It might sound clichéd, but I'm going to be that mom and say it: Where has the time gone?
Somehow, a month has simply sprinted by.
A month (+ a day ago), Kevin and I were welcoming this mini peanut to the world. Since then, we've certainly cruised the highest highs and skimmed the lowest lows as we navigated (kind of) the art of Parenting. While it hasn't always been easy, we wouldn't trade it for anything... except for maybe a GPS (Global Parenting System) to help us out here and there.
At one month...
Measurements
Charlotte weighed in at 9 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 22 inches in length. She's currently pushing the limits of her newborn threads; 3-month sizes seem to work much better, especially for those long gams of hers. We said goodbye to newborn diapers in the last week and traded them in for Size Ones. It's sad to see her little bum already grown out of those teeny poop catchers.
What She Loves
Her Ladybug playmat and bouncer seem to give her the most enjoyment, and she'll happily play in them for nearly an hour before A) passing out, or B) putting on her crankypants and wailing for someone to cuddle her. She also digs when we stick our tongues out at her and will respond by smiling, yelling, or trying to reciprocate the gesture.
Lights are another favorite of C's. She could stare out the window or up at the gym's ceiling lights forever. If the TV's on, she'll turn her noggin toward it; we only have to cover her eyes when the dirtiness that is True Blood is on (for some reason, she gets really excited when Eric Northman shows up... hmm?)
Other favorites: Daddy's "giraffe" song about her giraffe head/mini blanket combo, which includes the lyrics "I'm a giraffe, I've got a long neck, but not in this instance". Instant classic.
What She's Not a Fan Of
Unless she's laying on someone, Tummy Time is not for Charlotte so far. She spent a total of 3 minutes on her belly the other day before promptly falling asleep on her playmat. Other attempts have yielded only an Angry Elf Face from her.
She also gets cranky when she's been in her car seat for too long, and while she doesn't mind a good bath, she cries when it's time to go in or out of the tub.
Abilities/Milestones
I'm sure every parent says this, but Charlotte is mega strong. She does a great job at holding her head up already and can move it side-to-side with ease. She likes to kick and stretch her legs while playing with her toys.
Charlotte's vision and reach seem to be progressing as well. She'll focus on our faces in close range, and she tries to reach out at toys and rattles.
And *knocks on wood*, C is thisclose to sleeping through the night. I'll feed her around 10:30-11, swaddle her up tight, and put her down. She'll sleep for almost 5 hours before waking to eat again, but goes back down pretty easily until 7-8 the following morning.
And now I've probably just jinxed that whole arrangement.
Family Life
We are slowly starting to get a rhythm down. Since I'm still on leave, Charlotte and I spend our days alternating between fun and chores; we read books, and then I do laundry. If we're lucky, we'll make it out of the house at least once a day for an adventure. Finding routine has been a matter of fitting tiny bits of my former life in between feedings and baths and poop explosions and snuggles.
When Dad gets home from work, we eat something for dinner - can't promise we've been eating healthy or having "normal" dinners by any means - before hanging out for the rest of the evening. Our weekends have been full of visitors and trips to the mall and afternoon naps. At night, we tend to split Charlotte duties (or should it be doody? gross). I'll wake to feed her and then pass her off, Tom Brady-style, to Kevin for a dipe change.
Not every day is easy or fun, though. I've had about 7,457 crying fits, and Kevin has to remind me almost daily that we are okay and that we are not bad parents. Every day is filled with small challenges, but somehow we overcome them and move on.
Post-Partum Progress:
The Post-Pregnancy Diet of eating quick, one-handed meals and not sleeping enough has somehow brought me to within 3 pounds of my pre-pregnancy weight. Pregnancy is the next fad diet, duh.
However, despite what the scale says, I'm definitely not back to my old self. The skin on my tummy resembles Stretch Armstrong's thighs, and my arms fight to get out of too-snug tees. Although most of my jeans fit again, I've been mostly walking around with a muffin top or hiding the imbalance with a big t-shirt.
Workouts have been minimal, at best, but I'm so happy to sweat when I can. We've visited the gym a few times for 2-mile track walks, secretly smiling and high-fiving when we pass each old lady. Small victories, I tell you.
Another small secret: I snuck in about 6 feet of jogging today when we left the gym. I jogged from the curb to my car. It was Amazing.
Month One Number One Moment
Baby Smiles are the new designer drug.
Month One By The Numbers
- 300+: newborn diapers
- 4: size one diapers
- 24: ounces of breastmilk/Liquid Gold/A Few Hours of Freedom pumped & frozen
- 1: bottle given by Daddy (last night - her first!)
- 4.5: the most consecutive hours slept at night so far
- 7: approximate number of grunts she makes before falling asleep