Two Months Old

Caitlin,

You are two months old today!  No matter how hard I try, I can hardly wrap my head around the fact that you have already been with us for two whole months.  The past month was full of new and exciting things for you.  I feel like every day, you do something new!  You are still a little peanut though. Your two month appointment is on August 9th, so I don't know how much you weigh, but my guess would be about 9.5 lbs.  I think you are also getting pretty tall!  You are wearing size 1 diapers and have finally graduated from your newborn clothes to 0-3 months and some 3-6 months sizes.  The 3-6 months clothes that fit are the ones that run really small.  You are still pretty skinny, but really long, and I actually think that if you weren't so long, you'd be able to still wear your newborn clothes!   You still love to eat  - you are eating anywhere between every 2-4 hours during the day.  We have mostly resolved the earlier breastfeeding issues that I talked about in your one month post, but of course, nothing is ever easy and now we are battling thrush.  I am determined to not give up! 

You are really strong.  You are doing really well holding your head up on your own (it's only a little wobbly, but we don't have to support your neck as much as we used to) and your little legs are strong too!  When we hold you in a standing position facing us, you will usually put your legs down and stand up with us supporting you.  When you are feeling really energetic, you also love to use those legs to climb up our stomachs.  You are quite the wiggleworm, but I'm hoping you hold off on the mobility for a little bit.  We are just not ready for that at all!  You rolled over this month front to back and back to front while you were laying on the ottoman one night, but your daddy and I really think it was a total fluke as it hasn't happened again.  There were a few times on your activity mat when you got those legs moving and I thought you might roll over, but everytime you got to your side, you'd roll back onto your back.  On some of the cooler nights (and there haven't been many because of this crazy heatwave), we have taken you outside to sit on the patio while Daddy is grilling.  You seem to like being outside looking around and listening to all the sounds.  We have also put your feet in the grass a few times so you can start getting used to it.  We think it tickles your feet because you'll put one foot down and then when you put the other one down to touch the grass, you quickly pick it up and stand like a flamingo!  You certainly don't know what to think about the grass, but so far, you seem ok with it.  I can't wait to see what you think about the sand when we go to the beach in a few weeks! 

You are definitely starting to be more aware of your surroundings.  You get annoyed with Daddy and me when we just want to sit on the couch with you, and you love for us to walk you around the house.  It's almost like you are saying to us "Hey fatso, get up and get moving... stop being a couch potato!"  You have also started following things with your eyes more.  Aunt Alexis visited and taught us about spirit fingers!  Sometimes, when Daddy is playing with you, he'll lay you down on the ottoman and do spirit fingers above your head and move them from side to side to get your attention.  You are really good at following his spirit fingers!  You have also started following me when you hear my voice.  It is so cute how you watch me when I walk by (and it makes me feel so good that you're looking for me!).  You are loving your activity mat more and more each day.  I don't know if it's because you have a great view of Mr. Ceiling Fan while you're down there or if you just really like the activity mat, but you smile and "talk" a lot while you're laying there.  You have also started to kind of squeal a little bit.  I absolutely love that sound!   Speaking of Mr. Ceiling Fan... He is absolutely without a doubt your best friend.  I have so many pictures of you just smiling away and "flirting" with him.  He makes you so happy, and we don't even have to turn the fan on for you to smile at him!   You are doing better with the swing and bouncy seat these days.  This morning, you even took a little nap in your bouncy seat!  We have also just recently made some progress with bathtime.  We have started giving you a bath in your bathtub in the big tub upstairs. Your daddy and I finally realized that the bathtub that we have has a little support area for infants (it's almost like a little recliner), and we tried it last night.  You seemed to actually kind of like the bath!  We even got a few smiles out of you while we were bathing you.  The only time you cried was when I was getting you dressed.  I think you were a little cold, but I'm also starting to think that you just don't like having clothes on.  It's ok that you feel that way now, but let's not make that a habit when you're a teenager, ok? 

This month, we noticed your first true smile!  You little eyes just light up and you get so excited and are just so stinking cute.  We hope you continue to be a happy baby.  You really only cry when you're hungry, tired or need a diaper change.  You are pretty laid back and generally fine with meeting new people!  And, you have certainly met a lot of new people this month!  We have been on the go so much more, and you have done really well.  You still do ok in the car.  We've had a few major crying episodes where you were either hungry or really tired and you ended up crying yourself to sleep (it was so sad for Mommy to hear that cry), but mostly, you either just look around or fall asleep.  You also still like your stroller.  We went to the mall the other day, and you slept the whole time.  

