11 Months

Dear Eleanor,

This past month flew by. So much so that I am writing this post just a short two weeks from your first birthday! Before we get ahead of ourselves, let's remember this month because it has been so fun and so full of excitement as far as you are concerned.

Your personality shines more and more everyday. You are happy, talkative, determined and yes, sometimes stubborn. You seem so inquisitive and curious which your dad and I love to watch. Watching you try to figure things out is like watching every little gear in your brain hard at work and it is so amusing. You are showing when you get frustrated also if something isn't going quite your way.

We tried to teach you the "more" sign starting a couple months ago and you picked up on it quickly although your sign is more squeezing your hands together. It helps cut down on whining when you want something so I guess we accomplished our goal. You have kind of taken it a step further and it has kind of become your sign for nursing, "yes," please, and more. I guess we will work on that.

You talk all the time when you are awake. Jabbering, blabbering, babbling and I love it. You are mimicking our inflections on sentences and such and it is so cute. We think we can also pick out some "words" such as:

night night (nigh nigh)
yes/ya (dis, da)
juice (jis)
dad (dada)
mama (mama)
no (na)

It seems as though you use all these at the correct times so I think they have proper meaning behind them. Also, you can sometimes make a cow noise. We ask what does a cow say, or show you a cow and sometimes you will just moan or we have to do it first and you mimic. Not all the time but when you do it's cute!

On your 11 month birthday, I would say, is the day you started walking. It was the first day I saw you take steps, unprompted on your own accord. Now, two weeks later, you usually choose walking over crawling, your balance is better everyday and you can turn and such. Love it.

Your sleep has improved tremendously. We tried to move your bedtime back with DST and then again a little bit more so our evenings weren't so rushed and Dad got to spend a little bit more time with you. So at night, you are usually going down between 8-830 and we actually had a couple of nights where you slept until 7am! What?! I know, crazy. But usually, you still wake between 5-6am, nurse and go back until about 730. You are still usually taking two naps a day, morning and late afternoon. I should say you still should be taking two naps, the afternoon can be hit or miss, still. We can definitely tell when you don't take it!

You continue to love food. You are such a good eater and for that we are so thankful. Over the past two weeks we have started offering you watered down juice and coconut milk. You seem to like both and it seems you like the coconut milk more everytime you have it. We have tried working in a snack time in the mid-late afternoons to cut down on that nursing session which you have been taking to pretty well. We are nursing about three times a day now, there have been a couple two times and a couple four times but seems to be mostly three.

Over the past month, you stayed with your grandparents for extended periods of time, about 8 hours, we missed a bedtime with you and did wonderfully and you continue to gain independence. It's hard for me to grasp but I know it's a good thing!

You love to explore, as well. You will toddle into the next room by yourself, you love to look in the cupboards and pull everything out, you point at everything and love watching the birds fly around outside. You also love riding in the shopping cart. It is new-ish to you since we don't go shopping too often and for a long time I was putting you in the Ergo. You feel like such a big girl in the seat and love to look around. I know this stage before you want to be down walking on your own is probably short-lived so I am soaking it up while I can.

I just can't say enough how fun this past month has been. You are learning everyday, I am so thankful I get to be right by your side to watch and learn along with you.

We love you so, so much, sweet girl and count ourselves lucky everyday to be your mom and dad.

Love,
Mama

10 Months

Oh, Sweet Eleanor,

Halfway into your eleventh month and here I am posting your letter. I am just keeping with my system though of being a little behind. Mostly because I am always trying to keep up with you!

This month has just been a joy. Just like all the rest. Even though you are not always the best sleeper and you are pretty stubborn like your parents, watching you continue to learn, change and develop your personality is just so amazing. That's basically the word that always comes to mind: amazing.

This month you are crawling around at the speed of light, pulling up on everything and cruising along furniture, walls and cupboards. Oh, the cupboards, they keep you so amused! You have taken little half steps but then fall into whoever you are aiming for. You think it's pretty funny. You clap, dance, give kisses and babble up a storm. We have noticed many different sounds this month also, with your tongue, you make a little hissing sound, you have ba, ma, da, nya all down and you string them all together. I'm pretty sure you have looked right at me and said mama a few times now and although Dad was hesitant to accept you saying dada I jumped right on my name and know you know who I am!

