You are a quarter of a year old!!!

I absolutely love watching you grow, change, develop, and learn!

At around 10 weeks, you started noticing your feet. You would touch them and have this look like, "What are these? They look like my hands but they aren't and when I touch them, I feel it!"

Also around 10 weeks, you started cracking some giggles and laughs. We heard this on our way back from Thanksgiving in Wisconsin and your dad and I were so surprised we couldn't believe it!

Around 11 weeks you discovered that you can grab your feet and put them in your mouth! We also think you started to teeth around 11 weeks. There are some nights when you are super fussy and all that made you feel better was sucking on a pacifier which you NEVER do! You are also becoming our little drool monster and you LOVE to suck on your fists! You try to stick your full fist in your mouth. It is pretty funny!

At 12 weeks, you rolled from tummy to back! I like to think that you are developmentally advanced because this usually doesn't happen until babies are about four months and you are only three months old :)

You got to hang out with Grandpa and cheer on the Packers!

You rocked your big hair bow!

Daddy gave you a crazy hairdo after your bath

You snuggled with dad when we were traveling for Thanksgiving. 

You were a trooper on the way to Wisconsin

You helped mommy decorate the Christmas tree!

You loved looking at the lights under the tree!

You also liked playing with the shiny wrapping paper and playing with the ribbons

We still got some snuggle time in even though I am back to work!

You discovered your feet!

Discovered your feet some more and started sitting up more!

You hang out with mom and help me get ready in the mornings!

Sometimes mommy and daddy let you sleep with them a couple hours in the morning!

Daddy brought you to visit me at work!

Your hands are pretty much your favorite toy :)

But you also like this one. In fact, pretty much everything you can grab onto, it goes in your mouth: My hair, shirt, clothes, toys, feet, etc. 

Mommy got these mustaches for a secret santa gift at work and we played with them at home!

You look pretty cute!

You went Christmas shopping with Mommy and Daddy in one of your Christmas outfits! You also rode in your stroller without your carseat!

You have learned to put anything and everything in your mouth!

You and dad took the sweetest afternoon nap!

You rocked tummy time, looked cute doing it, and rolled over!

You had big smiles wearing your fun socks and hat from Aunt Connie!

Struggles:

• You started daycare and this was more of a struggle for me than it was for you. You struggled taking a bottle but then got the hang it of. 
• You used to LOVE being in the car and would fall asleep instantly. I think this was ruined when we took you to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving because now you pretty much hate it!
• I have been struggling with pumping enough milk for you when I returned back to work so we have had to supplement with formula. I try not get too down about this but I do feel guilty but at least the majority of what you are getting is breast milk!
• For some reason, you aren't sleeping well at daycare. You will sleep for 30 min stretches instead of your long naps like you do at home.

Successes

• You are sleeping SOOO well! Your dad might disagree but I think an average of 7 hours is GREAT! Your seven hours just start earlier than ours do! There are some nights where you blow us away and sleep for 9 hours straight!
• You are starting to get on a routine since I have been back to work. When we get back from our traveling for the holidays we are going to start sleep training you. Right now,  you fall asleep while nursing or by rocking. We love those times with you but don't want you to get too used to that routine!
• You are really starting to hit those developmental milestones: Grabbing, talking, sitting up, following noise and objects. Whenever we play I get so proud of you for learning new things! 
• You have been ROCKING tummy time!

What makes you, you!

• You LOVE sucking on your fist. Sometimes you try to put your whole fist in your mouth which is pretty humorous!
• We are starting to see your personality come out. You a very happy baby and usually pretty content with things until you are hungry, need your diaper changed, or are tired. Then you can be a bit dramatic! 
• When you are playing with toys, you are very serious and focused when it comes to trying to grab them and have them make noise. I hope this means you will continue to be dedicated and focused when trying to achieve goals in the future!
• I cannot get enough of your smile! You have the most beautiful smile and I am so grateful I get to see it in the mornings when we are getting ready and in the evenings after you are fed! You are one happy baby!
• You LOVE to sit up and hate even being a bit reclined. You will try to bring yourself forward to sit up more if you are more reclined.

Things we couldn't live without!

• Soothies! These have been great to have when we are at our wits end with the occasional fussiness at night!
•  Your first purse! My mom got you this and you LOVE it! It has different textures, a mirror, different colors, and makes the crunchy noise you love! You also like to put it in your mouth!
• Your carseat cover! With it being in the negatives when we take you to daycare, this keeps your bundled up and nice and warm! 
• Your activity gym! We love it because it can twist and fold up for when we travel! You love it because you can grab the animals above you and you can look at yourself in your mirror!

Back to work blues

I went back to work December 2 and did pretty good, for the most part. Today was the first day that I completely wished I was back at home with her. Even though there would be days where I felt like I couldn't get anything done or I couldn't make her happy or I was at my wits end with frustration, I was still completely happy and I just realized that today.

There were a series of events that happened at work that just made me wish I was with her. If I hadn't had a hair appointment (that was desperately needed) at 3:00, I would have left work early to get her and play and snuggle and just be with her because that is all I wanted to do. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see her until about 5:30 and she fell asleep at 7:00 in which I proceeded to snuggle with her.

