The Payoff

Little babies are front end loaded.  Well, sometimes they are back end loaded as well, but that is another story.  The first few weeks are intense to say the least. 

Sleep deprivation, breast feeding, burping,

diapers, bathing, spit up and diaper blowouts. 

You stay busy.  Just when you think you may be to the point of exhaustion...

when

you

get

one

of

these

then you suddenly remember how great these little sweeties are and you get a new rejuvenated spirit.  God is good.  He knew just when to time those first sweet smiles to bless a tired mamma's heart.

FINDING HER HAPPY PLACE

We have all been working to find our new normal around the H. home.  They boys are back in school and football has started along with AWANA so we are busy during our week nights.  Little Melanie is growing and changing a bit every day.  She has begun to have a bit of tummy trouble so she is unhappy much of the time unless someone is holding her.  There is always a good supply of people in this house ready to hold her except for first thing in the morning when we are trying to get the boys off to school.  Melanie will usually sit in her bouncy chair for a bit and be happy but not this morning!  She was fussy to say the least.  Mason looked at me and said, "Melanie needs to find her happy place".  I laughed so hard when he said those words!  Mason is the most patient of everyone when Melanie gets fussy.  He will hold her and talk sweetly to her.  I love to see that connection between them.  It was funny to see even Mason have enough of the crying.  Don't worry, we didn't let her cry long.  She is officially spoiled :-)

And later this morning she found her happy place...

I am hoping we have found some of the reasons for her fussiness.  I gave her formula in a bottle for the first time on Friday and Saturday morning she was covered in a red rash.  We think it is a cow's milk sensitivity.  So now I must stop eating all dairy products and any other food item that contains milk proteins for a while.  Hopefully this will help Melanie feel a bit better while her little digestive system matures and can better digest cow's milk.  I'm on day two so wish me luck.  Just so you know, milk products seem to be in EVERYTHING so this is quite a task.  But hey, Oreo cookies are milk free so I can live ;)