I can't believe it's been two weeks already since Alaina's birth. Life has changed dramatically -- suddenly my days are ordered around her meals, naps, and diaper changes instead of being ordered according to my own whims. The sound of a baby's cry, shrill and annoying coming from others' babies, pierces my heart with concern for her and the desire to do whatever possible to make her more comfortable and content. Sleep comes in two-hour increments now -- I wake up in the middle of strange dreams, Todd diapers her, I feed her, and if I'm lucky, I get her back to sleep. After placing her in the crib, I lie awake for a while praying fervently that she'll stay asleep this time. The house is a mess, and it seems like it's been forever since I've seen friends, left the house for anything but a pediatrician appointment, worked out, or eaten in a restaurant. And yet there is nothing that compares with holding her in my arms as she sleeps or looking into her alert eyes, watching her discover the world.
Here are a few photos of Alaina's debut into the post-utero world: