Paige is not quite three months old, but I figured I would write now while I have the chance since this may take more than one sitting. I'm going to warn you: this post is going to sound like I'm bragging. Paige is such a dream baby and I'm so happy being a mom. I know that people say you're not suppose to wait to be happy in life, but I always wanted to be a mom, and now that I am, I really do feel fulfilled. She's one of my best friends, even at this young age. I feel like I'm living this perfect little life with my husband and baby in our cute basement apartment. It's super cliche, but I love it.
Paige is growing each day, and it's fun to watch her change. I was looking at pictures from her birth the other day; it was strange to realize how different she really looks. She's a lot less wrinkly and has a lot more rolls. I think she looks more like Stephen, especially in her eyes. She is very alert and has been from the beginning, but it's fun to see her smile and interact with things around her. I really do all I can to get her to smile at me. Seeing her smile is the best part of parenting.
She's also very strong--she's been lifting herself up higher than she use to during tummy time, and has even managed to roll over a few times from her tummy to her back. Though the rolling is mostly caused by her head being too heavy for her to correct when she swings it too far to one side. Still, it's adorable. She doesn't realize she can roll over, and she's really good at not rolling when I pull out my camera (I must have at least a dozen failed attempts). Paige is also lengthening her cycle. She's not been super consistent on a set time, but often goes for 2 and a half hours or three hours before needing to repeat. At times, she loves to throw me off by not sleeping for several hours, especially when we're out somewhere and there are new things to see, but she's still consistent enough that I can plan my day out around her needs.
She's also filling out her clothes better. She's grown out of some of the newborn size ones, and I'm a lot more ok with that than I thought I would be. Mostly, I know she has a lot more cute clothes in the larger sizes that still don't fit yet that I want to use. She is about average in her sizing, so we're getting close to the next size up, though I think the outfits she wears now will last a bit longer. I have too much fun playing dress up, and Paige likes to give me multiple opportunities a day to change her clothes when she has what we call a "big summer blowout."
It's so fun watching her grow up. I feel like I'm doing my best to take it all in and appreciate all the cute, little things (though, as Stephen likes to remind me, everything about her is cute and little). I understand now why Heavenly Father loves to watch us grow and why we are His work and His glory. Not every day is easy--I definitely have moments where I just want time to myself, and there are other times where I'm tired or worn out and don't have much patience. Paige is really good at reminding me how much I love her though. She'll look at me and smile and suddenly, it's all worth it.
We try to get out of the house every day. It's harder when the weather is bad, but on good days, we will go for walks or go shopping together. She's a much better shopping buddy than Stephen is (Stephen is fine at shopping, but it's not the same as girl-time shopping--they are two entirely different experiences with entirely different purposes). I've been having fun exploring different stores with her. My current favorite is Joann's fabric store. We go look at all the cute crafts--it's like the physical manifestation of pinterest. I've decided I want to be more crafty in my life, and I've taken on a few projects already. I decorated Paige's nursery with embroidery hoops and I have a coffee table I'm going to paint with chalkboard paint once the weather clears up. I'm also saving up for a sewing machine and I hope to start developing that talent.
As far as family news goes, Stephen formally walked for his graduation during commencement a few weeks ago. He's one of the few people I know who can make those graduation gowns look good. He's just that handsome I guess. Some of my family came for it since my brother was also graduating at the same time. While I know they came to support the graduates, they really came to see Paige. I love watching my mom be a grandma, and I really love the extra help when she's here.
Stephen and I also took our first official date post-baby. We hired my sister to babysit since I knew I could trust her. It was really hard for me to leave Paige, even for a few hours. Stephen and I went to the movies with Stephen's company and saw the second Avengers movie on opening day. I mostly enjoyed spending time with Stephen and remember that we are husband and wife as well as daddy and mommy. Paige wasn't the best for my sister apparently--she's been having a hard time falling asleep with anyone but me--but we'll try again another time and see if she does better.
I've also made a new family rule that the three of us must leave the house and go do something together every Saturday. Some weeks, it's as simple as going for a walk around the neighborhood or buying groceries. This past weekend, we went to an Art festival in the park. It was a lot of fun to see people's cute crafts and realize how talented others are, but it also rained the whole time. You could say it didn't dampen our fun, though! (har har.) Paige slept the whole time in her waterproof car seat, and I'm pretty sure the rain was just white noise to her.
In conclusion, I want to talk about Mother's day a bit. A few people have asked me what my first Mother's day as a mom is like. Mostly, it's given me a deeper appreciation for my mom. As a child, you know that your mom takes care of you a lot and works hard, but as an adult and now a new mom myself, I'm realizing just how much she did for me and my siblings and still continues to do. If I could be half as great as my mom is, Paige will be lucky and blessed. Anyone who knows my mom will agree. I'm also grateful for the other mother figures in my life. I'm glad Stephen has such a great mom that welcomed me so fully into her family, and that we both have amazing grandmas. Now that I am a mom, I see the reason behind the holiday dedicated to celebrating motherhood and womanhood.
Being a new mom has made this day extra special personally too. Stephen has gone above and beyond to show his love for me. He made breakfast while I was in the shower and baked a chocolate cake since he knew how much I love chocolate (that may be why I'm struggling to loose the last five pounds to make it to my first mile marker goal weight). He bought me a rose and a sweet card, as well as a new hair straightener. Most of all, he has agreed to change all of the diapers today. Really, he's spoiling me.
I cried during sacrament meeting today as the primary children sang to their moms. It was touching to realize that I am a mom now. It's a dream I've always had, and now it has come true. I feel like I'm living in a fairy tale with such a wonderful husband and daughter. We have a cute little life. I clean and cook and take care of a baby and greet my husband as he comes home around five. It's seems like a snapshot in a magazine for how wonderful it all is. I'm so, so grateful for it all. We might not have every material thing we could want, and it does seem like the laundry never ends, but that is the exact life I want. I love being a wife to my handsome Stephen and be a mom to my darling Paige. Mother's day is not just for appreciating my mom now--it is also for celebrating the fact that I am a mom, and what better holiday could there be.
