one month birthday

dear nora, 

wow... people aren't kidding when they say that time flies!  i'm sure i start every letter to you with this statement, but i really do feel it's true.  it seems like just yesterday we were changing you into your going home outfit and putting you into your car seat for the first time, anxiously awaiting to take you home!  now here you are, one month old!  it's hard to even imagine what life was like before you.  although it's only been one month, it seems like you've always been part of our lives.  

you are adjusting well to life these days!  lots of new things and firsts.  

we took you to your one month well visit at the doctor and you weighed 8 pounds 6.5 ounces, which puts you in the 25th percentile for weight.  you are 22 inches and 7/8ths long.  the doctors are happy with your weight gain and so are we!  you didn't get any shots this time around, thank goodness!  the doctor continued to follow up on your head tilt and officially diagnosed you with torticollis and suggested we start physical therapy.  we started immediately and we'll go once a week.  hopefully everything works out sooner rather than later!  

tummy time with lucy

your sleep is still pretty up in the air.  sometimes you'll sleep 4-5 hours at night and others you will make it just 2 hours.  you are however, getting much better at putting yourself to sleep.  you have been taking naps in your crib lately, too.  you hate it at first but after a few minutes of crying you are fast asleep for HOURS!  

you have been eating so well lately, too!  you nurse and take a bottle very well.  every morning dad gives you a 4 oz bottle that you just suck down! you are one hungry little girl.  you still do this barracuda-like face when we offer you the bottle, as if you are just so excited to eat! you do the same thing with your paci :) it makes us laugh! 

now for the saddest part (well, for me anyway) you have officially outgrown a majority of your newborn clothes.  i thought for sure you'd be in them for months, but you are just growing so fast!  the 0-3 clothes are still a little big, but you seem more comfortable in them.  you also made the switch to size 1 diapers this past week too.  wow baby girl, you are growing so fast!!

recently we introduced a few more "toys" to you and you love it!  we've been using the black & white books, the playmat, & other noise-making toys.  you still love the swing, your lamby pacifier, and the ergo carrier.  

this past weeked your uncle kyle came home to see you!  he got to feed you and help give you a bath.  i wish he could be around more often to watch you grow, but i know he reads these letters often and i send him way too many pictures of you!

so here is the best part of this letter... your milestones from this month!  you've gone from this squishy little newborn to this alert, engaged infant!  you have been holding your gaze at us for awhile and even seem to recognize mom & dad!  just yesterday when grandma was holding you, you turned your head and SMILED at me!!! and not once, but TWICE!  (grandma was a witness!) i'm waiting for you to do it again! dad didn't believe me, so hopefully he'll get to see one of those priceless nora smiles soon, too! you also had a "date night" with brooks this past week too!  of course, you were crabby and brooks fell asleep.  i guess that's how your dates will go for now, but hopefully you two will enjoy some play time together soon!

throughout my pregnancy i took prenatal yoga and water aerobics classes.  i met some wonderful friends in these classes, all whom were due within a month of me.  well, this past week the last girl had her baby... and all 5 of us had girls!  we are looking forward to having some play dates in the future.  it was great having such a great support system during pregnancy and now i know that we'll continue our friendship as we watch our girls grow up.  

i have to admit that lately i have been looking forward to the future a little too much.  another blogger put my feelings perfectly into words.  she says it here better than i ever could, but she mentions that she is always looking toward the future, not necessarily living in the here and now.  there is a quote that i have been trying to focus on lately.  "don't count the days, make the days count".  i find myself looking forward to the days when you are a little bit older, bigger, laughing, sitting up, etc. and it makes me sad when i do this.  i need to remember to enjoy each and every minute with you.  you will never be a tiny newborn again and i'll never get these sleepless, tiring, but oh so rewarding days back.  pretty soon i'll be back at work and missing you terribly and would give anything to have these days back.  so for now, i am going to try to make each day count and just stare at your incredibly perfect self!  

with all my love,

mama

some pictures from our one month photo shoot...