Let's talk about sleep.  For the most part, you are still a good sleeper.  We know you are getting sleepy when you start yawning a lot (duh!) and you're hands turn into fists.  Daddy calls them your "Fists of Fury". At night, depending on what time you go to sleep, you will either get up once around 2 or 3am and then you're up for the day around 7, or you'll sleep through the night and be up for the day around 5:30 or 6!  Thank you for that - we do appreciate you working on sleeping through the night!  Now, getting you to sleep, that's another story.  Most of the time, unless you've fallen asleep while you were nursing, it takes some work to get you to sleep.  We are still swaddling you, but have tried to swaddle you with your arms out for a few naps here and there.  You still seem to sleep better when you are completely swaddled even though you fight us when we are wrapping you.  There have been a few nights/naps where you have broken free of the swaddle blanket, but I really think that it's because it's either too small for you or because the velcro is starting to get old.  Our usual routine to get you to sleep is to wrap you loosely in a blanket and bounce you on the exercise ball while we pat your butt.  Depending on how tired you are, this can take 5-20 minutes.  We then wrap you in the swaddle blanket once you are almost to sleep and bounce you a little more to get you the rest of the way to sleeping. The hard part is that once we get you to sleep and try to put you down in the pack n play or in your crib, sometimes you sleep for 5 minutes and then wake up and think that naptime is over!  I think we are realizing that your days of napping in the pack n play in the living room are pretty much over.  I think there is just too much going on for you, and you have decided that you don't want to miss a thing.  The same routine happens when we put you to bed at night, but you are still sleeping in the bassinet in our room.  We are contemplating moving you to your crib soon, but I'll be honest, I am having a hard time with it.  You sleep fine in your crib for naps, but I think I'm worried that you'll wake up in the middle of the night and be scared because your daddy and I aren't there.  I'm probably just being overly protective, but I can't help it.  Daddy thinks you'll be fine, but he knows how emotional I've been lately, so he told me that we can move you whenever I am ready for it. 

Exactly 4 weeks from today, I will be returning to work.  I have had a really tough time coming to terms with this.  This past week, I had a bit of a breakdown about it.  We really don't have much a choice because I need to work, but if I had the opportunity, I think I would stay home with you.  It's actually quite funny because before you were born, I thought I'd be so ready to go back after my 12 weeks of maternity leave were over.  Boy, how things change! I am not necessarily opposed to working. I really am more upset about it because I just don't want to leave you and miss all the fun things that you're going to learn and do - it bothers me that someone else is going to get to experience your firsts while I am sitting behind a desk all day.  I also am a little apprehensive about leaving you at daycare and how the pumping and working thing will go.  Deep down, I know everything will be fine, and as you get older, it will be good for you to have some social interaction and learn new things from the other babies and the daycare providers, but it's just scary for me to think about leaving you.   I guess I will just have to make the most of our next 4 weeks and spend as much time with you as possible before I head back to work! 

Another amazing month with you has passed (way too quickly, can you stop growing up, please?!).  We are still blown away by how much love we have for you, and we can't remember what life was like before you!  We can't wait to see what the next month brings!

Love you like no other,

Mommy

Here are your two month pictures with your bear! 

And for comparison, here you are at one and zero months:

8 Weeks Old

Caitlin, you turned 8 weeks old on Wednesday!  We had another busy week that included spending time with Grandmom LeNoir, attending your first baby shower for Mommy's friend Kim, going to Uncle Gary's 40th birthday party, going to your cousin Layla's 1st birthday party and hanging out with Aunt Val!   You also took your first bath in the big bathtub this week, and we had our first minor accident - Mommy bumped your head on the swing.  I thought your normal cry was pitiful, but wow, this cry was awful.  It made me cry because you sounded so sad!  Thankfully, there was no harm done and you were fine after some extra cuddle time.  You also survived your first earthquake!!  It was a magnitude of 3.6, and it happened on July 16th at 5:04am.  Hopefully, this was the only earthquake you will ever experience while living on the East Coast! Here are some pictures from your 8th week with us! 

You practiced sitting up (with Grandmom L's help) like a big girl!  We love your crazy hair!

You tried to give yourself a hickey on your hand while Grandmom L was holding you.

You took a nap in your crib and practiced being a Little Houdini.  This is how I first found you when I stopped in your room to check on you.

And, this is how I found you when you woke up from your nap.  One arm all the way out and the other hand peeking out.  You are so talented at getting out of the baby burrito these days.

You fell asleep on Grandmom L and looked so incredibly comfortable.

You smiled at Mr. Fan.  And, for the record, Mr. Fan does not have to be on for you to get excited.  You like him whether he's moving or not!

I think there's a chance you may have actually been smiling at Mommy in this picture!

We think you are so darn cute when you give us that smile!

You attended your first baby shower for Mommy's friend Kim.  This beautiful picture was taken by Mommy's friend from high school, Angie! 

Daddy bounced you on his knee.  You were so tired you could barely hold your head up!

This is how you stretch almost every time you wake up.

You hung out in your crib while Mommy got your bath ready.

We practiced tummy time.  You are getting really good at holding your head up!

