DINAH + VERA

 Here's a photo of Dinah 2 days before Baby V was born. 

A really good friend of mine had her baby girl today. She gave her her own middle name. Why didn't I think of that? That is so Lorelai and I am jealous. That makes 2 people I know who have done that. I wish I had been in on this, guys. 

But thinking about her baby made me all misty over Vera. It's such a lovely thing to have a baby. It is even better to have a baby who sleeps through the night. ;) It's also funny how you don't really remember everything even though you are fairly strapped to your baby all. the. livelong. day. 

Dinah and Veronica the day we got home from the hospital.

I dont really even remember what the first few days were like. I remember Husband going back to work the first day we were home and he kept texting to check in on me. I remember several days of seriously never leaving my bed except to procure food and use the bathroom. I remember learning to nurse and changing 1000 diapers a day or changing diapers in complete darkness while Husband tried to get a little sleep. In those days Veronica was either asleep or nursing. When she was asleep I was trying to rest/shower/clean up/keep Dinah off the baby/eat/enjoy having Husband at home with me alone. The most vivid memories I have are singing to her before putting her down to sleep. I was always singing Baby Mine from Dumbo.

 She was so small.

Dinah + Vera 1 month old.

The one month mark was hard for me. I had a hard time dealing with being so bored all day and I took it out on myself and wrote some pretty dramatic posts. We've all been there, right? Please say you've been there too. At least one of you.  We found a routine and little V was just working so hard at being alive and eating and growing. She didn't have to work hard at being a good baby. I had to work hard at being a happy mama. Her sweet little kicking and shaking arms and legs moved around wildly like a robot short circuiting and I thought it was the cutest. And Dinah wanted to snuggle her so badly all the time. I was singing Stay Awake from Mary Poppins every night.

And even though I felt a bit over/underwhelmed at times, I loved her. I loved to see her little self growing. And running errands was a breeze back then. She'd sleep through anything. ;)

We also transitioned to cloth diapers and I have never, not even once, looked back. I couldn't stand the waste of money and landfill that I was piling up every night. When we went to cloth I didn't feel bad changing her diaper 1000 times a day. Bring it on. I already paid for these suckers.

Dinah + Vera 2 months old.

By this time Vera was absolutely sleeping through the night, and what do you know? No more dramatic posts from me! Surprise. Sigh. When will I learn to not share too much online? Embarrassed. Vera was smiling up a storm all the time and responding to our faces and our voices. Any time papa spoke she would stare at him so intently. He's got a nice voice. She also became easier to hold because she learned to hold up her head a bit. And she was freaking so cute when her little pacifier would bob up and down in her sleep. Couldn't even handle the cute.

She loved being held upright and was starting to really enjoy her baby mobiles. She really did not enjoy being on her tummy. And she was laughing. :D I was singing a lot of "Oh My Darling Clementine."

 Vera 3 months

Dinah 3 months (we'll just call her the same age as V. It makes it easier) Dinah became super sick around this time and we had no idea what was wrong with her. All sorts of problems were flowing from this kitten.

At 3 months we were absolutely in love with Vera. We wouldn't just check on her to make sure she was asleep or breathing. We would check on her just because she was cute and we wanted to look at her. She was talking and talking and talking and talking. Never enough of using her little voice. She started to explode with happiness when one of us would get her out of bed in the morning, and it made my heart melt. She would "sing" with me throughout the day, and started to grab things. When I would pull her out of her carseat she would grab onto the handle -which definitely makes it harder to remove you, Vera. She could sit up in the crook of your arm, and would pound her little feet or bounce her little bandy legs when you would hold her upright. She was down to 4 feeds a day and was only too happy to be put in her bed for naps and the night.

She started to get really sweet with Husband. And honestly, there is probably little that is as attractive as a dad making his baby happy. So wonderful. 

At 3 months I started to really enjoy my days with Vera. She worked out a super convenient schedule and generally enjoyed her naps, so we were both rested and got to really enjoy time together. She loved going to library time (especially when they would undulate that big colorful parachute over the babies) and enjoyed all the books I read to her and would look so intensely at the pictures. She LOVED being in her stroller and going for walks. She has loved that from the very beginning.

We fought her about thumb sucking for maybe 2 weeks. She is happy with her pacifier generally. And she's always been a go with the flow calm baby, so she didn't really mind. I was singing Edelweiss a lot.

Vera 3 1/2 months

Dinah 3 1/2 months

At 3.5 months baby Veronica became my daughter for real. I was humming Hedwig's Theme from Harry Potter a lot, and she just loved it. It made her day. And so I would add words. Usually the words: There once was a girl named Vera, destined to be a star. Her parents were killed by Dinah-mort, who gave her a lightning scar. 

We bonded.

Veronica discovered that images move! (on the computer) and that they were fascinating. She also for real discovered her hands and her feet. She does jack knives all the time now. She's rolled over twice and can hold her head up like a champion (see above). I also find her in completely different positions and sides of the bed in the mornings. Wiggly baby. 

And probably the cutest thing ever: she holds onto stuffed animals. She'll squeeze them so tightly and nuzzle her face in them. It is precious. 

I love making her smile and laugh. And I'm so happy she's ours. She is such a good, happy baby. She is not a burden to me at all. She's made me want another. Is 3 months too soon to get pregnant again? ;) 

La Chat malheureuse. 

And then there's Dinah. Dinah has been knocking on deaths door for about 3 weeks. We were 90% sure she wasn't going to make it, but in the last few days she has perked up considerably. So much so, that I'm wondering if she just traded in one of her lives and is going to stick around longer. Husband wont accept she's better until she's biting and scratching him so hard he has to throw her off the bed. That's how he'll know she's back. If, however, she doesn't make it, I'm getting the flying photo framed. 

I love both of my babies so much. Being a mom is so good. Sometimes the days are boring, but it is perfectly lovely to have something so sweet just need you and love you and want you -other than my husband ;)

I don't really mind that I can't remember every part of the last 3.5 months, because it is so nice to watch her grow and every month will be more fun. And I like this baby better than the baby of yesterday. 

Also, we are baby twins:

Baby Lana + Garfield (judging by how I am not lifting my head much 2 1/2 - 3 months)