You are getting into some 12 month clothes and definitely 12 month pants and even some 18 month. Again, mostly because of your diapers. You had your well visit at 9 1/2 months and you were 28 inches long and 18.5 pounds. Still petite but again mostly average in everything and still steadily growing. I don't know how you couldn't be growing because you still love to eat, feeding yourself and nursing. You basically have three food meals a day and then nurse in between putting you at eating something about every two to two and half hours.

Your sleep, again, is a little hit and miss. You have good stretches of going down between 730-8 pm and sleeping until 4-5am, nursing and going back down but then we hit a rough patch with what we thought was another little cold but then the next week you had a tooth pop through and another close behind. So, we wondered if it really was a cold or just the weirdness that we have heard can come with teething. That's right, your first tooth at 10 months 2 days. For the most part, you have been great. During the day you are happy as a clam, it was just a couple of nights that we thought the teeth were bugging you and we did end up giving you some Tylenol. It's hard to tell if it helps or not but I hope it took a little of the edge off. As far as naps we are still mostly all over the board. It seems like we can usually count on a morning nap although we can't always count on how to get you down for that whether it be rocking, nursing, walking, etc. The afternoon nap is the tough one. It is clear that you need it because you do become whiny and clingy, you just fight it like a mad woman! Sometimes I just give up, get dinner a little early and try to get your bedtime routine going so that it distracts you from being whiny. Bedtime still goes smoothly so that's nice.

You still love to be outside, we visited the pumpkin patch, which you loved. You love playing with other babies and you are back to enjoying car rides. You like going to the store with me and riding in the Ergo although we have put you in the cart a couple times and I think that may start winning out because you love that and act like such a big girl! We got to go for quite a few afternoon walks this past month because we had such beautiful weather and you enjoyed your stroller. Sometimes I would do that if you weren't showing signs of going down for a nap and you would just sit back and relax in the stroller.

Eleanor, I just want to soak up everyday as much as I can because I just can't believe how time is flying by. Your personality just cracks me up everyday and you are such a joy to be around. Yes, there are tough days and I do lose my patience at times but know that it is always me that I am being impatient with. I am working at just knowing you are just a little person who goes through the same things I do. Bad days, bad moods, tummy aches, head aches, etc. You are such a wonderful light in our lives and your dad and I could not be more proud to be your parents.

Love you so much, baby girl.

Xoxo,
Mama

I am still taking monthly photos, just haven't gotten around to taking this one on the big camera yet. ;) Gave up on the weeklies at about 6 months but I want 12 pictures of her once we hit one year!

8 & 9 Months

Dearest daughter of mine, Miss Eleanor,

Well, here we are again, combining two months into one letter because I just can't seem to keep up! It is all beginning to blur together and before this wonderful experience, I could not understand how moms couldn't remember exactly what date these wonderful milestones all happened on. How do you not know the first day you gave your baby food? How can you not remember when your baby started sleeping through the night? Oh, it's because it feels like there is something new every day!

My sweet baby, you continue to amaze us all the time. You are at such a fun age where you are just on the move and all you want to do is explore. You just love taking it all in whether it be roaming from room to room {with me close behind, of course}, outside on a walk or in a group of people. You are quite the chatterbox when you have the floor and it is hilarious. Right now we get a lot of "dadadada" and some "nyanyanya" and we like to mimic you and try to get you to mimic us.

You started to wave over the last month. It is adorable, of course. Your wave is an outstretched arm and open and closing of the hand. Melt my heart. I think you are also on the verge of clapping but not quite to full on open hands together. You get excited, shake your arms and sometimes put closed fists together. You also love to dance! Music comes on and you bed your knees and bop up and down.

As for your chosen method of getting around it is still crawling--fast. You stand up on everything and will try to walk if you are holding you up from behind. You can turn from one object of furniture to another and will sometimes change what you are holding onto. Your dad thinks you are close to walking, I like to think no. Partly because I am not ready for that step and I like to stay in denial.