I have said it before and I will say it probably hundreds of times again but she makes me happier than I ever could imagined. I never thought that being with her would make all of my other worries go away. She is completely wonderful and I will never get tired of saying that.

Happy 2 Months Little Miss!

My Little Caroline-How are you two months old already? Time is flying by way too fast! I am trying to soak up our time together because I am going back to work soon and you will never be like this again!

You are 10 lbs 12 oz and 23.5 inches long! You are in the 38th percentile for weight and 78th percentile for length!

You also got your first round of immunizations-1 shot for DTAP and the oral medicine for Rotavirus. Your next shots will be in a month!

You LOVE bath time!

You started sitting in your seat Grandpa Murphy gave you!

You hung out with Uncle Pat and loved your newest sleeper! 

You are a pretty cute Chiefs can!

Rooting the Chiefs on with Dad!

You started noticing your jungle friends on your activity mat! 

You got your first turtle friend and LOVED it!

Your future BFF Brielle gave you slippers that keep your toesies warm! You wear them a lot!

You started smiling...A LOT!

You also learned to stick your tongue out. You do this a lot too!

You also slept...like most babies do!

And this is our favorite sleeping spot!

Mommy packed away her maternity clothes for at least a couple years!

Sometimes mommy and daddy let you snuggle in bed with them!

And, of course, you were just cute!

You love your swing!

You continued being cute!

You rooted for the Packers and had crazy hair!

Challenges:

• Cloth diapering. This really isn't a challenge but more of an annoyance. We are so ready to cloth diaper but your little legs were still so skinny for the first couple months that the diapers wouldn't get tight enough around them!
• I have noticed a decline in my milk production. I think it is because she is sleeping more through the night so I am essentially skipping that feeding. 
• We started sending you to daycare part-time at the end of your second month. This was more of a challenge for me than it was for you.
• Traveling! You travel well in the car and we stop every two hours to feed you if we are going long distances. But, traveling completely throws your routine off and it is just hard being in a different place when it comes to having you sleep, nurse, etc. But, not a lot of people can say they have been to four states in their first two months!

Successes:

• Cloth diapering! Around 7 weeks, we were finally able to get you to wear them without being too big! Woohoo! We are still trying to get the hang of the routine of it all though.
• For the most part, you will go to bed between 8:00-9:00! Woohoo!
• You have really started enjoying your swing. You love looking at your froggy friends hanging above you.
• Right at 8 weeks, I started noticing you "bat" at objects
• You have started to sit in your bebePOD by Prince Lionhart. The other popular choice is the Bumbo seat. We chose the bebePOD because it comes with a tray, straps on to chairs, and has a toy that can attach to the tray.

What I couldn't live without:

• Desitin-You were getting quite the diaper rash between 5-6 weeks. We had a huge tube of Boudreaux's Butt Paste but you would scream bloody murder as soon as that touched your skin. Luckily we had some samples of Desitin which cleared it right up and you didn't seem to mind it as much!
• Your swing! You finally started liking it around 5 weeks! You love the little froggys that hang from it and are perfectly content in it for a good 20 minutes at a time!
• Your Snuza! I am a worrier to begin with and would wake up about every hour throughout the night to make sure you were still breathing and alright. We finally decided to invest in the Snuza to make sure we were woken up if something was wrong and to give me some peace of mind. We will be sending this to your daycare as well which will help!
• Gripe Water has been a life saver. There are times we know you have some gas that won't come out and giving you this before you eat really helps get your gas out and you are much more comfortable!

What makes You, You!

• You are SOOO happy in the morning and after your naps!
• You really like doing Tummy Time!
• You have started "talking" and cooing more
• You love your penguin pal! You love when it squeeks, and "kisses" you. You also just love to stare at it! 

The Wonder Weeks

This is a short post, but I stumbled upon the Wonder Weeks book when Caroline was about five weeks. She had become really fussy in the evenings, very clingy, fought sleep (still does some) really bad, and her overall demeanor was just not happy. So, like any mid-twenty year old, I Googled it and stumbled upon this book. I actually haven't read the book but downloaded the app.

It basically explains that there are certain weeks that babies go through developmental changes. These are called "stormy" weeks and she was going through one at five weeks. And then, almost overnight, she was a completely different baby. She started enjoying being in her swing more, using her activity mat more. She was smiling more and was really recognizing faces more.

She follows what the book has outlined to a "T" so far. She went through another stormy week at week 7 and the changes we see in her now are "talking," smiling back when we smile at her, she leans forward when sitting up (early sign of grabbing at something), and batting at objects.

I would recommend the book or the app for any new mom! It reassured me that her stormy, or fussy weeks, are just temporary and when she gets through them, she is a much happier baby!

1 Month Old

My Dear Caroline! This past month your father and I have embarked on an incredible journey with you joining our little family! Words cannot describe the happiness and love you have brought to us already! Along with the joy you have brought us, it has also been one of the most challenging months we have faced as well!

