I spend a lot of time staring at her.
For practical reasons – feeding, changing, bathing, checking.
Some more anxious. I count her breaths. Are there too many? Is she pulling? Why did she sneeze? She has the hiccups again.
I stare at her to remember her. She’s already gained over a pound. She’s filling out and her features are changing, her skin is different, and there is already less hair than yesterday.
And sometimes I stare at her and I wonder who this is. This tiny person that eats all the time, whose coloring is entirely different from my own. I look at her and I say, “Who ARE you?”
And she opens her blue eyes and there is recognition in them. She looks back into mine and she knows I am her mommy. She sighs and closes her eyes again.
I hold her close and I whisper, “You are mine.”
{ 108 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes indeed she is yours,Heather & Mike,And she is just gorgeous….unbiased here of course.
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..I Wanna Dance!!!!! =-.
She is beautiful. You are unbelievably blessed to have Annie. xoxo
.-= Mary Jo´s last blog ..GTT – Valentine’s Day, meh. =-.
She is gorgeous, perfect, yours.
And wow, she looks a lot like Mike already.:)
.-= Kisha Floren´s last blog ..Today Was A Good Day…. =-.
Agreed….I had to go back and look at the picture, but now I see how much she looks like Daddy.
She’s beautiful….and you’re going to have a wonderful time finding out “who” she is.
This was a truly beautiful post. Annie is amazing, and she’s so lucky to have you and Mike as parents and Maddie as a big sister. Not too many children are so blessed.
Oh wow!! She is SO gorgeous and in this particular picture she looks so much like Maddie!!
)
(although I am still sticking to my guns about Annie reminding me more of Mike
.-= Tina´s last blog ..Johnny, Johnny!! =-.
God bless you both! She’s amazing.
She is yours, and you are completely hers. Congratulations.
(And all my babes had hiccups often, in the womb and as newborns. Very weird feeling when your unborn child has hiccups, isn’t it?!)
Hugs to you all!
She is so beautiful!
.-= Lynn from For Love or Funny´s last blog ..Help for baffled spouses. =-.
Beautiful
.-= jess´s last blog ..Nappy Cake! =-.
Beautiful.
(((Hugs)))
She is yours, and she is so beautiful, just like you!!! Love rom AZ, @1mcmommy
.-= Patty´s last blog ..Happy Vanentines Day! =-.
She is yours, and she is perfect!
Love and hugs
.-= Kelly´s last blog ..Chinese New Year =-.
Ahh….she’s lovely. Looks like Mike. Isn’t it funny….giving birth to a child that seems to resemble your other half more than you. I have the same!
I just keep thinking…in almost disbelief, that this babe of mine, I carried her inside of me. We made her….but where did she come from. Who is she?
A little miracle if ever there was one.
Enjoy every second of her….
xx
She is yours, Heather, and is most definitely her Daddy’s,,,, with those looks! BUT,,, the best part is that she is Maddie’s little sister! She is just so precious and beautiful, and loved, so much, by so many!
I couldn’t agree more! Well said.
exactly.
that’s for sure!
.-= jen´s last blog ..attention deficit =-.
Ditto!!
(((HUGS))) from Florida
Yes, she is yours all the way… I hope you don’t get enough ever of staring at her… Which I don’t think you will, ever.
She is a blessing for your whole family. You needed her as much as she needed you all…
.-= catherine lucas´s last blog ..New Mexican cows… =-.
And lucky for us, you share her with us.
xo from CT,
Amanda
.-= amanda´s last blog ..weekend recap. =-.
Yep. She’s yours. And a lovely yours she is.
.-= Amanda´s last blog ..Talking’ Valentines With Girl Talk Thursday =-.
She is a darling.
She is yours and she is absolutely beautiful and perfect. (((hugs)))
.-= Amy´s last blog ..Up in Flames =-.
I think you got it backwards. I believe YOU are HERS.
.-= feefifoto´s last blog ..Well, It’s Not Exactly White House / Black Market =-.
She is so beautiful. You are hers, and she is yours. Nothing like the relationship between a mother and daughter.
.-= Kelly´s last blog ..The Boyfriend =-.
Yours always … Mommy’s little girl.
Yes she is.
.-= charlane´s last blog ..My Happy Cake =-.
She’s breathtakingly gorgeous. Just like her sister.
Seeing these newborn pictures makes me ready to hold my new one… Just 8 more weeks!