You still have no teeth but some days I think I see the starts and some days I don't which is what I hear is pretty typical.

Right now you are doing really well sleeping at night. {I'm sure I just jinxed that by typing it ;) } We have your bedtime routine down and it seems to work well. We eat dinner around 530-6, if it's during the week you and I usually have to start before Dad gets home. We try to get you in the bath by 630 and reading books shortly after. Ideally I am nursing you by 715 but sometimes 730 at the latest. Usually I put you down after nursing but some nights we do have to let you cry or fuss a bit in your crib before you go to sleep.

Nap times have been a little trying as I think has pretty much always been the case for you. I think we are in transition from always napping while nursing and sometimes you will do great with two naps in your crib, sometimes just one, and on the not so great days, sometimes none! I really am trying to learn to be patient with this and just take it one day at a time but sometimes that is hard. I just feel so bad for you when you get so tired and won't go to sleep.

You are doing so wonderfully with food. I don't think there has been a single thing we have offered that you haven't eaten. We did give you some yogurt about a month ago and I think I gave you a little too much, 4 days in a row, and I think it was a little hard on your tummy. Since then you have a had small amounts of cheese here and there and it seems to be fine. We may revisit the yogurt soon or maybe not. You continue to love meat and scarf down any that is put in front of you. Fruits and veggies are always a favorite as is Mom's homemade hummus.

You are nursing about every 5-6 hours during the day which has been interesting for me. I feel like for so long I was so used to the frequent nursing but now with food added, you definitely skip one nursing session during the day right now. You nurse when you wake and then have food for breakfast and lunch and then usually nurse again sometime in the afternoon and again before bed. There are definitely times I can tell it's more for comfort which is fine too!

You love to be in the water and you also had your first boating expedition on Oma and Opa's boat. We went on our first family vacation and it was a blast. We went with our group of friends with your friends Addison and Freddie. We had five days of fun in the sun and on Lake Chelan. You were a little bit difficult in the sleep department but we pushed through and enjoyed ourselves despite that.

You are wearing mostly nine month clothes with mostly 12 month pants because of your diapers. We have your nine month check up next week so we will see what your measurements are.

You continue to light up our lives everyday and we are so blessed to have you as our daughter. Your personality continues to grow everyday and we love watching you learn, explore and discover every bit of the world around you.

Love you always, baby girl.

Xoxo,
Mama

6 & 7 Months

Oh, my dearest Eleanor,

You are just keeping me on my toes such that I haven't even gotten around to posting this until now! That could have something to do with the fact that you are on the move. That's right, in your sixth month you began to pull yourself along and now you are hard to keep still. It was so fun to watch you begin to inch along like a little inch worm only using your arms and you were a little slow at first but you loved it. Holly would especially motivate you to crawl to her at first. Then toys, now even me!

It is kind of hard to keep straight what happened last month and what has already happened in the last two weeks. You are still in six month clothes although some of your jammies are getting a little short. You nurse, on average around the clock pretty much every three hours. We were doing really well with sleep for awhile and then you got your first little cold. It was not bad at all but it broke our hearts to see you uncomfortable and we were doing everything we could to keep you comfortable including shooting a saline spray through your nose to flush it out. You hated that but it really helped clear you out. The congestion lasted for about 5 days and then you continued to mend. The sleeping took a couple weeks to get back to but now you are usually doing a 4-5 hour first stretch and a 3-4 hour stretch after that. You nurse in between which I don't think is out of sheer hunger but it is how you go back to sleep the easiest. You then usually go back to sleep for another hour or two.

You also took a couple of road trips in your sixth month and did really well. A couple of months ago you went through a phase where you seemed to hate your carseat but on these road trips {mind you, they were two hours, one way, tops} you did great. Your dad and I timed it out for when we thought you would be napping and it worked out pretty well.

You love all your toys, you are so inquisitive. You loved the pool when you got to try it at the beginning of the month but you haven't gotten to go in it again, yet, because the weather hasn't been that great.

