Tender Mercies

An amazing thing happened after I gave birth to my first child: I was proud of my body, swollen belly and all. I expected I would still look pregnant after I had my baby and I was mighty nervous about how I would feel; what I didn't expect was the peace that came with my changed body. I remember changing into my "going-home" clothes as we were preparing to leave the hospital, and I didn't even try to suck in my belly or hide its bulge by wearing my husband's clothes. (Okay, technically I was wearing his pajama bottoms, but anyone who has had a baby knows how impossibly uncomfortable it is to wear formfitting pants 24 hours after delivery!) When Marshall and I went on a mini-date to the grocery store the following evening, I even joked about whether or not people around us were wondering how far along pregnant I was. I didn't care.  My body had sustained life for exactly 273 days.  My body had pushed out a beautiful, perfect little girl.  Why

Happy 1 month birthday to our sweet Adelai Rose! I never knew I could get so little sleep and still be so happy. That was an impossibility before she was born, and proof that we are given the strength to do what is needful.  Over the course of these past 31 days, Adelai has grown ever so fast, surpassing the average 6 oz-per-week growth rate that the books report. She regained her birth weight plus some within the first week, and is now over 9 pounds.  I may be just a touch sad to see my teeny baby grow up, but then I look at the comparison between her non-expressive newborn pictures and the emerging smiles just 4 short weeks later. It's a miracle to watch babies grow! A few of my favorite things about Adelai--Month 1: 1. Snuggling skin-to-skin. These times are so special and often get her to relax and sleep when she is being fussy. 2. Wearing her in my wrap to go grocery shopping and walks. If nothing else gets her to calm down, a walk is sur