Two Months!

Dear Adeline Grace,

            You are two months old! Time flies by way too quickly having your little self in our lives! How is it that we seem to fall more in love with you every day? Your second month has been filled with tons of smiles that melt our hearts!
 

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

Once again, you have had many firsts

-On 12.10.11 you laughed for the first time! You were cuddling with mommy in the morning, about to go back to sleep, and you laughed! You are such a little morning person and wake up smiling like crazy at us!

-On 12.14.11 you had a few firsts! It was your first Christmas Cantata at church. You were a huge hit wearing your first pair of shoes (your furry, white boots).  Your Grandma and Gee sang in the cantata...you decided you wanted your daddy to walk you around in the back of the church the entire time to make you happy.  You also had your first bottle that evening given to you by Daddy! I shed a few tears because it hit me that you could "survive" without me.  You were just okay with that bottle...we've switched bottles since and you are great at taking your bottle from Daddy...but you are one messy little eater when you take a bottle! This was also your first day in some cloth diapers.

-On 12.19.11 you slept through the night for the first time! You slept for seven hours straight! (From about 11 pm to 6 am).  You haven't slept as long between feedings since then, but you are slowly getting there!

-On 12.23.11 you celebrated your first Christmas Eve Eve at your grandparents!

-On 12.24.11 you celebrated your first Christmas Eve! You went to Papa's, MaJo and PaJack's, and Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Doug's.  We opened gifts as a family of three that night! You were such a great baby...happy when you were awake...and slept through a lot of the commotion!

-On 12.25.11 you celebrated your first Christmas! Santa visited and you got your Fisher Price caterpillar, a new toy for your car seat, and a book, "God Gave Us You" (which you love to hear your mommy read aloud).  You got your first bible from your mommy and daddy! You were such a happy baby on Christmas morning and throughout the rest of the day! Santa also visited at your grandparents, then you went to MaJo and PaJack's, then you visited Papaw and Gee's, and finally, you ended your first Christmas at your grandparents before coming home.  We were busy, busy! (A funny sidenote- You hadn't pooed in four days leading up to Christmas day, which was a big change for you and we called the doctor on Christmas Eve to make sure you were okay.  You gave us a present on Christmas and we were all relieved. ;)

-On 12.29.11 you got sick for the first time.  You woke up with a stuffy nose that went for about a week.  You had lots of congestion and a cough which the doctor decided was just a cold.  You were pitiful and kept us on our toes as we tried to keep you comfortable.

-On 12.31.11 you celebrated your first New Years! We spent the day watching the UK v. UofL basketball game at your grandparents.  That evening we hung out at home.  You didn't quite make it to see the ball drop, but we snuck in and gave you a kiss to ring in your New Year!

-On 1.6.11 you took your first walk! You loved it and wanted to look around at everything before the movement put you to sleep!

-On 1.7.11 you slept for 8 hours straight! You went to sleep at 9:30 and didn't wake up until 5:40 for a feeding! Then you went right back to bed until 8:30! (You have now done this two nights in a row...)

This month you also:

-Started to show much more of a personality (although you've had such a personality since day one.)
-Started smiling at us (and other people) when we talk to you.  (Not just when you have gas or you're dreaming. ;)
-Started watching your puppy a lot.  (He's getting used to you too and especially loves to be hidden under your crib when we do our nighttime routine in your room.  He also comes to stand in your room with us almost every time you get your diaper changed.)
-Started following us with our eyes and head.
-Gained a lot more control of your head and body.  You are rocking to your side when on your tummy and we know you will roll over any day.
-Started batting at toys and grasping toys that you find on your own without us placing them in your hands.
-Started knocking your paci out of your mouth when you don't want it.
-Started sucking your fist and thumb quite a bit.  (You are so loud when you do this and it cracks us up!)

-Discovered Mommy's hair and jewelry.  You love to hold onto my hair when I hold you and you just stare like crazy at my pearl earrings.

So what do you like and dislike?

You love…

-Being held (especially where you can look over our shoulders)

-Lights and music

-Being talked to, read to, and sung to

-Eating
-Your bouncy seat

-Tummy time (you are rocking to your side now!)

-Your pacifier (you now cry for it sometimes if you drop it out of your mouth when trying to get to sleep)

-Moving (you love when we walk around with you)
-Morning time (you are such a little morning person...where did you get that?!)

You dislike…

-Swinging

-Going to sleep...especially at bedtime (you still fight it--you are such a night owl like your mommy and daddy)
-Having lots of layers on (you get hot really easily)
-Sitting in your car seat when it's not moving

What are your sizes?

You are mainly in 3 month clothes but I still squeeze you into your newborn nighties sometimes.  You are in size 1 diapers when in disposables and are in your one-size cloth diapers on the smallest snap settings.

What are your eating habits like?

Oh girl, you love to eat and you are a fast eater! You are still a breastfed-only baby and rarely take a bottle (which your Mommy and Daddy both still prefer since you are happiest with nursing).  During the day you go everywhere from 2 to 3 hours between feedings...but mainly 2.  During the night you usually have a late-night feeding you wake up for around 11, you then wake up again around 4 or 5, and then again around 8 or 8:30.  (This is textbook to what the doctor told us to expect from you at this stage.)  You still eat for a whopping 10 minutes at most (15-20 on the rarest occasions).  Your spitting up (that was pretty minimal) has gone to almost never.  You also have started burping really well and show much less signs of uncomfortable gas these days.

How is your sleeping?

Well little one, you are still a master napper, but we have discovered this month that you are quite the night owl.  We have really established a nighttime routine with you this month that we start between 8 or 9 based on when you are ready to eat.  (Nurse, diaper change, pajamas are put on if you don't have them on already, you get your gas drops and vitamins, we rock while Daddy or I read to you, singing and rocking, a prayer, and then down in your bassinet).  For the first part of the month, you got really good at self-soothing and getting to sleep with no crying...just some talking and grunting.  However, I think your cold threw you (and us) for a loop and the last week or so you haven't gotten to sleep until 11 most nights and when you do, it's because we've either held you or put you in your bouncy seat.  Hopefully this goes back to normal! You take your naps in your bassinet or bouncy and we've also tried your crib out (which you took one nap in thanks to the help of your mobile getting you to sleep).  You are usually awake for about an hour after you eat and then sleep for anywhere between 1 and 2 hours after that.  So you take between 4 and 5 naps a day still.  You are also starting to show signs of more awake time.

So what makes you, you this month?

Oh Adeline Grace, we can't get over you! You have changed our world in a way we never imagined.  I look at you and can't believe God formed you so perfectly in my womb--from your sweet little fingers to your squirmy little toes.  We cannot imagine life without you and often find ourselves just wanting to squeeze you, you're so cute! Your daddy is smitten with you and I am overwhelmed by my love for you.

You're our world and our most precious blessing.  We love you to the moon and back!

                                                                                                    Love,

                                                                                                    Mommy and Daddy