Happy 1 Month!

Dear Lila,

You are one month old today! And you and I have only known each other for a short time, but I already love being your mom. I love staring into your big round eyes, nuzzling my nose against yours, feeling your teeny tiny fingers grasp my finger, squeezing your chubby chub thighs and kissing your adorable little feet. I love how you hold your head up high and look around the room with the aforementioned big round eyes (your neck muscles are already so strong!), how you crane your neck and follow me with your eyes whenever I put you in your crib and leave the room (you don't have to worry, I will always come back for you!) and how you seem as if you're already trying to talk (Daddy was changing your diaper the other night and you loudly chirped what sounded exactly like, "Hi!"). 

You are an amazing little baby. And you are still my super chill Sleeping Beauty. You don't cry very often (you're still not a huge fan of diaper changes or baths but they don't make you cry as much as they used to) and you sleep really well, especially at night (Daddy and I thank you for that!). I hope you have enjoyed this past month as much as I have. I love you so, so much.

Love,

Mom

Poopy Hand

Dear Lila,

During your diaper change tonight, you projectile pooped right into my hand. Thanks for that!

Love,
Mom

Diapering Disasters

Dear Lila,

Last night, I asked Daddy to put your brother in an overnight diaper before he went to bed. I also asked Daddy to change your diaper after I nursed you earlier this morning. And later this morning, you both woke up with pee-soaked pajamas. Your diaper was halfway down your butt and your brother's was actually crumpled into the leg of his pajama. Double Daddy fail! 

Love,

Mom

Getting Bigger

Dear Lila,

You turned three weeks old today and have already outgrown your newborn-sized clothing and diapers. You are already growing up way too fast for me!

Love,

Mom

Milky Nose

Dear Lila,

Sometimes when you spit up, milk comes streaming out of your nose. Your pediatrician says it's normal but yikes, it kind of freaks me out. I hope it doesn't hurt you!

Love,
Mom

Things I Forgot

Dear Lila,

It's been almost two and a half years since I took care of a newborn baby, so there were a few things that I forgot. Among them:

-Babies have to be burped after they're fed. During our first day together in the hospital, I nursed you several times and didn't burp you until you started making a lot of spit bubbles. I asked a nurse why you were doing that and she asked me if I'd burped you. Um, no, oops! I'm so sorry, Lila!

-Newborns really hate baths, or at least mine do. Your brother screamed and howled during his baths when he was a newborn and you are no different, except that I think you scream and howl much, much louder than he did. You act as if I'm pouring acid on you, not warm water!

-Newborns tend to pee and poop as soon as you open their diaper. Fun! At least with you, I haven't gotten hit with your bodily excretions (yet). With your brother, his penis pointed up so pee would go spraying every which way. Super fun!

-Newborns' nails are friggin' sharp. It's like you have teeny, tiny razor blades on the ends of your fingers. And they're so teeny, tiny that I can't even cut or file them. The worst is when I have to take off your mittens during baths and you scratch yourself. It hurts a lot when you scratch me, so I can't imagine how painful it must be on your delicate skin.

-Every noise a newborn makes is so cute! Your sweet coos, gurgles, hiccups, sneezes, grunts and sighs--even your funny little farts--are all so awww-worthy :)

Love,
Mom

First Impressions

Dear Lila,

You turned 1 week old today! How did that happen? How is time already going by so fast? The past seven days have been a blur of round-the-clock feedings, diaper changes (man, do you hate getting your diaper changed), nervous outfit changes (I'm nervous, not you, because your hands, your arms, your legs--they're all so small and fragile! I have been so used to wrestling with your big, beefy, 31-pound brother and forgot how delicate a newborn is) and constant checks to make sure you're still breathing (you are so still when you're sleeping!). The past seven days have also been filled with round-the-clock kisses on your teeny nose, nuzzles with your soft, chubby cheeks and pauses to breathe in your intoxicating new-baby scent.

So far, you have been a very chill baby. You didn't cry when you were born and you only whimpered for a few minutes during our first night in the hospital. You did cry for four straight hours during our second night in the hospital but I think it was because you were hungry and my milk hadn't come in yet (wow, that was a rough night). Now, you barely cry except during the aforementioned diaper changes--and yikes, do you cry. You shriek and wail and turn red and sometimes cry so hard that your cries go silent. Um, dramatic much? You also cry when I change your clothes; I guess you're not a fan of the nakedness. 

When you're not eating or resisting diaper and outfit changes, you sleep and sleep and sleep some more. I call you Sleeping Beauty because you're such a good sleeper and I almost always have to wake you up to feed you. During our first night at home, I set my alarm clock so that I would wake up every three hours to feed you, but Daddy shut my alarm off so I didn't wake up when I was supposed to and you slept for a full five hours! The second night, Daddy shut off my alarm again and you slept for six hours! And I still had to wake you up after those long sleep stretches. (I have also since moved the alarm clock out of Daddy's reach!)

Here are some other things about you:

-You have super cute chubby cheeks. See Exhibit A:

And Exhibit B:

-You snore just like Daddy.

-You like to sleep with your fists balled up under your chin, as if you're ready to fight--or defend yourself against your big brother!

-You are nocturnal like me. You sleep during most of the day and are usually awake and alert after 9pm. Your name, Lila, means "night" so I guess it's fitting.

-You like to stick out your tongue. 

-When you were just 1 day old, I was feeding you at 3:30 in the morning when you opened both of your eyes for the first time. And they are such beautiful eyes! Their small, slit-like shape remind me of little tadpoles:

-You've been opening both eyes together more and more but you often open just your right eye and scan your surroundings, as if you're checking things out and wondering, "What's going on? What's this place about?"

-You seem to open your eyes especially wide when you hear your brother talking. He is quite the chatterbox so you probably heard his voice a lot when you were in my belly.

-You are the prettiest little girl! (But we've been dressing you like a boy in lots of blue outfits with cars and dinosaurs on them because they are hand-me-downs from your brother. Sorry!)

Love,

Mom