Zoe Louise | One Month

Little Miss, I can't believe you are already one month old.  It seems like just yesterday Mommy and Daddy found out you'd be joining our family in a few months.  And to think so many months have come and gone and it's already been one month since the day you arrived is just crazy.

Certain times have been challenging for mommy, but I wouldn't trade any of it.  Daddy and I love you to pieces.  I don't think either one of us thought we could love one little person so much.  You bring so much happiness to our family.  We can't wait to see the little person you become.  But don't grow up too fast, I love my squishy, cuddly baby :)

Stats:  Baby girl is 21 inches and 9 lbs 2 oz.  Both are in the 50th percentile.  As Dr. Butry likes to say, she's a text book baby :)  And when I look at her, I keep thinking how she is getting way too big way too fast.

Likes:  Love, love, love being swaddled for nap time and bedtime.  I don't know what we'd do without her swaddle sleep sack.  Eating, and sometimes just sitting and pretending like you are eating.  This can be frustrating sometimes since mommy doesn't always like being a human pacifier :)  Being walked, jiggled, and moved side to side (which in turn is causing serious back issues for Aaron and I :) ).  White noise CD - serious lifesaver.  Bath time - you are starting to come around.

All swaddled and happy

See guys...I'm coming around to this bath thing.

Dislikes:  Being changed, dressed, basically anything that involves clothes coming on or off. Cold diaper wipes - you tolerate the first one, but think the world is ending by the second.  Bath time - it's turning into a like so I put it there, but there are times where you absolutely HATE it and scream bloody murder.  Being overtired.  Being put down after nursing.  This is really hard for me right now.  I'm supposed to pump 5 times a day to keep my supply up until she eats more, but I can't hold you and pump which makes for a very unhappy baby for 10 minutes.  I attempt to put you in your bouncy which usually always ends in poop going all over you since you just have to poop in that window of time :)  Early evening until bed time is also definitely not your favorite time of day.  This in turn means that poor Aaron sees you during your not so fine moments when he gets home during the week.  This doesn't phase him a bit though...he just snuggles and snuggles, even if you are screaming :)

But I hated it at first...

Biggest Achievement This Month:  Starting to work on a routine.  I try to keep you up for at least an hour from when you first wake up, eat, and then do other things until it's time for nap time again.  You are also starting to go down in your pack and play rather than with me.  I've realized you get too overstimulated being in the living room with the TV, etc. and just get mad and overtired.  It takes a few tries of my going in to comfort you, but you are starting to get the hang of it.  You also are sleeping from about 11:30pm or midnight to 4ish am.  Then you eat and are back to bed until about 8am.  This is huge for me.  You definitely have your fussy times during the day, but I'm so thankful the nights have gone so well so far (knock on wood).

Daddy trying to keep you awake in your bouncy

Biggest Challenge of the Month:  Nursing (see other post).  This is definitely getting better though.  I still get frustrated at times, but Aaron reminded me last night how far we've come which is very true when I think about where we started.  Putting it that way, I have high hopes that we'll get there eventually :)

Secret Tricks:  I've come to realize quickly that you can't have too much going on around you when you are tired.  Earlier in the month, you'd fall asleep immediately after nursing and sleep forever no matter where we were.  Now, you do much better being in your pack and play listening to your white noise.  You also love to bounce and rock side to side simultaneously when you are overtired or cranky.

Sleep:  You also are sleeping from about 11:30pm or midnight to 4ish am.  Then you eat and are back to bed until about 8am.  This is huge for me.  You definitely have your fussy times during the day, but I'm so thankful the nights have gone so well so far (knock on wood).  You nap in the morning for about 2 hours after your 8am feeding.  You then nap for about 2 hours after your 11 am feeding as well.  The naps after that point get a little sporadic lasting only about 45 minutes to an hour, but I'll take it.

We really need to work on a bedtime routine since you don't seem to like to go to bed until between 11:30 and midnight.  Since daddy takes this feeding, it makes for an early alarm for work.  I'm trying to keep you up more during the morning so that you'll hopefully go down better at night.  My goal is to have you eat around 8pm and then go down right away and have daddy get you up around 10 or 11 for your last feeding and then straight back to bed.  We'll get there.  Right now, he likes to be able to watch TV while he feeds you, which I think is too much for you and it takes a while to get you to calm back down when you are done eating and it's time for bed.

For being only one month though, I'd say we are doing really well.

Temperament/Personality:  Well, mommy is having a hard time with this.  Right now, it seems like you are only content when you are eating, sitting there pretending to eat, or sleeping.  I get about 15 or so minutes of you being content after you eat before you start getting fussy.  I think there are a few things going on.  We are pretty sure you have reflux since you spit up all the time and have developed a raspy cry and started Zantac for that.  I also think you have some gas issues.  Hopefully, the doctor can help with that too.  And, I'm thinking you might just be a somewhat colicy baby.  Beeba said I was a nightmare and screamed bloody murder all day long until about 3 months.  You definitely are being nicer to me than I was to Beeba :)  But I still wonder if you have a little colic.  We'll see how the reflux and gas goes...maybe those are the two issues and then you'll be a little more content :)

Eating:  You are waking to eat around 4am, again around 8am.  I wake you from your name anywhere from 11-noon.  Then you go down again (hopefully), and I wake you 3-3.5 hours later.  Repeat the cycle.  Daddy feeds you your last bottle between 10:30-11:30pm.

Randoms: You can still squeeze into your newborn onesies, but besides those, you are in 0-3 month outfits.  I can tell now, that we are going to have issues with your length.  That seems to be what you grow out of the fastest.  You are even pushing some of your 0-3 month sleepers when you stretch out all the way.

I think Beeba was right.  Some of your hair seems to be falling out on top.  You still have all of your hair on the sides and back so you must not be rubbing your head on your pack and play too much when you sleep.  I'm sure it will happen eventually though.

You have been in size one diapers even when in the hospital.  We probably could have gotten away with newborn size early on, but we just went with what the hospital did and returned the one pack of newborn sizes we had.  You still seem to have plenty of room in the size ones and you go through so many, we may need to go buy more.  You always seem to know just when you have a fresh one on and decide to poop two seconds later.

Milestones: You are pretty good at holding your head up already during tummy time.  You can handle it for about 5-10 minutes and then you've had enough.  You definitely flop your head around when we hold you upright so we have to make sure to hold on to your head for dear life.  You seem to think you are bigger than you really are :)  You'll get there!

You also can somewhat follow objects from side to side.  Your head movement is a little jerky and not really fluid when you do this, but I'm guessing that will come with time.  Nana said she noticed you try to follow daddy's voice when he's in the room and not holding you.  I've been trying to test out your hearing.  I guess I'm just being neurotic thinking you might have a hearing problem.  I'm sure everything is a-ok.

Outings: Thanksgiving was a big day for us!  We've also been on several walks when the weather was nicer, dinner out with Beeba, and a few other errands.  Nothing to major yet.  We need to get this feeding this down first before we can go anywhere too crazy.

Favorite Baby Gear:  Right now, we use your play mat for a little while.  You don't love it yet, but you don't hate it.  Thank you Uncle Andrew for putting it together!  Again, you love your sleep sack/swaddle.  You like your bouncy on vibrate for a little while but not too long.  And sometimes you like the moby and baby bjorn.  Basically, there isn't much besides your swaddle that you like for too long :)

And thank you Kate for the monthly stickers and for the huge totes of clothes to borrow! :)  Zoe is sporting both in her one month photo shoot.