February 2009 - Recap

Dear Natalie,

You're two months old today! So your dad and I think it's time for you to get a job and start earning your keep around here. You've had two months to goof off - now it's time to get down to business.

(I swear one day you'll find Daddy and me enormously funny ... seriously ...)

High Points:

• Thankfully, the Prilosec seems to be working. The number of times you seem to be in pain is less, so that's definitely an answered prayer. But not being able to make you feel better when you *are* in pain is still hard.


• Giving you gentian violet to help with your thrush. Yes it stains and yes it's messy - but you look so darn CUTE with it smeared all over your face.


• Sleeping for 7.5 hours the night before last! After we checked your chest to make sure you were still breathing, Daddy and I were thrilled!! We know it was probably a fluke, but that one night was really refreshing. Thankfully you regularly sleep 5-6 hours a night. I wasn't even getting that much for the last few months I was pregnant!


• We're about 95% sure that we've gotten a purposeful smile out of you. It's an instant heart melter.


• Daddy and I had our first date, sans Natalie, on Valentine's Day. Granddaddy and Lu came over and watched you while Daddy and I had a fantastic dinner at O'Brien's. Then we got ice cream at Marble Slab and took a walk around Palafox Pier. It was so nice to have some 'us' time. Not that we don't love and treasure the 'three-of-us' time, but sometimes Mommy and Daddy need a date night. You'll understand when you're older.


• Sitting through an entire church service without making a single peep. It was so nice!
  

Low Points:

• Being four days late for your 6-week growth spurt and four days early for your 8-week growth spurt. That means two growth spurts (and two marathon cluter feeding sessions) in less than a week.


• Your crabbiness that starts at 5pm and lasts till 8pm. I feel bad because it starts right around the time Daddy gets home from work. You're usually a pretty good-natured kid, but when the evening time comes, watch out! Could you perhaps not do that anymore? I know Daddy would like to see a happy baby when he walks in - not a frazzled wife and a cranky munchkin.


• Your two-month shots. YOU were fine. YOU handled it like a champ. I, on the other hand, was a mess. Hopefully I can buck up in time for your four-month shots.

It's been fun trying to figure out your daily patterns of playfulness, sleepiness, and I-just-want-to-be-left-alone-ness. I think I've got a vague idea. After your morning feeding (usually between 6am and 8am), you're wide awake and in a very good mood. We usually get on the floor and play. You seem interested and engaged for about half the time. The other half, you zone out and stare at the ceiling fan. You seem really fascinated by it ... or perhaps you're just ignoring me, pretending to zone out in the hopes that I'll leave you alone. Two months old seems a little early to engage in such teenager-esque shenanigans, but maybe you're just highly advanced.

I had no idea the swing would come in as handy as it has. You like to take your daytime naps in it. It's fun to watch you while you're swinging. You'll sleep for a bit, then wake up and just check out your surroundings (making sure to give a couple of glances to your trusty friend, Mr. Ceiling Fan), then fall back asleep. When you want to be left alone, it's a great place to put you where you can just sit and quietly watch what's going on. So when you learn to talk, be sure to thank Cam and Sara (and especially Ella) for letting you use their swing.

I don't know if there's a learning curve with a pacifier, or if you've just inheirited my poor coordination - but you have a hard time keeping one in your mouth. You look and sound just like the baby from The Simpsons. We'll put it into your mouth, you suck on it for a few seconds and it'll gradually fall out of your mouth. We don't know if your tongue is getting in the way or if it's something else - either way, it's really funny to watch. If it wasn't for the reflux, I wouldn't have kept trying to get you to take one. But I know the act of sucking helps keep the acid in your stomach and taking a pacifier usually makes you feel better when you're uncomfortable. So that's why we're sticking with it.

We just started swaddling you right after your last feeding before bedtime. We used to wait until after we had burped you before we swaddled you, but we think getting swaddled wakes you up a little bit. So we figured we'd do it immediately after feeding you to see if that makes it easier for you to fall asleep. We usually spend about 10 minutes walking laps around the house, trying to get you to burp. Then one of us (usually Daddy) rocks you for another 10 or 15 minutes. You've been pretty good about going to sleep on your own; sometimes you'll be awake (but drowsy) when we lay you down, but most of the time you do really well at falling asleep (high five for you!). Thank you, SwaddleMe blanket.

You're still hovering around the 40%-50% range for weight - but the 80% for height. You weighed 10lbs, 3oz at your last weight check a few days ago. We're hoping you'll really start packing on the ounces soon. I don't want you to still be wearing newborn clothes when you're 4.

You have made your Daddy's and my life so full. We can't get enough of you and your neverending cuteness and we thank God every day for you.

Hugs and smooches,
Mommy and Daddy

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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