Gifts of the Heart Exchange

I went to the Gifts of the Heart Exchange today, and I got all this stuff for Elise for free! Some of it isn't super nice, but a few things really are. I also got a t-shirt for Matt. The Gifts of the Heart Exchange is put on by the MBA Spouse Association at BYU, and BYU students and their spouses can go and get free stuff (mostly clothes, but baby gear and toys too). It is so nice. There was mostly just kids' stuff, but they had a few things for adults too, especially maternity clothes. What a blessing! We'll definitely be going to the next one, which will be in January.

Afterward, I went to a group baby shower for women in our ward who had recently had a baby or will soon have a baby. The shower was for me and a handful of other women. I won a wipe warmer in a raffle, and I also got a cute Onsie for Elise from the Langfords and a little bag of assorted gifts from the Relief Society sisters. Overall, a really good day for us for getting free stuff!

Matt stayed with Elise all that time. I had pumped her a bottle, but apparently she wasn't that interested in taking it. She really hasn't been feeling well because of the thrush. She would only eat a little over an ounce for him, but she ate just fine when I nursed her when I got home (which made me a little sad that she isn't taking the bottle as easily as she did the first time, but also secretly a little happy that she doesn't like the bottle as much). I really hope she gets well soon.

Mouth Misfortunes

I noticed a white sore in Elise's mouth today, and realized she has thrush again. Probably she never completely got rid of it before; it's supposed to be super difficult to get rid of. No wonder the poor baby has been cranky lately. After trying to convince myself it might be something else for a few minutes, I accepted the fact that it really was thrush, and we started giving her medicine again. Matt gave her a blessing. I really, really hope she gets better soon. Last time she had it was a nightmare.

And she has been teething, but I knew that already. That's what I thought was causing her to be a little warm and sometimes grumpy. What I didn't know was how close her teeth must be to coming in. Now, I've never done this before, so I'm not super certain, and Elise is still very young to be cutting teeth, but I think the two middle bottom ones are very nearly in. I was wiping her mouth with a wet cloth like the doctor said to do last time she had thrush, and I realized that the gums in the middle on the bottom are a little rough compared to the rest of her mouth. I took a good look, and it seems that her left tooth will probably be poking through any time now.

Poor kid. She has to be so uncomfortable.

On the bright side, I'm going to the Gifts of the Heart Exchange in the morning, and hopefully I will be able to get some nice things for Elise—for free! More details tomorrow.

Note: Elise never cut those teeth. I think they must have gone back down. I'm really glad.

Clothes Disasters

I feel like I spent my entire day changing Elise's clothes. She probably feels the same way. It all started when Elise had a blowout just minutes after Matt got her dressed this morning, so I had to change her outfit and Onsie. Later she spit up all over another outfit and Onsie (The same outfit she always ruins before the end of the day. She definitely doesn't like it.). Then she peed on another Onsie (but didn't get the outfit, thankfully). She had another blowout on another Onsie (but mostly missed the outfit again), after which we dressed her in her pajamas. She promptly spit up on those. Then she spit up so much on another pair of pajamas that we had to change both her Onsie and pajamas. If you're keeping count, you know she finally went to bed in her third set of pajamas and sixth Onsie for the day, not to mention the fact that she wore three different outfits today. I can hardly keep up with this kid!

(And in case you're wondering if I change her clothes because of every little thing, I don't. I only change her for the big incidents. Today just happened to be full of them!)

We should just keep her naked, don't you think? Then I wouldn't have to do so much laundry. And her rolls are so cute. Of course, just in the photo session when we had these pictures taken, she peed twice and pooped twice, so maybe it wouldn't solve the laundry problem . . .

P.S. I'm in love with this picture.

Nutcracker Baby

I was just noticing Elise's chin as she was falling asleep. She looks like a little nutcracker; her cheeks are so big that there is a crease on each side between her cheeks and chin, and her double chin completes the look. With creases all around, it looks like her jaw could be hinged, just like a little nutcracker. Ya gotta love the chub.

Good thing she's a whole lot cuter than this.

Busy Days

Yesterday and the day before were busy days for us. Lately, Matt has been working quite a bit, and he has been doing schoolwork besides, so we have had a lot of busy days. Other than the seven loads of laundry that I did (until 3am) and Matt's big trip to the grocery store, we have also found some precious time to relax together. Last night we watched Rogers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific" with Harry Connick, Jr. and Glenn Close (Elise slept the whole time except when she got up to eat). I had seen the play when my brother was in it in high school, but I was too young at the time to really follow it. I really enjoyed the movie. Elise fills up my days and occupies my time and energy. It is nice to be so busy, though. We are enjoying ourselves. I can't believe that this time next year our time at BYU will be almost over. Now, I need to get busy working on my online class today . . .

Being a Mom

Some things about being a mom really aren't that fun. Like this morning, Elise pooped all over her clothes while I was changing her diaper (which is probably my fault for not being more careful). Then later, she pooped all over me while I was changing another diaper (again, my fault). There's also all the worrying that goes along with it. And sometimes babies can be exhausting. And my belly, which is covered in stretch marks, is now the consistency of bread dough.

Truthfully, though, that's about all I can think of that isn't that fun. Most of the time Elise and I have such a blast. It is so amazing to watch her grow and learn and do new things. I love to cuddle with her. I love her sweet smile, especially the gummy, open-mouthed grin she does sometimes with her eyes closed as she is falling asleep. I love her chubby rolls and her unbelievably soft skin. I love how she makes me want to be the best person I can be so that she will have a good example to follow. I love how happy she is all the time and how easy it is to make her smile. I love how simple her wants and needs are. I love imagining what a beautiful, happy woman she will one day grow up to be. I love imagining all the stages of life she will pass through as she becomes that woman. I love to dress her up in cute outfits. I love making sure she is comfortable and knowing that I am giving her everything she needs. I love that little girl more than I can say. Wow, I'm can't believe I'm crying right now. I have always wanted to be a mother, and I thought it would be pretty fun, but I had no idea how wonderful it really would be. So thank you, Elise, for letting me be a part of your life. And please never forget how much I love you.

The Leaf

Elise and I went on a walk today, and I handed her a leaf to hold. By the time we were coming back in, she still had a death grip on it, so I let her take it inside to play with for a while. It was bigger than her head, but she was determined to get it into her mouth. Much to her chagrin, she was unsuccessful. Who knew a leaf could be such a blast?