Life with a Beautiful Baby

Oh Lillian, how you have changed our lives. I must say that having a baby right around vacation time (aka the holidays) was a blessing...our families helped us so much! Lillian was born during finals week(s) for Ryan and I had baby blues and didn't think I'd be able to muster strength to care for our little itty bitty baby...My mom rescued me and came to Cville to pick me up after we had been home for a week. Ryan was going to finals and going to work-which left me alone and sad...poor Itty Bitty was so hungry because I wasn't able to give her enough milk-and the doctors, I felt, were letting me know that I needed to make a lot of changes and be a better mom...well, let's be honest, I was hormonally imbalanced! So, I got a head start to vacation and Ryan soon followed after finishing with exams and working.

Vacation was a lot of fun...we had so many great times with family-both of them-the Bairds and the Shrefflers. Lillian was held so much and loved by everybody in the family, especially her mom and dad.

Baby Beautiful had her photo shoot, done by the talented Laura Barnett (Ryan's Sister) and she did such a great job. She was extremely patient in getting some great shots of such a beautiful, naked baby:)






and we had some family pictures taken by a family friend...she did an awesome job!

Our growing family:)

Anyways, while on vacation, we did a lot of talking, eating, playing, walking, talking, reading, holding baby, waking up at odd hours of the night with baby, eating, talking, family time, improving our skills on the Kinect-especially dance central!, watching tv, staying up late, not starting a schedule, sleeping, talking, and eating. It was a great way to get help with my new role as a mother...I had great examples-my mom, my mother-in-law, my sister-in-law, my sister, Dorothy (on the phone), and of course our "mother in training," Lil d (she may not have kids of her own yet, but she knows how to be a mother!). And it was so fun being with all Lillian's Aunties and Uncles...they all were wonderful and helped me a lot!

We are back home in Charlottesville now and we are working on improving our schedules-so that we can be better prepared for our roles as mother, father, wife, husband, student, providers, fun seekers, and amazing people contributing to the whole of society.