(written November 7th)Height: 21 inches (48%)
Weight: 8 pounds 5 ounces (24%)
Head circumference: 14.25 inches (29%)

Clothing size: Pretty much all newborn things this month, although I’m not sure how much longer they’ll fit! I also tried our smallest cloth diapers on her, but they still seem (just barely) too large. For now, we’ve still been using disposables. The Target-brand newborn size seems to run a little smaller than other brands, so I think we’re about ready to switch to size one until the cloth diapers fit better.

Eye color: Her eyes were so dark when she was first born, so I thought maybe we’d have a brown-eyed girl, but in just a few weeks, they’ve lighten up a lot. They’re a very deep, dark blue now, and I’m so curious to see how they change in the next few months.

Nursing: I’m still waking her up just about every two hours or so to nurse during the day. In the evening before bed, she wants to eat constantly- Michael jokes that she binge-eats so she can be nice and full when she falls asleep. That’s actually a pretty accurate statement!

Sleep: This baby girl is a dream. Of course, we still have random nights where she wakes up every couple of hours, but for the most part, she gives us a 5 or 6-hour stretch of sleep most nights. She’s also been acting ready for bed earlier, so I’ve been putting her down around 8 pm. We’re still tired, but we really are sleeping a whole lot more this time around.

Favorite things: Eating, cuddling, looking at her big sisters, and being with Mommy.Dislikes: She really didn’t like her first few baths, but she’s getting used to them now (she loves the warm water, but I’m always worried about making it too warm, so those first few baths might have been on the chillier side). She also doesn’t seem to like having the hiccups (which happens fairly frequently)!

Nicknames: Baby Sunshine, Nella Sunshine, Nell, and Nell-Nell. Kaya sometimes still calls her “Baby Nella Sunshine Sprinkle Pop”, and I love singing her the “name song” (you know- Nella Nella Bo Bella Fee Fi Fo Fella… or something like that). We haven’t been too creative thus far! 😉

Milestones, etc.: -She’s still pretty sleepy during the daytime, but she is starting to have a few more hours of awake time each day. She really loves looking around and trying to take in her surroundings.

-She’s been working on focusing on objects (mostly just the face of whoever is holding her) and really examining them with her eyes.

-She’s had amazing control of her head from birth. Of course, there’s still strength to gain, but she can lift it quite high and turn very well.

-I think we’re starting to get some real smiles from her, although they still mostly just happen when she’s dreaming. I think I’ve seen a dimple, too!

-She most definitely knew her mommy’s voice at birth, and she still seems to really enjoy hearing me talk to her. Her eyes get wide and she studies every detail of my face as we chat.

-She loves being held upright, so that her head is on my shoulder. She usually tries to look around, but sometimes, she just rests her head on me. This is the easiest way to get her to burp, too!

-The most popular comment we get from other people (besides how adorable she is) is how calm and quiet she is! She hasn’t cried in a church meeting yet, and at home, she really only cries if she’s very tired or hungry.

Dear Nella,

This month has been nothing short of amazing. I felt like we waited so long to meet you, and sometimes, I still can’t believe you’re really here, and that you’re all ours.

You are a perfect little princess, and I just wish time would slow down so I could soak in all your sweet newborn goodness for as long as possible. I treasure those quiet afternoons when it’s just the two of us left to snuggle while your sisters nap. When you wake up in the middle of the night, I’m always happy to hold you again, because I miss you so quickly after you go to bed.
You have two amazing big sisters who are intensely infatuated with you. They kiss you good morning, goodnight, and everything in between. You are one very loved little girl.

I’m so proud of how much you’ve already grown. Thank you for coming to our little family, Nella.

Love, Mommy