brad the social worker came yesterday for our second post-placement visit. he witnessed first-hand one of riley the baby's rough days and how josh the daddy and lindsey the mama handle such times. it wasn't terrible. riley wasn't entirely inconsolable...but she definitely let us all know she was present and very much in charge. it seems as if our little girl has a flare for the dramatic.
words i would use to describe our girl: cuddle-bug, tempermental, moody, fun, vocal, delightful, and...potentially high maintenance.
words i would not use to describe her: content, mellow, easy, quiet.
we absolutely adore her!
she's growin like a weed and still eatin like a horse. she's well into her 3-month wardrobe now, except her feet, which are disproportionally long. she's smilin quite a bit and chucklin every once in a while. she makes all sorts of wonderful sounds that make us laugh. she's slowly squirmin her way into a routine...or at least the shadows of one....and we just keep rollin out the red carpet.
we're venturin out more and more. church is goin better...though several folks seem to want her to cry and fuss during the service..."it's like music to our ears." they're wonderful to her :). we've taken a couple walks out behind the house, max in tow. riley seems to like bein outside, which i'm so glad about!
i'm still tryin to take advantage of her nap times....either sleepin while she sleeps, which is what all the grandmothers advise...or gettin a few things done, which i can't help but do more often than not. but still...even after 8+ weeks, almost every time she falls asleep, i find myself just wantin to sit and watch her. the way her little squishy face contorts....the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest...the absolute limpness of her warm, soft little body. she's just the sweetest, most beautiful Grace in all the world. why would i want to sleep or wash dishes when i can sit for hours and soak in such Goodness?
my grandma told me from day one - make it thru the first 6-8 wks, and it'll get better....yall will get used to her, and she'll settle in. sure enough, the last couple weeks have brought a bit more rest and a bit less screamin, and we're grateful for both.
look at that! i sat down, started the blog, and now i think i'm finished...all w/o havin to get up. wowza....
here we are. valentine's day, no less. josh gave us both gifts, of course. but really, sleep was the better gift - josh volunteered to take the nite shift last nite. and it was a doozie! here's a picture of josh and his riley bear.
no, it's not all chocolates and hearts...but that doesn't make it any less good and wonderful.
life's rockin right along. josh is pretty available during the week and works quite a bit on the weekends. i'm home 99.9% of the time...w/the exception of an occasional trip to the grocery store or in for a town coke. tryin to keep up w/my online class. probably should have taken the semester off, but hind sight's always 20/20. my academic goals have shifted a bit as riley has prioritized herself :)
we went home a little over a week ago and spent a long weekend w/friends and family. had a great time....a fabulous shower....and really good sleep, actually. people's generosity toward us and riley is tremendous, and we're incredibly grateful.
the in-laws came in at the end of last week and helped convert the overrun pile that was our house back into our home. just a quick synopsis of life the last few weeks: christmas and christmas gifts, baby and baby stuff, seymour shower and gifts, amarillo shower and gifts, intermittent visitors bearing more gifts, and the normal we-have-a-new-baby-and-our-house-is-a-disaster mayhem. needless to say, our furniture was serving more to seat gifts and laundry than actual people. so kay washed and folded mounds of laundry, put away gifts, and neatly stacked diapers. i showed riley the couch, as it could not have been perceived as a couch beforehand. i also remembered and appreciated what our bed looks like made. so yea! we're back to the maintenance-zone of housekeeping, which is quite relieving.
during one of the the many 4am feedings, i was thinkin about things i've learned the past 7 wks. here's a list...though not complete, which i'm entirely blaming on the time of day (or nite) i had the idea.
1. i don't know near as much as i thought i did
2. the singing, rockin, swayin may not put riley to sleep, but it sure sends me to slumberland in a hurry
3. i can completely adore someone who has absolutely no regard for any of my preferences
4. as long as the clothes get clean, the foldin and puttin away aren't that bigga deal
5. i'm not any more timely at writin thank you cards as i was when we got married. if you're watitin on an etiquette-appropriate card, sorry.
6. what "precious" really means.
7. i can no longer start and finish a blog in a single day, as evidenced by the very words you're now readin.
brad the social worker came yesterday for our second post-placement visit. he witnessed first-hand one of riley the baby's rough days and how josh the daddy and lindsey the mama handle such times. it wasn't terrible. riley wasn't entirely inconsolable...but she definitely let us all know she was present and very much in charge. it seems as if our little girl has a flare for the dramatic.