I already get sad to see how much you have changed since you were born! From day 1, you have always been an alert, bright eyed baby and as you got bigger and older, you have not missed a thing!

Your one month appointment isn't for another week but I had you weighed at a breastfeeding support group and you were 8 pounds 11 oz! Woohoo! I know you are also growing in length as well because your newborn sleepers are becoming too short!

Your very first picture! 

Getting to hold you for the first time!

Meeting Grandpa Murphy the first time!

Meeting Nana the first time!

Cuddle time at the hospital!

Our first outing with dad! You slept through the whole thing...

...but everyone thought you were so cute!

We love our mornings together at home!

You like to make the silliest faces when being burped!

Playing with Grandma all week!

At your first doctor's appointment. You were only five days old!

Looking cute in polka dots! You love sitting up in your Boppy pillow!

I love snapping pictures of you sleeping!

Your activity mat is one of your favorites! You never look straight up but always to the sides...

...so we set up your black and white pictures around the mat for you to look at! You love your black and white pictures!

You also like to make silly faces at mommy!

Sitting up in your Boppy again!

I was finally able to capture one of your sweet smiles. Your Grandpa Murphy says it is just you making faces because of gas but I think you are thinking happy thoughts!

We risked going out to dinner with you awake the WHOLE time and you did so well!

Hanging out with dad watching the Chiefs game...

...but you liked hanging out with Mom more! Go Pack Go!

We started tummy time!

You were baptized!

Challenges:

• Breastfeeding was much harder than I thought it would be but I was determined. 
• Our first night home was ROUGH! Between our challenges with breastfeeding and us not knowing what we were doing, we barely got any sleep! You have always liked to snuggle and that first night all you wanted to do was sleep in our arms!
• My C-Section has made things a little more difficult than I thought it would be. As much as we take walks throughout the day, I am ready to be more active and get into shape!
• Keeping our home picked up has been difficult! I try to do this when you are sleeping but that isn't always easy! 
• When you were about 2.5 weeks old, both your dad and I started getting sick with a sinus infection! Having both parents sick makes it more difficult to take care of you!

Successes (these may be simple but I have to celebrate the small successes!):

• We were able to really get the hang of breast feeding at about 1.5 weeks! Woohoo!
• I have showered every day since you were born! This may seem ridiculous but it makes me feel more human! I usually grab a quick shower mid-morning when you are down for a nap and I just bring your monitor into the bathroom with me!
• I was able to complete my thank-you notes by three weeks! 
• I try to venture out a couple times a week wearing real clothes and doing my hair and make-up. This also makes me feel more human!
• At about five days old I realized you weren't getting enough milk. Once I started feeding you more through nursing and from pumped milk, you start sleeping A LOT better! From that point on, you usually sleep for about 4-5 hour stretches at night, wake up for a feeding and to be changed, and then go back to sleep for another four hours! We have been very blessed that at night, you don't wake up every 2 hours!
• Having you has made your dad and I even closer and has made us work more together as a team. We have settled into a routine when it comes to feedings, changing you, when you wake up in the middle of the night, etc. 
• Our first road trip. You pretty much slept the whole way. We would stop every couple hours so I could feed you. Even when you were awake in your carseat, you were still very happy!

Your month of firsts:

• Pretty much everything, you slept through!
• As soon as you are in the car, you fall asleep!
• You slept through your first lunch out with mom and dad!
• Your first walk in your stroller!
• And through your first time at church!
• And your first visit to my office!
• You also had your first road trip for your baptism in Missouri! You traveled really well and met so many new people!

What I couldn't live without:

• The first few nights at home you loved to be swaddled. Luckily we had some Swaddlers given to us that we used!
• The Medela Pump In style Advanced. I really liked the bag we got because the pump is removable and not built into the bag. 
• Aden and Anais Swaddle Blankets-we actually have never swaddled you in these but they are the perfect weight and are super soft! We use these all the time!
• Mult-use pads-these have saved your sheets and mattress from accidents and spit up multiple times! 
• Old school cloth diapers-We use these ALL the time and have a few in each room. These serve as burp cloths, wiping up spit up, when I am nursing you, etc. We pretty much use these for everything. I don't even hardly use "burp cloths" because these are so much bigger and work so well!

What makes You, You!

• When you eat, you hold your hands as if you are praying!
• You have never liked sleeping on your back but have always liked sleeping on your side! In fact, your second day home, when you were put down on your back, you rolled to your side!
• Your crazy hair that we love! As much as I try to tame it, there is no point because it always goes back to spikey!
• Your BIG blue eyes! You have been so alert since the day you were born!
• The cooing noises you make when you sleep and eat!
• The smiles you make when you sleep!
• You love to snuggle with me! You can always find a place on my chest to rest your head and I could sit with you like that all day if I could!
• You love to be propped up and look around at things. We often wonder what you are staring at sometimes and what you are thinking! 
• You also love to look at your black and white pictures, faces, and bright colors!
• We know you are hungry because you are constantly sucking on your fist or on a few fingers!