Baby Marin: Week Eight

Week Eight. On Friday, our child will be 2 months old. This has probably been the most challenging two months of our entire lives but I don't doubt for a second that we were meant to live in this season of being new parents. Parenthood is changing me. I feel a reshaping of so many things, deep inside my tired bones. I will never be the same. This little girl has already taught us so much and this is only the beginning. 

I am a little nervous for our 2 month appointment with her on friday due to the vaccinations, but I am looking forward to finding out how much she weighs now and all of the other ways she is growing up far too quickly. 

Everyday brings new things. More fussy afternoons. More diaper blowouts. More smiles and giggles. More time spent awake then asleep. Marin is growing bit by bit by bit. 

Marin at 2 Months (Week 8) 

1. Smiles at us a lot with her big, gummy grin.
2. Calms herself by bringing her hands to her mouth and sucking on hands. 
3. Turns her head towards sounds
4. Pays attention to faces and can pick Ryan and I out of a group of people fairly quickly. 
5. Gets fussy if she is bored. Or hungry. Or wet. 
6. Holds head up and is beginning to push upward during tummy time. 
7. Smoother movement of legs and arms
8. Sleeps through the night every couple of nights or wakes up only once to nurse. (Hallelujah!) 

Mama at 2 Months

1. I've slowly started exercising again. It feels good to do something other than sitting and nursing a baby all of the time. (I'm still doing that though.) There is a long road ahead of me, destination: losing the baby weight and then some. It's a big process.
2. I've slept through the night a few times and always wake up surprised when Marin is waking up around 6 or 7 am, not 3 or 4 am. 
3.  I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that maternity leave is ending soon. But, there is hope on the horizon: I am proposing that I go to part time at my place of work. I think it is a great step for my little family.  
4.  I finally am wearing normal pants again. Not the size I would like, but there's no maternity band and I am fine with that. 

Dad at 2 Months 

1. He still is the best diaper changer and baby-burper on the block. He gets up with me for one of the feedings at night if Marin is up at that point. 
2. This man can swaddle our baby better than I can any day. 
3.  He will spend his first day flying solo with the baby next week when I go back to work for a few days.  
4. I am amazed by his calmness and clarity towards our child (especially when mom is frazzled) and how he loves her. He's swell. He's a great dad and I am so glad I get to do all of this with him. 

Bath Time. A little blurry, but I don't care.