kaelyn: 8 months

_MG_6613Height: 26.5 inches
Weight:
15 pounds 11.2 ounces
Clothing size: All 6-9 month stuff!
Eyecolor:
Deep steel blue. I think I might see some darker specks of color starting to show up… but I’m not sure. They still look light, at least.
Nursing:
Every 3 hours. We are planning to try some solids this month!
Favorite things:
Being tickled, cuddles, yelling/squealing as loud as possible, and bath time. Kaya can get her laughing more than anyone! _MG_6644Favorite toys include her Little People giraffe, anything from the play kitchen, and all stuffed animals. She also really LOVES playing in the exersaucer!_MG_6347 Dislikes: Getting buckled into the car seat, getting dressed, and Kaya being too loud. If Kaya’s been loud/in her face for most of the day, sometimes Kaelyn will just start crying when she so much as sees her sister.
Sleep:
We start our bedtime routine around 7 pm, she wakes up only once to eat now (usually around 2 or 3 am), and then sleeps until about 6:15 am. She almost always refuses a morning nap, but will go down around 1:30 pm for about 2-2.5 hours. She’s always been a back sleeper until a few nights ago, when she figured out that she can roll to her side!
Nicknames:
Baba, Monkey.
Milestones, etc.: -Her biggest accomplishment this month is sitting up on her own! She sometimes isn’t too confident (or is lazy) about doing it on her own, so I usually still put the boppy pillow around her for extra security._MG_6655-She’s started dancing to music and it’s the cutest thing! She can also tap her foot to the beat.
-She can play peekaboo all on her own and loves it!
-She’s babbling! She can only say “dadada”, but I love hearing her little voice (and I’m honestly always a little surprised when she starts “talking”… I guess I still see her as a tiny baby who can only giggle and cry, but that isn’t true anymore)!
-She’s also a major wiggle worm, but not crawling yet. I don’t think she’s even close, and that is just fine with me!
-I can still pass her around for other people to hold, but she is getting a little more sensitive about being away from her mommy. I suspect this is the start of separation anxiety!

Dear Kaelyn,

Every morning, I get so excited to see you when you wake up. I love that you are so happy to see me that you slam your legs down over and over again to show it. I love your crazy, scrunched-up grin. Your happiness is contagious!

_MG_6605 I love your squishy cheeks and joy for life. Your hair is still so fuzzy and soft. Usually, you still seem so little to me, but lately, I am seeing how grown-up and strong you’re becoming._MG_6553Kaelyn, you’re so incredibly sweet. You bring so much happiness to all of us. I love watching you become who you’re meant to be.
_MG_6547I love you so much, Monkey!

Processed with VSCOcam with s1 presetLove, Mommykaelynmonth8collage

kaelyn: 7 months

(written January 28th)_MG_6254

Height: 26 inches (according to our measuring, which doesn’t make any sense compared to her last two recorded heights… but that’s what we got, so I’m going with it.)
Weight:
15 pounds exactly!
Clothing size: All 6-9 month stuff! Although I can still squeeze her into 3-6 month onesies and pants if needed (aka when she has a leaky diaper and that’s all that’s in the diaper bag…)
Eyecolor:
Deep steel blue. I read an article that claims you can tell if a baby’s eyes will change color by looking at them from the side (which allows you to see the color without a reflection from the back of the iris). If the iris looks blue under this method, they’re likely to remain blue. Well… I tried it on Kaelyn a few times, and hers are crystal clear, which would mean that there’s little or no melanin present… but like all things, only time will tell. It’s just fun to guess, and I thought that random fact was fun to include!_MG_6261Nursing: It sure feels like she goes a lot longer between feedings… I’d guess it’s still about 2.5-3 hours. We also gave her just a taste of peanut butter (per our pediatrician’s recommendation to help prevent an allergy later in life), but she didn’t even acknowledge it- no lip smacking, no grossed-out face… nothing! Other than that, she hasn’t had any solid food yet.
Favorite things:
Playing airplane, kicking her feet in the bath, laughing at Kaya, and crumpling up paper! Favorite toys are her Valentine puppy and duck teething ring._MG_6219Dislikes: Getting buckled into the car seat and getting her shirt slipped over her head.
Sleep: She goes to bed around 7:30, and usually wakes up to eat between 2-3 am. I wake her up around 6:30 to feed her again before I go run. Sometimes she stays awake after that, other times, she goes back to bed. I’d also like to note that we stopped swaddling her, and she did just fine._MG_6232She has even started taking real naps! For the first part of the month, she’d take one around 10 am, for about 1.5 to 2 hours. I don’t know what changed, but now, she gets tired, passes out nursing, and wakes up as soon as I lay her down. So much for a morning nap, but I’m not complaining, because by 1 pm, she is more than ready to go down at the same time Kaya does. I set up the pack-n-play in my room for her to nap in, and I added some padding (the mat it comes with is hard as a rock, and I think it might’ve been why she wouldn’t nap long in it before). I put her sleep sack on, nurse her, and give her her favorite blanket, and the past few days, she’s been napping for about 2 hours. She apparently just needs to be tucked in really well!