.-= Andria Stanley´s last blog ..A Major Setback in Therapy =-.
This is my favorite picture so far. I understand that whole I can’t stop staring at her thing, I am amazed that you can even put her down, I don’t think I would be able to. She is so PRECIOUS all I can say is awwwwwwww.
Who wouldn’t stare at that perfect face? She’s perfect.
.-= Ruth´s last blog ..A sweater tale =-.
What a sweet loving post.
.-= Molly´s last blog ..When Gatorade Meets "Are We There Yet?" =-.
lol … my former English teachers would have a FIT at my use of “perfect” twice in two very short sentences. My doing so was, however, perfectly appropriate.
.-= Ruth´s last blog ..A sweater tale =-.
She is so beautiful. She is so loved by many and watched over by both mommy and her big sister. She will never be alone.
.-= Anjie´s last blog ..Devil’s Advocate =-.
I do the same thing over here every day as well. Staring endlessly at my boy is so much better and more fulfilling than any guilty pleasure that will ever be on the tv. And anyway, reruns are just around the corner.
.-= designHer Momma´s last blog ..I’m not Wrong – I’m just not Right. =-.
I dont blame you for staring at her. She is sooo adorable. Just like her big sister. She is so lucky to have a mommy and daddy that Love her sooo much. Enjoy!! :0
Hugs,
so sweet!
.-= Heather´s last blog ..Snow….a.g.a.i.n. =-.
She’s definitely changing from the newborn stage to a plump little infant, isn’t she? And looking a lot like her daddy. She’s gorgeous.
.-= Melissa´s last blog ..Oh look at that, another post about snow =-.
Yes, she is yours – every much as Maddie was and just as beautiful. I remember drinking in my children, especially my youngest son. I couldn’t get enough of him. I knew he was my last true gift since he would be the last baby, I would ever birth myself.
I so get this point Heather and it is true…baby’s don’t keep so, even if she isn’t your last… enjoy every bit of her b/c before you know it, she’s be crawling, and then walking and then running…..
Time sure does fly….even when you’re not having fun!
Enjoy that precious little baby…..hold her often, kiss her lots, hug her endlessly and tell her you love her very chance you get. She will ALWAYS be YOURS!!!!
She looks just like Mike. All of my kids look just like my husband, until they start crying…seriously. Then they start to morph into their own little person. She is such a little doll. Keep staring, because when we blink they grow up.
.-= Christy´s last blog ..Post Valentine Report =-.
Ohhhh, this is the most precious photo. This post brought tears to my eyes. I’m so happy for you both.
Isn’t it amazing how they know we’re their moms and recognize us immediately? So magical. Annie is incredibly beautiful. You’re all lucky to have each other.
.-= Jen L.´s last blog ..My heart… =-.
She is beautiful, she is YOURS!!! And OMG she is definitely Mikes, she looks so much like him. Can’t wait to see ya’ll in April! XOXO
.-= AmazingGreis´s last blog ..I feel pretty, Oh so pretty… =-.
Such a pretty little baby! Enjoy every minute, and stare away… You deserve that! xo
She’s beautiful, and amazing, and all yours and Mike’s. And for 5 minutes every day, she gets to be ours, too. Thanks for that.
Love and hugs from GA,
Nikki
She is just lovely~a little bit like her daddy, a little bit like her sister but mostly like herself!
Annie is adorable! What a joy she is! Thank you for sharing your family with all of us. You are what makes me excited to get up in the mornings! I love running to the computer to see what the updates are for the day! My morning sickness has kept me a bit blue over the past 8 weeks; however, you have been my motivation!
.-= Lindsey in the STL´s last blog ..It’s a…. =-.
And she is lovely.
.-= Aunt Becky´s last blog ..I Forget What C Was For =-.
My gosh…. words cannot describe how perfect she really is. You two truly do make some perfectly gorgeous babies!
She is so beautiful!!!
oh heather… this is poetry in its truest form. absolutely beautiful. it’s so wonderful how you are celebrating your exquisite annie, and honoring maddie through celebrating her fantastic baby sister.
.-= nic @mybottlesup´s last blog ..beautiful blogger award =-.
She is just absolutely gorgeous and yes, she is ALL yours…forever and always!
One of the best parts of motherhood, in my opinion, those first weeks of just staring at each other, drinking each other in, getting to know each other.
