Discovering My Inner Mommy

Each moment with Kamryn Marlee is better than the last. Jacob and I can't believe she's already over 10 weeks old! We're loving every second of being parents and enjoying watching our rapidly changing baby girl. It's hard to imagine our lives before her.

If you're a parent, you know that having a child makes every experience more special. The holiday memories we made this year will be some of my most treasured. Kamryn joined us in a little bassinet at the Thanksgiving dinner table and held hands with us for the prayer. We loved opening presents with her at Grandma and Grandpa's on Christmas morning and checking out all the wonderful gifts from our generous family. At midnight, New Years Eve, the three of us sat up together in bed and I cried as Kamryn's bright eyes watched the ball drop. People were right... Our lives will never be the same. And I'm so thankful.

Learning to be a Mommy has been wonderful, and Kamryn's a great teacher. She's being patient with me as I figure out how to do everything - and there's still a lot to learn. Luckily, Jacob was home with us for the first few weeks, but since then, I've had quite a few opportunities to be alone with our baby girl. At first, it was a little scary. I noticed that when she would cry, it was natural for Jacob or my Mom to get up and walk her around. I was fearful that alone, I wouldn't be able to calm her if she got to crying hard. I even wondered briefly if I had the ability to take care of her on my own. I mean, a good mother should be able to take care of her own daughter, right? But, before I knew it, any doubts I had were gone.

In the early weeks, it did feel awkward trying to wheel around with Kamryn in my lap. She was so little and I was still getting the hang of how to handle her. Now that I know she's not going to break and now that she's starting to hold her head up on her own and sit up a little better, things are much easier. Being able to get up in my wheelchair with her gives me much more freedom when I'm alone, so I don't feel so trapped. Plus, Jacob modified a changing table so it's nice and low for us. I have even found ways to soothe her that don't involve walking. For example, she loves to bounce, and fortunately, I have pretty strong arms. I'd say we're becoming a pretty good team already. I can tell, even now, that she will adapt as needed to work with a Mommy on wheels... and it's a beautiful thing.

We live for her little smiles. It's so cool that we're already starting to see her personality. I can tell she has a strong but mellow spirit like her Mom and Dad. Her muscles are growing stronger by the day and the noises she's able to make are increasing all the time. And, boy, does she love her Daddy. I look forward to every day and helping nurture and support our little angel in each phase of her life.

As far as my personal health, I'm feeling great. I've even been back to the gym a couple times and it felt amazing. I'm getting stronger so I can hit the ground running when I get back with my personal trainer. Jacob's getting back to the gym again, as well. We're excited to do some 5K's this year as a family. Also, now that we have a bit more of a schedule, we're able to cook more and eat better, too. Life is good!

Thanks for reading! I will continue to share my experience of being a mother on wheels, including any tips I discover and more. Talk to you soon!