One Month

I couldn't resist posting this one...this is exactly how she came into this world one month ago




We celebrated Sophia's first month of life on Wednesday. I wanted to wait until after our one month doctor's visit Thursday afternoon to share a little update about Sophia's first month.

Sophia now weighs nine and a half pounds and is just about 22 inches long. Our pediatrician says she's growing perfectly...she's even putting some weight on those scrawny little legs of hers! Dr. Miller looked at Sophia when she walked in the room and said how she looks like a true baby now, not that little newborn she saw just two weeks earlier. I can only imagine how much she'll grow before her two month check up!

Life with Sophia is slowly starting to become more routine. We have been able to get her on a more reasonable feeding schedule of about every two to two and a half hours instead of the every hour (especially during the night). She's sleeping more easily in between nighttime feedings (hallelujah!!) and is starting to let us put her down more when she sleeps. Although I will say, she is still incredibly stubborn and frequently will scream her little lungs out unless someone holds her while she sleeps. Her daddy enjoys spoiling her and gives her lots of cuddle time in the evenings :) Speaking of crying, Sophia is a rather content baby and really only seems to cry if she's hungry or has a dirty diaper. At either one of these times she demands attention immediately...and her food can never arrive at her little mouth fast enough. After a month of struggling to keep Sophia awake while breastfeeding (which contributed to her frequent nighttime feedings and our lack of sleep), we've learned that pumping and giving her milk in a bottle usually works best. She's even starting to grab onto the bottle while we feed her which makes us so proud. She's taking between three and four ounces at a feeding (such a little piglet!)... when her little belly is full we're all much happier. It only took us a month to figure that one out (hey, we're new parents!).

Sophia still isn't very interested in her bouncy seat or swing. She's most content in her car seat and she loves going for car rides. She loves lying on her back under her playmobile and watching the lights and mobile move. She's starting to enjoy tummy time more and more and is picking up her head. She has such strong muscles - she loves kicking. We're convinced she's going to be a great little athlete :) We read her lots of books and she loves looking at the pictures. Sophia is starting to smile although they appear randomly and are gone before I have a chance to grab my camera.

Sophia and I went to our first playgroup last week. She enjoyed being held by the other mommies and even spent some time on the floor with another little baby. It was such a nice time for me to chat with other moms, both new and veteran, about parenting challenges and what to expect in the coming months. This week we'll be going to a special class called "Brain Games for Babies" where I'll have a chance to learn new games to do with her to help with her development. I'm so thankful my mom's agency has all these wonderful free classes and groups - it's always nice to get out of the house a little each day. We're also busy preparing for her baptism next weekend.

We are completely in love with our little girl and continue to feel more blessed to have her in our lives. It's been a wonderful, exciting, sleepless, and sometimes challenging first month with Sophia Grace...we look forward to all the milestones and "firsts" that her second month of life will bring!