Alice Juliet- Two Months
Monday, December 14, 2015
Let me break a parenting stereotype here by going out on a limb and saying something no mom has said before: time is FLYING. Ha! Obviously everyone says that but it's because it's true. The past two months have gone by so quickly but at the same time everything that happened before Alice was born seems like a lifetime ago. It's the weirdest feeling! But I am borderline depressed at how big she is already and I'd like that to stop, mmkay?
Anyway, here's a look at life with our little nugget...
Weight and Length- well, she JUST went back to the doctor today (thanks, stupid insurance problems that never end. #ihateobamacare) but she's 11 pounds 6 ounces and 22.75 inches long. She's right on track for everything... the doctor said she's "perfect" and naturally we agree. =)
Nicknames- Alice from the Palace, Love Bug, Squish, Poocho, Troll (when she spits up and then smiles about it), and a multitude of other terms of sappy endearment. We're embarrassing.
Sleep- MUCH BETTER. Her new "fussy time" became anywhere from midnight to one a.m. which was challenging to say the least since it wasn't like she was waking up... she wasn't going to sleep in the first place. But she's slept all night (usually 7-8 hours) for the past week so no complaints! Best Christmas present she could have given me! =)
Eating- it's taking more to fill her up, obviously, and she's doing really well most of the time. She's just coming through a phase where she got extremely fussy if she had to wait at all or even work for her milk (lazy girl! haha.) Holding a hungry, screaming baby who won't eat when it's RIGHT. THERE. is a little disheartening to say the least! Now her thing is falling asleep while she's eating. I pretty much have to annoy her into waking up. She's pretty much on a three hour schedule for most of the day, with her last 2-3 feedings more like two hours apart.
Clothing- still some newborn stuff but 0-3 too. The 0-3s are okay... 3 months are really big but since most of her Christmas clothes are 3 months we are just letting them be baggy. =) She usually wears the same 3 sleepers most days at home so it doesn't really matter. (I love the ones that cover her feet because she always kicks off her socks and zippers are so much easier than snaps for Shaky Hands Ashley.) I LOVE getting her dressed in festive outfits. It's so fun!
Mood- happy, happy, happy! Really, she's only fussy when she's hungry or, like I said, when it's time to sleep. =) Pretty much everyone comments on how content and sweet she is. I think she's cried while we're out maybe a handful of times. She's a good, good baby!
Loves-
-dancing with her daddy (I may or may not have video footage of the two of them dancing to The Wiz... we'll never know.)
-the lights on the Christmas tree
-sleeping on mama
-being naked! (Scandalous!)
-lying on the changing pad- it's seriously her happy place. Cracks me up!
-TV (#badmom)
-kicking, especially when it's time for bed, little rebel!
-swinging
-silly voices and songs- she's really close to laughing and I can't wait!
-baths- yay! Conquered that mountain!
-holding hands, sucking on her hands... she's kind of obsessed with her hands!
-grabbing my hair, necklaces... anything she can get her fat little fingers around!
Doesn't Love-
-being hungry. She gets seriously mad when it's past time for her to eat. #hangry
-being flat on her back (unless it's on the changing pad)
-being swaddled- we gave that up weeks ago!
-being wet- she wants to be changed immediately!
What I Want to Remember/Milestones- she is becoming much more of a person and less of a sleeping ball of cuteness. =) She's so alert and loves to look around when we're out, she is smiling all the time, and she has the cutest poochie lip when she's sad. (Is it bad to laugh at your crying baby because her little cry is simultaneously pitiful and adorable?) She is also talking up a storm (baby talk, obviously- mostly "oohs" and "aahs") and so of course my phone is full of videos waiting for her to "say" something. I'm totally that mom who should be sleeping but is scrolling through pictures and videos of her on my phone. And she's holding her head up a lot and is very strong and active. I have a feeling we'll have an early crawler/walker on our hands. (Heaven help me when this child can actually move around. Life is easy now!)