Nicknames: Baba, Angelbaby, Fuzzy, Princess, Monkey, Kaecake._MG_6172Milestones, etc.: -She’s sitting up for (very) short periods of time. She still topples over a lot, so I put the boppy pillow around her to help her.
-She easily transfers objects between each hand.
-She is a wiggler! She can wiggle and “throw” her body toward whatever she’s trying to see or grab. I still seem to think she’s my tiny, helpless baby, so these crazy moves catch me off guard every time!_MG_6177 -She understands peekaboo and LOVES it!
-She still doesn’t have true “stranger anxiety”. I can hand her over to anyone and she’s all smiles!
-She’s hardcore and can do a sit-up all by herself!
-She loves looking at herself in the mirror (I almost always let her see herself right after we get jammies and her sleep sack on)!
-We have “squealing” conversations. She’ll say “ahhhhhh!” and I’ll say it back. We keep going like that for a few minutes, and she smiles from ear to ear the whole time.

Dear Kaelyn,

You are the light of my world! I love how much you love to snuggle and be held, and I’m secretly wishing you’ll always be a mama’s girl.

Everyone comments on how calm and relaxed you always are. I definitely brag about your easy-going nature- you’ve made this mommy-of-two gig pretty easy for me, and for that, I am SO grateful._MG_6184

I say it every time, but I really mean it now- this has been the fastest month yet! In a way, I wish I could freeze time and keep you exactly as you are- giggly with all those adorable baby rolls all over your body. I also love the way you crinkle up your nose when you smile real big._MG_6258

Most people still say you look like your mama. I think you got the shape of my eyes and my dimples, but other than that, I think you actually resemble your daddy! Either way, you are truly beautiful.

_MG_6257

Happy 7 months Baby Girl!kaelynmonth7collage

kaelyn: 6 months

(written December 31st)_MG_5975

Height: 27.25 inches (93%)
Weight:
14 pounds 4 ounces (16%)
Head Circumference: 16.25 inches (17%)
Clothing size: All 3-6 month clothing (except her Christmas pjs, which were 9 month size with room to grow). I think I’m about to switch her wardrobe out for her 6-9 month stuff really soon, though.
Eyecolor:
Steel blue.
Nursing:
Still every 2.5 hours or so. We haven’t started solids, and I’m not in any hurry to. Her pediatrician said she’s doing great, so we can take our time and start whenever we’d like!
Favorite things: Playing airplane, laughing at Kaya’s craziness, when Daddy pretends to “eat her up”, warm baths, snuggles, nuzzling noses, being swaddled, getting tickled, and yelling as loud as she can.
Dislikes:
Going to the doctor, apparently, because she screamed louder than I’ve ever heard her scream and went into complete hysterics before she even had her shots done! She also doesn’t like noisy environments with people she doesn’t really know… and getting her dressed/having her shirt put over her head. Other than that, she is an extremely happy baby!
Sleep: It felt like we (finally) hit a major milestone as far as sleep goes this month! She started sleeping from about 8 pm usually until anywhere between 4 and 6 am! Before we traveled for the holidays, she even had a few days in a row that she took a long (2 hour) nap in the crib. I haven’t gotten her to do that again, but we aren’t back to our normal daily routine yet, so there’s still hope. I used to always nurse Kaya before naps, lay her down, and she’d stay asleep. I nurse this little girl, and usually she wakes up as soon as I get up out of the rocking chair._MG_5613

