My Growing Girl

Anika has been filling up our lives for a little over two weeks now, and every minute has been wonderful. Yes, even getting up in the middle of the night is wonderful because it is time I get to spend with my little girl. I'm sure the wonder will wear off soon, so I am trying to enjoy and remember this time in our relationship.
Having a baby has made me realize exactly how much my mom loved (and still loves) me. My daughter is helpless to feed herself, to clothe herself, to change herself, to move herself, and do pretty much anything. I am her sole source of food, and then Garry helps me do the other things, but while he is at work, I am her only caretaker. I really wish I remembered my infancy, if just to realize sooner how much my parents loved me immediately. I wish I remembered my mom sacrificing sleep to feed me, being willing to get bodily fluids all over her when changing a diaper or burping me, talking to me sweetly, and being ever-so-careful with me since I was so fragile. With this leap into motherhood I can imagine my mom doing the same things I now do for my daughter for me with the same love I have for my Anika. This love is an amazing thing. I only wish I hadn't taken my parents' love for granted as a young child, as a teenager, and as a young adult. How much better would my heart have been and my honoring of my parents would have been had I thought more often about my infancy. I guess better late than never feeling this at all, right?
God is blessing little Anika richly and I am so thankful for the growth she has had recently and that her checkups are going very well. She was back up to her birthweight by the first week, and this second week visit she had gained a whole pound, so she now weighs a whopping 7 lbs 8 oz. Her cheeks are definitely filling out and her legs are getting a little more plump, which is great. She needs some fat on her to keep her warm in the cold Nebraska winter.
Here are some recent pictures!