2 month newsletter

Stolen from some of my blogger friends, I have decided to do a monthly Avonlea Newsletter, as they do for their son Jake. In it, I will keep friends and family updated with what she's been up to, what she learns, and how she grows. :)

Avonlea, today you are 2 months old, weighing in at a hefty 8lbs 12oz, such a huge difference from your teeny birth weight of 5lbs 12oz. Because we see you every day, we can see the huge difference those three pounds have made. But we find it shocking to see how small you still are in other people's arms. You have finally started to fit into some of your newborn clothing, and I have sadly begun to pack away the tiny preemie clothing that I so adore! You have begun to get chubby little thighs, chubby little feet and chubby little cheeks, but your arms are still sooo skinny, and your Grandpa tells me often that you need to eat your spinach. :)

You have changed so much in the past month! Now, you can hold your head up for long stretches of time to look around, and we have begun to notice that your newborn "jerky" movements are becoming less and less frequent. You are particularly attracted to lights and chandeliers, and your shiny balloons that float above your changing table. You can even sit in your bumbo chair now without being swallowed by it, and I dare say, you actually like it! Although "tummy time" isn't your favorite activity, you could lay on your back on the floor forever, wriggling your arms and kicking your legs in excitement of everything that you can see from waaaaay down there.

Your formerly infrequent "sleepy" smiles have started to become the norm, and now you smile AT us, and not just because. You smile at your balloons, the pictures hung on the walls, you smile during your bath time, and you smile for no reason at all. You melt our hearts with every gummy grin! In the past two days, you have started laughing at mommy while I run around trying to get dressed in the morning, and scootch your bottom in excitement when we are being silly for you. We have found that you love campfires, and stayed up far too late one night, mesmorized by the flames.

You have gotten so good at breastfeeding, and we no longer need the nipple shield anymore to nurse. It was a long 8 weeks, but you finally got it! You still fall asleep with every feed, but now we can sneak you upstairs to your crib and get some alone time for a few hours! You have started to caress my skin and play with my collarbone while you nurse, and I melt every time you do it. And in the past three days, you have given me your hand to kiss- actually put it near my mouth, and then smiled a big, gummy smile with your mouth full while i smooched, letting milk dribble out the sides of your mouth. This past weekend, we did some "hardcore crib training" and were able to get you to sleep for large portions of the night in your own crib, with minimal interference! yaaay! It was monumental. We have sucessfully created a bedtime ritual and have done it consecutively for a week straight- a difficult feat for your mommy and daddy who do not live by schedules or rituals, but rather by impulse. But it's time to settle down and face the fact that you need a ritual, as most children do.

I would classify you as a "good" baby- crying only when you need something, and peering out into the world, quietly curious to your surroundings most of the time. You did have a two week period of frequently being upset, and mommy even used the phrase "colicky" once or twice in there, but you did not fit the standard textbook definition. Our biggest feat is having you be comfortable with being put down. Of course you want to be held, as we are warm and cuddly and smell good. I do not believe that we can spoil you with too much love, and will put you down when you allows us to, and hold you when you need us to. That is what we are here for.

You still don't like your swing or riding in the car, and scream forever when we drive anywhere, gasping and choking and sweating through your clothes by the time we arrive at our destination. You have started to like your vibrating chair, and will tolerate it for 10 minutes at a time. You love being carried around by daddy in your sling carrier, and have even slept through mommy's entire softball games in your warm cocoon. You LOVE your bathtime, and will suddenly stop whatever fussing you were doing the moment your toes hit the warm water. I always find it amazing that no matter how long it's been since your last bath, I can just smell your tiny head with your wisps of auburn hair and instantly feel calm and at home. It's almost like I never knew what home smelled like until you came. You are my favorite smell in the whole wide world.

We are so fortunate to have such a cuddly little girl- and can't wait to see what the following month may bring. As my maternity leave comes to a close, I am excited to enjoy every second left, and get you ready for when I have to leave you with Daddy for the summer. Even as I write this, you give me a gummy smile from your boppy, as if to say "put down the computer mommy...i'm right here!". And so I will...:)