Sleeping and other things:

Selah has been doing a fantastic job of putting herself down for her naps and night-time sleeping - I was beginning to worry that we would have big trouble as she was really wanting to be rocked and held to fall asleep, but I think we're making consistent progress now...and I think our friendly little bear in the cot (see photo below) may have something to do with it...

...I've discovered her on several occasions smiling, giggling, and murmuring to the bear that's attached to the inside of her cot as she is going to sleep, or when she wakes up in the middle of a nap.  I think it very well may be the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life :)  

She's been sleeping like a champion, 7pm to about 6:30-7am pretty consistently.  If she does wake up at night it's just once around 3am and it's been a very quick 15 minute feed and she's out again until 7, I"m pretty happy with it all and hoping that it stays this way!  I've heard of babies who get into sleeping the whole night and then start having troubles again later on, hoping we can keep her on this routine, it's pretty awesome and I feel like I'm progressively getting more energy, and feeling more human :)  

The photos we got done earlier this week turned out really well - we weren't expecting much since this was the guys first ever portrait session, but I think he did a great job with very little to work with.  He came to our house and just worked with what we had on hand so it was a huge trial and error thing.  We really wanted to use the blanket with her name b/c I thought it was a really special gift and that it would be good for pictures - I think they all turned out really lovely.  I've already put them on facebook, but here are a few of my favorites:

She did a great job and didn't get fussy until the very end...at which point we promptly ended our photo session :)  She's doing great with the headbands, doesn't fuss with them too much, I just feel bad b/c they leave marks on her poor forehead and I think it mustn't be very comfortable for her.  Although I did have this same headband on her the other day, and when I went to get her out of the car seat it was down over her eyes - and she was sleeping anyway!   I felt terrible though!

We're really thankful for the guy who did these for us - he offered to do them for us whenever we want so that he can continue getting practice.  What a blessing!  

 

Resurrection...

...of the blog.

Noting the date of my last post, one thing has become painfully obvious...I suck at blogging.  However, in light of the recent addition to our family (Selah, of course ;) ) and the fact that we live so far away from family, I have a new found sense of responsibility to make sure everyone is kept up to date on what's going on in our life, specifically with Selah.  This seems like a good way to do that and keep a sort of journal of the exciting things we get to experience with her, and in our life in general.

.

That said...here we go: 

.

Selah had her 7 week check up last week and is growing like a weed :)  She's roughly 11 1/2 pounds now and 55 cm (21 inches) which means she's grown about 4 lbs and 1 inch since birth.  Hard to believe she's already 2 months old!  

.

She's been smiling more lately which is really special, and throwing up more than ever (which, isn't quite as special :/ ).  We're going through about 4 outfits, 3 bibs, and 2 blankets a day right now, which makes for LOTS of laundry :)   Not sure why she's spitting up so much but she's certainly not malnourished, so I'm not too concerned about it at this point.  

.

Brett celebrated his first Fathers day last week as well, which was a really special thing for him I think.  We got him a book about girls (which he has actually started reading!) and a picture/frame for his office, which I do believe he is proudly displaying now :)    

.

The first 2 months of parenthood has been quite an interesting one - from the transition of having a new baby with lots of family around, to then having no family around was a big one to now just really settling into our own life with Selah...there have been a lot of emotional highs and lows that's for sure!  I personally have developed a new sense of respect and love for my own parents and truly recognize the challenge and sacrifice involved in raising children.  So much of what we do with and for her now, she'll never know about, never remember, and never appreciate, until she has her own children (such as we are now :) ), and it's a strange sensation to know that and yet find so much joy in doing it....I guess it is just a hint of what God experiences in loving us in spite of the fact that we probably can't really and truly grasp the depth of Jesus' sacrifice until we get to heaven...

.

It's also given me a greater depth of understanding of God's love for us.  To know the fullness in my own heart when I look at Selah and to know that God's love is so much greater - it's more real than ever.  In the instant that she was born I knew I'd do anything to keep her safe and protected and the thought of anything harming her just makes me ache inside - to imagine that God feels the same for each of us, and of course for His own Son and to imagine what He must endure, not only to watch His own son bare the penalty for our sins, but to watch so many of us deny, ridicule and outright blaspheme Him...well, it would be unbearable for anyone other than God.  To endure it and then to still love us...we serve an amazing God.  

.

In other news - we got some more photos of Selah yesterday.  A friend of ours is trying to get into family photography and asked if he could use Selah as a practice session - we gladly agreed.  Hope to get the photos back today and will be sure to send some out as quickly as I can!  

.

Much love to all of you!  

.

.

Psalm 67:1-2

May God be gracious to us and bless us, 

and make his face shine on us

  - Selah

So that Your ways may be known on the earth

Your salvation among all nations.