Also, she is finally sleeping in the crib! We had to change Kaya’s routine a little (and put the baby gate in front of their room, since she still likes to get out of bed and sleep on the floor). The transition went a lot more smoothly than I anticipated. Kaelyn actually started sleeping better before we even moved her over to the crib, so it was just good timing. Sometimes I still put her back to bed in her bassinet after she eats in the early morning hours so I don’t have to disturb Kaya again._MG_5777

We also still swaddle her. I know that 6 months is a little old for this, but it works for now. She smiles so big when we wrap her up like a little baby burrito!Processed with VSCOcam with a10 preset Nicknames: Baba, Booboo, Little Elf, and KaeCake (which is how Kaya says “Kaelyn”!)
Milestones, etc.: -Finally, she ROLLED OVER! Yay. She is pretty much a pro now.
-She can almost sit up on her own. She’ll last a few seconds before toppling over! If she has the boppy pillow or someone supporting her just a little, she tries so hard to stay up on her own and does a pretty good job. I’m proud of my strong little baby!
-I’m amazed that she is now even taller than Kaya was at this age! Future volleyball or basketball player?
-All the baby milestone websites say that she should be babbling… she doesn’t babble so much as she YELLS at the top of her lungs! This girl can get loud! Sometimes she and Kaya take turns squealing at each other and giggling. Melt my heart!
-Besides the yelling, the rest of her language skills consist of “blowing raspberries” and making farting noises. She’s so good at it that sometimes I have to double check it’s really coming from her mouth!
-She’s started to suck her thumb!
-She discovered her tongue and loves to stick it out all. the. time!Processed with VSCOcam with a8 preset

Dear Kaelyn,

You are beautiful. I love everything about your sweet smile, round cheeks, and beaming personality. You spread sunshine everywhere you go, and I’m not exaggerating- no one can look at you without smiling._MG_5568 I always get the best, biggest smile out of you first thing in the morning. You’ll barely catch a glimpse of me out of the corner of your eye, and you just start beaming!_MG_5670I feel so blessed to be your mommy. Every single day with you is a gift.Processed with VSCOcam with a6 preset Happy Half Birthday, Sweetie!kaelynmonth6collage

kaelyn: 5 months

_MG_5484Height: 26 inches
Weight:
13 pounds 14.4 ounces
Clothing size: Both 0-3 month and 3-6 month onesies, but all 3-6 month pants.We’re mostly in 3-6 month jammies, too._MG_5498 Eyecolor: Blue-gray.
Nursing: Every 2.5 hours!
Favorite things: Snuggling, warm baths, being tickled, watching Kaya, and when we fly her over our heads like an airplane! Her favorite toys are her laughing butterfly rattle and Valentine’s beanie baby puppy._MG_5373Dislikes: Getting buckled into the car seat!
Sleep: Still not great. Bedtime is between 7 and 7:30 pm, and then she’s usually up around 11:30 pm, 3 am, and 5 or 6 am. Naps don’t happen unless I’m holding her or she’s so tired that she just passes out.

She’s still sleeping in our room, but I’m planning to transition her to the crib before this month is over. It might be crazy with two girls in one room, but I’m ready to just make the change.
Nicknames: Baba, Peanut, and FuzzHead!_MG_5493
Milestones, etc.: -She is SO great at grabbing what she wants and holding on to it. It’s really hard to take anything out of her little iron fist!
-She doesn’t just babble, she yells and shrieks with happiness! She actually has a very shrill little voice.
-She can sit up pretty well if she has the boppy pillow behind her. I’ve tried to get her to sit on her own, but it doesn’t last for more than half a second!
-I’ve been working on getting her to “stand” (assisted, obviously) on her legs for forever, and now, she finally does it! For a long time, she’d just avoid putting any weight on her legs at all, so I’m glad we’re making some progress.
-She still hasn’t rolled over yet… and to be honest, it’s probably my fault- she doesn’t get nearly as much floor time as Kaya did at this age. We’re so much more on the go these days, and when we’re home, I’m either holding her or she’s in her little seat next to me while I’m getting something done.

Dear Kaelyn,

Do you have to grow so fast? I just want to keep you tiny and snuggly. You really still seem so little to me, but I honestly can’t believe you’ve been here with us for 5 whole months.

