradle or on the bed on her tummy for some tummy time and Gavin and I would walk into another room for a second. When we'd come back and she'd be on her back! For days this happened -she'd roll over the exact moment we weren't looking. One night Gavin spent 15 minutes watching her attempt to roll over on the bed and she wasn't able to. We eventually witnesses the feat and now she rolls over when she is done with her tummy time.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

This last week was a rough one for mama. I went back to work and Eleanor started going to daycare.

For our family daycare is unfortunately a necessary evil right now. The smarter choice for us is for me to go back to work -at least through the end of the year. It helps with insurance coverage, my FSA, and keeps me a little more sane. But that doesn't make it feel any better knowing she is in a daycare a few hours every day ...

Eleanor and Gavin at dinner Tuesday.

Lets start with Monday. I didn't go to work until Tuesday, but I wanted to do a "test run" with Eleanor and her daycare -plus I wanted to get all the emotions of leaving my child with a "stranger" out of the way. I was super unprepared for the emotional onslaught. Gavin was just about to leave for work and I was getting ready when I suddenly just lost it. I couldn't stop sobbing about not wanting her to go to daycare and how I was gonna miss so much in her life and I was a bad mom for not staying home. Gavin was awesome (he usually is in these situations) and took Eleanor to daycare for me, even though it meant he was late for work. He took a bullet and was "the bad guy" who dropped her off at daycare and I got to be the one that rescued her.

Gavin and Eleanor "suited up" for the day.

Tuesday and Wednesday were much better. I went back to work and tried to get back into my old groove. It was easier to be away for so long knowing Eleanor was at home with her Daddy all day, especially since Gavin kinds rocks the whole Dad thing. I'll admit that it was kinds nice being KARIE again for a few hours and not just Eleanor's mom/meal/diaper changer.

Thursday and Friday were a bit harder knowing Eleanor was at daycare. No one takes care of my child like I do, so of course I'm going to worry and wonder. Are they comforting her when she cries? Do they know what her hunger signs are? do they know they have to feed her at an angle so her reflux isn't as bad? Is her diaper being changed when the line turns blue? They're only giving her the breast milk I sent right? They're not leaving her unattended are they? Are other people holding her? Are the other kids being nice and gentle? So many questions going through my head until I finally have her back. 4pm never seems to come fast enough anymore.

Tummy time with Mama!

Going back to work and being away from my baby has definitely given me a new appreciation for the time I have with her and makes the day-to-day routines we have feel a bit more special. I love getting on the floor with her for tummy time and having our little "babble chats" and just rocking her to sleep. Nursing her doesn't seem like such a chore anymore.

Maybe in the future I'll get to spend my days with her again, but for now I try to cherish those little moments I had started to take for granted.