Well, we have survived the first month! I have heard that the first few months are the hardest, but I actually feel like that last few weeks have been a breeze compared to the week we spent in the NICU. Adalee has been an absolute blessing for our family, and it is hard to imagine life without her.
Stats: No pediatrician appointment this month, but if I had to guess, I would say that Adalee weighs about 9.5 lbs and is 20.5 inches long. She is still on the small side, but is growing very quickly! She has dark brown hair (but it is slowly disappearing)
and blue/grey eyes. I'm pretty sure her blue eyes are here to stay! I see a little bit of myself in her (eyes and mouth), but I also see some of Michael (face structure and nose). She is wearing newborn onesies and pants, but has also started wearing 0-3 month sleepers.
Eating: We
had our first pediatrician appointment two days after leaving the
hospital, during which our pediatrician became a little concerned with Adalee's
weight (or lack thereof). Miss Adalee was 7lbs 2oz at birth, but dropped
to 6lbs 8oz in the hospital. At her first check-up, Adalee's weight had
dropped a little further to 6lbs 6oz. In order to help her gain weight,
our pediatrician put us on a strict feeding schedule. Every two hours, I
had to attempt breastfeeding for at least 30 minutes, then supplement
with 1-2oz of bottled breast milk, as well as pump after every feeding
to keep my milk supply up. By the time I had finished breastfeeding and
pumping (while Michael gave the bottle), I had about an hour before I
had to start the whole process again. This was such an exhausting
schedule. However, it did work. Just 24 hours after our first pediatrician appointment, Adalee had gained 3 ounces. And four days later, Adalee had gained 10 more ounces. The doctor was fairly impressed! She encouraged us to stay on the same feeding schedule until we felt confident in Adalee's ability to gain weight by only breastfeeding.
Sleeping: Adalee is a great sleeper! She goes down fairly easily, and sleeps as long as we let her. We are still waking her up to eat, so that we make sure she is getting enough to eat - every four hours at night and every 2-3 hours during the day. At night, she sleeps in mommy and daddy's room, in a cradle that was built by my great grandfather. It is still a little scary when she coughs or starts breathing heavy in the middle of the night, but I am slowly getting used to her middle-of-the-night noises. During the day, she sleeps in her swing, on the living room floor, or next to mommy on the couch. Miss Adalee is known for her big yawns, where she looks like she is trying to dislocate her jaw - I don't know how she gets her mouth open that wide!
Playing: Miss Adalee is starting to spend more time during the day awake, which has been really fun! Her favorite place in the house is lying on her blanket in the living room in front of the fire. She loves to watch the flickering flames!
While you don't look at mommy and daddy yet, I like to think that you enjoy listening to us talk to you. Our favorite facial expression is Adalee's "Oooo" face, where her eyes get big and her lips make a really small circle. In the beginning, we just thought this was just her adorable face, but now we are realizing that it is connected to her pooping. Oh well, it is still super cute! Adalee also has a super strong neck. During tummy time, she lifts her head and moves from one side to the other!
Here are some "big moments" and milestone moments this past
month:
- First Bath at Home - Miss Adalee is not a big fan of the bath. She screams when she gets undressed, screams when she is in the tub, and screams when she gets out of the tub. Hopefully she will learn to like her baths a little more as she gets older!
 |
I can just imagine her thinking, "Mom, don't you
ever make me take a bath again..." |
- Miss Adalee got her first manicure on December 9th. Her fingernails grow so fast - it is hard to keep up! Unfortunately, I nicked her skin (and have continued to do so almost every time I cut her nails!), which caused her to bleed a little bit. This is the worst task!