At your six month well visit, you weighed 16.25 lbs and were 25.5 inches long. Lower percentages on both but the doctor seemed fine and you are definitely growing steadily! We asked a lot of questions about food at that appointment and were eager to get started with that. We decided on the Baby Led Weaning method of introducing you to solids and it has been really fun so far. We are learning that you are very social during mealtimes!

Sorry this is so short, my sweet, but I am drawing a blank on all that happened in your sixth month, but I do know one thing: You are an absolute joy. Even when I feel like I may be at my wit's end do to a long day, or feeling overwhelmed you happen to laugh, smile, talk or just stare at me with your beautiful blue eyes and it all just melts away. You truly are my heart and I still can't believe, somedays, that you are mine.

We love you so much.

Xoxo,
Mama

---------------------------------------------

Oh Eleanor,

Well you turned seven months old about two weeks ago now. Your mama is falling further and further behind on this basically because you are keeping me on my toes constantly! You are growing, changing and learning everyday.

Your little personality is also developing right along as well. Some of your traits seem to be mirroring some of mine that I am not so proud of--such as patience. When you want something, it is becoming apparent that you wanted it 5 minutes ago. I think part of this is that you are learning so much that you get kind of overwhelmed. I totally get it but it tests my patience sometimes as well. That's okay, just like everything in this journey so far, we are learning together.

Your movement this past month is astounding. You are now crawling up on your knees but sometimes will still drop down to an army crawl. Late in your seventh month, you pulled up to stand. I was not expecting it at all, you had been doing nothing to show us that was coming and we had a tent in it's case in the living room and apparently it was just the right height to peak your interest and up you went. I was shocked. Now you are getting more and more steady as you stand and like to pull up on just about anything you can whether it is stable or not. Needless to say, my eyes are constantly on you but I am getting better at letting you test the waters and figure some things out for yourself. Your noggin is a lot harder than I give it credit for and you are getting so good at catching yourself. You can also turn from crawling to sitting up and back down again. Quite the little wiggle, rolling worm you are!.

Our family from Texas came to visit this month and, as expected, they loved you and you loved them. I think you loved the constant attention--as if you don't always get that anyway-- and all the new faces. They are a busy, loud bunch and I think all the activity did you good. During the time they were here, happened to be the time we decided to start you sleeping in your crib. Right around your seven month birthday. Although it tugs at my heart a bit that you aren't in our room anymore, I know it is best for everyone and you showed us you like it by beginning to sleep better right away. There were a couple of glorious nights that we had you down in the late evening and you slept for 11-12 hours, only waking maybe one or two times to eat. However, this past week, you have been reverting a bit and waking every few hours in the night. I think we are coming to the conclusion that it just may be your style. Also, it seems that if even something little is bothering your tummy, it wakes you up. There have been nights where you are so wiggly, and crying out and then in the morning you give a nice, big, full diaper. Such is life, my princess and we are always sorry when you are uncomfortable.

Naps are still pretty hit or miss. Sometimes you do well and others it is cat naps all day long. We have gotten more of a bedtime routine down, though, and I think we are all enjoying that. Your dad isn't always home to participate since we are starting pretty early and trying to catch you before you are so tired that it is a fight. He usually comes in to help me after I have nursed you, which is nice for a break for me and for him to get to rock you to sleep. 

You are still nursing about every three hours during the day but we just keep trying more and more food and you seem to be having a great time with it. Some of your favorites appear to be: meat (you have had chicken and steak and you seem to prefer steak), avacado, oatmeal, carrots, plums, canteloupe, blueberries and usually bananas. You love trying all the different textures, examining everything and having fun at mealtime. We are still enjoying the baby led weaning process and I have to admit, are looking a little forward to when it might become a tad bit less messy. 

Diapers sure are interesting once babies have started on solids! I think we were giving you quite a bit of canteloupe for a few days in a row and that  may have irritated your behind a bit so we cut back and that seemed to work. I was using coconut oil to soothe you and it seemed to work. 

