I is for Ingrid.

This Month I'm Thankful for Ingrid.

Like most mothers, I knew I loved Ingrid from the moment I held her. But after laboring and not eating for three days, I was also very much in love with a sandwich.

The "holding your baby for the first time" moment is so unbelievably unreal that you can't grasp the magnitude of this little person. How can this little bundle be so amazingly beautiful, confusing, frustrating and peaceful all at once? Then, together, Dan and I figured it out - and this little Ingrid person became pretty cool. It sounds weird, but over the past seven months, she's honestly been a complete joy to get to know. She's becoming this little spark-plug of a person and although she can't verbally communicate, I can already tell that she'll be decisive, interesting, funny and probably the smartest person on the planet.

We often talk about the loud moments of motherhood - painful pregnancies, laborious labors, midnight, 1am, 2am and 4am wake-ups, breastfeeding woes, daycare sagas and more. Or you hear about those Hallmarky-quite moments - rocking our little peaceful angels to sleep. But, as the mom of a squirmy, would-rather-not-snuggle-baby, I don't really get to experience that so, my favorite moments include those of wordless-connection.

When she rolls over and looks at me with bewilderment - as if to say "Hey, how did I get on my stomach? Mom...." Or the lemon-face she makes when eating anything new. Or her huge Good Morning smile in the morning - like she's thrilled I decided to stick around for another night. Or just before she settles down and goes to sleep, she finally settles herself and snuggles. That big, gummy smile stretches my heart in ways I didn't know existed.

I know she's going to cause us headaches and heartaches, and I know we have a long road ahead of us (I mean, she isn't even walking or talking...) - but I know that everyday during the last seven months, I've been so thankful that I get to be her mom.