You are the perfect blend of sweet…
_MG_5391
…and crazy! You just emanate joy and contentment, and everyone notices. It’s definitely my favorite thing about you!
_MG_5390
I’m so proud of how big and strong you’re becoming. You started out so tiny, but no one could ever tell by looking at you now.
kaelynmonth5collage

I love you Kaelyn Grace. Thank you for choosing our family!

Love, Mommy

kaelyn: 4 months

(written October 30th)

_MG_4875

Height: 25 inches (78%)
Weight:
12 pounds 4 ounces (20%)
Head circumference: 16 inches (41%)
Clothing size: Still mostly 0-3 month onesies, although jammies are getting small (and some 3-6 month ones fit with room to grow). A few of her newborn onesies still fit and we’re still in 0-3 month pants.
Eyecolor: Blue? Sometimes I’m not so sure, and I guess that means they might be changing.
Nursing: Usually every 2 to 2.5 hours, but I can stretch it to 3 or so if we’re out running errands, etc. Sometimes she’ll start getting verrrry fussy when she’s eating and 99% of the time it’s due to gas or a burp!
Favorite things: She is pretty much the happiest baby ever… she loves when we sing, tickle her, dance, and snuggle. She’s also a fan of warm baths, diaper changes, and being naked.
Dislikes: Gas pains, getting buckled into the car seat, and being on her tummy.
Sleep: I’m not even really sure what to write here, because the only consistent thing about her sleep pattern is that it’s inconsistent! Earlier in the month, she was doing great and only waking up once at night… but it was short-lived. She goes down for the night around 7:30 or 8 pm, sleeps until about 11 or 12, and then wakes up 2 or 3 times between then and 5 or 6 am, depending on the day. I’ve tried doing a “dream feed” before Michael and I go to bed, but it doesn’t really seem to make a difference in how often she wakes up. I love seeing her adorable little face any time, but getting up every couple hours is honestly a little hard on this mama. Somehow we get through it and keep going! By morning time, I usually have no idea how many times or when exactly I was awake the night before (probably because I keep falling asleep in the chair with her).

She usually will pass out in her seat in the morning and then again in the afternoon, if we’re at home. She’s taken two naps in the crib so far, but we’ve been out of the house so much lately that I haven’t been able to make it a regular thing. In the afternoon, when Kaya goes down for a nap, I snuggle with Kaelyn in the armchair and we try to get some rest. With cuddles, she’ll sleep for maybe 1-1.5 hours, which is awesome!
Nicknames: Baba, Peanut, and Fuzzy!
Milestones, etc.: -She’s an excellent grabber… just ask my hair! I can leave her on the bed for a moment and she’ll usually grab some of the [clean] laundry or anything else that’s close to her.
-She’s super aware of her hands and fingers, and they can often be found in her mouth._MG_4896 -Squealing! It’s her number one way to communicate, and when she’s happy, everyone knows it!
-Laughing at “situations” rather than just when being tickled. She thinks Kaya is HILARIOUS and started cracking up over her antics one day! If we’re silly enough, she’ll laugh at us, too._MG_4899-Most friends and strangers still  love to say she looks like her mommy… I’m not so sure, but it’s nice to get some credit for baking this little girl in my belly for 9 months! Haha.
-She has LEG ROLLS. Seriously! My little 5-pounder has grown so much! I love how babies chunk up at this age! 🙂_MG_4908-She’s starting to discover her toes… usually just during diaper changes when I’m holding up her legs, but I’m sure it won’t be long before she’s eating them on a regular basis.

_MG_4885

Dear Kaelyn,

Your smile could brighten anyone’s day, and when we go anywhere, people make it a point to tell me how beautiful you are. I kiss your chunky little cheeks all day, every day, and I still can’t get enough of you._MG_4884

You’re becoming your own little person now, and I just love watching you take in the world around you. I love hearing you laugh with your sister. There isn’t any other sound I’d rather have ringing through our home, and I hope you’ll keep laughing together for years to come.

Sweet girl, I love you SO much! I’m so grateful I get to be your mommy. Thanks for being my little cuddle buddy.

