Esther 2 Months

12 lbs 8 oz.
80% for both height and weight.

Baby Girl:
She's alive! I have somehow protected her from her brother. And now he does pretty good. Whew.
Smiles all the time.
She loves me singing to her- let me rephrase that- every ounce of her lights up when she hears you singing to her- she goobers and gurgles at you adoringly. You should just come over and sing to her if you want to feel adored. Really- it's a good feeling.
She really doesn't like to be held that much- she is very happy playing on the floor- she loves kicking and moving her limbs. When I pick her up to hold her she gets angry (unless she's sleepy)- she just loves being on the floor but having someone talking to her or cooing at her.
Her song is "Sweet Caroline" except of course we changed the words "Sweet little girl....bom bom bom". Yep- her favorite song ever- she'll stop mid-cry to listen. So interesting.
She sleeps better than Grant. She pretty much wakes up once to dream feed and sometimes sleeps through the night. From 9:30 pm-9:30ish am...I know....that's pretty awesome for a little baby. Don't worry, I'm holding my breath for teething. I know it this can't last.
She's a talker- especially when she needs something- I think she really tries to explain it to me. We'll be talking and cooing back and forth then after a minute her tones change and it's not fun and laughing anymore- she's like "okay, we had our chit chat- now I really need you to help make me feel better. I'm _____(tired, poopy, hungry) so please mom- wah! Okay WAH!!!! I do have fun though talking with her. Grant was never a big baby talker.
She's had bad cradle cap: I've taken her soft bristle brush and combed it out. Then I tried coconut oil on it for a few days- made it worse!!! So I tried Renew lotion from Melelucae...AMAZING. Totally beautiful scalp the day after I put that stuff on. Miracle lotion I tell you. Wow. Her scalp still looks good 2 days later and when I mentioned it to her Doc he said he couldn't see anything...guess it really worked so far.
She has so many cute little outfits! It's so fun dressing her up.

He does love her.

Kisses. Well, now he does raspberries on her belly and somehow he thinks it's okay on her face. I feel like a broken record "BE soft!" "That's too rough!" "Soft...."

Whenever the camera is out for the baby he has to pose with her.

When the baby does tummy time, Grant wants her to be on his tummy! He loves helping out.

"Little Lady" outfit.

Before I talk to her.

Once she hears my voice cooing at her.

I'm a lucky mama.

I love these pants. 

This is her "I adore you" face.

Sometimes I see an old soul

So pure. Pure love. Pure adoration. Whatever she feels, she feels it purely and openly.

Always hands by the face

even wrapped up she loves the security of that hand

These pictures are always the best right- you just think how tired they must be and how cute and oh my goodness, what if the baby woke up and jumped off the couch? right? She looks pretty secure though to me.

Growing out of her newborn clothes.

How she sleeps for a couple hours a day while Grant plays at the park. Cuddled up on my chest in the carrier. Even carrying her around all the time, I still savor those quiet times in the rocking chair where I get to hold her and smell  her.

How's the mom?
I have an amazing support system. I don't know what I would do without being able to call my mom crying about everything. And I honestly have the most patient husband in the world. Like, really. Jay doesn't lose it like I do. He is patient when I am not. He remains calm and kind when I am not. I am totally becoming a better person from this- come on- like this is a giant smoothing out the rough edges in action people.

 My body did not bounce back like with the first pregnancy. I totally have this weird dried up apricot attached to my torso- oh wait that is my torso- that is my body? Mine? It doesn't feel like me. It doesn't look like me. When I touch it, it feels like someone hot-glued some weird textured fabric to my stomach. It's so weird. It's made me think about being an old lady some day and how I will be the same person in a different body.

We now have a gate (thanks to my mom) so now Grant can't stomp on the baby when he's angry and I'm doing better about getting the baby out of the way before Grant acts out by hurting her- which now I can see when he's getting there and just scoop the baby up out of the way or put her inside the safe gate. I have friends who are willing to walk with me and tell me about how to get a deal to go to a gym and these free exercise classes and craft stuff- just things for me. I am seeing that I have to make me a priority too. I would love to do everything for the kids and have everything perfect but I see that for me to stay sane and be a good mom, I have to take time for myself too.

Me and Grant are friends again. I'm so happy. I think I might be able to do this being a mom of two kids thing.