Ocoee at 2 weeks
Ocoee at 19 weeks
When I arrived back from Palm Springs I was shocked that Ocoee had changed so much in one weekend. If you check out my photo shoots with her you can see how much she has grown and changed. She is now 5 months and I am amazed at all the changes.
First, I have changed. I am a mother now. The changes that involves are overwhelming. She is first in my life. I say no to things that take me away from her. My job is less of a priority, I am pickier about what social events I choose and I always think of her before myself. My heart knows a love that I had never experienced before.
Second, my marriage has changed. We are a team that has a common goal that is very tangible. We want the best for our daughter and family. We feel more in love and gushy now days, but we also have less romance and more diaper talk....but we don't mind. We were married for 6 years and together for 8 before Ocoee came along so this new bundle of love that has us wrapped around her little finger is our focus now.
We fit in adult time with date nights from time to time and heck, just last night we lit some candles and had some cuddle couch time...very romantic, hehe. I do think we spent some of that time stuffing diapers and checking the monitor.
Third, our lifestyle has changed some. We still travel, eat out, play outdoors and have a few drinks. It is just at different times and with less freedom to do so on a whim. We plan our time with friends to either be kid friendly or we trade off on time "off duty". We travel but just pack a lot more. Now days I think about is there room for a stroller, will there be a place to change her, will she be napping.....and on and on. With a little planning you can still roll like you used to, but with a bambino on board.
She has changed the most. She has a personality that sparkles. She can hold things, eat from a spoon, sit up, roll over, babble a ton. All these things she has learned in 5 months. She has outgrown more clothes than I even own! She has caught bugs, fought them off and passed them along. She is really good at that.
She has gone from 3 months at home with mom, to a new daycare, to working at home with dad, to another new daycare. She loves Mrs. Renea at Hillcrest and thrives there...but soon she will have to move on to another room, then back at home with mom for the summer. Talk about rolling with the punches.
Maybe this is one of the reason I like being a mom. I love change. I grew up with a lot of change and learned to see new adventures and opportunities in change. You learn so much from change. Each day Ocoee teaches me something new. I love that I have this blog and this time to document these changes. I know one day she will look at these pictures and think...wow that is me, how was I ever that little.
There are a few physical changes as well. I went from being pregnant to not pregnant and my body is still figuring that out. I am down to my normal weight and 5 pounds and a lot of toning away from my pre-pregnancy weight. A few stretch marks still linger, though they are fading quickly. Lots more squishy spots but I know that I have to put the work in at the gym to get that back. I doubt my "girls" will ever be the same but considering what they went through not to shabby. It makes me appreciate my body that it was able to grow this amazing baby and pretty much bounce back to normal.
Ocoee's physical changes are vast. Her eyes have gone from the baby black to a beautiful rich blue. Her hair all fell out and has now grown back. It changes color each day and we are curious what it will end up being. Her strawberry birth mark was barely visible at birth, then grew to a big red strawberry shape and is now fading and shrinking. She is growing well, and is a strong little soul!
I just hope she doesn't grow too fast, because the joy of being along for her journey and growth, with all of it's changes is thrilling.
Cheers
J
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