Dear Zianne, Well, sweet girl, it's been two months. And this is what I can tell you... I know you, little lady. I truly know you. I know your ins and outs. I know how to make you smile, and I can anticipate your impending fussiness minutes before it starts. I know which nights you will be so tired you will fall asleep instantly and which nights you will need to be rocked and soothed for a few extra minutes. I know how you like to be held and how you like your little bum patted if you are falling asleep in my arms. I know late morning is your favorite time of day. I know you like to hang out in the Ergo, but you are over the swing and the bouncy chair, at least when it comes to nap time. I know your restless kicks mean you are getting tired, and that you like to rest your hand on the safety strap when cruising in the stroller. I know all these little things about you, and I love learning each new quirk as your personality unfolds. I know you. And I love you. And that makes me think, little one. How much more does God know me? He knows my weaknesses, fears, joys, and frustrations better than I know them myself. He knows the way I bite my lip when I am doing something athletic and the way I crinkle my forehead {to the dismay of my thirty-one year old skin} when I am deep in thought. He made my lips and my forehead and this whole body that was able to carry you and bring you into the world. And He knows what the day will hold before I do, and how I will respond to each challenge or joy that comes my way. He knows if it will be a day of tears as I persevere through these early, exhausting weeks of motherhood. He knows if it will be a day of happiness, where you nap well and I feel like I got a few things done around the house. He knows the grace I will need for the circumstances I can't even foresee. He knows me. And He loves me. And He knows you, sweet child. He created you. He knit you together in my womb, and watching the intricacies of His handiwork for these past two months has been utterly miraculous. He knows your desires and hopes now, long before you will know them yourself. And He knows all the days He has set forth for you. The dreams you'll dream. The temptations you'll face. The ways you'll fall short and the ways He will graciously pick you back up. He knows how to comfort you more than my soothing sway ever could. He knows how to bring you a deeper joy than my silly faces do each morning. He knows how to protect you far better than I ever could, even if I read all the parenting guides in the world. He knows you. And He loves you. Love always, Mama ... Read more
One month
I've debated whether or not I want to do monthly posts on Zianne and her milestones. She is six weeks old and I still haven't really made up my mind, but for now I am going to try to write these posts, if for no other reason than to record information that I want to remember for her baby book. Here it goes... I wasn't sure which categories I wanted to include in these posts, so I want to send a huge thank you to Jordan, whose monthly baby updates inspired most of the structure below! Growing // At two weeks, Z weighed 10 lb. 3 oz, and by her one month check up, she weighed 11 lb. 13 oz. and was 23.5 inches long. This puts her in the 95th percentile for size. Eating // It's basically her favorite activity. She emerged from the womb ready to eat and hasn't stopped since, as evidenced by her weight gain. Even though it is tiring, I am very, very thankful breastfeeding is going smoothly. Wearing // Zianne never really wore newborn sizes other than in diapers. We squeezed her into a couple NB sized outfits that were bought by relatives, just so we could take photos of her in them. Thankfully, I always assumed we wouldn't have a newborn size baby, so we didn't have a lot of tiny clothing to begin with. By four weeks, her 0-3 month clothes were getting tight and I have been dabbling in 3-6 month sizes ever since. She also transitioned to size 1 diapers around two weeks. Doing // Like most newborns, Z's life pretty much consisted of eating and sleeping for the first month. Thankfully, she fell into a regular sleep schedule right away and hardly ever cried. Once a day, usually after one of her afternoon feedings, I would read her a story and consider it a great success if she focused her eyes on the pages, even for a few moments. Also, we introduced her to both the bottle and the pacifier right at two weeks. She took the bottle right away but hardly ever takes an interest in the pacifier. If it doesn't have milk in it, she's doesn't have time for it. Loving // Milk, her changing table, being held. The little lady prefers to take her naps on people, or at least she likes to fall asleep on someone and will then tolerate being moved gently to her bouncy chair. Loathing // Being put down {into her chair, lying on the bed, in the Pack N Play, etc.} if she's not at least half asleep; being overstimulated by consecutive days of being out and about in loud, bright environments; being delayed when she wants to eat Nicknames // Z, Z Baby, Z-leen, Z Feeder Daddy's girl // Micah has been trying to get Z to crawl since birth. During tummy time, he will give her a little support against her feet and she will get mad, resist, and army crawl her chubby newborn body across her play mat. It's pretty funny to watch, and she is surprisingly strong. Also, dad loves to snuggle with Z but we had to break him of the habit of picking her up to cuddle when she is already swaddled in her Pack N Play for the night. Mishaps and milestones: The first month went more smoothly than I ever imagined it would. The only random hiccup happened around two weeks, when Z's belly button continued to ooze green pus for days after her umbilical cord fell out. I was told by a nurse practitioner to treat it with diluted hydrogen peroxide, but when that didn't fully work, we found ourselves at the pediatricians' office unexpectedly on a Monday afternoon. Thankfully, her naval wasn't infected and after treating it with Aquaphor for a few days, it's now completely normal. ... Read more
November Goals
Not that I want to give myself more commitments as I'm figuring out this new season of motherhood, but I am going to try to give myself a handful of reasonable, measurable goals each month and post them here for a little accountability. I am thinking five goals is a good number to start with and I'll adjust it in the future if needed. So here it is... my short list of goals for the lovely autumn month ahead. {via} 1 // Get a new retainer {This deserves a long-story-short... I have been sleeping with my retainer every night since the 8th grade. A few days before Z was born, my bottom retainer broke. Last spring I met a dentist who can get me a new retainer for a reasonable price. I need to make this happen!} 2 // Go to the dentist for a cleaning {Our insurance will pay for a cleaning before the year ends. Why would I not take them up on it?} 3// Start Zianne's baby book {So... I am going to attempt my own version of Project Life for Z's album. We'll see how it goes.} 4 // Finish nursery {Y'all, the nursery is a disaster. When the world found out Z was a girl, we were showered with lovely girly gifts, for which we are extremely thankful. However, due to the demands of nurturing newborn life, her nursery now looks like it threw up adorable pink clothes, because I have no time to organize anything. I have to get the place in order so she can move in once she's sleeping through the night.} 5 // Finish wall in family room I ordered stencils for one wall of our family room way back in July. I should probably apply said stencils... |Linking up with The Tiny Twig| ... Read more
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