Wren

My beautiful Bird is 6 weeks old now. She is such a sweet little critter. I still can't believe she came from my belly.

I'm getting the hang of being a stay at home mom. She and I have our daily routine established more or less and that helps the day go smoothly. Now that I'm six weeks post c-section I'm able to accomplish more around the house while she naps. There for awhile I couldn't do much of anything and that was tough...although I enjoyed all my naps!

It's crazy how much she's changed in six weeks. Everyone kept saying "they change so fast," and now I understand the truth to that statement. I can already see that 18 years is going to fly right by. But for now, I'll enjoy her babiness while it lasts.

Morning coffee

Our willow tree kept me company as I enjoyed coffee on the deck. Quiet mornings to myself are rare...I relish them.

And it was an adventure

So, I had a little talk with myself about how unrealistic it is to keep my baby in a bubble not to mention unhealthy...psychologically speaking. I put on my big girl panties and got over myself. We went to the lake. Yep, Boo, myself and the baby loaded into the car Saturday morning and made the hour and a half drive to the lakehouse. The little Bird slept the entire way there. *sigh* What had I been so worried about?
I spent the day shuttling her from the screened porch to the living room couch. Visiting with family and reading a bit of the book I brought. Boo and everyone else went swimming...I couldn't have even if I wanted to because of my incision. A lovely day for everyone. After dinner I nursed her and then we packed her into her carseat for the journey home. I wasn't worried one bit because she'd probably sleep the whole way home. Or not.
Fifteen minutes into the drive she began fussing so we pulled off into a parking lot and changed her wet diaper. No big deal. She should be good to go now.
Fast forward 30 minutes. Fussing and then furious cries wail from the backseat. We are between towns and there is nowhere to pull off the road so she's going to have to tough it out for a couple more miles. Finally we arrive in a little podunk town with a four way flashing light at the intersection. On one corner is a Dairy Bar that is already closed for the season so we pull in there. In the parking lot of the Dairy Bar we pull the Bird out of her car seat to discover the, excuse me, shit storm she has brewed up. It's all over her, her clothes, her car seat. Poor girl.
We went thru almost every last baby wipe in the car getting her cleaned up. We stripped her down and luckily I'd remembered to pack extra clothes. I wiped out her car seat. Then she was so pissed and wound up I climbed in the backseat with her and nursed for about twenty minutes to settle her down. Finally, we got back on the road. It took two and a half hours to get home.
Talk about baptism by fire. She really initiated us into the "traveling with baby" aspect of parenthood.

Weiner

As a new mama I am suspicious that I am of the "over-protective" variety. My girl will be four weeks old on Sunday and the only place I've taken her is to breastfeeding group on Wednesday nights. I refuse to let anyone bring their kids to my house for fear of germs. In fact I have imagined installing a giant bubble around my house just to keep her safe.
I've got to loosen up. I'm holding on too tight I think. Tomorrow my family is going to the lake cottage...including my husband. They're going to work on the dock so it's not a super fun day at the lake or anything. Anyway, I can't decide if I'm going to go or if I'm keeping my Bird at home where it's predictable and she has her bed. It's an hour and a half drive to get to the lake. What if she starts crying in the car? What do I do? What if her diaper needs changed? Do we just pull the car over? I have no experience traveling with babies. I don't know what to do. It's easier to stay home. Help.

Karley

This is Karley. She is a native Kansan...she comes from Kansas is what I'm saying. Now she lives among the corn fields of Indiana and hangs out with my mare all day long. I took these photos for her owner. I love detail. Just look at the detail of her headstall! ...and the contrast of her blaze...oh and her gentle, soft eye.
Now, this. She'd be really embarrassed if she knew I posted a close up of her nostril.