The May Visit

Today was our second official visit with Jessica and her family (this is the third time they've seen Lizzie though counting the baptism party last week).

The three of us drove out to their neck of the woods and visited their home for the first time. We also explored their hometown a little. The visit went well, though I don't know if they got to spend enough one-on-one time with Elizabeth since she was cruising around in the stroller most of the time.

Sometimes, I'm not sure what is the most important thing to do on visits. Should Lizzie's birthfamily play and visit with her the whole time, or should we all distract ourselves with other activities? Right now, it doesn't seem like Elizabeth is getting a lot out of the visits (she's too tiny to really understand what's going on), but I'm glad that we are laying the foundation for future communication and contact.

-- Lisa

Our Daughter Is Baptized

Yesterday was Elizabeth's baptism. She was baptized in our church by the same priest who performed our marriage and also baptized me (when I joined the church through the RCIA program three years ago).

We were able to have her baptized during the mass which was very unique and different (also very fitting for her introduction to the community). I was very proud of our girl for making it through almost the whole service without crying. Almost the whole thing. She started to bawl during the Eucharistic prayer and silly Mommy did not think to have a bottle ready for the hungry and confused new Christian in our midst.

Here she is looking adorable in the Christening gown that my mom bought her (side note: gown was also very slippery and scratchy, which probably added to Lizzie's discomfort and general sense of "what the heck")...

Super-cute bonnet (which did not stay on for very long)...

Here's the three of us just after the ceremony in the only nice picture that came out (in all the others, my eyes are closed)...

We were also very glad that Jessica and her family were able to attend the ceremony and the after-party with us. It was really nice for her to get to meet my (small) family and Shawn's (super-giant) family. I also think our families got a lot out of meeting her and I was glad they could see she was a happy, normal person and that she and her family just love Elizabeth and want what's best for her.

Here's all of us standing up at the altar (Jessica's not pictured though because I wanted to respect her privacy. She would be standing to the right of Melissa)...

Her godmothers are her cousin, Kara, and her aunt, Melissa.

-- Lisa

Ah! Giant Pointy Needles!

Elizabeth went for her two-month doctor visit yesterday and she did beautifully. She is the picture of health. And, might I add that she was very, very brave when she got her first shots.

The whole process involved her getting stuck with three needles in her little chubby legs. The nurse does this (I don't blame the doctor for not wanting to inflict pain on her tiny patients) and she does it very quickly. Boom, boom, boom - we're done. Naturally, Elizabeth cried when she was stuck, but she was able to calm down pretty quickly afterwards and, with the help of some grape-flavored infant Tylenol for her pain, was back to her normal, cheery self within a few hours.

Now, I absolutely hate needles. I hate getting stuck with them, watching other people getting stuck with them, or even just looking at them. I was sorry that Lizzie had to get three little shots in her thighs, but I also felt that the benefits of being immunized against life-threatening diseases outweighed the momentary unpleasantness of the needle thing. I resolved to give her kisses, to talk to her, and hold her hand while the nurse was doing her thing. Shawn was also there to offer her moral support. But, I was surprised when the nurse asked me if I wanted to leave the room before she administered the shots.

"Leave?" I asked, puzzled.

"Yes," she explained, " sometimes the moms want to leave while I give the shots."

Oh. My. God. There was no way in Hell that I was leaving my daughter in a room to get stuck by needles while I waited outside the door to listen to her screams. What kind of horrible moms are these?! How could you ask for needles to be poked into your child and then leave her alone when it was time to poke her with said needles? Maybe I've been idealizing motherhood, but I always thought that moms were supposed to be made of tougher stuff than that. If we can't look our children in the eyes and say to them, "I know this hurts, but it's for your own good," how can we be effective moms? Aren't moms the ones who are supposed to stand next to you in hard times and help you bear the horrible, crappy things that life throws your way. If we moms can't stand to see our children get pricked with needles, then how can be the kind of women of strength and character that they deserve?

I'm not trying to be all high and mighty. I know it's hard to see your child in pain, but isn't that what parenting is all about; making choices that are difficult and unpopular all while saying, "I'm here for you and love you very much?"

-- Lisa

Our Two-Month Old Girl

Lizzie is growing up - she's two months old today!

In only two months of life, this kid has already accomplished a ton. She can kind of hold up her head, grip a rattles loosely in her hand, smile and laugh, and make ga-ga-goo-ga noises (rather than her standard baby grunts and sighs). On top of this, she's also sleeping in her own crib (no more baby bassinet). Next step, get a job and move out!

They grow up so fast!

-- Lisa

First Mother's Day

Today is my first Mother's Day. It's a day I've been wanting to celebrate for a long time. When you want to be a mom so badly, each major mom-centered event that you experience stings you a little. Mother's Day is hard, especially when people tell you, "maybe next year it'll be you." Baby showers and kid's birthday parties are tough, too. The hard part is that you don't ever know if you'll be celebrating these occasions. There are a lot of question marks when you want a child so badly, yet don't know if this will ever happen to you. Now my daughter is finally here and I can celebrate the wonderful gift she is to me.

Shawn, Lizzie, and I spent most of the day visiting with my mom and Shawn's mom. I also milked the day for all it was worth by demanding that things be done for me because of my new mom status. Lizzie also bought me my first Mom's Day gift -- a picture frame with a photo of the two of us in it.

I also can't help thinking of Jessica today. While I am experiencing all the joy of this day with my brand new daughter, she is grieving her loss. I sent her a card letting her know that I was thinking of her and that I appreciate her very much. After all, because of her, I'm a mom today.

-- Lisa

I Am Way Behind

...with this blog thing. Being a mom is hard work! It involves long hours of cuddling and snuggling! And extreme cuteness...





-- Lisa