life with lola: eight weeks

I have so much to say and so little time, between juggling this curious, hungry baby and easing back into the writing life. In the meantime, I have to pose this question: WHY IS LOLA SO CUTE?! She's entering her smiley, responsive stage. Needless to say, Erik and I are totally smitten. Never thought I was a baby person … until I had my own. She's the best!

life with lola: five weeks

Just when I was feeling pretty cocky about motherhood ("why do people say this is so tough?"), Lola hit her four-to-five week growth spurt. Our sweet little thing has been pretty fussy lately. A few days ago, she cried and flailed almost around the clock. Oh my exhaustion. Erik and I traded off, which made me so grateful to have such a wonderful partner. I can't imagine doing this all on my own (mega-props to all those single mothers out there!).



The trade-off for the sleep deprivation? Our girl has made some developmental leaps. It's so cool to watch your kid change right before your eyes. She's watching and tracking objects, starting to coo, and rewarding us with smiles. Swoon!



Mom and Dad also made some milestones: We've been getting out! Our pediatrician recommended avoiding crowds for the first eight weeks (because a fever requires a hospital visit), so we haven't left the house much. That's been one of the hardest changes for me. Even though Lola and I go for a daily walk, I've been feeling a little stir-crazy. But Erik and I ate dinner al fresco the other night, and even made it to the beach.

I did flash my boob in front of a group of people to nurse, and Erik and I wound up eating our tacos over the trunk of our car because we didn't want to interrupt Lola's nap… but, hey, we're learning!

life with lola: four weeks

Can you believe that it's been a month since this little light entered our lives? I was going to write something eloquent about motherhood but, you know, newborns are kinda distracting. So here are some quick things that I want to remember about this sweet stage of life:

- Lola's sweet smell and fuzzy post-bath hair (totally got it from her daddy)
- Her old-man grunts and strains
- The way we immediately melt when she flashes that gummy smile
- Erik dancing around with her in his arms when she's being fussy (swoon!)
- Stroking the newborn fur on her shoulder and the dimples on her arm as she feeds
- Monkey's worried face at Lola's crying; her new nickname is "Nanny Monkey"




- The way Lola sighs and snuggles into me when we go for walks with the Solly Wrap
- The great satisfaction of a fart or burp
- High-fiving Erik when she nods off to sleep; so grateful to have such a wonderful co-parent
- The "oh no!" look we give each other when she wails after those two minutes of sleep
- The surge of love every time I gaze at her face. Turns out I love being a mom!