Sadie was almost 3 months old on Mother's Day and I took the opportunity to reflect on my first three months as a mother.
I suppose you can officially be considered a mother when your baby is conceived, and you fully take on that role when your baby is born, but I really feel like I didn't BECOME a mother until right around Mother's Day, when Sadie was almost three months old.
My first three months postpartum were truly a blur. Those first weeks home after Sadie's birth were filled with recuperating, recovering, resting, and reflecting after an intense and amazing birth experience.
Time flew by as I learned how to hold, feed, change, bathe, comfort, sing and talk to my daughter. Sadie's angelic demeanor definitely allowed me to enjoy her first few months more than I may have if she had been fussy or hadn't been sleeping so well.
Every moment that Sadie and I spent together was a learning experience for both of us. By trial and error, I got a handle on some logistics (breastfeeding, sleeping, and sucking all those Colorado boogers out of her nose). I had a lot of help and support from family, friends (especially those other mamas in my life), and mostly from my amazingly wonderful husband. Brian's support, love, insight, and comforting manner have truly allowed me to enjoy new motherhood to its fullest. Brian, thank you for making me a mother. It is absolutely the best thing that has ever happened to me!
But the person I have learned the most from in these past few months is my daughter.
Sadie Caroline, you have taught me about patience (this is a big one), about the value of sitting quietly and staring into your baby's eyes, and about the pure beauty of a baby's smile. I have learned to love and respect your father more than I ever thought possible. You have helped me to become a better listener. Because of you I have gained a new kind of confidence in myself and I have found myself being completely selfless for the first time in my life.
A quote from one of my favorite books....The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant"I could not get my fill of looking. There should be a song for women to
sing at this moment or a prayer to recite. But perhaps there is none because
there are no words strong enough to name that moment. "
The whole family got together at our house on Friday night for a 
On Saturday we spent the day in Colorado Springs with Grandpa Sharp and the rest of the Peterson family. 
On April 22, Sadie, my mom, and I flew to Tampa, Florida to visit family and friends in the Sunshine State. Brian took us to the airport so that he could savor every last second with his daughter before we left. Here he is glaring at me for taking Sadie away from him for so long.
It was such a momentous occasion, that I had to be a big dork and document every minute of it. I'm sure the line of people waiting to get on the plane were thrilled when 
Sadie was great on the plane. She didn't sleep the whole time like everyone said she would, but she was quiet and alert and happy almost the entire time. 
She definitely didn't like going into the 
When we got to Tampa, Sadie got to meet all sorts of people who had been anxiously awaiting her arrival. 
her Great-aunt Cathy....
her Great-uncle Ray....
her Great-uncle Chet and great-aunt Barbara....
her cousin Ava and friend Madison....
her cousin T.C.....
dear friends of my grandparents the 
Cousins Stacey and Daniel....
Cousin Roberta (my grandfather's first cousin...what does that make her to Sadie? Anyone??)
And Ray's aunt Eva (does that make her Sadie's great-great aunt by marriage? wow...this is getting complicated!) I swear Sadie was happy to meet her, despite her appearance in this picture. :)
After a night at Cathy and Ray's we headed to 
At this point, Sadie had been on air, land, and water within the course of 2 days. Whew!
The lake we were on connected to other lakes in the area via these beautiful canals. They were full of exotic wildlife and plants....
and even ALLIGATORS!!!
We returned to Chet and Barb's to watch a gorgeous sunset from their back porch. Nothing compares to Florida sunsets....
On Saturday we took Sadie to her first tailgate party! She'll be doing plenty of this with her mom and dad as she gets older, so I figured, why not get her used to it early? Casey and T.C., along with T.C.'s family, were going to the Jimmy Buffet concert later that evening, so we decided we'd drop by for some of the 
and like a true Florida baby, Sadie ended up in nothing but her pants.
Mom and I also went to Indian Rocks to our family's condo on the Gulf of Mexico. It was a nice quiet day. We ate lunch at our favorite beach restaurant, Crabby Bills. After naps for all three of us, we took Sadie for a nice long walk on the beach. 
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