Annabel is a doll.
She is sooo beautiful and sweet! So happy for you and Mike and so glad you are enjoying all the moments together. Many congratulations to you guys!
She is beautiful, and so are your words… one day, she will look back at this journal, and thank you for it. You are amazing, Heather!
Ah yes, those moments when it hits you. Pinch me, this is really my baby, she’s mine. The enormity that this tiny, new little person is really yours is so consuming that for that moment, the world is silenced as you soak it all in. The knowing look when she realizes that she’s with her mommy is only for you, expressing the contentment and trust she has only for you. That’s about the greatest unspoken expression of love you’ll ever find.
.-= Patti McKenna´s last blog ..Children Should Come With Warning Labels Review =-.
I love how you write about Maddie and Annie. The WAY you write so involves all. I mean I can FEEL how you feel when you write. And Annnie…she is beautiful, just like her big sis. I can’t imagine a more beautiful and loving big sister becoming a guardian angel than Maddie. Keep breathing, take a day at a time. Some days a minute at a time. Annie is such doll. God has a plan. We don’t like it or get it sometimes…but He does. God bless you and yours. Hugs!
She’s so perfect, Heather. I am so happy for you guys that you have her.
.-= Angella´s last blog ..On Forgiveness =-.
I can’t get over how much she looks like Mike! As my Aunt told my husband, “Ain’t no denying that one.” Much love.
She is yours and she is beautiful. One day Annie is going to look back on posts like this and be reminded of what she already knows, that she has the best mom.
Love and hugs.
.-= Lisa´s last blog ..Baby Feeding Gear =-.
I know she’s yours, but good lord, she looks more & more like Mike with every picture you post.
You are going to have so much fun figuring out who she is.
.-= cindy w´s last blog ..4 days =-.
Oh her hair is darling in this shot!
.-= kbreints´s last blog ..breaking all the wrong records =-.
You describe perfectly how I sometimes felt during my second born daughter’s first weeks. She felt so unknown to me, a mystery. I would ask her who she was because I just didn’t know. It may be a second child thing – I already knew her big sister well, so the newness was magnified by the comparison. While I didn’t know who she was, I would tell her who I was: “I am your mama”, I’d tell her. Which she knew already, as you put in words so well. She looked at me with that knowing look, and of course she knew. That look told me over and over “you are mine” and gave me a powerful sense of belonging.
Annie is a wonderful miracle, and she is yours, and you are hers.
That sweet face has Maddie written all over it.
.-= InDueTime´s last blog ..The Crazy Shit She Says: Miss No Manners =-.
Hi Annabel! She is so pretty. Does her coloring take after her daddy’s?
So precious. So. so. so. precious.
She is yours…. And she is gorgeous.
.-= Michele´s last blog ..Two Years… =-.
Beyond amazing perfection and beauty..a precious gift God has placed so lovingly in only your and Mike’s arms. She is looking back at you thinking…how did I get so lucky to have you for my mommy and daddy. You are all blessed and no one deserves it more. Thank you for sharing your life.
She is yours! And so beautiful!!!
(((HUGS)))
My heart is so happy for you:)
.-= Katrina´s last blog ..Rainy Day & Laundry =-.
I’m so happy for you! She is yours and Mike’s! She’s beautiful and she definitely resembles Daddy right now! XXX
Beautiful post and a beautiful girl!
How sweet! What a beautiful post. ♥
.-= Sarah R´s last blog ..It’s been awhile: this is what’s new with Andrew! =-.
Annie is probably saying the same thing to herself about you….:)
Her little turned up nose is so sweet and yummy!!! I could just eat her up!!!!!!!
She looks so full and warm and happy with her arms above her while she is sleeping!!! I think she knows how lucky she is to be born into a family like yours!!!
Lots of love to all of you!!!!!!!!
She’s absolutely gorgeous, that’s who she is!!
The balled up fists and the baby bedhead…love it!
You are so blessed to have each other. She is absolutely beautiful!!
.-= Michelle Pixie´s last blog ..I Wanna Dance With Somebody =-.
Nothing quite like breathing in a newborn baby. The smell and purity of it all. It’s true, she is ALL yours to cherish!!!! You are blessed in every way!
I do that with every baby, just stare at them and wonder who they are. I still do that as they sing “Eye of the Tiger” and “We Didn’t Start the Fire” over and over and over. We really are so lucky aren’t we? She is just so beautiful and so are you.
