One Month!

Dear Adeline Grace,

            You are one month old! Oh my! How in the world are you already one month old baby girl? This past month has been the most amazing month for your daddy and me.  We can’t even begin to imagine life without you now that you are here in our arms.  We look at you and see all that we prayed for.  You are our little living miracle.  We just sit and stare at you often, so thankful that God gave you to us here on this earth.  What an amazing blessing! Words definitely can’t explain our love for you but know we love you bigger than this world and always will!

So what have we learned about you this month and what have you been up to in your first month of life?

First of all, you have had so many firsts! It’s so fun right now, knowing that almost everything we do with you is a first in your little world:

-On 11.11.11 you came home for the first time! Boone and your Papa and Gee were here to greet you.  Your other grandparents (we are still waiting on your name for them) and your aunt also came over to greet you that evening.  You slept the entire time.

-On 11.14.11 you had your first doctor visit with your pediatrician.  Your length was still 21 inches (same as birth) and your weight was already back up to 7 lbs. 4 oz.  (You were born at 7 lbs. 5.7. oz and then dropped down to 7 lbs. before we left the hospital.)  Your doctor was so impressed with your weight gain and let us know that you were more than thriving.  She went on and on about how perfect you were and everyone couldn’t get over how beautiful you are (including all that hair)! You also rode to Burger King and slept while your mommy and daddy ate in the car.  It was nice to get out!

-On 11.18.11 you had your first outing other than to the doctor.  We went to your Grandma and Grandpa Curry’s for your grandma’s birthday.  Of course, even though you slept, you were the life of the party!

-On 11.21.11 you had your second doctor visit.  Another great one! You were up to 7 lbs. 13 oz.,and the doctor was very impressed! (You’ve been a great eater since day one!) You were still 21 inches long at this visit. The doctor let us know you were in the 50^th percentile for your weight and head circumference but a little above the 50^th percentile for your length (Will you be petite like mommy or tall like daddy? This measurement made us think you may be a taller gal.)  Your mommy also had a doctor visit on this day also due to a few hiccups with breastfeeding.  Everything is just fine now and you never had trouble eating throughout everything.  Because of my doctor visit, we decided to go out to lunch at Penn Station.  This was you first real outing to a public place.  You were wonderful again, and slept the entire time in your seat.

-On 11.24.11 you celebrated your first Thanksgiving! Mommy had so much fun getting you dressed up! We hung out as a family that morning watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, mom cooked a dish for Thanksgiving, and you and Boone had your pictures taken together.  We then went to your Grandma and Grandpa Curry’s for our first round of Thanksgiving.  Your Uncle Matt, MaJo and PaJack, Papa Curry, and Aunt Jill were there.  That evening we went to Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Doug’s.  Your Papa and Gee were there.  So were your Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Matt.  You met your cousins Cooper, Hadley and Gentry there for the first time! Carol Jean, Todd, Nicki, Alex, Emma, and Ella were also there.  We came home that evening and relaxed after a busy, busy day!

-On 11.25.11 you went on your first Black Friday shopping excursion with your mommy, Grandma Curry, MaJo, and Aunt Jill.  You went to both malls, to Target, and to Lowe’s.  You were so great, slept most of the day, only waking up to eat.  (That was the challenge for your momma…to find private places to feed you on such a busy shopping day!) Your daddy met up with us a couple times and we rode with him back to your Grandma and Grandpa Curry’s for Thanksgiving leftovers.

-On 11.26.11 your daddy and I realized that nighttime (7-9 or so) is your “fussy time”.  This first night we were very concerned, because you hadn’t been fussy at all the first couple weeks.  Now this has continued, and we realize it’s just your time to be a little upset.  We think you fight sleep and just want to be around us instead of in your bassinet.  We don’t mind that. ;)

-On 11.27.11 you had your first church visit.  Everyone was head over heels about you! They had been waiting and waiting for you to come into this world and were thrilled to meet you.  You were awake most of church and of course looked so pretty in your sweet little outfit.  Pastor Owen even prayed a special prayer of thanksgiving for you during one of the prayers.

-On 11.29.11 you had your first real tub bath.  (This was just a couple days after your cord stump fell off.)  You squeaked at first when we put you into the water, but then you decided you loved the bath and cooed the entire time.  You really loved when your daddy dried you off with the towel!

-On 12.1.11 you started batting at your play gym toys a bit.  You work so hard to get your hand to touch those funny things that hang down in your face.  Mommy got a video of it of course and praised all of your sweet little efforts.  We love watching you learn! On this day you also went outside to get the mail with mommy for the first time.  The sun was shining, and I decided you needed some fresh air other than just going quickly to and from the car.

-On 12.2.11 we took a short road trip to mommy’s college roommate’s wedding with your daddy and Grandma and Grandpa Curry.  Your grandparents sat in the car with you while your mommy and daddy went to the ceremony.  (You still need mommy for your feedings quite frequently at this point! And I don’t mind one bit.)

