supermom

Okay, since my daughter's only nineteen days old, I probably don't qualify for the "Supermom" title yet. But today's been so productive on top of spending time with my daughter that I feel super-accomplished. Thus, supermom for the day.

What did I do today? I managed to make myself breakfast, do two loads of laundry and pump a small bottle of breastmilk to freeze before Bridget got up (granted, she waited until ellen was on to fully awaken, so I had a bit of time). Then I took care of her, of course, and when she was ready, we went shopping. I considered bringing my Jeep carrier (like a Bjorn carrier but half the price) since Karen had recommended a sling, but (problem) I don't have clothes warm enough for Bridget to be outside, even from the car to the store, so decided against that for now. (I do love it, by the way--Bridget quiets right down when I wear it around the house, something that, admittedly, you're not supposed to do.) We hit three stores: Trader Joes, Target, and Costco. It helps that the parking lots are all connected. She was even out long enough for me to stop by and let my old coworkers meet her since they've been asking me to bring her up. Once she dirtied her diaper, though, I figured it was time to head home. I had consciously left the diaper bag in the car--didn't want to stay too long!

At home, I managed to throw dinner into the crockpot before Bridget wanted to be fed. She didn't want to sleep when she was done eating, so into the carrier she went and I spent the next couple of hours putting purchases away, doing dishes, etc. I was able to get her to lie down a few minutes before Al got off work, so I started pumping again, this time so Al could feed her tonight. When he got home, he took her so I could add the last ingredients to the crockpot (pears and prunes, which turned out to ruin the roast for him, but they're good for me and Bridget!) and didn't want to give her up, so I let him spend his first half hour alone with Bridget and took the dog for a walk around the lake. (Turns out that made me quite sore; perhaps a bit too much exercise a bit too soon? But not so sore that I won't do it again within the week!) Then dinner, after which I cleaned up (he usually does, but was holding Bridget still) and we stuck in a movie. While we watched the movie, I finished pumping tonight's bottle (Bridget was sleeping soundly) and then prepared her first in-sink bath (vs. sponge bath). We interrupted the movie to wake Bridget and give her the bath, and Al's feeding her a big bottle right now. Next up: Bed! And let's hope she sleeps the usual five hours tonight. Maybe even five-plus, if she finishes all five ounces of that bottle. We'll see.

So, those are the reasons for the designation "supermom" for the day. But I can't have this post all about me when there's someone much more adorable to talk about. Bridget was smiling so big today while I was getting dressed that I could have sworn she was going to start laughing (she didn't). But the minute the camera came out, she stopped and got a puzzled look on her face instead, just looking at the camera. Probably trying to figure out what I was sticking in her face. I wish I could have captured it for Al, though. She also does two things that I find absolutely adorable when she eats--first, she often clasps her hands together in front of her chest, sometimes even intertwining her fingers. So cute! She also makes these little "ahh" sounds while she's eating; they're little sighs mixed in with her breathing. I love that sound, just like I like the sharp intake of breath that ends up being a squeak when she cries. I constantly tell her that she is the most adorable little girl in the world. I'm biased, of course.

Unfortunately, I can't make this post all about Bridget, either. Today is Serena's fifteenth birthday. For those of you that don't know, Serena is my cat. But Serena's health has gone downhill fast, and I don't think she'll make it past tomorrow. I would have said tonight but there's only half an hour left of the day. She can no longer walk; I walked in on her right before giving Bridget a bath and thought she was having a seizure. All four legs were moving, almost twitching. But the instant I started to pet her, she stopped. She was trying to move from the spot she's in, and couldn't get up off the floor. I would have moved her, but I don't know where she wanted to go so I just sat there next to her and pet her for a while. She no longer purrs or even meows, and I have been praying for days now that God would make this painless for her. Now I just want it to be quick and am considering taking her to the vet if she's still alive when I take Mya in for her appointment on Friday. It breaks my heart to see my cat, who has always been very vocal and a very good companion to me (especially in Iowa when I was alone), silent, dying, and unable to move. I'm two feet away from her now and hope she thinks of me being her as companionship in her last hours.

I'm tired of waiting for death. I've had to wait for death too frequently these past few months.