I Love...(Mother's Day Edition)

The hair on your left ear...

The way you smile after you wake up from your nap...

Your big, big stretches with your arms above your head...

How we both settle into sleep by twitching our heads...

Getting together in the middle of the night to hang out for 20 minutes...

Listening to Tom talk to you...

The way you stop cold and arch your back when you have to toot...

Our typical 6:15 am cuddle time in mommy and daddy's bed...

How each night you seem to be sleeping longer and longer...

Being home with you all day long...

In fact, you slept for 5 hours straight last night and that was after putting yourself to sleep!

How you can almost completely hold your head up...

The way you enjoy tummy time...

How strong your neck and back is...

How cute you look when you take a bottle from your dad...

The sound of your voice when you coo...

Your super adorable, open mouthed kisses...

How easy it has come to predict your schedule...

Making eye contact with your big blue eyes...

How you only pretty much have hair left around the back of your head...

How delicious you smell after your bath...

How sweet you are to the nurses and doctors at the pediatricians...

The cute way you latch on...

The convenient way you unlatch when you're full...

How heavy your eyes get when you're sleepy...

The way we juggle your head (not your entire body) to get you to calm down...

How tall you are when you stand up like a big girl...

The way I can no longer fit my fingers around your thighs...

How you have started to put yourself to sleep all on your own...

Looking down at your sweet face when we're on a walk...

The way you pout...

How sometimes you forget that you're upset and randomly stop crying...

How precious you look velcroed tight in your Halo sleep sack...

How darling you look in everything you wear...

The adorable way your second toe is longer than your big one...

Your soft chubby cheeks...

New rolls in your wrists and legs...

Going to mommy and me class together...

How all 10+ pounds of you has helped me get my arm definition back...

How red your face gets when you're really, really, really mad...

Baby sit-ups...

How you just stare at your turtles. Or the fan. Or the lights...

Squeezing your little baby knees...

Our morning routine...

That you've already been to three states...

Feeling your breath on my skin...

When you wrap your hand around my finger...

How cute you look and sound when you suck on your hands...

Calling you by your full name...

When you finally give in and melt into my neck and arms...

How you get baby goosebumps when I scratch your back...

How you're sleeping in your crib like it's no big deal...

Putting you in cute head bands...

Your big yawns and the sound you make afterwards like you've had a really long day...

Gettin' your belly...

How we both love watching Ellen at 9:00 am...

How ticklish you are...

How your cousin, Brooke, calls you "Dendolin"...

Your super tiny toe nails...

Our walks...

How random people tell me how pretty you are...

Not knowing what color eyes you'll have (you know I love surprises)...

Being able to completely focus on you...

Folding your little outfits...

The dimples in your elbows...

How lovable you are even when you have a cold...

Seeing you with your cousins...

Watching you grow and develop with each new day...

But most of all, 

I love being your mommy 

because you have taught me that life is so much more precious and interesting and exciting and challenging than I once thought it was.

That my heart can love even more than I ever thought possible.

That although I am not perfect when it comes to parenting, God's grace is sufficient in my weaknesses.

That huge amounts of joy now come through even the slightest smile or coo or new achievement.

That time won't stand still, but tomorrow will likely be better than today.

That our family wasn't even close to complete without you.

I knew I would love you, but I didn't know I'd love you this much. You melt my heart over and over, day after day, Gwendolyn. I am amazed at how much you have changed and developed over the last six and a half (gasp!) weeks. It's been so much fun to watch every second, and I wouldn't trade this time (or you) for anything!

Thanks for making me a mom, my sweet baby girl.

Love you always and forever,

Mommy
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We slept in this morning...
(Gwen slept from 7:30 pm to 1:00 am last night...then was wide awake from 3:30 until about 4:30 (love middle of the night smiles!). BUT then slept until a little after 7:00 and then again until 9:15 with me in bed. I love our snuggle time in bed (and how she always manages to fight that one arm out.)

 Such a little peanut.

 I came downstairs to find a very special message on the chalkboard (love Tom's pretty flowers too).
I love those two!

Coffee made and waiting for me along with a sweet message from Tom in our Love book (we write in this for special occasions instead of buying cards each time. Saves money and they're all in one place!)

Happy girl during diaper change...

Now we're off to enjoy a Mother's Day picnic with Scott, Nikki and Jacob.
So far, it's a great day!

P.S. Thanks to both my mom and Tom's mom for being wonderful examples to both of us. We love and appreciate all you did for us (I have a whole new appreciation for you, Mom!) and do for us even to this day. Happy Mother's Day to our moms! We love you!

P.P.S. Tom says he feels sorry for our second child, but because everything is so new with Gwen, I don't want to forget these times. Of course I'll love hundreds of things about all of our children. I may just not blog about all of them *smile.