What I'm Looking Forward To-CHRISTMAS! Enough said! =)
Me- I am loving this. It's really hard sometimes, but I look at my baby at least ten times a day and just shake my head in disbelief that I have this beautiful little person. A good friend just told me she's pregnant and I responded that I'm so much happier for her now that I'm a mom because it's just a million times more amazing than I could have even imagined. I know it won't always be sunshine and roses (it's not even now!) and that my snuggly little baby will become a crazy toddler and eventually a teenager (nooo!) but I really feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
That being said... I'm slowly accepting the fact that being a mom (especially to a baby) is constantly wondering if you're doing the right thing and that the internet is pretty much a nightmare for someone as worrisome and indecisive as I am. I'm reading a book about pregnancy (a little late, I know) but it discusses all the conflicting information that's out there and how you have to take it all in and make your own decisions about what's best for you and your baby. That certainly applies now... it's like, "have a bedtime routine! but don't have your baby become dependent on anything to go to sleep!" (Um... like a routine?) I am a worrier and a fearful person by nature in addition to my own self-doubt there's a constant nagging worry that something, anything, bad can and will happen. It's fairly common for parents to worry about their children. (I believe that's a Course Requirement, no?) But I take it to a whole new level. (I'm an overachiever that way.) One of the biggest challenges for me is to give Alice to the Lord daily... not just her future, as in, "she can be a missionary, God! Whatever you want!" but even in these moments where she's still tiny and completely dependent on me. It physically hurts me to think of anything happening to her- good grief, I LEFT THE ROOM during her shots today. (Jonathan was there; don't worry. I'm not a completely terrible person.) But worrying about it isn't going to keep something from happening. God knows exactly what lies in our future and He is the only person who could possibly love and care more for my girl than her daddy and I do.
Being a mom has taught me a lot about myself already... for example, that I, shockingly, can overcome a lot more physical pain and discomfort than I would have ever dreamed. My doctor said, "You're tougher than you thought you were!" That may be true physically, but emotionally I'm definitely weak and learning to lean hard on God's promise to provide everything I need- mainly wisdom to make the best decisions for Alice and peace that she is in His hands. (Thank goodness they are much more stable than my shaky ones in every way. =)
As always, I have to thank Jonathan for being the world's best daddy. It has come to my attention through several different sources that apparently there are quite a few husbands and dads who don't really do much to help with their kids. I knew long before Alice arrived that that would never be the case with Jonathan and it isn't. He serves us both and takes excellent care of our family! He's the best!
Well, there's a little (ha! novel-length) update on our princess... we thank God every day for a sweet, healthy, beautiful baby! We love her so much and are enjoying every minute. (Especially the minutes when we're all asleep. Those are some special minutes.) =) Thank you all for your sweet comments along the way. Alice can't wait to meet more family and friends next week! =)
Until next time! (Her next update will be short because she's growing entirely too fast and I discussed it with her and she agreed to slow down. Glad that's take care of.)
Ash
P.S. All these beautiful pictures (minus the last two) were taken by our friend Shelbie... you can check out her page here!
Anyway, here's a look at life with our little nugget...
Weight and Length- well, she JUST went back to the doctor today (thanks, stupid insurance problems that never end. #ihateobamacare) but she's 11 pounds 6 ounces and 22.75 inches long. She's right on track for everything... the doctor said she's "perfect" and naturally we agree. =)
Nicknames- Alice from the Palace, Love Bug, Squish, Poocho, Troll (when she spits up and then smiles about it), and a multitude of other terms of sappy endearment. We're embarrassing.
Sleep- MUCH BETTER. Her new "fussy time" became anywhere from midnight to one a.m. which was challenging to say the least since it wasn't like she was waking up... she wasn't going to sleep in the first place. But she's slept all night (usually 7-8 hours) for the past week so no complaints! Best Christmas present she could have given me! =)
Eating- it's taking more to fill her up, obviously, and she's doing really well most of the time. She's just coming through a phase where she got extremely fussy if she had to wait at all or even work for her milk (lazy girl! haha.) Holding a hungry, screaming baby who won't eat when it's RIGHT. THERE. is a little disheartening to say the least! Now her thing is falling asleep while she's eating. I pretty much have to annoy her into waking up. She's pretty much on a three hour schedule for most of the day, with her last 2-3 feedings more like two hours apart.
Clothing- still some newborn stuff but 0-3 too. The 0-3s are okay... 3 months are really big but since most of her Christmas clothes are 3 months we are just letting them be baggy. =) She usually wears the same 3 sleepers most days at home so it doesn't really matter. (I love the ones that cover her feet because she always kicks off her socks and zippers are so much easier than snaps for Shaky Hands Ashley.) I LOVE getting her dressed in festive outfits. It's so fun!
Mood- happy, happy, happy! Really, she's only fussy when she's hungry or, like I said, when it's time to sleep. =) Pretty much everyone comments on how content and sweet she is. I think she's cried while we're out maybe a handful of times. She's a good, good baby!
Loves-
-dancing with her daddy (I may or may not have video footage of the two of them dancing to The Wiz... we'll never know.)
