10 Weeks 3 Days

Miss Nora is officially a crib sleeper, people! She loves laying in there during the day while I turn her mobile on so I knew she wouldn't wake up confused. She sleeps better in the crib (10 uninterrupted hours last night!!) and I sleep better knowing she is safe. I walked into her room Wednesday morning and saw her slumped down in her swing with her legs hanging over the edge and the blanket up around her head. It scared the hell out of me so I said NO MORE. We moved her swing into the living room and there it stays! I'm so happy and lucky she goes into the crib without a fight. She's such a good girl!

I think she's currently having another growth spurt because she eats just about every 45 minutes to an hour... and if she's not eating, she's sleeping! This girl is a growing machine! She smiles 1,000 times a day and loves to be talked to. I got her to giggle yesterday for the first time by bouncing her on my knee and it brought tears to my eyes. It was an amazing sound!

Wednesday we all took a trip to the Apple Orchard. It gets so crazy there with all the people and the awful traffic.. but we went right when school got out and had a good time! We went into the petting zoo and then into the barn to look at the crafts and buy some fall stuff! My mom bought pumpkin and apple donuts and I got some apple cider, apple butter, and a caramel apple! I hope one day we can go back with Bryan. Nora loved looking around (when she wasn't hungry or tired!)

Evelyn said, "Uhh... Loo... I think you should come get her now"

Looking at the goats with Grandma

Ev loves feeding the goats

Fussy baby!

The little cow was so cute!

Happy kiddo

Sleepy baby after eating!

Thursday was my birthday. I turned the big 25! It was a normal day, but I was happy spending it with my baby and my family. My mom watched Nora while Bryan and I went to lunch and stopped to get my favorite cupcakes from the bakery. Something about these red velvet cupcakes has me ADDICTED! I could eat 12 if I let myself! Then later we went to Emily's volleyball game and then back to my parents' house for a small birthday party. We had pizza and cake. It was really nice. We will celebrate Megan's birthday this coming week.

Friday I babysat Evelyn while my mom went to the doctor. She loved hanging out with me and watching movies on Netflix! After she left, I took Nora to get measured at the WIC office and she's such a big girl! In 10 days she gained 13 ounces and grew 1/2 inch! That puts her at 12lbs 12oz and 22 3/4 inches. We applied for WIC to help us out while I wasn't working. They don't provide us with much, but it certainly helps us make ends meet. Even though I will be working Monday, I think we will have just enough money to get us by. My student loans are EXTREMELY expensive and then the mortgage, hospital bills, phones, internet, gas and electric, water, car insurance, and our rent buy out from the apartment... it's very expensive! We don't even have cable because it's a luxury. We have internet and that is good enough for us. Anyway... back to WIC... since I'm nursing, they don't give us formula or anything, but they do give us some food. We get milk, bread, peanut butter, tuna, juice, beans, eggs and fruits and veggies. I went to my WIC appt Friday and the office is just not baby friendly at all. There is NOWHERE to change a baby or get the baby undressed so you can weigh them. I had to put Nora on the cold, narrow, metal measuring table and she was terrified. The lady gave me an attitude the entire time, told me I better put the diaper in my bag because I couldn't leave it there, didn't interact with Nora at all (not even a smile), and looked annoyed when Nora started crying. Get a new job, lady! You're working with pregnant mothers and babies under one.... if you don't like the population, get a new job! I was so frustrated. At that point I didn't care what she thought so when Nora cried, I whipped my boob out and fed her without a cover! It felt good and I'm sure Nora enjoyed it because she HATES the cover.

Today we spent my birthday gift cards at Red Lobster because once a year they have endless shrimp... and it's so good! Bryan and I dropped Nora off at my mom's and had a really great lunch together. We've been trying to connect more and argue less. We're both stressed, but when we're home together, we realized we have to make the best of it. Nora won't be this little for long! We have to get busy making memories!

My heart grows every single day because of that little girl. I swear... just when I think I couldn't love her anymore than I do now... I love her more the next day. When she nurses, she holds onto my finger like "I'm so happy you're here, mom". Today we were taking a nap in my bed. She woke up all bug eyed and scared, looked over and saw me, reached out and put her little hand on my arm, and fell back asleep like she knew she was safe because I was there. She's just so amazing and it never gets old. Being a mom has really changed my life for the better. I feel like I am whole.

Tomorrow I will be spending my last day with Nora before going back to work. We're going to snuggle all day and take lots of pictures and videos. I am working on getting everything ready for Nora to take to my mom's house and getting my pumping equipment all ready. Tomorrow will be bittersweet, but I know it will get easier after the first week or so. I'm already looking forward to next weekend so I can see that little face all day. She makes me cry sometimes when she smiles at me because she's just so perfect! Here goes nothin... I'm a working mama now!