Smiley Baby

So, I took Marley to get her 6 month pictures (which are actually her 7 month pictures now) taken yesterday. Much to my surprise, it was easier than I thought it would be and a lot less stressful than I expected. She loved every minute of it. I was a little skeptical at first because, when she looked at the girl that was going to be taking the pictures, she just stared at her with this, "Who are you and what the heck do you want from me?" look that I could only pray would not mean that the moment I set her down she would start screeching like a banshee. Fortunately for everyone involved, however, she lit up as soon as she saw the first flash.

That being said... she loves the camera. A little too much, I think. I mean, seriously, this child did not stop smiling the entire time. Now, once the picture taking was done, that was an entirely different story. She didn't want to be put down, so I had to carry her all over Babies R Us, pushing the cart with all our stuff in it, while we waited for the girl to print the pictures. I find it hilarious, her night/day transformation. It's as if she was born to be an actress. Now, don't get me wrong... when she doesn't want to have her picture taken, she has NO PROBLEM letting you know. And when that happens, you're best off just not even attempting it and just throwing in the towel because it's not going to happen. It's hilarious to me. Sometimes, when she's in the middle of a fit, I'll take her picture anyway just so I can remember these times as well. It's like a breath of fresh air, knowing that it's not always sunshine and rainbows. She has her "dark" side, too.

She's a beautiful baby, though. I'm trying to enjoy her as much as I can now, because I know when hubby comes back from Iraq, it's all over and I'm going to lose her. For at least a few weeks, I know he's not going to want to let her go. And, with a face like that, who would?

What's Really Important.

I just read this blog on msnb.com and it made me feel like sitting on the floor and crying. Although my hubby has less than 2 months overseas, stories like these make me weary, they make 2 months seem like an eternity. They wake you up to the reality that anything can happen at any time, and they're not safe until they get home. It also makes me think about all the wives, husbands, brothers, sisters, moms, dads, sons, daughters, etc. who have to go through this every day. Over 4,000 soldiers have died since March 2003. At the very least, that many people have had to suffer the pain of hearing those news, seeing that coffin, knowing they'll never get to see, hold, smell, talk to their husband, wife, son, daughter, mom, dad, etc. again. I can't even fathom it. It gives me goosebumps. I can't even think about it.

Here's the story: http://fieldnotes.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/04/08/1885755.aspx

Soon...

so... the hubby is coming home soon. There's a sense in me of excitement, anxiety, nerves and fear all at once. I can't wait for him to come home because he hasn't seen our baby since she was 5 weeks old and I want to see the look on his face when he sees how big she's gotten and she flashes him that million-dollar smile of hers. I'm equally interested in seeing her reaction when she actually gets to see him in person for the first time in 7 months. She constantly looks at the wallpaper on my computer and I sit with her and tell her, "That's right, mama, that's DADDY!!!" On the rare opportunity that our schedules align long enough for us to have a conversation on Skype, she sits in front of the computer monitor, studying him. Then, in what can only be described as a sudden moment of realization, she remembers this person who held her non-stop for the 10 too-short-and-too-quickly-gone days that they spent together back in October and... oh, there's that smile again! Sometimes I leave the room and leave the two of them there to share some daddy-Marley time and she'll honestly have whole conversations with him. The entirety of which I imagine consist of her venting her frustrations to him on how mommy takes too long getting the milk ready. But I long for the moments when I'll be able to step back and actually watch them interact with each other. I am looking forward to helping these two people who rarely know each other bond. It's inevitable that I will eventually fall by the wayside of the father-daughter/daddy's-little-girl relationship. But that's okay. I'm still mommy. And she and I have had our time together on our own. Soon, it'll be daddy's turn. I'll be home the 2 weeks after he gets back to spend time with my husband and daughter and learn, finally, how to be a family... the three of us. But then, I go back to work, and he has 90 days before he has to... so that will be HIS time. I can't wait.