Alice Juliet- One Month

A month ago this morning, our sweet girl was born and our lives got so much better! I know every parent in the history of forever has said this, but I really can't believe how fast my baby is growing! This month has been full of firsts and crazy experiences and about a million moments where I shake my head in bewilderment when I realize that this tiny little person is actually mine (well, ours. =) 

Day she was born/One Week/Two Weeks

Three Weeks/Four Weeks

Weight and Length- at her last doctor visit she was 8.5 pounds and I think 20.5 inches long... her one month appointment got moved when we switched doctors so I'm sure those numbers have changed since her last checkup was over a week ago! She's definitely growing!

Nicknames- Booboo, Goose Egg (it's a family thing!), Alice from the Palace, Poocho (something Mamaw says- ha!), Love Bug. 

Sleep- she is doing really well... she's slept several 5-6 hour stretches at night which is always a gift. =) Knock on wood, she'll be on track to sleeping through the night before too long! Typically she only wakes up once to eat and we're very thankful for that. Her nap times have been a little sporadic but I'm much more concerned with her nighttime sleeping at this point! 

Eating- like a champ! She's good about taking a bottle too so that's really nice for when we're out or when it's 3 A.M. and I want a break. Gotta let Daddy have some of the fun! =)

Clothing- definitely still in newborn stuff only. I'm kind of surprised because sooo many people said that most babies outgrow their NB stuff after like two weeks but everything 0-3 that I've tried has swallowed her up. She's just petite like her mama. (*Snort.*)

Mood- mostly very content. I feel SO lucky that she rarely cries unless she's hungry... her fussiest time of the day is usually the last couple of hours before her daddy gets home. (Perhaps she senses my despair after a long day at home? Ha!) But she is definitely getting more alert and looking very thoughtful as she stares around the room. And we're getting more smiles all the time which always makes my day. =)

Obviously she finds me hilarious. =)

Loves-
-snuggling with her daddy
-napping on top of mama 
-her carseat, believe it or not!
-lying on the changing pad
-music, especially Auntie Manda's CD and Christmas songs
-waving her arms... I think she might be a music minister someday. =)
-shopping, of course!
-having her hands free, which is rare since she still scratches herself

Doesn't Love-
-the initial dip into her bath- it makes her mad. Ha!
-having her clothes changed
-losing her pacifier- although sometimes I wait a minute before giving it back because watching her try to get it herself is hilarious. #meanmom
-tummy time- our few attempts have ended with many tears. =( 
-hiccups- she gets them all the time! (And yes, I burp her. Ha!)

Big eyes!

What I Want to Remember/Milestones- so many things! Her chubby little face when she's done eating, the way she sleeps with one hand up on her face, watching Disney movies and listening to Christmas music together, holding her head up (this girl is STRONG- all her nurses said so too!), the way she is getting so alert and smiling a lot, how she tucks her bottom lip in, her raspy little cry, grabbing my hand with her fingers, pulling my hair (ouch!), her hair getting lighter and suddenly standing up one side all the time... so many things. Everything! I'm the most stereotypical new mom ever. =)

What I'm Looking Forward To- moving up to 0-3 clothes since she has waaaay more stuff in that size. And introducing her to everyone at Christmas! Yay!

Me- Well, I'm actually feeling much better (knock on wood) and that makes the long days and short nights a whole lot easier. It's not nearly as awful to survive on very little sleep if you're not also in tremendous pain most of the time, so I'm thankful for that. And as far as motherhood goes... is it bad to say that I'm doing way better than I thought I would? (#humblebrag =) I remember feeding her at the hospital with the help of my mom and a nurse and thinking, "Does one have to be an octopus to nurse a baby??" The answer, it turns out, is no... although eight arms would help. =) I guess I was just so paranoid and nervous because I really am a big spaz and I've gotten much more confident and "at ease" with everything in the past few weeks which is a pleasant surprise. Emotionally I'm getting better too, I think... some days it definitely feels like I'm on a hamster wheel (eat, wake, change, sleep- rinse, repeat) but we're getting in a good rhythm and that helps a lot. I'm fitting into quite a bit of my pre-baby clothes but not in the same way =) so now that I'm not so sore hopefully we'll be able to do some more walking and maybe even visit the gym. (Gasp!) I'm incredibly thankful for Jonathan because as always he has done everything I've asked and beyond this month and I would be a mess without him. 

We couldn't thank God more that He blessed us with this beautiful, sweet girl. We love her so, so much and look forward to all the fun and crazy times ahead! Happy one month birthday, Alice Juliet! 

Ash

P.S. Our first attempt at a "one month" picture was less than successful... #reallife