In honor of Lila's big 10 week birthday, I thought I'd share the top 10 mommy miracles I have discovered over the past 2 months.
10) Aquaphor- This stuff is nothing short of amazing. Its like Vaseline, but seems to have magic powers. The pediatrician recommended it for the dry patches on Lila's face and it worked super fast. They were gone in 24 hours!
9) Select-a-size paper towels- This sales and marketing lady strongly endorses the select-a-size towel. Our accountant daddy also loves the $$ savings because we waste way less paper towels by using smaller pieces. They are very handy for all things baby- cleaning spit up, drying pacifiers, and wiping dribbled vitamins off her face. What a great product!!!
8)Swaddle Me Blanket- AKA the baby straight jacket. This little contraption has been key to helping our baby sleep so well through the night. At first she hated having her arms velcroed down- but we made a compromise and velcro 1 arm inside the blanket and leave one free. I'm not sure if it is the bedtime routine, or the blanket that helps her sleep for 7 hours- but it works. I would highly recommend this to any new mommies out there.
7)Showers- It is amazing how good a nice hot shower feels. I read a story about a new mom (who was having a hard time making any time for herself)that took 3 showers a day because she knew they were "allowed". I remember how good that first shower in the hospital felt, and they haven't lost their incredible feel. Something about the water running, blocking out any crying or phone ringing- completely rejuvenating.
6)Mommy friends and Grandparents- Whether you are sharing stories, giving advice or bringing over food- I couldn't have done it without all of my mommy friends. Lila is also so lucky to have all 4 of her grandparents within 45 mins- and boy are they helpful! They run errands with us, bring us meals, and stay with our little angel so we can go to weddings and out to dinner. But the most special thing is the joy this little girl brings to them- you can see it in their faces every time they are around her. She is a true gift to our family, in every way!
5)Daddy- Lila and mommy spent our first 3 days without Daddy this week- and we sure missed him (especially Mommy!!). I think I started to take for granted all the helpful things he does at night and on the weekends. Most of his chores are not glamorous- ie. changing the diaper champ bag, loading the dishwasher, taking out the trash, changing the early AM or late PM diaper- but they are necessary. We are 2 very lucky girls to have him in our lives!
4)Baby talk- How fun is it to hold a conversation with a 2 month old?? I think it is amazing. She is getting so vocal and I just adore hearing her little voice explore new sounds. Once you get her going, she will ramble for a few minutes if you respond to her in baby ramble. It makes us laugh so hard when she is getting tired and cranky and the coo's sound more sad- aah, aaahhh. Her voice is a little raspy and it's really cute.
1, 2 & 3)Smiles, Smiles, Smiles- I didn't think I could love anything more than hearing her noises- until I saw that gummy smile for the first time. It just melts my heart every time I see it. She is getting more expressive every day, including smiling when she thinks things are funny. One of her favorite things this week is hearing me clear my throat- which came about because mommy has a cold. It's turned into our little joke- I clear my throat and say "I've got a froggy in my throat" and she grins from ear to ear. Her laugh should be coming soon- right now she has a semi cough laugh- but I am pretty sure that will turn into her laugh. That will probably be #1 next month.
I hope my list inspires you to think of the 10 little miracles in your life this month :) Happy Friday!!
