Baby Rookies

As most of you already know, we have welcomed our own Baby Farmgirl. That will be how I refer to her on here and I probably won't really post many pictures just to be on the safe side.

I wanted to do this post as a letter to Baby Farmgirl about what we, her parents, have learned during her first few weeks of life.

Dear Baby Farmgirl,

The following are just a few things we have learned in the nearly 3 weeks we have known you.

#1. Our lives are no longer our own.

• It took us a bit to realize this, but it was confirmed for us before we left the hospital. When you spend over 6 hours waiting on a four-day-old baby to pee, it is a humbling experience. The lights they had you on for your jaundice ended up dehydrating your poor little body and you had to pee before they would allow us to leave the hospital. The best words in the world that day were the words your daddy yelled at around 8 o'clock that night. "The line turned blue!" You see, the awesome diapers they had on you had a little yellow stripe that turned blue if you peed. There was a lot of checking the line that day, and your dad and I (along with the nurse on duty) were ecstatic when it finally turned blue.

#2. Two baby rookies take a long time to change your diapers and change your clothes....and second guess themselves every step of the way.

• It was quite embarrassing to change your diaper for the first time at the hospital. Thankfully the nurses did not laugh at us and answered every ridiculous question I had. Your daddy stood there and told me how I should be doing it...but certainly didn't do it himself. We talk to you with excited voices the entire time we dress you. Things like, "Annnndddd, there we got the second arm!" This isn't really for your benefit. It is mostly to make ourselves feel good about the huge accomplishment we just achieved...and then you promptly spit-up or poop on whatever we just got you changed into.

#3. Your daddy can stand at the back end of a cow with no problem and used to ride bulls, but standing at the back end of you when you decide to release the contents of your stomach...well, he can fly out of the room pretty quick. 

• I think it is a man thing. I have problems seeing you cry (it breaks my heart when the tears start) and have a hard time stomaching it when we have to suction out your nose, but when it comes to cleaning up the mess you leave behind on the towel during your sponge-bath, I guess I have the stronger stomach. I thought your daddy was kidding as he was gagging and running out of the room. Long story made short and a lot of laughter later...he wasn't kidding.

#4. Ronda Rousey is the top female fighter in the world at this time. But put her in a room with you in the middle of the night and she will fold like a weakling and beg for mercy.

• Your daddy and I still haven't figured out how 8 lbs. of sheer will can dominate two full-sized adults and render them useless.

#5. We have transitioned to the stage of never leaving the house without a diaper bag.

• We made that mistake once...and won't make it again. And now that I said that, we will probably forget it the next time we go somewhere.

#6. You are a miracle.

• From your fuzzy little ears to your beautiful little face, every last bit of you is a miracle and we are so blessed.

#7. You are worth it all.

• Before you were born, I was scared senseless to be a mom. I'm still scared, but now I understand why it is worth it. People kept telling me all the negatives of having a newborn and that only fueled my anxieties. But when I see your beautiful blue eyes staring at me, or when you snuggle up against me, or when your tiny little fingers tap ever-so-softly against my skin while you are eating, you steal my heart. And don't tell anybody this...but you have stolen your daddy's heart, too ;-)

I'm sure there are so many more things that I want to put on here, but here's the kicker....I'm sleep deprived and can only remember things so long.

For now we are enjoying the $30 purchase me made yesterday at Walmart. The cheap little bouncy chair is giving me the most relief since we had you. When I first placed you in it yesterday, you laid back, gave a little smirk and went right to sleep. Now, if we can only get that same reaction out of you at 1 in the morning when you are screaming at us that you don't want to go to sleep. One step at a time, Baby Rookies, one step at a time.

Love you so much,
Momma Farmgirl

P.S.
This is how your hair looks the majority of the time and we think it is adorable when it sticks up. I hope that you are still satisfied when it does this as you get older. This or a ponytail are about the only options your fashion-challenged momma will be able to handle ;-)