Maida's First Giggle

We've had a busy couple of days! Erik has been working a whole lot (10 hours days) so Maida and I have been at home working on cleaning and packing. Not much has gotten done (it's hard to get things done with a baby...I need my mom to come back and visit!). Maida has really started to smile now! She smiles all the time. I'll look over and she'll be smiling at Barkley! or at her toys. She's starting to get more interested in her toys. Before she wouldn't even look at them, but now she just stares at them and even tries to bat them with her hands, especially hanging toys on her playgym. She also has started to talk a lot more. I know that she has a lot more to say than she actually gets out, but someday I know she'll just start jabbering like crazy! The highlight of my weekend was on Sunday afternoon when Maida giggled for the first time! It was so funny because I guess that Erik was changing her diaper at church and she giggled at him. Then later on that day she was with me and I said, "Pee-you! Something stinks!" and she giggled! Haha, it was so cute! She hasn't giggled again since then, but I'm sure she'll start doing that a whole lot more too. To end, I'm going to attach below an email that I recieved from several people because I really like what it says, it's so true! I've only been a mom for seven weeks, but I have totally expirienced every single one of these things...

Before I was a Mom-
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom - I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put them down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.