Month One Favorites

Hi little one,
Your daddy and I are still finding it hard to believe that you're already over a month old. We talk about when I was pregnant with you (mostly referencing how big my ankles were, or my weird ice craving that I don't have anymore - thank GOD), and it seems like it was just yesterday that I was working on the weekly chalkboards to show off how big the baby bump was getting. But here you are! We love every minute of every day with you. We also love ridiculously big hair accessories, as you can see from your one month picture below.

So at one month old, you...

-make noises like your daddy (translate: fart very loudly, and without shame)

-wear size 1 diapers and 0-3 month clothes

-hate cold wipes when I change your diapers

-love going anywhere in the car, although you hate it when we buckle you into your car seat

-have to be swaddled at night in order to sleep

-also have to listen to the white noise machine (you like the rain noise the best)

-love looking at ceiling fans and lights

-sleep for four-five hour stretches

-eat for about 3 hours a day, on average

-move every facial muscle you have after you eat and before you fall asleep

-will randomly make a face like you're getting ready to scream bloody murder, then you'll take a deep breath and be totally fine

And here are some of the things that we couldn't live without during your first month here.

Kolcraft Bassinet - Bright Starts Rock N Play

SwaddleMe Sleep Sacks - Dr. Brown's Bottles

Gilligan O'Malley Nursing Bra - Elephant Wubbanub

myBaby Soundspa Lullaby Sound Machine - Boppy Pillow

Okay, sweet little girl. The Chiefs are on and we're going to root for them to win! Daddy is already camped out in front of the television watching the game with you, and I can hear you cheering for Jamaal Charles all the way upstairs! (Or maybe you need a diaper change. I'll go find out.)

I love you, little one!

Pemberley - One month

Hi little one,
It's hard to believe that one month has passed already! I feel like we just brought you home from the hospital yesterday, and here we are. You're a month old today!

Snuggles with Stan:: Daddy and I have taken you to the hospital to see your great grandpa a few times. Words cannot tell you how utterly in love with you he is. Even when he was hooked up to the breathing machine, he had the biggest smile on his face when we walked in with you. Now that he's in hospice care and not on any life support, he finally got to hold you for the first time. My heart just melted when I took this picture. He wanted to hold you forever, and probably would have if the nurses didn't come in to give him pain medicine. He kissed you and held your hand and sang a very inappropriate song to you that I probably shouldn't publicize (the Lukowskis know what I'm talking about!). I know you won't remember this time with him,  but I hope you can look back on this picture some day and see all of the love he has for you.

Just Like Mommy:: Great-grannie Frannie framed these two pictures together to put them in Poppie's room and all of the nurses commented on what a cute baby it was...and then Frannie corrected them and said, "No, that's TWO babies! My granddaughter Jessica and her little girl Pemberley!" Everyone was floored when they saw just how much you take after your mommy!! (You're on the top and that's me on the bottom.)

Daddy's Little Girl:: But you are a daddy's girl at heart, I have to admit it. Here you are, cuddling with him while he takes a nap. It doesn't get any better for me when I look up and see this <3

Meanmugs:: I'm starting to worry that you prefer your daddy over me because for the last week or so, you "meanmug" me with faces like these. Daddy says I'm crazy, but he's the one who gets all of the smiles and cute cooing sounds, and I get the monster noises and glances that lead me to believe you're thinking you have the meanest mother on the planet :(

Growing Up:: You must be going through a huge growth spurt, because that schedule I thought we established last week? Haha!! You're up for hours in the middle of the night sometimes. Daddy sleeps right through it, but I need my beauty sleep and sometimes I get a little delirious. When I saw this book excerpt on Baby Bump App, I was like...BINGO! The author nailed it! Couldn't have said it any better myself. ((From Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Masbach))

Back to Normal:: Mommy is finally back down to her prepregnancy weight! I feel like that's huge cause for celebration, considering I ballooned up to the approximate size of a whale. The combination of breastfeeding and no sleep is assuredly to thank for the weight falling off,  but it does throw off my eating schedule and I forget to eat more than I should. I occasionally see loving reminders from your daddy... :)

That's all for now, sweet little angel girl! One month. Wow. You are SO loved and we can't wait to see what you look like and what you're up to at two months!

Love, love, love,

Happy Halloween!

Hi little one,
Yesterday was your first holiday! Happy Halloween :) you did a great job of staying awake while we handed out candy to neighborhood trick or treaters. I must say, though, you were the cutest kid dressed up! Here you are, as Disco.

See what I mean? Adorable.

Checkups:: We had your latest checkup last Wednesday. Dr. Gaffney was VERY impressed with you! You are 9 pounds 6 ounces (75th percentile), and 21-1/2 inches long (89th percentile). For being just shy of three weeks old, you are growing super fast! Daddy says it's because you're an eater like your mama, but don't listen to him. (You definitely take after your daddy in that department!) We also got a lot of compliments on how adorable you are, and how much hair you have. The nurses love to tell you how beautiful your blonde hair is, and they're so surprised when they see how long it is! I tell them it's actually curly right after your bath, and they don't believe me until I show them this picture--

Damnit, Dolce:: While we were at your appointment we also got you a prescription for conjunctivitis, of which you have a mild case. After only a few days of medicine, it looks much better, I'm happy to report. We ended up having to get two prescriptions because I left Dolce out while we went to go see great-grandpa Stan and she ate the first one. Daddy was more than a little pissed to come home to the shitshow where he found your medicine AND a bottle eaten by the dog. Oops.

Our days:: Our days have finally fallen into somewhat of a pattern. That first week we were in a kind of sleeping/eating free-for-all, so this weekday schedule has made me one very happy mommy :)

2:30-3am -- you get up to eat, and you fuss to have your diaper changed also. You're back asleep pretty quickly.

6:00-6:30am--Daddy sometimes takes you downstairs and feeds you from a bottle so that I can get some more sleep (those are the best mornings!) before he goes to work. Falling asleep with a full belly is not a problem for you, at this point.

9:30-10am--then you're wide awake and you eat again. After that, you like to be swaddled and to sit on the Boppy pillow while I pump. We watch Friday Night Lights on Netflix and kick it in bed until about 11.

11:00-12:00ish-- We go downstairs, feed the dogs, and let them outside. I eat some oatmeal and yogurt and have a cup of coffee, and we call great-Grannie to see how Poppie is doing.

12:30-2:00pm-- You fall asleep again, and I use your naptime to shower and get some housework done. (Okay, *sometimes* I sit and read, but don't tell Daddy or he'll start making honey-do lists and I don't want that.)

2:00-2:45pm--After that nap, it's time for another feeding, and then we wait for Daddy to get home. Sometimes you fall asleep until the dogs wake you up, and sometimes you and I play Candy Crush or I read to you.

I was a little scared as to how we would fill our days, but I wouldn't change a thing :) I think you're pretty happy that we have a schedule, too, because this is how you look most of the time when you're not sleeping.

Poppie:: To all of our blog readers, please say a quick prayer for Pemberley's great-grandpa, Stan. We received news that his cancer is back, and things just aren't looking good for him. Pemberley, I did take you to meet him on Friday, and he woke up long enough to see you for the first time. He loves you SO much, and Frannie is always telling me how he asks for you. Please know he is the BEST great-grandpa in the world who wants nothing but the best for you as you continue to grow.

I think that's all for now, sweet little girl. I love you!