You are drinking water out of a straw. Not a ton but you seem to do alright with it. We are working up to leaving you for a feeding here in the next month and I am ready to leave your Oma armed with breastmilk, a bottle and a cup and see what happens. I feel much better about this than I did when you were little. I have faith that you will drink milk if you need to and otherwise, she may be able to distract you with real food, water and playing.

You are mostly still in six month clothes but some nine month jammies. Most of your summer clothes are nine month size and I am just dying to get you into them. They are a little big but I figure you need to wear them now so we can wash and wear, wash and wear so they fit you the rest of the summer.

We have been going for more walks and jogs in the stroller and you really seem to be enjoying facing out. You even doze off sometimes. We went on your first couple of hikes while the Texas family was here and you did great, sleeping most of the ways and when you were awake you were just enjoying being outside, as usual. You love being outside. You like going in your pool, although you like standing up so it seems kind of pointless for you to be standing in calf-deep water. You are better on car rides. Sometimes a little iffy, but overall much better than it was for awhile. We took you to your first wedding this month and you did great. It was outside at a beach so you, of course, loved it. We ended up having to leave the reception before dinner but it was getting a little late for you, you had been awake for awhile and had done very well.

Overall, Eleanor, again, everyday with you is an adventure. You are such an amazing person and it is just amazing everyday how much you change and learn. On the nights this week where your dad didn't get to see you awake, the next days when he did, he notices little changes--you are bigger, you personality comes out more, just the little things. The little things that we just love to experience being your parents. You are quite a challenge sometimes and there have been nights where we lose our patience, feel you are inconsolable and need to take breaks with you in your crib and us in the living room but we take big deep breaths and go at it again because you are the most precious gift. The next morning we are ready and rearing to go again and the second you give a smile or stare deeply into our eyes with your beautiful baby blues, we melt right then and there.

We love you so, so much.

Xoxo,
Mama

Whew, feels like this was just the most rambling letter ever, but I feel that so much has happened this month and I have already found myself forgetting things. Things I thought I would remember forever, the moments they happened, but that is not the case. I will settle for remembering the general months!

5 Months

Dear Miss Eleanor Grace,

You continue to amaze us everyday. It is so hard to keep up because it just feels like everyday you do something new whether it's a little squint you do with your eyes or a big roll from your back to your belly.

That's right, you became a roller this month. It actually happened on a morning after I awoke to a giant "present" in your diaper for me, dog puke on the rug when we came out to the living room and then as I set you on the floor, turned for a moment, turned back around and you rolled from you back to your belly with little effort. It looked like you had always been able to do it! I felt like I was having a heart attack, I was so excited. I can only imagine what I will feel like as you complete more and more milestones.

Your personality continues to shine through and it seems you may be starting to figure out a little bit of a courtesy/fake laugh. It is pretty funny. You are happy most of the time. Evening still continues to be your most unnerved time but even that is mellowing out. You still continue to love bath time and you even sit up in the infant/toddler end sometimes not just the reclined position. You are getting stronger sitting up and are gaining more balance. I think you prefer to sit up with assistance these days as opposed to laying on your back. When you roll onto your stomach it seems that you get a little frustrated because it looks like you want to go somewhere!

You are wearing mostly six month clothes. I think I have said this before but clothes are very weird and all fit differently so it is hard to pinpoint one size.

We have tried a couple of cups this month. It is my fault for not being consistent enough because that means pumping breastmilk which I don't do much of. We tried some out of the freezer but didn't think that was the best idea. You seem interested in the straw so that is encouraging and hopefully that motivates me to pump more so you can continue to learn to use the straw.

You are still having a little bit of unhappy time in the car. You seem fine on the way to wherever we are going but no matter how long we are at a destination, whether you've eaten and had a diaper change, but you are not happy on the way home. You visited your first few restaurants this month. Once with Oma and I for lunch, once with a friend, her nephew and I for lunch and once with Dad, our group of friends and I for dinner.

You have noticed that you have a built in best friend around the house--the dog. You watch her whenever she is in the room and even laugh at her. You love being on your stomach and looking up at her and talking to her. I think Holly will be more interested in you once you start moving around and sharing some meals with her!

