If I had to pick one thing...one thing that I love the most so far, it is having a little 7lb warm cooing, breathing, snoring baby Linnea sleeping on my chest. The weight of her little body pressing on my lungs and her little hands and feet squirming periodically are so precious. I love the small size of her feet and the softness - they are so soft!
We love the moments, although at 2 weeks they are quick and not very often, moments when she's got her eyes wide open and she's content to just sit and make pleasant little faces. Then there is the equally entertaining "just waking up phase", which can last up to 30 minutes. She's like a human facial kalidescope. She transforms the muscles and expressions on her face from one to the next. 
There is the big "O" surprise look followed by the the pursed fish lips, the gangly grimmace, the almost crying, the half baked smile and the full facial yawn...all followed by her regular contented placid face. Now that I have this flip video camera (coming soon!), you can see for yourselves. I notice the little creases in her forehead that show when she opens her eyes as if a big surprise is coming - and sometimes there is a surprise, in her pants. Sometimes when she's nursing, she'll cry out as if she got a sharp pain all of a sudden, and the next moment she'll stop sucking, open her eyes, and tense her whole body before letting out another surprise in her pants. Miguel and I are good coaches in this arena saying things like "you go girl, I bet you've got more in there, let 'r rip". Regardless of all the diaper filling, she's gained all of her birth weight back by now, and even a few extra ounces. Doctor says she's lookin' good, and everything we're experiencing is in the "normal" range.
Although it is said to be normal, the sleeping routine is a bit messed up at this point. She's taking awesome, long naps in the daytime, which allows me plenty of time to sleep and work on odd jobs around the house, but at night, between 2 and 6am, she's wide awake. Sort of. She's got it figured out that if she cries she gets fed. Therefore, if anything isn't going her way, she'll cry for more breastmilk no matter how much she's already eaten. I feel like she's starting to force feed herself just to get back at us for not figuring out what she wants. Last night she refused to go to sleep unless it was immediately after nursing - without burping - and only if I would be her mattress. As I said at the beginning, this is one of my favorite things, but last night, it was the ONLY thing she would do, even as the clock ran past 2, 3, 4, and 5 am. If I tried putting her in a bassinet - or even the loving arms of her devoted grandmother, she'd wake up wailing and screaming as if the house were on fire. It is enough to make a person crazy. Luckily we have the luxury of a child that does well with breastfeeding and has from the beginning. At least I'm not up at all hours boiling bottles and hooking myself up to a pump - and I'm very thankful for that.
Linnea's Faces from Heather Alvis on Vimeo.
