You are two months old! I just can't believe it. It all seems to be going by so fast. On one hand, it seems unreal that you've been here two months already, but in the other hand it feels like you've always been a part of us. It's hard to remember what life was like before you. You make us so happy and have completed our little family more than we could have ever imagined. We've had a busy month! Here are the latest happenings...
-Your two month checkup is this Friday, so we don't know exactly how big you are. We are guessing you're around 11 or 12 pounds and we know that you're longer for sure!
-You are really a pretty good sleeper, and we consider ourselves lucky because we know a lot of babies your age don't really sleep that great! At around 4 1/2 weeks, you started giving us a 5 1/2 hour stretch followed by another 2-3 hour stretch. At 5 1/2 weeks, you slept for 7 hours straight (from 9:30-4:30) and we just couldn't believe it! We felt so refreshed! You have been pretty consistent with that 7 hour stretch since aboug 6 1/2 weeks, and you've given us a handful of 8 hour stretches and even a nine hour stretch once! Every now and then, you'll go back to waking up to eat at about 5 hours, but we think those are during your growth spurts.
-Our bedtime routine is pretty solid. Depending on your feeding schedule, we start getting you ready for bed about 30 minutes before your bedtime bottle. You are really starting to enjoy bathtime. I think it really relaxes you. We only use soap every other night so your skin doesn't get dried out. We started using Burt's Bees Baby Bees lotion and wash since it's all natural. I read some things about Johnson & Johnson that freaked me out (this must be a first time mommy thing), so we switched. After your bath, it's lotion, jammies, snuggle time, and then bottle and straight to bed. You're usually down between 9:00 and 10:00.
-You're eating about 4 ounces every 2-3 hours during the day, and then you go anywhere from 6-9 hours overnight. We're thinking about switching to the size 2 bottle nipples because we think that if you could get your milk a little faster that you might eat more. Right now, it's taking you about 30 minutes to finish a bottle.
-Your reflux seems to have gotten better since you've been on Zantac. It's still a nightmare to give it to you, but you don't fight it as much as you used to. I think it's more traumatic for us now than it is for you.
-Speaking of traumatic - you started crying real tears in the last week! It is so sad to see crocodile tears roll down your cheeks when you're upset!
-You're definitely wearing your 0-3 month clothes now. You officially graduated from your newborn clothes at around 6 weeks. You are also wearing some 3 month clothes. You need the length of the 3 month, but they are still big everywhere else. You are trying to push out the bottom of your footie pajamas, but you have so much room in them around the middle!
-You started wearing size 1 diapers when you turned 8 weeks. It seems like there is such a huge difference between newborn and size 1...I think there needs to be a size 1/2.
-You've really started noticing your hands lately and open and close them all the time.
-You are so much more interactive and smiley these days! You really enjoy your play mat and are furiously batting at the toys! You started really social smiling at around 5-6 weeks, which is about the time that we feel like you really started to recognize us. You will just grin from ear to ear and look around for us when we talk to you. You are a very happy baby, and smile and coo all the time. Mornings are the best for you. You wake up happy around 7:30 or 8:00 and smile, kick, and coo for an hour or so while mommy chats with you and has coffee! I put your Kick & Play piano in your crib, and if I lay you in there while I'm folding laundry or cleaning upstairs you kick very happily! You don't know you're kicking and changing the songs, but you seem to enjoy it anyway! You also enjoy just hanging out in your bouncy chair and taking it all in.
-Tummy time is much more like nap time for you. You tolerate me trying to get you to play and push up for a minute or two, but then you snuggle in and fall asleep soon after. You are very strong though, and when we're holding you you're able to push off our chests, hold your head up, and look around. Your legs are very strong too, and you push into the floor or our laps when we hold you up.
-Your first big outing with us was to the Pumpkin Patch and Blues & BBQ Festival when you were 6 weeks and 1 day old. It was our first major outing where we had to plan for feedings and diaper changes on the go. You were awesome and slept most of the day!
-Your first outing alone with mommy was to my postpartum appointment when you were 5 weeks and 5 days old. The office is only about a mile from home, so it wasn't a major outing, but it was the first time I'd used the stroller on my own...I think it took my a solid 5-7 minutes to get your seat snapped in to the stroller! You did great, but my appointment didn't start on time (shocker) and you got a little fussy when it was time to eat. No worries though...the ladies in the office were jumping at the chance to hold you and feed you while I finished up with the doctor!
-We are trying to take walks everyday, but Hurricane Sandy and a Noreaster brought in some cold, cloudy weather the last few days. You love to walk and usually sleep the entire time!
-Daddy's 30th birthday fell this month. It was our first time away from you over night. You were 7 weeks and 1 day old. You were safe and happy with Nana and Gammie both in town. You got to meet lots of people that weekend too...Uncle Matt, Aunt Jenna, and your cousins Landon and Lola; Daddy's cousin Brooks; Uncle Bubba came with Aunt Rachel; and Daddy's friend Doug.
-Mommy's birthday was this month too! Daddy stayed home from work and spent most of the day with you while mommy got a massage and a mani/pedi (that you gave me!). You and daddy met me for lunch at Mellow Mushroom, which was your first restaurant visit (you were 7 weeks and 6 days). Daddy and I went out to a nice dinner while Gigi and Grandad came to spend some time with you.
-You also got to meet some other friends this month who were so sweet to come visit us and bring dinner for mommy and daddy. You met mommy's friend from college, Aundrea, and you met mommy's child life work friends, Angela, Caroline, Ashlyn, and Katy.
-We got word yesterday that your spot opened up in daycare! You are going to be at the Presbyterian Hospital Child Development Center, so you'll be right across the street from Mommy when I go back to work! We are excited that you got in. Of course we wish that Mommy could just stay home with you, but for now we'll do what we have to do and know that you'll be well cared for.
-It's also your first Halloween today! We aren't trick or treating or dressing up this year because it's going to be very cold tonight and we are staying in. You are super cute in your Halloween outfit though!
-We take pictures of you constantly! We feel like you're growing and changing so fast and we want to remember all of it. Here are a few more fun shots from the last month...
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| 5 weeks |
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| 6 weeks |
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| 7 weeks |
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| 8 weeks |
-Happy two months sweet Ellison. We love you to the moon and stars and back.
