Life in Bullets

• Fact: I did a dismal job of taking pictures while pregnant. Eliza is just about the only proof I have that those 9 months ever actually happened. (I have some good views from one of the baby showers. I'll stick that on here soon.) Luckily, I had the forethought to take a 40-week "full term" picture. Imagine all of that minus the blanket and hat inside my stomach...

• In related news, we have decided once and for all to get a new camera. You remember the little Kodak easy share bricks from the dawn of the digital age? Yeah. I think it's high time we update. I have my budget and I'm scoping things out online to find one that will be good for us. If you have any recommendations, let us know!
• We passed Eliza's one month mark. It's amazing to watch her grow and develop a little more every day. I've been watching her eyelashes get longer and I'm watching her little sleepers gradually get tighter and tighter. I don't know why, but it's weird to me to think she won't always fit in her little cherry sleeper or bee-utiful onesie. I'll be sad to pack those away, but I trust that at some point I'll pull them out again to put a little sister in them.
• Eliza is gradually making her way down to one middle-of-the-night feeding instead of two. (!) We still have two feedings occasionally, but it's nice to have nights where I get three or four hours of sleep in a row.
• Eliza's first out-into-the-world experience:  We went to Denny's for a much-needed night out and requested a quiet little table in the back corner. It was perfect! We were away from the general hullabaloo of your average restaurant and Eliza was as good as gold. I felt so at ease and it was wonderful to get to go out and chat over dinner.
• Eliza rolled over on Sunday! Actually, it was more of a pancake flip from her stomach to her back when she pushed herself up with her arms, but Blake and I were both there to witness it celebrated like any pathetic parents completely in love with their child would. :)
• Eliza is starting to engage with us a lot more. Her little smiles and funny faces are so rewarding and can make feedings such a joy.
• BACK TO CHURCH! I got to go to Relief Society on Sunday; it was my first taste of church since February's Fast Sunday. It was great to be back with all of the sisters in "the hood."
• There were a few days in a row where I called Mom multiple times to have her convince me not to rashly go and get a double-mastectomy. *shrug* It happens. Let's face it: nursing is truly wonderful--except when it's truly not.
• Poor little Eliza is a little under the weather. Her voice is really raspy and it just makes me want to cuddle her all of the time and let her sleep in my arms. (Helicopter parent?...) The poor dear. She certainly is sweet, even through being sick. I try to be sweet too, and not drive myself crazy trying to unChristianly decide who to blame for her getting sick. Calm down, Mama Bear.
• Update:  I wrote that bullet yesterday, and today, I'm sick too. Dang it. Guess I must have been cuddling her a little too closely?
• We took Eliza to an extended family event on the Packard side. I hope I didn't seem like to much of a baby scrooge by not letting everyone and their dog pass her around. 
• I was on pinch-patrol on Sunday, in honor of my Dad. He would run up the stairs in the morning and check if Aaron, Beth, and I had worn pajamas with green on them. If not, we had a rude awakening and were bolting to find anything in our closet with something green on it to escape the pinch-fest.
• First "real McCoy" bath. She didn't particularly like the first one (sorry Eliza, that you have to deal with rookie parents!), but I've gotten better at the whole bath scene and now she really loves it! Forgive her immodesty--we were capturing the moment with a very almost-dead battery and didn't think to angle strategically. 

 Just before taking the plunge:

All squeaky clean:

"Um, excuse me? I'm naked AND I'm cold and you think it's the perfect time to pull out the camera?? For the love of mustard, put some clothes on me!"

That's all for now, folks. I'll try to be back more regularly with little snippets of what's going on with life. Ciao!