Juliet One Month!

Oh my goodness gracious, sweet baby girl!! HOW ARE YOU ALREDY A MONTH OLD?!?! I wish my last few months of pregnancy moved this quickly!! 

You've had a busy first month of life with many visitors, Halloween, and Target runs. Life is definitely more challenging now, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I can't imagine our family without you in it, sweetheart.

You're a champion sleeper and nurser - compared to your older sister at least which is all I have to compare to. You took to nursing right away and we already have a good swing of things in that department. You sleep for long stretches during the day and sleep in later than Olivia most days (which really helps me get the day started since I am only juggling one kid).  We seem to cluster feed starting in the late afternoon till around bedtime, which is slightly frustrating. Though, you do seem to be content during this time if Daddy does the magic baby arm hold thing that you and your sister both seem to like! Most nights we wake up about every 3 hours and I often fall asleep nursing you (sitting up) and will only wake up when you are ready to eat again, meaning I sleep sitting up for most of the night. Good thing you are stinkin' cute and totally worth it!

You have had many visitors come to meet you! Of course, Lolly and G-Daddy were here when you were born. Then Aunt Jessie and Uncle Juan made a weekend visit, followed by Abby and Papa (Olivia started calling Pedro "Papa" this visit even though we had been calling him "grandpa"). Many friends also visited us and brought gifts and food and cuddles. We are so grateful for family and friends who's love now extends all the way down to you!

(Olivia playing with gifts from Abby and Papa)

Speaking of family and friends, Daddy and I have only had to cook TWO times since your birth. We have been blown away by the generosity of many friends and family who brought us meals to ease our burdens during these sleepy days with a newborn.

You're doing really well and are a healthy little girl. You've rocked all your Drs appointments. At your one month well visit you weighed in at 9lbs 13oz and measured 22.25 inches long, landing you in the 75th and 95th percentiles! Woot woot!

this is too over exposed but you started crying and it's the best we've got to shower your length

Olivia has always been on the lower end of the scale, so this is new to us to have a chunkier baby. Proud of those pounds Juliet! All our nursing has paid off!

(Here's a little comparison... Juliet at 5 days old...)

(and here is Olivia at 5 days old)

My life and daily routine have definitely changed, but to be honest, it's all going much smoother than I anticipated! Like I previously said, you're a great sleeper and nurser and have been such an easy baby so far.

(this photo was taken on your 2 week birthday when Daddy was still at home from work)



(and this photo was taken the first day Daddy went back to work...)



Olivia has also blown me away with how well she's doing in her roll as big sister! I was so concerned about how that transition was going to go and how she'd do with sharing attention and welcoming a new one into our family. But so far she seems to really be enjoying it! She is a big helper and likes to bring me diapers and throw the dirty ones away. She always wants you to have a paci and will often "share" her toys with you by placing them on you (I have to keep an eye out for this because she can be a little forceful with her sharing). She also likes to help rock you in your carseat and bouncer and likes to "help" you swing. (Also, so grateful you are a fan of the swing unlike your sister before you!)

Olivia copying Daddy at your 2 week well visit!

Checking on baby sister!

She's pretty cute role playing mommy with her babydoll and animals too. Many times I have to move a stuffed piggy or doll out of your swing before I can place you down. Olivia asks to "HOLD!" you all the time and she gets such a kick out of having you on her lap (with much assistance from mommy!). We have a book that is about becoming a big sister and there is a line that says "when the baby wriggles, give a tickle, baby giggles!". Olivia has taken to this and likes to "tickle" you and then she just cracks up. She also likes to pat you on the head and says, "pet. pet. pet." She's learning "gentle".  I'm not entirely sure that you're comfortable with being Olivia's real-life baby doll, haha! You seem to have a deer caught in headlights look and worried expression whenever Olivia is buzzing around you or holding you. That's totally fair, baby girl! Olivia also likes to tell us when you cry, "baby cry!", and informs us "baby poop!" many times throughout the day.

We celebrated your first fall and halloween at only a few weeks old! We went to a pumpkin patch just the four of us and also trick-or-treated in the neighborhood. As a family we went with a Madeline/French theme with our Halloween costumes this year, but you went as the cutest candy corn pumpkin ever!