Love, Mommykaelynmonth4collage

kaelyn: 3 months

_MG_4435

(Our own measurements this month, so who knows how truly accurate they are…)
Height:
24 inches
Weight:
11 pounds 8 ounces
Clothing size: It really just depends on the brand. We’re done with a lot of newborn outfits (especially because her cloth diaper makes everything just a wee bit tighter), but she still has room to grow in 0-3 month stuff.
Eyecolor: They still look blue to me… especially when we’re outside!
Nursing: She goes about 2-2.5 hours between feedings now.
Favorite things: She just loves when we get up close to her face, talk, sing, and smile at her! I definitely think she is one of the happiest babies ever. When I sing to her, she jabbers on and on as if she’s trying to sing along with me. Of course, she still loves to eat and snuggle. She talks to, plays with, and stares at the toys that hang above her seat all the time and is so content to do that for quite a while (which is really handy when Big Sister needs something or I have to shower or cook dinner, etc.)!
Dislikes: She’s still not a fan of tummy time… and I also scared the daylights out of her the other day when I was goofing around and made a voice with a “country” accent as a joke. She’s always been very responsive to the sound of my real voice and definitely didn’t like the change!
Sleep: For most of the month, sleep wasn’t so great. We had a couple weeks where she’d go to bed around 8:30, sleep until about midnight, and then wake up 4 times between then and 5 am. Talk about exhausting! We’re doing better now and it looks like we’re back to her waking up to eat sometime between 1 and 3, and then again at 5. She sometimes goes back to bed for a little while after that.

Naps don’t usually happen without me snuggling her, but I am starting to see a pattern- she gets tired around 8:30 am and again around 2 pm. In the morning, I can get her to sleep in the bassinet without snuggles.

And yes… she is still sleeping in the bassinet next to our bed. It’s been easy this way and I just don’t want to change it… but I know she needs to get used to sleeping in the crib soon.
Nicknames: Baba and Peanut!
Milestones, etc.: -She’s pretty much a pro at holding up her head and she easily turns it from left to right.
-She can roll from her back onto her side (so now I have to be sure to put her far from the edge of our bed when I change her)!
-The best milestone this month (and possibly the best of all)… she started laughing!!! She was so close for so long and finally did it on 9/22 when I tickled her tummy during a diaper change!
-She’s become so very vocal this month. We talk to her, and she “talks” back. There was one morning that we woke up to the sound of her cooing at the little animals that hang above her bassinet. Cutest thing ever.
-Speaking of her little animal toys, she is also a pro at grabbing them! She can get one in each hand and even pull the mouse far enough to make it vibrate. Hand-eye coordination is a great thing to have 🙂
-Not a milestone, but… this little girl has the sweatiest feet of any baby I’ve ever met. She doesn’t even have to wear footie pajamas to get them sweating.

Dear Kaelyn,

You have changed so much this month! Although you started out so small, you’ve been growing so fast that you’ve caught up to the size your big sister was at this age! I’m so proud._MG_4384

I keep telling your Daddy that you’re the happiest baby ever, and I think he agrees. This morning, he walked over to you and said “Hi Baba! You’re smiling! But of course you are!” I hope you stay so ready to smile, even when you’re bigger. You make our days so bright!_MG_4323

I don’t really know what I ever did without you. You’re my little cuddle buddy every afternoon (and a good part of most nights), and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I love you so much Kaelyn Grace. Keep growing big, strong, and smart!

Love, Mommy
kaelynmonth3collage

kaelyn: 2 months

I’m almost a week late on this since I was waiting to get her growth statistics at her doctor appointment… but here it finally is!_MG_3886Height: 22.25 inches (43%)
Weight:
9 pounds 11 ounces (19%)
Head circumference:
15 inches (30%)
Clothing size:
 Newborn onesies and pants are still fitting fine, although I’ve started putting her in 0-3 month clothing more now that we started using her cloth diapers and she has a big, puffy bum! She definitely still has plenty of room to grow in them, though. Newborn dresses are starting to get too short.
Eyecolor: Blue! They’re still looking pretty light so far.
Nursing: She nurses just about every two hours now. She’s apparently really good at eating, since she’s been growing so quickly!
Favorite things: Getting her diaper changed (she always smiles at me a TON), cooing, cuddling, eating, and staring at the little designs on the mobile above her bassinet.08272014collage1Dislikes: Tummy time (she either screams or just falls asleep!) and being in the car seat.
Sleep: She has finally started sleeping longer stretches at night! Starting around week 7, she started getting cranky earlier in the evenings, so we took it as a sign that she was tired and ready for bed. We started putting her to bed at 9, and now we’ve moved it back to around 8 pm. She’ll sleep about 6 hours or so before she needs to eat, and then will fall back to sleep again until anywhere between 4 and 6 am, after which she seems to stay awake. She usually passes out for a short (about 40-minute) nap around 9 am, and I can get her to nap in the afternoon if I snuggle with her.

