What do you do all day?

A friend of mine recently asked me what I did all day. I should point out that this friend doesn't have a child yet. I remember having that same question of stay-at-home moms before I had Emma. What did they do with all that time? HA! Now my question is...all what time? I thought that I would have a lot more time during the day to get to those much neglected projects that have been on my "to do" list for quite a long time. Sadly my closets remain unorganized, the stack of returns keep piling up, and Emma's baby book is blank.

Honestly it's not that easy to answer my friend's question. What do I do all day? The time seems to fly by and between feedings, changings, play time, tummy time, laundry, and keeping the house somewhat clean, Dan's walking in the door before I know it. Add working out into the mix and I often wonder where in the world my day went. And as parents everywhere will tell you, being a mom is a 'round the clock job. But I must say that I never wake up in the morning with that "I don't want to go to work today" feeling. Then again, maybe that's because I'm still half asleep when I "wake" up...

In other news, Emma went to the doctor this week for her 3 month checkup. She's doing great! She now weighs 11 pounds, 8 ounces and is 23 1/4 inches long. Don't tell her she was a preemie--she's off the preemie growth charts and onto regular ones. She's smiling more and is now even talking, sort of. I never knew that "goo-goo, ga-ga" was real baby talk, but that's pretty much exactly what she says. I think goo is her favorite word, with the occasional "gar" thrown in the mix.

Next week we're going to Hilton Head for a little family trip. I'm starting to get nervous about all the stuff we'll have to bring. Maybe I should start packing now.

Pool Party

This weekend Emma embraced a summertime rite of passage and took her first dip in the pool. We had a wonderful cookout with our small group friends and Emma seemed to enjoy playing in the water with Dad and Brady. I'm sure it's her first pool party of many to come.

Better Late Than Never

I meant to start blogging late in my pregnancy to keep everyone updated on little Emma's progress. But with her arrival six weeks ahead of her due date I never got around to kicking things off. I guess starting the blog when she's 12 weeks isn't that bad, right? After experiencing what it's like to be a new mom, I'm impressed when another mom even returns a phone call, or gets out of her pajamas for that matter. So doing something like starting a blog is big stuff. Anyways, I have nothing better to do at 6:30 on Saturday morning when I'm the only one up. Even Emma has enough sense to sleep in today! Darn cold of mine. At least I got to watch the sunrise, which was really pretty today. I'll try to post regularly so check back in for news about our latest adventures.

I must say that the last 12 weeks have been simply amazing. Even after reading numerous "new parent" books and watching hundreds of hours of "A Baby Story," I still found myself totally unprepared for the joys and challenges of having a newborn. The moment Emma was born and they put her on my chest is a moment I'll never forget. I understand "miracle" now. And even though I've never been a huge crier, my eyes flooded over and over during those first few weeks with tears of pure joy and amazement.

I knew that babies ate a lot, but 'round the clock feedings, day after day (worse-night after night) can really wear you out! I am thrilled that Emma is now just getting up once during the night. I never knew that five hours of sleep could feel so good. In the past few weeks she has also started to pay us back for all our hard work with her adorable smiles. Who knew that smile time could actually be scheduled as a daily activity?

Emma changes so quickly, as newborns tend to do. Hopefully by blogging I can capture more of these precious moments, even if I can't slow them down.