All in all, E, you are a joy. We just continue to smile and laugh with you and chomp at the bit everyday to teach you, love you and kiss on you.

We love you so much, pretty baby girl.

Xoxo,
Mama

4 Months

My Dear Eleanor,

I am still amazed that you have only been in my arms for four months. It sometimes feels like you have been here forever! You turned four months on April 1st and over the past month all we see is constant change with you. You grow each and every day and it is so amazing to watch.

You are becoming so aware of your surroundings whether it is objects you can see or things you can touch and explore. You notice patterns and textures that will keep your attention. You have started noticing Holly and you tend to laugh at her as she walks by. You roll from your tummy to your back and your tummy time just becomes stronger and stronger each time--you push yourself way up with your arms.

Your sleep schedule continues to be 3-5 hour stretches at night and usually a couple of 20-30 minute naps with one long 1-2 hour nap during the day. You are sleeping the nights in your pack and play at the end of our bed and you take most naps in your swing. Hoping to break that habit soon or hoping you grow out of it!

At your doctor's appointment last week, you weighed in at 14 lbs. 5 oz. and were 24 inches long. You are wearing some three month clothes still but mostly 3-6 month sizes. Clothes all fit so differently so it is hard to say one size that you are wearing. You also fit into some six month outfits.

You continue to absolutely love your bath, your play mat and we introduced you to a jumperoo which you like for a short time. You still can't quite touch the floor in the jumperoo so maybe you will like it a little more when you can actually jump! You have become quite the chatter box and have started experimenting with many different sounds. We also love to hear your laugh.

It seems that you aren't loving your car seat lately. We get in the car and you're fine for a little bit but then seem to grow increasingly unhappy until you are screaming. I hope this stops soon because it makes Mama want to stay home even more than we already do!

Our "schedule" now is usually getting up between 7am and 8am, cuddling and talking in bed. We then get your diaper changed and dressed. We come out to the living room and Mama gets her breakfast while you roll around on the floor or on your playmat. You usually nurse after about an hour or so of being awake and then tend to have a little cat nap after about two hours of being awake. We play throughout the day, you eat about every three hours during the day and have your long nap usually in the late afternoon. Dad gets home around six thirty and you are usually pretty happy while we eat dinner and do our evening routine. You usually nurse to sleep around 8pm and we have you in your pack and play around eight forty five.

We all continue to get more comfortable everyday. We are slowly getting the hang of this parenting thing and all I can do is thank you, baby girl, for being as patient as a little fourth month old can with her new parents! I cherish everyday with you and am so blessed to be your mom and get to spend my days with you. Seeing you grow and change each day amazes me so much and we can also thank your dad for working so hard for us so that you and I do get to spend our days together.

We love you, baby.

Xoxo,
Mama

3 Months

Dear Sweet, Baby Girl,

Three months have gone by since the special day that we brought you home. You continue to bring so much joy to our lives. 

As of right now, your sleeping patterns are pretty set. You usually go down around ten at night, however, I think we may try to change that soon. You usually do a 4-6 hour first stretch, wake up and nurse, 2-3 hours, nurse and another 2 hours. You are so happy in the mornings and love to smile, talk and stretch it all out.

This month brought with it your first naps in your pack and play since we are eventually working up to you sleeping the night in it. As of right now, you do your second half of the night in the pack and play by our bed.  You also graced us with your first laugh. Mom and Dad were doing your night time diaper and we heard the sweet sound together. Magic. One morning I had set you on your playmat, which you continue to love and you were batting at and talking to your toys. It is truly amazing what changes with you over night.

A couple of days before Valentine's day Mom and Dad got to go out to dinner and we left you with your Oma and Opa. You slept the whole time. Momma survived. Other than that, I have left you at home for an hour here or there to run and errand or two but that's about it.

You are into all three month clothes and actually pushing the ends of some of the pajamas. I think you weigh about 13 pounds, give or take. I was only able to weigh you on a scale that does half pounds and we, thankfully, don't have a doctor appointment this month to get an accurate weight. That's okay, I definitely know you're growing. You grow because you love to nurse. During the day we are doing about every 2 1/2 to 3 hours between feedings.