To my surprise, she’s still sleeping in the bassinet. When Kaya was little, I was anxious to get her sleeping in the crib at a very early age (3 weeks), so I thought I’d be the same way with Kaelyn. Well, it turns out that it’s just easier to keep her in our room instead of interrupting Kaya’s sleep routine to put her in the crib in there. I know we need to make the switch soon, but I’m really not looking forward to it.
Nicknames: Peanut and Baba (which is how Kaya says “baby”… and it stuck)!
Milestones, etc.: -She has so much more head control now and really tries hard to hold it up herself! She can turn each way to follow our movements and loves to track us with her eyes. She even smiles at me from halfway across the room!

-She coos/”talks” sometimes. She has a soft, quiet little voice, and doesn’t seen as chatty as Kaya was at this age. She talks to me the most and I love it.

-She seems to reach toward things now, like the toys that hang about her seat or the mirror snail toy we play with on the floor.

-She’s started grabbing things (including hair… ouch)! She’s starting to discover her hands and has started sucking on them when she’s hungry or holding onto my clothes and pushing on me when she’s nursing.

kaelynmonth2collage

Dear Kaelyn,

I love the little chubby cheeks you’re starting to get! You have grown so much and I’m so glad. You started out so tiny, but you’re wasting no time catching up. When you’re nursing, I love to stroke the tiny strands of hair on your head- I think it’s the fuzziest I’ve ever seen!_MG_3866

You give me the very best smiles. You’re always so happy to see me, and honestly, it just makes my day. I love being your safe place and I’m so grateful for our afternoon cuddles.Processed with VSCOcam with se2 presetI love you Kaelyn Grace. I’m so excited to see who you’ll become over the next few months, but don’t grow up too fast, okay?

Love, Mommy

kaelyn: 1 month

_MG_3362Height: 20.5 inches (21%)
Weight:
7 pounds 8 ounces (7%)
Head circumference:
14.25 (23%)
Clothing size:
 For most of this month, she wore preemie everything. Newborn onesies are starting to fit better (but she definitely still has room to grow).Newborn pants are pretty big on her, but I’ve been putting them on her anyway. We’re still using disposable newborn diapers because I’m really not sure when she’s going to be big enough for her cloth ones.
Eyecolor: Dark blue. They’re much lighter than Kaya’s ever were, so I’m really hoping they stay blue!
Nursing: She goes about an hour and twenty minutes between nursing sessions. I keep joking that she eats so often because she’s trying to make up for starting out so tiny!
Favorite things: Milk and snuggling 🙂
Dislikes: She wasn’t a fan of her first bath, but since then, she’s tolerated them pretty well. She usually screams when we buckle her into the car seat, and she cries (or tries to go to sleep) during tummy time.
Sleep: Oh, sleep… what is that again? Haha. Honestly, she’s been doing a lot better lately, but it still just varies from night to night. She goes down for the night around 11 to 11:30, and will sleep 3-3.5 hours before she needs to eat. After that, she’s back to eating every two hours or so._MG_3355Nicknames: Peanut, Tiny Princess, Sweet Pea, and Michael sometimes calls her “Little Stitch” or just “Stitch” (her birthday is 6.26, and Stitch from Lilo & Stich was experiment 626. So there’s where that came from).
Milestones, etc.: -She smiles real smiles (not just gassy ones) at us!
– She can focus her eyes on close objects.
– Her neck is actually super strong. I’m amazed at how high she can lift her head (but she’s still lacking control over where it goes)!
– We like to joke that this girl can go “0 to 60” in one second flat. She’ll be completely content, and next thing you know, she’s crying as loud and as hard as she possibly can. Where were the warning signs?
-So many people keep saying she looks like her mama! When I stand in front of the mirror with her, I can see how people think that, but she doesn’t look anything like pictures of me as a baby! I really think she looks completely unique!

