8 Weeks

Ok guys, time really flies when you have a kid. She grows so much over a single day, she makes me feel like I should really be working on something EPIC! LOL. Seriously, I look at her now, and I don't even know who she is!

This past weekend, one of Naja's "aunties" came to visit for the first time. We had a blast catching up on things. We lounged outside on the deck, with Naja in her bouncer (pictured). This past week my mom and I started giving Naja a pacifier, and it's a lifesaver! Originally I didn't want to give her a binky, but it is very soothing for her, and keeps her quiet in car rides. For example, she normally won't fuss for about 20 minutes in the car without binky, and with binky, I can easily get another 20 minutes of a happy baby riding in the car! I tried it out this weekend, running some last minute errands before my return to work and things worked out great. Naja was a true camper the entire car ride.

This is my first week back at work full time. Thus far, I get up at 6 AM, and leave the house at 7 AM to be at work by 8:45 AM. I get home around 6:30 PM. I catch a commuter bus into DC, and then hop on the metro, and walk to my office. It's been tough being away from her for so long because I feel like a bad mother. However I steadily remind myself that I work to provide for her, and I'm still spending time with her in the mornings, evenings, and nights! Also, I'm enjoying work, which definitely helps a lot. I'm still nursing Naja, and things are going well, but I am very busy! I'm going to do another post next week on nursing as a working mother. The post will include some of the shenanigans I've run into, which should be both comical and informative for inquiring minds.

Naja is staying at home with my mom during the day. Some days she wakes up pleasant, other days she wakes up fussy. Babies are still human with good and bad days. I think her personality is starting to show and I think she's going to be a talker like her momma! Whenever she's around people talking, she makes these noises like she's trying to join in. I love it! Finally, yesterday, Naja smiled for the first time while she wasn't sleeping. I was SO EXCITED.