The WHOLE family!

Mylin meets the whole Merkle family!
We got together for an afternoon since Adam, Jill, and their kids were going to be up from Alabama for the weekend - what a crazy and fun afternoon with our parents, the eight of us kids and eight grandkids!

Cousin Maddie wanted to hold baby Mylin every chance she got! VERY sweet :)

a-mom-zing

I promise that one day (maybe soon, maybe not) I will return to having posts that are not entirely about Miss Mylin :)
I'm assuming I will have things in my life again that don't revolve around her!

Today Mylin and I went on our first expedition by ourselves! It was my first time driving in 3 weeks and also my first time driving around our sweet little birdie! I went to Huntington for a 1 hour meeting and our graduate receptionist insisted on scooping Mylin up and watching her during my meeting - what a blessing! When I came out she was feeding her a bottle and had just changed her diaper :)

Also, being a mom means you learn all sorts of new tricks that are amazing...
1. I fed Mylin a bottle in the middle of the night while going to the bathroom...(wiping was a challenge)
2. Today I pumped (which I have to hold onto) and had her wrapped up comfortably on my lap at the same time!
3. Generally carrying things up and down the stairs (which I am supposed to limit) is crazy from looping pillows around my arms, carrying water bottles, trying not to drop my cell phone and remembering to grab our sheet to keep track of nursing amounts/times - all while trying NOT to trip over Eme who is ever at my feet!

Overall my life has changed drastically in an instant and I feel like I am in an alternative universe! Hopefully I'll be returning shortly...

bottles, 2 week birthday, and weight loss goal

Miss Mylin had her first bottle last night! As you can tell by the pictures, Daddy was loving it!
He said the first time he gave her the bottle her eyes were closed and she latched on right away...but the second time he put it in her mouth her eyes were open and she didn't take it right away, but just furrowed her brow and stared at him...like 'hey, this isn't what i think it is and you're not my mom...'
:)

Today is Miss Mylin's 2 week birthday! I can hardly believe that :) To celebrate the occasion I accidentely dressed us alike - which I'm afraid I may become too fond of... (she didn't want her picture taken...)

Lastly, with 2 weeks post baby under my belt I've gone from 35 extra lbs of baby to 10 lbs left to go before pre-baby weight! I hope to hit this goal by my birthday at the end of September...

Then my next goal will be to lose an additional 8 lbs that will take me back to my wedding weight! I'm hoping to reach this one by Christmas

Joel is also hoping to lose 10ish lbs to get down to his pre-baby weight of last summer as well :)

first baby sitter!

Last Friday night Joel and I took a big excursion to Wal-Mart and Mylin stayed with her first baby-sitter - Aunt Roni!
We were gone for a whopping 1 hour (and I missed her the whole time) and Roni said Mylin slept through it all :)

We took a picture with her before we left to mark this momentous occasion!

one week old!

Today was Mylin's one week check-up!
To begin this day, I somehow managed to change the time on my clock while I was trying to set an alarm - I moved the time up one hour, so when I arose at '6:00' and the sun wasn't coming up, I still got in the shower and begin to get ready only to notice that the bathroom clock read 5:30...tears were shed, anger was felt, but I got ready anyway and had a lot of extra time to pick up the house, let my two beloveds sleep, and paint my toes!!! (yay for independence again!)

Next, as we are getting off the interstate to find our Pediatricians office, I realize that we forgot the diaper bag. This is our FIRST trip anywhere and we forget the thing I have packed, repacked, and organized this very morning?!?! COME ON!

Lastly, as Joel left after lunch for his half day at work, our pup trots out of the kitchen, into the living room and pukes all over the floor...something she has not done in months! Nice Eme...my hormones that are still producing a heightened sense of smell really appreciated that treat.

Anyways, below are pictures from the day to help me remember that these memories are funny, and while I may have cried about them today, I'll laugh about them in the future!


Don't you just love newborns cute booty's that stick out?! Trying to capture a moment with Mylin's face to see if she looks like me like we think she does?!

Peaceful in her bouncer dreaming of daddy to come home!

happy mommy, daddy, and puppy

I love my family :)