+ All kinds of stuff +
This might be a rambling entry, but I haven't done one in a while so it's about time. Heh.

Yesterday was our first Mother's Day together. Furthermore, you were baptised! It was a beautiful day (other than me still being sick). Your grandparents were all there, and your great-grandmother Olney, and a bunch of aunts, uncles and friends. It turned out you were the only one being baptised, and it was so special having you up there with us, and having the congregation pray for our little family. It was an amazing way to spend our first Mother's Day.

You have so far managed to avoid getting sick, though you have quite the runny nose. It's not getting worse - or better - so I'll just keep "squee-gee-ing" it (a/k/a using the "snot-sucker", a/k/a the bulb syringe). Fortunately, we have managed to find a happy way for you to sleep on your back. You apparently are quite comfortable that way. We had a couple of rocky nights the first few nights, but then Saturday night you pulled a fabulous trick and slept for 7.5 hours! What's more: After I fed you, you slept for another 2-ish hours. I say 2-ish because you woke up and pulled another new trick: You entertained yourself quietly in your crib. What a big girl you are already! It was a nice beginning to Mother's Day. Then last night you slept for... almost 8 hours. The last hour you were tossing and turning a bit, so I was awake-ish and waiting for you to wake up. But I see an increase in the sleeping pattern, and I LIKE it! The only drawback is, if you sleep until 4:30 or so, then once I'm up, I'm up. After I feed you and put you back down, it's between 5 and 5:30, so there's really no sense in going back to sleep for a matter of minutes. Ah, well. It's still worth it (though I have to remind my poor aching breasts of that fact at 4:30 in the morning - Ouch!). :-)

You are a smiling fiend now. You laugh at me, and once in a very great while even let out a little almost-laugh sound. You smiled all the way through church yesterday. At the baptism, you were an ANGEL! When Steve Davis, our pastor, held you up for the audience to see, you just looked out at them with wide, beautiful eyes. It was magic. I was so proud of you! You really do like to smile, mostly at me and daddy, and pretty often for Grandma Laurie. She loves to see you smile. You're also having "conversations" with me now. We sat on the couch for 15 or 20 minutes last night, cooing back and forth at each other. You already love to talk. Great.

Also, yesterday when I was giving you my finger to suck on (still your favorite pasttime), I noticed something new in your mouth. There was, and is, a very defined ridge on either side of the top of your mouth where your teeth will come in. That's always been pretty soft in there, and now you can definitely feel the teeth in there. Interestingly, this is only on the top, and don't bottom ones come in first? Anyway, I think in a month or so, we should start seeing some teething action. An early bloomer already, aren't you?

You're definitely trying to soak in everything, everywhere. It's hardly surprising you sleep so much. You're fascinated by an increasing number of things. You were looking at the checked pattern on the pillowcase on the bed while I took your harness off. You even reached out to grab it. Too cute. And finally the Ocean Wonders Aquarium in your crib is interesting to you. You especially like it when the bubbles are on.

What else? I can't think of anything, though I'm sure I will. Today my lovely period appears to be returning. You'll get to share this joy someday. It's one of the few drawbacks to being a girl. But I also know that it's necessary to be able to have the joy of having a child and watching it grow up. It's all worth it for those smiles, little one. I'm just praying it doesn't alter the taste of my milk. You've already been spitting up a little more the last couple of days. I'd hoped (and still hope) it's just a fluke.