This past week or two you have steadied your head immensely and you are able to pull up into a sitting position by hanging on to someone's fingers. It is amazing how much stronger you become each day. We also have put you in your Bumbo seat a few times and you do well in it. You have also started noticing your hands and are contemplating the fact that they are attached to your body. 

You like tummy time but not for too long. You still do well at it though, lifting your head and pushing your legs. 

I'm sure I am forgetting many of the other amazing things you do but I feel these have been a few of the milestones of the month. You are just such an amazing little person and I can't believe I am so blessed as to spend everyday with you. I am so proud to be your Momma and look forward to everyday that I wake up with your smiling face.

We love you to the moon and back, Eleanor, thank you for making our lives so wonderful.

Xoxo,
Momma

2 Months

Dear Miss Eleanor Grace,

You turned 2 months old on February 1st. You are truly the light of my life. With the month of January came a lot of alone time for you and I due to your dad's work schedule. I feel as if we got to know each other very well and settled into a bit of a routine. A routine that of course would have bumps here and there wasn't anywhere near being set but a slight routine nonetheless.

In your fifth week of life I was delighted to experience a smile. I remember it as if it were yesterday. You and I had come out of the bedroom in the morning and were sitting on the couch together and I began "clicking" my tongue and you smiled. It melted my heart. It seems as though you never looked back after that smile because you are smiling often now. A couple of weeks after that, I began hearing you "talk." The sweet coo's that come from you are enough to brighten even the darkest winter day here. Instead of your head just "going" on my shoulder, you will now snuggle up on your own and also give a couple of "squeezes" with your hand. You are still a snuggler and love being near Momma and Dad or sleeping on our chests.

You are still sleeping in our bed and we tried a couple of naps in your crib but they didn't last long. We usually wake for the day around 8 a.m. and you go quite crazy when I let you out of your swaddle. You love kicking your legs, swinging your arms all around, smiling and talking in the morning. Usually you will be awake for about an hour at that time, will take about a thirty minute nap and wake to eat. This all varies a little depending on when you ate last in the early morning. You will then be awake for another hour or two and the past couple weeks have been taking about a two hour nap mid-day. This was an adjustment for Momma because I would wonder when you were going to wake up! We then go about our day the same way, you being awake for an hour or two, eating and taking thirty minute cat-naps for the rest of the day. We have been going in the bedroom about nine o'clock and you are usually asleep by ten. You usually have a 4-5 hour sleep stretch (there has been one 6 hour), eat, another 3-4 hour stretch, eat and another 2-3 hour stretch. We have been just fine with this sleeping schedule.

Another exciting event of this month is that we got you into your cloth diapers. I think we began using them just after you turned 6 weeks old. I like them a lot and you appear to as well. The only crazy thing about them is that they took you from newborn size clothes to three month clothes in a lot of outfits. You are in some 0-3 month sizes but for pants and such you definitely have to wear three month. It is a little sad. I was especially sad when I realized that even if you weren't wearing cloth diapers you had outgrown the newborns and I put them away. We saw your pediatrician today and you weigh 11 lbs. 8 oz. and are 22.5 inches long. You are a growing girl! We also had two shots and an oral vaccine--none of which you cared for. It made me so sad to see you cry like that but you recovered quickly, ate a little bit and fell asleep.

You continue to be such a happy baby enjoying your bath, the carseat, your playmat and tummy time, going for walks in your stroller and generally liking people. We have experienced you being a bit upset in the evenings but I think it may be because you get a little bit over-tired. I want to try putting you to bed earlier and seeing if that helps.

I also have experienced a big change this month in that everyday I feel a little bit more confident as your Momma. I know you better than anyone, we do everything together throughout the day and just the look you give me lets me know that I am doing things right.

You had many playdates this month because you have so many friends that are close to your age. I think as the months go by, playdates with continue to evolve and it will be so fun to watch you and your friends grow together.

We all continue to learn, as parents, as a family and of course you as a baby. This month you turned into an infant, not just a newborn. We love you so much and couldn't be more blessed with you in our life.

Love,
Momma