Bits About Brynley: ONE MONTH!

                                Dear Brynley,

I can't believe that you have been in our lives for one month! It seems so much longer than that and we love you so much and I can't imagine life without you as a part of our family. You are such a good baby and are just so so sweet! You do have a fussy time during your night time feeding around 8pm, and we do everything we can to try to calm you, but eventually you just wear yourself out and then fall asleep. You have the most high pitched little cry when you're hungry and it's so cute! So girly and different from your brother's cries when he was your age. I love smelling that soft blonde baby head of yours, and your big brother does too! He is just so smitten with you and loves everything there is about having a baby sister. Daddy is so proud to have his baby girl and loves holding you and being a part of your feedings now. If only God had given me insight as to just how much I would love having a daughter, I would have had you years ago! We can't wait for the many milestones to come! Here's what you've been up to this past month since you were born:

You do really well holding your head up and keeping it up for a few seconds! You are so strong and I think you will be an early crawler and explorer like your brother was.

You're not a big fan of tummy time, but you do pretty well for a few minutes until you start crying to be picked up. Ryder loves to get on the blanket and play with you during your "wake time", which is so cute to see him with you. Mommy couldn't believe that you rolled over from your tummy to back already.

You love your swing and take most of your naps here. I love this sight of you wrapped up in your soft warm pink blankie, like a present to be unwrapped when I go over to wake you for feedings. I try to savor moments like these because I know they will all too soon pass and you won't want to be in your swing anymore. You are just such a beautiful baby girl and we are all so proud of how far you've come in just a month!

I'm trying to do better at putting you in your crib for naps, but right now you just aren't really a fan. I finally got you down for an afternoon nap this past week after rocking you in your rocking chair. You looked so tiny and sweet curled up in your swaddle, and ended up taking a really good nap there for me! I know it will only be a matter of time before we move you on up to your nursery and crib rather than sleeping next to us in your Pack and Play. I'm not quite ready for that move just yet though, but I'm sure it won't be long. We had our first lunch out together as a family of 4. We went to Steak & Shake for fast and easy, and you did okay but I ended up holding you the whole time while Daddy sat next to Ryder. I always dreamed of a family of four, with me tending to one child, as Daddy tended to the other. Our family is complete now that we have you and I am so blessed! We love you so much sweet girl.

Date:
October 13, 2011

Age:
1 Month

Weight:
8lbs 10oz (gained a lb) in the 50th%

Height:
21 inches (grew 2 inches) in the 50th%

Head:
35 (small head, BIG brains!) in the 10th%

Clothes:
All newborn sized right now, although I thought for sure you would be in 0-3 month by now!

Diaper Size:
Newborn but they are getting snug on the sides. We bought a size 1 but they swamped you and we had to fold the top down, so I think we will still have to use Newborns for another week or so

Dr Appt:
I took you to your ONE MONTH well visit with Dr J while Daddy stayed home with Ryder. We got great news, that you had gained a pound and that you looked great and were overall GREAT! Dr J was so impressed with how well you held up your head and the head control you had. I told her how well you do rolling from tummy to back and she was so glad to hear! You still have a clogged eye duct on your right eye that we have to rub each day, and we have to get you on vitamin D drops to supplement since you are on all breast milk right now. It was a great appointment and you did have to get your second Hep B shot, but you did fine! You cried the entire time before the shot, and by the time you got your shot, you were passed out!

Eating/Favorite Foods:
This past week you have proven to be having a growth spurt and want to eat about every 2 hours, which has thrown our schedule off. I think you're a week behind from when you're supposed to have each growth spurt, because of getting behind when you lost your birth weight and it took you awhile to get back on track.

Right now, you're just on breastmilk and you love you some "Boobie Milk". I'm not sure when we will introduce formula, but this is working so far for us right now. Ryder thinks it's so funny when I say "Brynley is eating her Boobie Milk". I have noticed some foods I eat seem to upset your stomach (like the Chilli I had for 2 meals, and spicy salsa the other night), so I am trying to be more conscious of this. I only nurse about once a day now and pump the rest of the times because you are still such a sleepy baby when I offer you to breastfeed. I don't mind pumping because I know you are still getting all of that good milk, but I do miss the bond and am hoping to start nursing more once we know you are consistently gaining weight and not falling asleep so much! Daddy usually gets to help feed you a bottle during the afternoon and night feedings though, so he likes that and so do you. You eat about 4 oz every feeding and I am able to pump 5 oz from each breast every 3 hours so I have built up quite the supply and froze enough for a month! You still get the hiccups pretty often if we don't get a good burp out of you and they used not to bother you, but now we have to pat your back and rub your belly to make you feel better. I will be glad when they go away for good!

Sleeping:
I just recently got you on a 3 hour feeding routine, starting our day around 5am, 8am(breakfast), 11am (lunch), 2pm, 5pm(dinner), and again at 8pm. I start your last feeding around 7:40pm when I give you a warm bath and get you all warm and cozy, then dress you in warm jammies and then start your feeding. The 8pm feeding is definitely your fussiest time of day where you cry off and on and fight the feeding, but eventually goes down to bed and we all go to bed by around 9:30pm. This has also changed Ryder's bedtime from 8:30 to 9, because we figured he might sleep in longer and besides, we were all up anyways. This has all helped you to sleep longer stretches, from 9:30 to about 2, sometimes 3. Each night is a little different at this point, but you definitely go about 4 hours now which is awesome! I have to brag on you that you slept from 9:30 last night to 3am, and then woke again at 7am! Of course you have to figure the feeding itself taking about 40 minutes, and the settling and offering the paci if you want it when you cry, but still.. that is wonderful and we love any stretch of sleep we can get right now. We're so proud of you!

Playtime:
Not much playing going on right now, but we do tummy time after each feeding, and I have noticed in the past week that you have much more of an attention span after feedings and is awake longer (which has also changed getting you settled), but Ryder loves seeing your eyes open, and I love when you look at me and looks around at everything

Big Achievements:
At one month old, biggest achievements would be gaining back the birth weight that Brynley lost, considering that was such an emotional ordeal to lower the Billirubin levels. Also getting the hang of breastfeeding (even though I'm mostly pumping), sleeping for longer stretches during the night, holding your head up by yourself for longer periods of time, and rolling over from tummy to back!

As I sit here thinking about the ups and downs, sleepless nights, figuring one another out, and looking back at how far we've come in this month, it makes me realize just how blessed we are to have you in our life and I just love everything there is about having a daughter. I love your tiny hands and feet, your soft blonde hair, your big blue eyes and soft sweet skin. I love your tiny bottom and how you curl up into a little ball when I turn you over my shoulder to burp you. I love dressing you in cute outfits and bows and seeing so much pink! I love you so so much and am so blessed to be given such a wonderful gift!

Happy One Month!

Love,
Mommy