Good Murdering Hands

I know I brag about my family a lot, but I really do have an amazing family. Two of my favorite members from that family live in Idaho Falls, my aunt Jan and uncle Ray. They were my home away from home when I lived in Idaho last year. I could always count on them whether it was for a good meal, a bed to sleep in, or plain, good company!

One Saturday night, a year or so ago, my younger sister and I went up to Jan and Ray's to eat dinner and play a card game called "hand and foot". At the table sat me, Macy, Jan, Ray, Joyce (my mom's cousin), and aunt Blondie (her real name is Donneta. She is my Grandma's sister, in her 90's, and has a mind sharper than a new knife!) We had been well into the game when aunt Blondie looked at me and commented on my long fingers.

She said something to the effect of, "Those have got to be the longest, skinniest fingers I've ever seen. Those would be good murdering fingers!"

Alas, not only do I have "daddy-long" long legs, an enormous wing span, and lengthy toes I use to pick up things, but I can add "long murdering hands" to the list!

I would also like to point out that my baby girl has acquired those genes from me. She's already got adorable grasshopper legs, giant toes, and good murdering hands!

You're not the only one learning, kid!

It's been a little over a month, and my bundle of joy comes with 8 bundles of dirty and wet diapers a day! I think I'm getting the hang of things. I'm learning more than I signed up for, but I still have yet to learn how to burp a lot better than what I'm doing! Here are the top 5 things I've learned about babies in one month:

1) Don't wear your nice clothing for the sake of looking good while you're at home. Babies (especially mine) seem to spit up and throw up quite a bit.

2) Stimulation is key: when changing a diaper, nothing holds a baby still better than a musical mobile!

3) Take pictures. I'm not ashamed that I've become "that mom". You know, the one who has 36 photos of her baby's third week of life on her phone alone (I won't count the ones from my digital camera!) They really do grow so fast. She's gained 2.5 pounds in 5 weeks.

4) Really, sleep when the baby sleeps! Week one almost killed me. It literally felt like my body was going to shut down! I tried doing everything when she slept because you really can't get anything done when she's awake. Even if she's not crying, it's impossible to not just sit and stare and watch her little eyes dart around the room, exploring her new world. Babies are so curious, and they're so fun to watch.

5) Anytime you leave the house, it is a production. Jeff and I have learned that we need to start getting ready at least 30 minutes before we actually need to leave (and really, one hour is better!)