The Newest Beaver Believer

I know, I'm a bit die-hard. But Saturday was Iris' first game day, so she had to be decked out in Beaver gear, even though it didn't fit her at all. In fact, she almost looked like a football player herself, with the shoulders of her outfit sticking so far out! But she brought luck to our team, and we, miraculously, beat Stanford.
So as she lies here on my lap while I take a few moments to write, I watch her sleeping face and almost forget about the difficult times this past week. Not completely forget, though. We were convinced when she came home from the hospital that we had an angel baby. She was sleeping through the night (we had to wake her up to feed her, and actually still do), only crying when she was hungry, and generally very happy. And then the second week came along. It's not that she had suddenly become something awful, but she has become more assertive. We're already training up a strong woman here. She has times some nights that she cries for two hours and we can't figure out what she wants. We've pretty much ruled out colic (it's certainly not extreme enough), but knowing that she's okay and not screaming in pain doesn't make her mommy feel much better. What do you do when you love someone so much and would do anything for them, but you can't figure out what it is that she wants?
Iris does, however, love her Nonny and Poppy (my mom and dad), and is somehow always on her best behavior when they come over. This fact made it possible for Josh and I to get out for the first time last night with some friends. It was such a relief to have a break for a couple of hours, to just be us again. Of course, I was asking Josh every five minutes if his cell phone was on, and I was shocked when I realized how much I missed her. It's amazing how much you can love such a small person! Even when she is screaming at 2 a.m., and all I want is sleep, my heart breaks for her. It certainly gives a different perspective to understanding God's love for us. As much as I wish I could, I don't think I could ever love other people enough to sacrifice my own daughter. Not to get mopey or solemn or anything, but my perspectives on life have changed drastically in the last two weeks.
Well, it is a beautiful day here in Corvallis, and we might take the opportunity for a jaunt in McDonald Forest. I'm trying to make the most of the two weeks that Josh is home from work--a rare treat! We're off to introduce Iris to the beauty of Oregon!