Got a tear in my eye after reading that post. Annie is beautiful, so very beautiful and she IS yours!!
She still looks a lot like Mike, but I can see some of Madeline in her too. Maddie tugs on God’s robes and points to earth and says “see how much they love Annie?” and God reaches down and picks Maddie up in His big strong arms and says, “And they loved you just as much.”
I was always so mystified at how Asian my daughter looked at birth. But oh so beautiful!
.-= Rebecca´s last blog ..Pondering Things =-.
She is so precious…
Listen Heather you are giving me serious BABY LUST over here and I am past my baby making days!
Thanks for sharing her with us
She is SO precious..
GooSeBuMPS!
.-= MaNiC MoMMy´s last blog ..SuNDay BLooDy SuNDay, PaRT VI, FeB. 14 =-.
Oh wow… she looks so much like Mike in that photo. A beautiful, feminine, tiny, squidgy Mike.
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..Today is the day… =-.
She is just TOO cute!
…and I agree with Amy…I am having serious baby lust as well!
.-= Dawn´s last blog ..For the Love of Friendship =-.
Oh. My. Goodness!
Faith….Hope….Love….Peace.
.-= mythoughtsonthat´s last blog ..The Birds Know =-.
Lovely post. She is just precious – and my kids (almost 2 and 4) still sleep in that position sometimes and it SO takes me back to when they were really small.
.-= Teri´s last blog ..Bloggography: shutter speed =-.
Annabel is so stinking precious!!! I tear up everytime I read your blog and look at your GORGEOUS baby girl! She looks a lot like Mike (and has your beautiful eyes, of course
) You must be so proud.
She is so beautiful. She looks a lot like Maddie in this picture.
I am so looking forward to seeing what her personality is like.
my goodness she is a sweet and lucky baby.
You are both so lucky. She’s a beautiful special little girl and you are a wonderful Momma. xoxo
So cute! Being a mom is the most amazing thing in the world!
She is all yours and so perfect and beautiful.
.-= Debby´s last blog ..FOR YOUR INFORMATION =-.
She is yours and despite it all, you are so blessed. She is just absolutely lovely. And you are lovlier because of her. I pray that one day I have a child, I want that in my life, too.
I bought a teddy bear for Maddie on Sunday. It benefitted the March of Dimes and at first I told my husband I didn’t want it… but I thought of Maddie and now have an adorable white teddy bear sitting by my television. I never knew Maddie and I’ll never know you and Mike and Annie, but I think of you all every time I look at the TV and see my bear. Your lives have touched me deeply and I’m so glad I happened across your blog.
Thank you for sharing your life.
.-= Amy´s last blog ..Finding my place… =-.
Just beautiful..
How do you not just squeeze her and sniff her all day long!? She is yours, indeed.
.-= Andrea’s Sweet Life´s last blog ..Lady Bits =-.
And from her pictures, I’d say she’s her daddy’s too.
.-= Ms. Moon´s last blog ..What A Day, Part Done =-.
Heather,
YOUR Annie is so beautiful!!! Your post reminded me so much of the following poem:
Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth
empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
hang out the washing and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
and out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
but I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?
The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.
Poem by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton
Thank you for sharing YOUR Maddie, YOUR Annie, and YOUR life with all of us. You are a PRECIOUS person!
~Debbie~
I truly hope Annie allows you to know her, as only a mother can know her child. May you know her better then she knows herself, at least for now. The double shadow on the picture took my breath away. Enjoy the moments, they are what make a lifetime of memories. Best wishes for a very bright future!!!
So sweet!But don’t trust the hair color just yet. A friend of mine had her baby with really dark hair, then out of the blue she lost the baby hair and now she is as blond as she could be. So you never know. She is perfect now and will always be
Ok until the terrible 2 ha ha
I spend a lot of time looking at her too, I swear my breathing changes when I look at her. I can’t explain it, but in simplest terms she fills me with a peace and warmth. Thank you for sharing her with all of us.
Beautiful post! It looks like you have a Mini-Mike on your hands!
.-= Julie´s last blog ..The way it really happened.. =-.
oops…sorry about leaving my last blog post. Not sure how that happened…oh I see it now.
She is adorable!
beautiful.
She is indeed yours and Mike’s. And for that I am glad. <3 <3 <3