our greatest adventure

 Life with a newborn is an awesome adventure! Full of ups and downs, surprise twists and turns – and just when you think you've mastered things, your child will leave you feeling both humbled and clueless. 

It's a new era for Scott and I, and since we yearned for Farryn for so long, even the hard bits aren't too bad. Although, I may be speaking for myself here. Scott struggles a bit more with the sleep deprivation than I do. It's likely due to all the hormones flooding my body... but I also think it's because men are babies. ;-)

Farryn is 3+ weeks (24 days) and it's incredible to watch her change and grow daily. Overall, I think we're pretty lucky. She's relatively easy to calm when she's upset. However, when she's hungry, she goes from 0 to 110 in a matter of seconds. No problem with her vocal chords – I like to joke that she's communicative like her mama. Of course, that's funnier in retrospect when she's soundly sleeping in my arms. Less funny at 2:30am when I'm trying to shove my nipple into her mouth! 

Thanks to 12 years of marriage, Scott and I are a great team caring for Farryn. I'm both pumping and breastfeeding, so Scott helps out with the bottle feedings at night. It's super helpful for us as she feeds much more efficiently at the bottle, and it's an excellent bonding opportunity for Scott and Farryn. 

When we're sleep drenched and foggy in the mornings, we bob and weave around each other in a semi-coordinated dance of rinsing bottles, making coffee, changing diapers, and tending to our own bodily functions. Before she was born, we made a deal to always be kind to one another as best we can, and we consistently say please and thank you. Sounds cliché, but it makes a hell of a difference. 

My therapist also suggested that we check-in with each other daily – without fail, we ask one another "how are you doing physically? mentally? emotionally?" We allow each other to feel what we feel, maybe have a little cry, celebrate the win for the day, or even talk about how we can give the other person a break. It's been a lifesaver.

It's been quite hot and humid here in San Diego, so we try to get out of the house after Farryn's morning breastfeed. Daddy gets to surf and Mommy and Farryn enjoy long walks on the beach... and watching Daddy catch good waves! I am desperate to get back in the ocean, but for now, walking in knee-high water keeps me cool enough. We're also counting down the days until Farryn can get in the ocean with us! 

Last night we went out as a family to enjoy a sushi picnic on the cliffs of La Jolla. Farryn loves being outside! She was super calm and relaxed... so we were able to enjoy our dinner without a fussy baby! HUGE PARENTING WIN!