Leilani's favorites...

Daddy's favorite moments

Mommy's Angel

Leilani was a week old yesterday and my overwhelming fears of motherhood are still absent. I'm beginning to wonder when they are going to reappear. Will it be once I go back to work and lack the sleep needed for my schedule? Will it be when she is so fussy that nothing works to calm her down? Or really will it ever happen? All of the things that I feared would be overwhelming are things that I actually love. Now, don't get me wrong...I miss a complete nights sleep, but waking up with her and watching her eat peacefully makes me smile. Patting her to burp as she falls asleep on my chest has become so touching and gives me a feeling of warmth and security.

In the week that has passed, I have found little details that make me smile, laugh and love her even more. I have learned things about her that seem to be the most precious things or the funniest.

1. She is the Queen of Hick-ups...her hick-ups dominate over anyone I have ever met. They shake her whole body and can be heard from the next room. It's sad that I can't stop them for her, but funny that she so consistently gets them.

2. Diapers are not her friend....not only does she HATE getting her diaper changed, but she will make sure to use a minimum of two in almost every changing. I know what some of you are thinking...holy shit...and literally that's what it is..or pee. Bryant and I have tried multiple strategies that still haven't worked. We change her when she wakes up, only for her to bless us with a load of liquid farts. We have tried waiting until she is done eating, which only pisses her off which she'll express through her non-stop cry or she will literally pee on us. And then our favorite...as we change her..many times she will start to relieve herself of ANY fluids possible in the middle of the change, once we place the new diaper under her butt, or right after we have fully dressed her and picked her up into our arms.

3. Smiling is her unknown gift...when she sleeps she is constantly showing little smiles to tell mommy and daddy that she is happy and dreaming well. It's the most precious thing to watch her smile each time and never seems less special.

Our Smiling Princess

4. Her favorite place to be is on mommy or more so daddy's chest. Bryant is the most guilty of giving into this love of Leilani's....big surprise there. After she has eaten, our habit has become to place her on our chest to burp her where she quickly falls asleep. At times, she will re-awaken just to make sure that she hasn't moved. While I know it's not the best habit for us to influence, it's also the hardest for us to stay away from. There is something about your child fast asleep on your chest or in your arms that stops the rest of the world around you.

I am sure that there are going to be many more amazing things to love about Leilani Rose, but these are the ones that prevail in the last week. These are the ones that make Bryant and I love her even more and cherish our new life to the fullest.