Some outtakes- Kaya insisted that her baby doll get her picture taken too 🙂

06262014collage1

Dear Kaelyn,

I think this month has gone by faster than any other in my lifetime. I love having you here with us, but I almost wish you could stay this tiny (and snuggly) forever. Your smiles have me falling in love with you over and over, each and every day._MG_3417

I’m so glad your big sister still takes an afternoon nap, because most days, that’s our special time together. We love you so much, sweet girl, and can’t wait to see you grow! Thank you for coming to join our family.kaelynmonth1collage

kaelyn grace: 3 weeks

(written July 17th)

I can’t believe there’s only one more weekly update before I write her one-month post. Seriously… wasn’t she just born?_MG_3309_2

I wish time could slow down. I need a million more afternoons filled with tiny baby cuddles. I could sit forever holding her, breathing in her sweet newborn smell and kissing the ultra-soft peach fuzz atop her head._MG_3324

Kaelyn’s still eating every two hours or less, even at night (except for maybe one three-hour stretch)! I keep joking that she’s just trying to catch up since she started out so small. It seems like she especially likes to cluster feed in the evenings before bedtime.

Speaking of bedtime… I’m still not sure she knows what that is! We’ve had some rough nights this week (I think I saw every hour go by on Monday night). She sleeps like a rock if we snuggle her, though. I’m really not into co-sleeping… but we let her stay in our bed on Tuesday night and we actually got some rest. When it comes down to it, a person can only go so many nights with minimal shut-eye, and the choice was to either sleep that way or not sleep at all.

I was so proud of her last night though- she slept by herself all night long, only waking up to eat. I’m really hoping that phenomenon repeats itself tonight!

When Kaya was three weeks old, I started putting her to bed in her crib. Kaelyn is still nursing more frequently at night than Kaya was, though, so I don’t think we’re quite ready. Not to mention that the girls will share a room, and Kaya would still rather sleep on the floor next to the door instead of in her bed… which means that I’d probably wake her up anytime I’d go in there to get the baby in the middle of the night._MG_3314

We started tummy time this week. I’m impressed by how strong she is! It does seem like she has more control of her neck muscles now._MG_3224

Kaelyn went to her first sacrament meeting at church, too. I fed her right before we left home, but she needed to eat again by the time the first speaker began her talk!
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She does seem a lot more aware of what’s around her now, too, so we’ve even been playing with a few toys. Of course, she also just loves to look at us and hear us talk to her._MG_3232

We love you, Kaelyn Grace! Your little smile just melts my heart._MG_3245

kaelyn grace: 2 weeks

(written July 12th)

Two whole weeks (plus a couple days)! I still feel like we’re in a time warp, where the days seem to be simultaneously crawling and flying by (I’m really not even sure how that’s possible, but that’s how it feels to me. Maybe sleep deprivation is to blame)!_MG_3186 - Copy

We’re readjusting to life with a newborn- getting by on less sleep, nonstop nursing, blowout diapers, and (sometimes) lots of crying.

Nevertheless, I’m so grateful for this little girl. Having her in our family is more than worth all the “hard” moments that naturally come with having a baby._MG_3189

Kaelyn had her second doctor appointment this week. I was anxious to see what she weighs, and she didn’t disappoint us- she came in at 6 pounds 3 ounces!_MG_3194

Sleep this week wasn’t as good as last week. She wakes up to eat in the middle of the night, and when she’s finished, she just wants to cuddle. Cuddling her is the only way to keep her asleep. Usually, after she wakes up for her first morning feeding, she’ll go back to sleep sans snuggles in her rock ‘n play. I’ve been cashing in on those extra couple of hours by going back to bed (lucky for me, Kaya’s been sleeping in lately, too).

We also discovered that she doesn’t like to be swaddled. Weird for a newborn, right?! She loves sleeping with her hands up by her face, so as soon as I’d tuck her arms into the swaddle blanket, she’d start squirming and crying.

She still gets a TON of hiccups, and now she’s not shy about how frustrated they make her feel._MG_3196

Kaelyn lost her umbilical cord stump on day 9, which meant that she could finally have a real bath. Sadly, she wasn’t a fan… and she pooped while she was still in the tub. Oops._MG_3203

Happy two weeks, Peanut!