-the lights on the Christmas tree
-sleeping on mama
-being naked! (Scandalous!)
-lying on the changing pad- it's seriously her happy place. Cracks me up!
-TV (#badmom)
-kicking, especially when it's time for bed, little rebel!
-swinging
-silly voices and songs- she's really close to laughing and I can't wait!
-baths- yay! Conquered that mountain!
-holding hands, sucking on her hands... she's kind of obsessed with her hands!
-grabbing my hair, necklaces... anything she can get her fat little fingers around!
Doesn't Love-
-being hungry. She gets seriously mad when it's past time for her to eat. #hangry
-being flat on her back (unless it's on the changing pad)
-being swaddled- we gave that up weeks ago!
-being wet- she wants to be changed immediately!
What I Want to Remember/Milestones- she is becoming much more of a person and less of a sleeping ball of cuteness. =) She's so alert and loves to look around when we're out, she is smiling all the time, and she has the cutest poochie lip when she's sad. (Is it bad to laugh at your crying baby because her little cry is simultaneously pitiful and adorable?) She is also talking up a storm (baby talk, obviously- mostly "oohs" and "aahs") and so of course my phone is full of videos waiting for her to "say" something. I'm totally that mom who should be sleeping but is scrolling through pictures and videos of her on my phone. And she's holding her head up a lot and is very strong and active. I have a feeling we'll have an early crawler/walker on our hands. (Heaven help me when this child can actually move around. Life is easy now!)
What I'm Looking Forward To-CHRISTMAS! Enough said! =)
Me- I am loving this. It's really hard sometimes, but I look at my baby at least ten times a day and just shake my head in disbelief that I have this beautiful little person. A good friend just told me she's pregnant and I responded that I'm so much happier for her now that I'm a mom because it's just a million times more amazing than I could have even imagined. I know it won't always be sunshine and roses (it's not even now!) and that my snuggly little baby will become a crazy toddler and eventually a teenager (nooo!) but I really feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
That being said... I'm slowly accepting the fact that being a mom (especially to a baby) is constantly wondering if you're doing the right thing and that the internet is pretty much a nightmare for someone as worrisome and indecisive as I am. I'm reading a book about pregnancy (a little late, I know) but it discusses all the conflicting information that's out there and how you have to take it all in and make your own decisions about what's best for you and your baby. That certainly applies now... it's like, "have a bedtime routine! but don't have your baby become dependent on anything to go to sleep!" (Um... like a routine?) I am a worrier and a fearful person by nature in addition to my own self-doubt there's a constant nagging worry that something, anything, bad can and will happen. It's fairly common for parents to worry about their children. (I believe that's a Course Requirement, no?) But I take it to a whole new level. (I'm an overachiever that way.) One of the biggest challenges for me is to give Alice to the Lord daily... not just her future, as in, "she can be a missionary, God! Whatever you want!" but even in these moments where she's still tiny and completely dependent on me. It physically hurts me to think of anything happening to her- good grief, I LEFT THE ROOM during her shots today. (Jonathan was there; don't worry. I'm not a completely terrible person.) But worrying about it isn't going to keep something from happening. God knows exactly what lies in our future and He is the only person who could possibly love and care more for my girl than her daddy and I do.
Being a mom has taught me a lot about myself already... for example, that I, shockingly, can overcome a lot more physical pain and discomfort than I would have ever dreamed. My doctor said, "You're tougher than you thought you were!" That may be true physically, but emotionally I'm definitely weak and learning to lean hard on God's promise to provide everything I need- mainly wisdom to make the best decisions for Alice and peace that she is in His hands. (Thank goodness they are much more stable than my shaky ones in every way. =)
As always, I have to thank Jonathan for being the world's best daddy. It has come to my attention through several different sources that apparently there are quite a few husbands and dads who don't really do much to help with their kids. I knew long before Alice arrived that that would never be the case with Jonathan and it isn't. He serves us both and takes excellent care of our family! He's the best!
Well, there's a little (ha! novel-length) update on our princess... we thank God every day for a sweet, healthy, beautiful baby! We love her so much and are enjoying every minute. (Especially the minutes when we're all asleep. Those are some special minutes.) =) Thank you all for your sweet comments along the way. Alice can't wait to meet more family and friends next week! =)
I'm dead... the cuteness has killed me.
Until next time! (Her next update will be short because she's growing entirely too fast and I discussed it with her and she agreed to slow down. Glad that's take care of.)
Ash
P.S. All these beautiful pictures (minus the last two) were taken by our friend Shelbie... you can check out her page here!
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