Ilona: two months of memories 2.11.13

there were many days this month when jason and i both doubted we'd actually make it to the 2 month milestone. we were assured that 6-8 weeks for some babies represents the peak of their fussiness. that brought us some relief. as you'll see from some of the pictures below, fussiness is quite the understatement ;) i have been stretched once again this month as Ilona's mother. how do you take care of a baby who cries often and cries hard for seemingly no reason? how do you continue to meet her intricate and sensitive needs when you haven't slept longer than 2 hours at a time for 2 months? i've read all about "baby blues" and the effects of sleep deprivation. it felt as though the descriptions were written after carefully observing me the past several weeks. there were moments of desperate exhaustion, but leave it to God and Ilona to always couple those with moments of pure joy. the relationship between mother and infant must be one of the most special. like it or not, she does find comfort in my arms (all the time!), sustenance from the food i can provide her and entertainment from the life i give. these 2 months have been quite the ride already. i love you Ilona more than words can express and do all i can to meet your needs and give you the best life possible. here are some of your finest (and less than finest) moments this month... ilona's crazy sleeping positions

ilona's yawns are adorable

some of her funny faces

ilona smiles

"fussiness" aka: tantrums

how we are learning to calm her...baby wearing & walking, chamomile tea home remedy for gas, tummy holds and the football hold, sucking on her pacifier and car rides, cuddling

visiting daddy at work

bundled up for our "cold" 60 degree January weather

first swimming lesson (after it finally warmed up!)

her two month doctor's appointment

my favorite photo of you this month...taken on a tuesday morning at 8:42 am, after you woke up from a little snooze. you are usually so calm after walking up and give me such attentive looks and beautiful smiles