You have those new-baby blue eyes! This has been such a surprise to Daddy and to me as your sister came out with little chocolate drops for eyes from the very beginning! Plus, Daddy's latin genes seem to win out over mine so it took us by surprise to see those baby blues. They'll likely change but we can't wait to see if they turn green (like mommy's) or brown (like daddy's)! I do think you inherited Daddy's beautiful lashes just like Olivia!!

Sweetheart, we love you so much. It's been so fun to watch you change in just the past month. I'm so glad you're here and part of our family. Love you to the moon and back little one!!!!! XOXOXO 

The professional newborn photos were taken by Misti Finn Photography btw! I had a hard time limiting myself to sharing just these! ;) 

Olivia 1 Month!

Oh emm gee! Miss Olivia Jane, you are ONE month old already!! How has time flown by so quickly?! You have changed our lives and we are so grateful that God chose us to be your parents! 

Daddy and I think you are the most beautiful little girl. We never get tired of people gushing over how beautiful you are.  You've started to loose your hair near your forehead, but the rest of the hair you still have is growing quickly! 

At your one month doctor appointment you weighed in at 8 lbs 7 oz... a whole 1 lb 10 oz greater than your birth weight (6 lbs 13 oz). You've also grown over 2 inches! You're now 21.5 inches long. You're lanky and are quickly outgrowing your NB onesies length-wise. 

I love that you want mommy, recognize my voice and that you can calm down just by being passed back into my arms. But my goodness child, boy do you like to be held. (Right now you are actually very fussy because mommy is torturing you by not holding you.)  If things could get done with you in my arms at all times then I would never put you down. I love our cuddles. You like the Ergo most of the time and this is a welcome solution to you needing to be held constantly. 

We still haven't found a good sleeping solution for you. We've tried a bassinet, the crib, the swing, and the rock n' play. We've had some success with the rock n' play, but it's a lot of effort to get you to sleep in it even for just a few hours. I spend about an hour nursing you to sleep, we heat it up with a heating pad, play a heartbeat sound from the Sleep Sheep and then daddy rocks you once you're all snuggly in the rock n' play. This has a success rate of about 40%. You have spent most of your night time sleeping in my arms. I have become an expert at sleeping sitting up (mommy is so scared of smothering you in our sleep!). Daddy teases me at how concerned I am for you when you sleep. I may check that you're breathing multiple times a night... even though you sleep with the Snuza. You wake up 2 to 3 times a night. You seem to have a sleep schedule of waking up around 11pm, 1am and then again around 5am.

You like to be vertical or on your tummy... especially when your daddy holds you like the photo below. You don't fit well on my arm like that, so it's a special thing just between you and your daddy.

We've had some trouble getting you to nurse well. You like to nurse, that's not the problem... you just like to nurse at a very lackadaisical pace. I will spend hours nursing you at a time. I often have to remind you to keep going. We've met with Helen, our lactation consultant, multiple times and she's given us some helpful hints and advice. You're gaining weight like a pro, so we know you're getting enough to eat, we'd just like to achieve it in shorter feeding sessions. 

The dogs have taken to you and like to give you kisses on your head and toes. Jackson seems especially concerned when you cry and has to check on you and then let me know you are upset. It's pretty precious. Emma still barks a lot, but it doesn't seem to phase you as of yet. 

You like your carseat as long as the car is moving. In fact, you did so super well on your first long car trip going to Atlanta and Birmingham... sleeping the whole way! 

You are hit or miss with the paci, but seem to prefer the Nuk brand (though you are warming up to the Wubanubs! I think you just had to grow into them)

You've had a pretty big first month of life! You celebrated your first two holidays (Christmas and New Years), met both sides of your family (all aunts and uncles, cousins, and even your GG on mommy's side), traveled out of state for the first time, saw your first snow fall, and are working hard on smiling. You seem like a happy (as long as you're being held) and healthy little girl. 

People always talk about how "fast" it all goes, and if this one month is any indication of how quickly it feels then they are definitely right. I cannot remember life without you in it and wouldn't want to live in the world without you in it now either! You are our sunshine and we love you more than we can express or even understand! Happy One Month baby girl! XOXO

(PS. Thank you to your grandpa Amador for taking the one month photos!)