A fairly ordinary week for our Janie Bear-- no out-of-town visitors, travels, or photo shoots... which, come to think of it, makes this a rather unordinary week! :)

Jane did get a lot of daddy-daughter time this weekend though. Jane, your dad is such a good man. You are so, so, sooooo blessed to have a father who loves you and enjoys spending time with you.

I should know-- I have one too.

Moms are important, for sure. And there are certain things that moms simply do best-- like give birth and kiss boo-boos and make chicken noodle soup when you're sick. But I don't think it can be emphasized enough the value of a good father and the destruction of a bad one.

In these past 8 weeks, I have come to love Danny in a new way-- not just as my husband and best friend, but as the loving father of our child and the hard-working provider for our family. I'm so thankful to be a team in this whole parenting thing, and thankful for all the ways he loves & serves both me and Jane...

...like sitting in front of the gurgling dishwasher to calm a fussy baby. Oh, the things you will do! :)

This past weekend alone, he took Jane all morning so I could go back to bed, watched Jane all afternoon so I could go to a friend's shower, and while I was feeding Jane at various times (another thing moms simply do best) ;) I could overhear him preparing food for a party, putting away dishes, and mopping the wood floors-- a task I'd been putting off for, well... 8 weeks. (Don't judge.) Seriously, how did I get so lucky???

Jane & I both know it-- we've got it good. We love Daddy!

Tuesday with Jane - 7 weeks

Big week for our Janie Bear! She took her first flight...

(1. Check out that hair! 

2. Danny says it's way more annoying when other people's babies cry on airplanes...) :)

and generously gave out her first responsive smiles. We are eating this up!!!

She met her Great Grandma Marge...

{ 4 Generations }

and her two Lehman girl cousins...

and was showered with love from Indiana friends and family.

Looks like someone's a little partied-out... :)

Special thanks to my mom and sisters for throwing such a sweet celebration. It's hard being so far away from you all, but I'm grateful for our times together and for the way each of you love our sweet Jane.

Tuesday with Jane - 6 weeks

While I was pregnant, if given the choice, I think Danny & I would have opted out of the newborn phase and gone home with a toddler who could walk, talk, and interact. But then came Jane... and six weeks later, we are still completely caught off guard by how much we've loved this season! I'm already mourning the fact that Jane no longer wears newborn diapers and has outgrown some of her clothes.

Before Jane was born, our neighbor Phil gave us some parenting advice. He said that every six weeks with a baby is completely new. Each six weeks has its own sweetness and its own challenges, and just as soon as you've figured one phase out, it will all change again. So, when you're tired or discouraged, remember that in six weeks things will likely be different. And at the same time, don't wish it away, because in six weeks the things you love about this season will also be different. Simply take each day & enjoy it for what it is.

We have held on to this advice and tried to savor these first six weeks. To be fair, Jane is a really good baby (God is gracious!) and makes it pretty easy for us to savor.

Pictures by Jane's talented 14-year-old cousin, Olivia.

In the next six weeks, we look forward to seeing Jane smile (and not just because of gas!), hold her head up, and sleep through the night. But while she may start sleeping through the night, she may stop sleeping on my chest... and so today, I am thankful for this.

Speaking of growing up quickly... Jane met her future husband this past weekend. :) Our friends Jack & Kelly and Baby Judah came to visit, and we've arranged a marriage for when they're 14. Judah & Jane-- has a nice ring to it, eh? Clearly they're just thrilled with our plan...

Save the Date, June 2029.

Tuesday with Jane - 5 weeks

Danny and I have suddenly become very popular... and we're just sure it's our dashing good looks and charming personalities that are drawing this recent influx of visitors.

Oh yeah, there's also this baby... :)

This past weekend, Jane got to meet her Aunt Jenn (Danny's sister) and cousin Olivia from Cincinnati. They smothered her with kisses, fought Grandma Martha for snuggle time, and even babysat one evening so Danny & I could go on our first DATE NIGHT OUT!!! We had no idea how much we needed that! Olivia is also an incredibly talented photographer and took some beautiful pictures of Jane which I will have to post another week...

Thank you, Jenn & Olivia, for making the trip to Alabama and for loving on sweet Jane! She's a lucky girl indeed.

This week, I'd also like to share a few "Jane-isms"... some Jane trademarks that I know will pass quickly and I fear I'll forget. So, without further ado...

Jane Crazy-hair Seibert. We try to comb it... I promise. 

She always crosses her feet when I nurse her. Such a lady.

She tells me "I love you" at least once a day while nursing...

...and then passes out in a milk-coma. Not so lady-like but we'll work on that.

She thinks lots of deep thoughts... 

...and spends time in prayer.

Unless she's swaddled, her arms are probably flailing in the air somewhere.

She's dainty & delicate. We think she has a future in ballet.

And finally, our favorite-- she loves to remind us daily that she's #1 Baby.

Oh, Janie Bear, we love you!

Tuesday with Jane - 1 month

Can she really be one month old already?!? As in, just one month ago she was still in there?!?

If that's not a miracle, I don't know what is.

In just one month, our lives have turned completely upside down, and Danny & I have never felt such simultaneous, conflicting desires--on the one hand, wishing this season would hurry up already ("Won't it be so great when she can just sleep through the night/communicate what's wrong/smile at us...?") and, on the other, wishing we could freeze this time forever. Last week was more of the "hurry up" variety, but right now--with sweet Jane sleeping in my arms, breathing those soft baby breaths and smelling of bubble bath and Johnson's baby bedtime lotion-- right now is a moment I want to bottle up and hold on to for a long, long time.

One month. What a month our Janie Bear had--learning to breathe and eat and pose for photo shoots, discovering those vocal chords, and of course charming all the relatives & friends that have passed our way! She's been quite a busy girl.

This past weekend was a special treat as Jane got to meet her three Lehman aunts and cousin Bennett. Thank you, Aunt Kristina, Aunt Adrienne, and Aunt Audra for making the long trip to Birmingham, for pampering me, and for loving on our sweet Jane!

So grateful for my oldest sister, Adrienne, who has paved the way in both pregnancy and motherhood with her own fabulous five-- the last of which (Bennett) arrived just two months ahead of Jane. They're going to be best friends. :)

Happy 1 month, Miss Jane! Can't imagine life without you. You are a gift!!!