-On 12.3.22 you went Christmas tree hunting for the first time.  This is a tradition on your mommy’s side.  Your daddy, Grandma and Grandpa Curry, Uncle Matt and his girlfriend, Amanda, were all there.  We went to dinner beforehand and you cuddle up in the Moby Wrap to look at the trees.  We also had a visit to Starbucks after!

-On 12.4.11 we decorated your first Christmas tree! You sat in your bouncy seat and stared at the lights while Mommy and Daddy decorated.  You already have so many ornaments on the tree—all with a special story!

-On 12.5.11 we had your first Christmas pictures taken.  The photographer decided you were the happiest baby she had ever worked with and also decided that you were prettier than any of the model babies in the pictures.  (Your daddy and I already knew this, of course!)

You also had gobs of visitors your first month! As you can see, you’ve had so many firsts and special memories created just within your first month of life!

So what do you like and dislike?

You love…

-Curling up into a little ball and laying on our chests

-Lights and music

-Being talked to, read to, and sung to

-Eating
-Your bouncy seat

-Riding in the car (when it’s moving!) and riding in your stroller (when it’s moving!)

-Tummy time (for the first 5-10 minutes)

-Your pacifier

-Your Sally Seahorse

-Having your toes and fingers free

-When we let you “air out” on the changing table

-You loved hats your first couple weeks and hated for them to be taken off (this has changed)

-Moving and looking around

You dislike…

-Being swaddled (even though you loved it the first week or so) and having a blanket on you when you’re sleeping.  (We often cover you up after you fall asleep.)

-Gowns

-Getting dressed

-Going to sleep (you fight it like crazy but you have gotten to a point where you can get yourself to sleep most of the time)

What are your sizes?

You are in 0-3 month clothes for the most part but can still fit in some newborn clothes like onesies and pants.  You are in size 1 diapers due to your crazy diaper blow-outs.  We still put newborn diapers on you sometimes immediately following a dirty diaper.

What are your eating habits like?

You have been a great eater since day one! You have had Mommy’s milk only since the beginning and still only eat that.  (This is something Mommy prayed would go smoothly!) You are a breastfed baby and have not had a bottle yet.  You latched on when we were doing “Kangaroo Care” in the hospital and the nurses were impressed with your eating throughout your hospital stay.  You started out as a very slow eater (45 minutes or so).  Now, you often eat for just 10 minutes (the doc said that is fine) but will still eat up to 20 or 25 minutes occasionally.  You started out eating almost every hour but now often stretch your feedings to 3 hours during the day and you can go 5 hours at night.  Occasionally, you will still want to eat after 2 hours.  You’re a great burper and you rarely spit-up.  You get the hiccups often after you eat and they make you a little angry.  (You got hiccups all the time in Mommy’s tummy too.)  We do give you gas drops after your late night feeding to help your tummy overnight.  You don’t seem to deal with bad gas the rest of the day, although you do have some very “healthy” diapers a couple times a day.  This just shows you are getting the right amount of food and that makes us happy!

How is your sleeping?

You have been such a great baby since the beginning! Even though you woke up a lot your first couple weeks of life, that was okay since you were hungry and Mommy’s body needed you to eat often to make sure she had enough food for you! You have always been great about going right back to sleep after you eat.  Now, you usually eat around 11 or 12 and then don’t eat again until 4 am or 5 am.  You wake up around 7 or 8 to eat and you usually go back to sleep until 9:30 or 10.  However, that’s been changing recently, and you want to get up after your 7 or 8 am feeding.  You do have trouble going back to sleep if you have a dirty diaper during the night.  You can sleep right through your wet ones but the dirty ones make you pretty mad!You are also a great napper! (You must get that from your daddy.)  You do fight sleep, so it hasn’t been easy to get to a point of where you self-soothe to get to sleep.  However, we’ve worked a lot on it, and usually with the help of some patting (you love to have your little bottom patted), your pacifier, and your Sleep Sheep, you get to sleep.  You sleep in your bassinet next to our bed, nap there for your morning nap, and then usually take your other nap or two in your bouncy seat.

So what makes you, you this month?

From the very beginning, you were beautiful both inside and out.  The nurses couldn’t get over all your gorgeous black hair, long eyelashes and your eyebrows at birth.  One of the nurses even took you out into the hall to parade you around and show all the other nurses.  You’ve been such a content, happy baby since day one also.  (We prayed for this and are so thankful you have such a wonderful demeanor.)  You already have such great head control and you are such a mover (your feet, legs, and arms are never still).  We love your little feet and toes and how you want them free to wiggle and squirm.  You already coo and smile at your mommy and daddy.  It melts our heart! You are such a happy baby!  You get so much attention when we go places (that doesn’t surprise us! ;) You are hardly ever quiet.  You squeak and coo in your sleep and when you’re awake.  You watch people and things around you so intently, taking them in.  You are such a cuddler and love to be loved on.  We already see Christ shining through you and how you draw people to you.

Adeline Grace, you are such a blessing.  Happy one month little girl! We can’t wait for all the months ahead of us and what they have in store.  We love you more than you’ll ever know!

                                                                                                    Love,

                                                                                                    Mommy and Daddy