Sunday, January 22, 2012

avery's first month.

wow.  i cannot believe it's been an entire month since she was born.  on one hand it seems like the time is flying by way too fast.  how can i possibly be going back to work in 3 weeks? and on the other hand it seems like she's been a part of our lives forever.  

8 days old
8 days old

as much as she's still a tiny, little newborn i feel like she's gotten so big this month!  when i look back at pictures from the first week or two she looks so much smaller than she is now.  being slightly obsessed with taking pictures of her has definitely paid off when looking at how much she's changed during this month.  

DSC_0497
pretty sure there's nothing cuter than baby yawns.

she's definitely chunking up and now is sporting a double chin, rolls on her arms and legs, a small potbelly, and chunky fingers and toes.  when i look at how skinny her arms and legs were when she was first born it makes me feel good to see that she's gaining weight.  

she's so much more alert now than she used to be.  her pediatrician even pointed this out at her two week appointment.  i think he was impressed at how calm and awake she was.  she loves to stare at the pictures on the wall.  the ones behind the couch are  a definite favorite and she'll happily sit in our laps and stare at the pictures (i like to pretend that she's staring at henry) for half an hour or so, depending on how happy she is.  she also loves the ones on the wall in her room, which comes in pretty handy when we're changing her.  she's stopped screaming during diaper changes and now calms down if she's upset as soon as we lay her on the changing pad.  she's also much more interested in us now and will turn her head whenever we start talking to her.  she loves to make eye contact and would win any starting contest with either of us.  i think she has the prettiest eyes (this is no surprise because i also think she's the cutest baby) and hope that they stay blue although i have a feeling they'll probably change to hazel over time.

Cat nap.
hanging out with ollie.

during her first month she's met both sets of grandparents, one aunt, and some friends.  she's been to the mall, the grocery store, the vet a few times, multiple walks with the dogs, and with us as we've started the house hunting process.  she loves the stroller and the car, which have been great when we've been running errands.  i've taken her on walks several times just to get her to nap when everything else has failed and i know she needs a good nap.  unfortunately she hasn't continued those in the house, but it's nice to know if she's upset or tired that a walk will put her to sleep about a minute.  the dogs have been great with the stroller and although we look a little crazy and take up the entire sidewalk it's been great to get outside with both her and the pups.  

her umbilical cord fell off after about a week and a half and since then we've been giving her baths every other night.  she hated the sponge baths (i think she got too cold) but has loved the 'real' baths.  if she's upset they've calmed her down and they seem to help her fall asleep afterwards.  she's not a fan of getting out of the baths.  she gets too cold and will start to shake, but once she's warm again she's a pretty happy girl.  

Hat made by Marcus.
getting ready for a walk.

as far as eating goes she's not the pig that i was as a baby.  her eating sessions are much shorter than the recommended average but when she's done she makes it clear that she doesn't want any more.  she'll make the funniest faces, my favorite is this fake gag that she'll do when i suggest that she's not quite done.  the doctor wasn't worried about her shorter sessions since her weight gain was fine and said that she was probably just a very efficient eater.  i'm still waking her up to eat during the day so that she doesn't go longer than 3 hours without a meal.  during the night i'll let her sleep as long as she wants which is usually about 3 hours although we've had a few 4 and 5 hour stretches which were amazing.

Check out the belly!
pretty sure she'll never be a big baby but she's definitely growing.

at night she's sleeping in her cosleeper next to our bed.  this has been great for the both of us.  i don't worry about her since she's right next to me and i can hear her wake up and feed her before she gets really upset.  it's also allowed me to get more rest since i just bring her into bed with us to feed her.  during the day her naps aren't very consistent.  she's still sleeping much more than a morning and afternoon nap.  some days she'll sleep really well on her own, usually swaddled in her crib. other days i can't get her to fall asleep anywhere but in my arms.  the moby wrap has been a lifesaver during those times.  it lets her sleep and lets me get things done around the house.  she likes the moby much better than the bjorn although i've used both.  the moby is great, but i like the bjorn for the ease of getting her in and out which is great when we're out running around.  

she loves being rocked in the rocking chair and swaddled when she sleeps.  we've been reading her books before bedtime and naptime and i think i've pretty much memorized oh, the places you'll go which is charlie's favorite to read and hear and what he always picks to read or listen to.  i've heard him read it to her 3 times in a row before when he's trying to get her to fall asleep.  

i have loved this month so much and am so grateful that i've been able to spend every minute with her.  i can't wait to see how big she gets over the next few months although i hope the time doesn't fly by too fast.  there's nothing i love more than cuddling her in my arms and i'm definitely not looking forward to the day when she thinks she's too big for that.  



   

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