We tried the Baby Bjorn, and although you don't look like you're crying in this picture, you were not a fan!

After all my complaining and nagging, Daddy finally picked up the camera and took some pictures of us together!

You were really tired after you busy day of parties on Saturday.  Aunt Crystal tried to wake you up, but you wanted no part of it! 

Here's more proof that you really are a little houdini.  You went to bed swaddled, and this is how I found you when you woke up at 2am to eat. You were as happy as can be!

Who Does Caitlin Look Like?

When Caitlin was born, the nurses would come into my hospital room and take one look at Ryan and say "Oh, she's so cute and she looks just like her Daddy, but where did she get her chin?"  Of course, that dimpled chin came from me.  For fun, I thought I'd scan and post a picture of Ryan and me when we are babies.   I think she is a good mix of both of us! 

Ryan

Wendy

Caitlin

Caitlin

7 Weeks Old

Caitlin, you were 7 weeks old on Wednesday!  We had another busy week!  We had dinner with Pop-Pop Chick, you met the Wiggs clan, we had another doctors appointment and you got to hang out with Aunt Alexis and Uncle Tim!  Your doctors appointment was the result of Mommy worrying that you had a rash on your face, scalp, neck and chest when really it was only baby acne.  They weighed you while we were there and you were 8lbs 14oz.  We think you probably weigh a little less than this because they weighed you with your diaper and clothes on, but you are definitely growing!  Good job, Baby Girl!  Here are some pictures from your 7th week with us! 

You practiced smiling.  You were probably just looking at Mr. Fan, but we'll pretend that you're smiling at Mommy!

Then you decided you were bored with me.

And then you decided you were completely over the photoshoot.

We tried again the next day, and you were much happier.

Mr. Fan got some really good smiles out of you.  He really knows how to make you happy!

"Why, hello there Mr. Fan"

You fell asleep in your bouncy seat.

We've noticed that when you get tired, you make a fist with your hands. 

Daddy gave you a bottle (not your first, but this is the first picture I have of you drinking one).  You like to try and hold the bottle. 

Here you are hanging out with Pop-Pop Chick.

You took a nap on Daddy's chest.  I can't get over how big you look in this picture!  You are even starting to get some rolls on your little legs!

Here you are hanging out with your Aunt Alexis.  She taught you about spirit hands while she was visiting!  You loved hanging out with her and learning new things!

You and Aunt Alexis! 

We did a little photoshoot of you in your University of Delaware onesie! 

You took another nap with Daddy. 

We worked on tummy time.  Unfortunately, you think that tummy time means "let me see if I can catapult myself over the Boppy with my legs".  We can't take our eyes off of you for a minute! You are a funny girl (with very strong legs). 

You played on your activity mat. 

You took another nap with Daddy and did funny things with your hands.  I promise we did not pose you like this.  Like I said, you are a funny girl! 

6 Weeks Old

Caitlin, you were 6 weeks old yesterday!  It's been another busy week, and I can hardly believe that my maternity leave is half over.  It's kind of depressing, but I'm trying not to think about it and make the most of the time that we have together over the next 6 weeks!  In other news, you are becoming a sleeping superstar!!  On Saturday, Sunday and Monday of this week, you only woke up once around 2am to eat and then you slept until 7am!  Mommy and Daddy were thrilled.  On Tuesday night, you slept 7 straight hours!!!  You fell asleep at 11:15pm, and I woke up at 4am because I couldn't believe you hadn't woken up yet!  It surprised me so much that I had to put my hand on your chest to make sure that you were still breathing!  You kept sleeping until 6:30am!!  Good job, kiddo.  We were so proud of you (and happy to actually sleep the whole night)!  Last night, you were back to waking up once, but honestly, I won't complain about that!  You also got to meet your Great Aunt Sue and Uncle Mike and cousins Cassidy and Michael!  And, now onto the pictures from this week.

You played on your activity mat.

Hanging out with Daddy.

You fell asleep on Mommy's shoulder, and we realized that when you sleep with your mouth open it forms the perfect triangle.

We took you to the ENT and when you first got in the carseat, you were trying to nurse your head rest/support thing.  I guess you got tired of trying because you fell asleep and slept this way until we took you out for the doctors appointment.

You fell asleep in the bouncy seat! 

You took your first nap in your crib.  I can't get over how small you look!

Hanging out with Daddy again.

You gave me the "You're crazy, Mommy" look.

You smiled at Mr. Ceiling Fan.

We celebrated the 4th of July!

You fell asleep in Mommy's arms and we thought you looked too cute to not take a picture of you.

Here you are with your best friend, Mr. Ceiling Fan.  Mommy and Daddy are hoping that someday you'll be this excited about us!

A close-up of you looking at Mr. Ceiling Fan.

Another close-up.  You are absolutely mesmerized.

Different day, same reaction to Mr. Ceiling Fan.  He makes you pretty happy these days.