4 months, really?

Ok, so I admit, I have been a total blog slacker since becoming a mom. I always thought I would have it all together and that it wouldn't really be THAT hard. I mean when I heard my friends saying they didn't even have time to brush their teeth at first I thought they just must be bad at managing their time. But oh how I understand now. God took my arrogant attitude and gave me a little lesson in humility. There are days I don't even remember...pretty much the first 2 weeks were a blur. I went to church for the first time when she was 12 days old. I have no clue what happened there. No one can prepare you for the way having a child will turn your life upside down in the most glorious, exciting way ever! Sure we have had our {oh so many} sleepless nights but I wouldn't trade a second of what I have been through for anything in the world. I am so completely and totally in love with this little person in a way I never thought possible. I am still in awe of this miracle that God used me for...to think that he created her inside of me, that he took the {hopefully} best parts of me and Jeremy and made this whole other person is incredible and we both feel so honored that He trusts us enough with this life. It is an overwhelming responsibility (and it scares me to death if I think about it too long) to think about raising her and making sure she turns out alright but we trust God will guide us and this journey will definitely draw us to Him like never before and cause us to depend fully on Him. Only through much prayer will we be able to raise her to be a Godly woman.
But on to less serious stuff...here is what has gone down since the last time I blogged. Campbell was born September 7, I ended up having to be kind of induced since by BP was elevated {I say kinda because I was already a 4 when I went to the dr that morning}. I was still able to have the natural childbirth experience that I had hoped and prayed for {Praise God! It was AMAZING!} Here is our little miracle...

She is so unbelievably precious, when I look at her I can't believe that she is really ours. The first month was a blur of hour long feeding sessions...every other hour. Yes, you do the math, I was nursing 12 hours a day! At 2 weeks old we started getting a few longer stretches at night. By the end of the first month we were even enjoying some wakeful times together (when I wasn't nursing). At the end of her first month I got a pretty rough case of mastitis and spent the whole second month on antibiotics complete with a trip to the ER and almost being admitted to the hospital...it was loads of fun that caused me to miss the first half of her second month because just when I was starting to feel like I could get used to this new normal I got knocked on my booty.

By month 2 things were looking up, she was still nursing for an hour but at least we were going 2.5 to 3 hours between feedings which allowed for a few errands to be run when needed. Around 2 months we really started getting some consistent smiles which made up for some of the sleepless nights we were having. We moved her into her crib in her room at 8 weeks and never looked back. I think we all started sleeping better then. Also, 2 months was when we FINALLY were out of newborn diapers and into size 1's. And some her 0-3 month clothes were starting to fit.

At 3 months she started rolling over from her tummy to her back. She doesn't do it consistently but she is getting there. She also laughed for the first time on Christmas day...a full out belly laugh! It was the most wonderful sound and we spent days trying to get her to do it again! We hit a rough patch in the sleep department around Christmas. She had had a cold and AFTER getting over the cold went through a phase where we couldn't put her down to sleep without her screaming. It was right around the time we decided that she should not come to our bed anymore at night. Yes. I did what I said I would NEVER do and let her sleep with us some nights, because frankly, we were exhausted and it was the only way we could get some sleep. I have learned that being a parent will make you eat your words. A LOT. Don't say you WILL NEVER do something because you have no idea...

So here we are. today. 4 months old. really? 4 months? Where does the time go? I am loving every second and trying to cherish every moment but it is still flying by. I am already thinking of her first birthday party. {Sad, I know. But it will here before I know it} She just gets cuter everyday and I love seeing her change, while at the same time it makes me incredibly sad. I now understand how people say that they love every stage. I loved her being a tiny newborn that would cuddle up on my chest and sleep but I love this smiling 4 month old who laughs when I hold her above my head and who snuggles deep into my arms when she is sleepy. I am vowing to not dread the tomorrows of her growing older but to enjoy each and every day that she is the way she is. Even those nights when she just won't lay down I try to remind myself that one day soon she will sleep through the night and before I know it she will be going off to college, getting married and having her own kids. What's a few sleepless nights right now when before I know it I will long for the times she needed me at 2 am.

So, maybe I'll be a better blogger. Maybe I won't. But if you don't hear from me it's not because I don't care to blog but because I love this little munchkin so much I would rather be playing with her than telling you all that she is doing. So, maybe, just maybe, when she naps and I have nothing else to do I can keep this up :)

Until then, here are some of my recent favorite photos: