Howe Two: One Month Old

Agreeable Adrienne is 1 month old today! I have decided that is exactly what she is--agreeable. She is pretty good about going with the flow, unless hunger is involved, and then she shows us her impatient side. Adrienne is super snuggly, and loves to cuddle with anyone willing to hold her. I must admit I am enjoying the newborn stage much more this time. I'm sure it has a lot to do with the fact that her delivery was easy and uneventful and therefore my recovery has been easier, but perhaps it is because I am pretty sure she is our last baby. I look at Jillian and am reminded of just how fast children grow, so I am doing my best to savor the sweet moments (even in the middle of the night) that I know from experience pass all too quickly.

At 1 month old, Adrienne is now beginning to stretch her nighttime sleeping a bit. I can usually get her down between 10 and 11 for about a 3-3 1/2 hr block of sleep. After she wakes to eat around 2, she goes back to sleep for another 2-2 1/2, then repeats that stretch again after an early morning feeding around 5. I am happy that this sleep occurs on her back in her bassinet next to my bed, and I no longer feel as though she will only sleep well on me. She has taken a couple of naps in her crib, but think she prefers the smaller confines of the bassinet at this point. I am close to moving the bassinet to her room, however, because she is incredibly noisy. This child grunts and squirms and makes all sorts of animal-like noises as she passes through sleep cycles, spits up, or works to poop. It's louder than any other baby I've heard. I am sure I would sleep much better during those short nighttime naps if I would just move her to her room, but I can't seem to bring myself to do it yet. Matt will probably force me to do so soon!

Adrienne continues to be an enthusiastic eater, and I am happy that breastfeeding is going well. She has now had a couple of bottles of pumped milk, and though she takes a bit of coaxing to start, has no trouble taking it. I am thankful that Matt offers to take the first nighttime feeding with her on the weekends so that I can get a bit more uninterrupted rest. We have had a bump in the road in the feeding department, however, and I am trying not to be frustrated. Adrienne has thrush, so both she and I are undergoing treatment since it is so easily passed back and forth between baby and breastfeeding mother. It thankfully doesn't seem to be causing her any distress, but has me discouraged in that I have to throw out all the milk I have worked to pump and freeze, and prevents me from freezing additional milk during this 2-3 week treatment period. This is because she can be reinfected if we use the milk after the infection clears. Anyone who has breastfed knows it is painful to throw out that liquid gold! Hopefully this inconvenience will pass soon.

Adrienne continues to amaze us with her strength and level of alertness. She loves to watch her mobile in the crib and enjoys stretching out on a blanket on the floor to look at new and interesting toys. The most exciting development in recent days is that Adrienne is giving us social smiles! She smiled at me for the first time on her 4 week birthday, and it was a beautiful sight! She is starting to find her voice and occasionally coos at her mobile. I think we have another social butterfly on our hands! Adrienne is the perfect addition to our family, and we are so thankful she is ours.

Here are a few recent pictures of our 1 month old sweetheart......