4 weeks

I'm feeling a bit smug, like I dodged a bullet - no inklings (yet) of baby blues, postpartum depression, or even feelings of disappointment the books sometimes refer to. They say that how you feel four weeks out, mostly related to fatigue, is the best predictor for whether or not you'll get PPD at ten weeks. I proudly boasted to Alex that I'd been sans tears or panic attacks. His reply? "So far." Pre-baby I was very worried about how my emotions might play out post-baby, and I'm happy to say that I've been, well, happy. Deliriously happy at some points, even. "So far," I LOVE this mothering thing. It doesnt mean it's all fun and games all the time. But it's a pretty incredible experience.

Except ... I do more laundry than I've ever done before. And the Bean isn't even wearing her cloth diapers yet! For now, we are contributing to the overflowing landfills by using about 8 disposables per day (but doing our part and using Seventh Generation), because Francie's thighs arent nearly chunky enough. In other words, a blowout in the cloth diapers would be a B.L.O.W.O.U.T (caps added for emphasis). The thing is, our laundry is already overflowing with your basic cottons. Why? Because everything now has the hint of sour milk, between spit-up and leaky breasts.

Today was a big day, one for the books, because Alex went back to work. It was my first day flying solo, and I'm happy to report that everything went off without a hitch. No major meltdowns (me) and no major blowouts (her). Granted, we spent most of the day running errands (aka "shopping"), and the Bean is always a quiet sweetpea when we are out and about. It's nice, because it makes me look like a good mom in public when my child sleeps peacefully, cooing ever so softly.

Today marked Francie's four-week birthday. Not much new to report on her development, except that she continues to be awake and gazing around a bit more every day. I suspect she's a curious little thing, and especially looks the part when she makes a little bird face, with wide eyes and her lips pursed into a semi-beak. She gets cuter by the day, and my very favorite thing is cuddling in bed with her in the morning.

Here she is, four weeks big: