My sweet Addy Cakes,
Well, I hoped to write these posts (on time) every month for you, to keep track of your growth...but you'll soon find out that your momma isn't quite the best with anything being "on time". Nothing. Which is why I'm actually surprised that you came on time (In fact...a little early even!). I'm hoping that means you'll take after your very punctual father who is never late. Except for when I make him late. Oops.
Anyways, you turn 4 months old next week! So I wanted to at least play a little catch up on here before I get TOO far behind.
So your first 3 months. Phew. Can we say blur? But in a good way!..?
Your first month was probably the biggest blur of all. Mainly because of the mixture of sleep deprivation, transition, and not knowing what the heck we were doing.
You struggled with some jaundice when we first brought you home from the hospital which absolutely broke me down because you had to constantly be kept on the bili blanket (light blanket), and we were going to the doctor every other day to check your levels to make sure they were going down (which meant a heel prick each time too! UGH. I was a mess). But after lots of prayer and working hard...your levels finally came way down, and we got to resume life as normal with a newborn...or at least as normal as we could manage :) We were finding that you were a bit of a high maintenance gal in the beginning...as in you needed to be held ALL.the.time! Which, we knew as a newborn, you needed to be held a lot...but I'm talking ALL the time...ALL day. The second we would try lay you down anywhere, you'd start screaming your little head off. So that got old, real fast. But I tried everything I could to keep you happy...even if it meant holding you ALL day long :)
Sleep was pretty much non-existent for either of us this first month (and by either of us, I mean you and me, baby girl. Your daddy could sleep through a circus performing on top of a train in the middle of the loudest thunderstorm.) The only time we could get you to sleep even the least bit was if I would hold you (of course). So mamas against co-sleeping who might be reading this...please don't judge! We were in sheer survival mode at this stage, and we needed to do whatever it took to get you to sleep some and to allow me to sleep some. And just like the trooper I knew you would be you outgrew that, and we were finally able to transition you out of my arms at night :) As far as feeding, nursing was going great, and you were eating like a champ! (Which that, I will claim, you hopefully take after me. ha).
Month 2 seemed to get a little easier, as we felt like we were finally starting to adjust better to life as a family of three. You started giving us glimpses of your adorable little smile, and we kept falling more and more in love with you each day! Your sleeping habits weren't really getting better, but you would let us set you down for more than 2 seconds now! Small victories :) We also noticed a little bit of a "silly" side emerge as you started making the most adorable little faces at us and loved to watch our faces as we talked to you. I discovered that you HATED tummy time, but LOVED to be carried around in the sling. This was a HUGE blessing for me since you still hated to be set down at all, but mommy really hit a point where I needed to start being more productive outside of just nursing/holding you. So you would let me throw you in that sling, and you would fall asleep in a matter of second as I would go about my business...taking care of chores, while you were nestled up against me snoozing away :) We also began to notice how strong you were already getting! From the week we got you home, you were already trying to hold your head up and had such a strong grip. Mommy swears that these early signs of strength mean your prepping to be a gymnast :) But daddy swears your prepping to play soccer. ha! Maybe both? Honestly...we don't care what sport you might grow up to play, or even if you decide to play one at all! We're always going to love you, unconditionally.
Month 3 was probably the best month yet! Not only were you getting more adorable by the day (or second!), but you finally would be content when set down, and became such a happy, smiley baby who was finally SLEEPING...and not only sleeping, but on a wonnnnddeerrfffuullll schedule! (which I would soon learn would NOT last long). Now the only catch was...you would sleep WONDERFULLY during the day...taking about 2ish hour naps like clockwork...but night time...not so much. You were doing better though, sleeping in slightly longer intervals, but still not sleeping through the night. Oh, girl....I hope you know how much I love you! The amount of sleep that has been sacrificed for you is crazy. But you are SO worth it. And you will ALWAYS be worth it.
You finally started warming up to your swings, and started noticing your toys that would light up.
You also started chunking up some, and those cheeks became even more kissable! I mean, c'mon...look at that picture above. Those chunky cheeks and THIGHS! ugh. You make mamas heart melt every time I look at you.
Addy baby, these first months have been nothing short of amazing. Despite the lack of sleep, late nights, crying fits and (tons of) poopy diapers....we've grown to love this new normal. You, sweet girl, are hands down our greatest gift and biggest blessing. And we LOVE watching you grow.
Your biggest fan,
xo
Mama
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