ONE.

Where these last four weeks have flown to is beyond me.  I feel like we just came home from the hospital and there is no way we have been new parents to this perfect baby girl for that long already.

She really is perfect- as I’m sure all parents would say of their sweet new baby.

Proud mama bear right here, ya’ll.

While I feel like she was born j u s t last week, she has changed so much since we first met her four weeks ago.  

I am pretty sure we have arm rolls.

..and leg rolls 

..and a double chin.

I’ve never been so excited about chubbiness.

Lets fill those baby bloomers I have stacked and waiting in your dresser drawers!

banner c/o little dovie // turban (old) c/o shelby chic boutique // romper / hauz of zoe

We visited Dr. Butler’s office yesterday afternoon for her one month appointment, and Butler was pleased with how much she has grown!  This girl has packed on the ounces since her last visit 2 weeks ago – I was actually surprised when the scale bounced over eight pounds!

Wearing newborn diapers and newborn size clothes – although all those 0-3 month clothes hanging in your closet are too far off from fitting.

Birth: 6 lbs 13 oz

Height: 21.2 in (56th percentile)

Birth: 19.1 in

Birth: 34.5 cm

We didn’t walk in with a ton of questions or concerns, but we did ask her to look her over for signs of torticollis.  We have been watching Baker really closely to try and catch any signs of tightened neck muscles we missed previously with Jolie, but Dr. B doesn’t see anything indicating that in Baker right now.  I think we are just being overly cautious since we dealt with all that before.  Thankful she’s in good shape for now.  We are making sure to keep her neck movement even as she favors her left side more than her right.

paci c/o dr. brown // nightgown / purl lamb

E A T

Baker is an exceptional eater!  From the moment we met for skin to skin to practice just minutes after she was born she was ready – nearly a perfect latch from the get go.  My milk came in on day 2 and memory hormones (as the lactation consultant called them) recalled my supply from a year and a half before in feeding two babies, so I was offering her plenty with more to spare.  I ended up having to pump for relief after feeding Baker while we were in the hospital and came home with over 20 ounces of milk to store.  Jordan had to make a run to Walmart to pick up a cooler for the car ride home!  More on that later, but I was so glad to have a good initial experience in nursing with Baker – and thankfully after a couple days my body figured out that I was not feeding twins this time around!  I was honestly nervous for how it was going to go.  Sure I could feed Parker and Jolie, but was I going to be able to do it all over again for Baker?  So far so good- breastfeeding has continued to go well over these last four weeks.  Baker eats about every 3 hours during the day and will sleep in 4-5 hours between feedings throughout the night.  This last Sunday we were out and about running errands – church, lunch, shopping.. in the car a lot and therefore Baker slept a lot and didn’t really wake to eat but about every 4+ hours.  That night the girl woke every 2 hours ravenous to eat.. I’ll never make that mistake again:) I am practicing on-demand feeding still so if and when she is hungry at 2 or two and a half hours I feed her rather than wait to that 3 hour mark.  This could be why she gained over a pound in just two weeks!  If she happens to be awake during that last hour before its time to eat again, she’s not sure what to do with herself and will root and fuss and grunt until I feed her.  

breastfeeding + teething necklace c/o little teeth ease

We held off on offering the paci until this last week – and she is a big fan!  Its taken some work to get her to learn about what she is actually supposed to do with it, but I think we are figuring it out.  Good news is that it hasn’t even phased her with nursing.  No bottles just yet, but I am excited to have the girls help feed her soon (I wanted to wait until after 4 weeks and we established a good nursing routine before offering it).  I am not pumping after every feeding as I did with the twins, but if I feel the need I will pump after the first feeding in the morning (when milk production peaks) or before I go to bed if Baker falls asleep and doesn’t empty.  Not everyday, but 3-5 times week I will pump about 3 ounces after she nurses.  I haven’t pumped due to a missed feeding yet, so I’m interested to see how much I get at that time.  For the most part, Baker does a great job in emptying after nursing until she is full after 15-25 minutes on one side.  She doesn’t usually want/need to nurse on the other side, which was a very new experience for me after tandem feeding the twins for 13 months.  She’s all business, eats quickly (averages about 17 minutes), and rarely falls asleep until she’s done with me.   

P L A Y

We haven’t exactly done any sort of ‘play’ during this first month, but Baker is really strong and will hold her head and upper body up for several minutes while laying on our chest or being carried on our shoulder- she loves to observe her surroundings!  Baker has a really strong core – even Dr. B mentioned that yesterday afternoon after she placed her on her tummy to examine her and Baker did a little froggy hop off of Butler’s leg.  This girl will be rolling over before we know it and crawling early like her big sister Jolie! Slow your role, girlfriend.  Baker has started to focus in objects close to her face and respond to light (television) and acknowledge a familiar voice.  Jordan was holding her on the couch while I was prepping dinner just last night and I leaned over his shoulder and started sweet talking our baby girl and she immediately turned her head to look for me.  I literally felt my heart in my throat.  

S L E E P

Thankful for the healthy sleeping babe that she is.  She is awake during the daytime hours for about 45 minutes to an hour between feedings and will fall sleep the last 45 minutes to an hour before she’s ready to eat again.  At night she will sleep about 4.5 hours after the last feeding before I go to bed, and then wake again about 3.5 hours after that.. ultimately I am waking 2-3 times through the night to nurse her.

She sleeps really, really well on her tummy.  Usually after the first feeding of the morning (often between 6am-7am) I’ll lay her on her tummy next to me if I am not going back to sleep after nursing her.  This is our quiet time for me to pump if I need to, read through my she reads truth devotional of the morning, and catch up on my bloglovin’ feed.  I’ll also do this in the evening when Jordan is at the fire station – while I am winding down after putting the twins to bed – blogging, watching food network, or scrolling the ‘gram.  She will sleep 4+ hours on her tummy..her little bootie in the air and hands up by her face.  I bet if she were to sleep at night like this she would already be sleeping through.  Not happening, but just saying:)

initial beanie hat / cotton cupcake shoppe

 B A K E R

Girl, you have hung the moon in this house.  I have never seen your older sisters love and adore something or someone so much.  Baker sugars, mama? is a constant request and I cannot help but be overwhelmed with thanks when they go in for the longest and sweetest kiss – right smack on your teeny lips.  They break out in giggles when you start to root on their face and really are convinced that you are kissing them back.  Your mama and daddy loves that, too!  

I’ve never felt so much pride when I see you three together.

Much to our surprise, during your first few weeks of being home, you were pretty quiet. Didn’t fuss a whole lot and hadn’t really found your voice.  But, oh.  I think you were trying to figure out what you were up against with those crazy sisters of yours.  You have since found your voice- and even still your cry is the most precious thing.  You pout your lip out in between the ‘wah‘ whaling and make it known when you are unhappy.  The carseat isn’t your favorite place to be and you can really stress your mama out when you are upset and I cant do anything about it from the driver’s seat.  

diaper changes + hunger + gas pains get you worked up the most.  I’ve also never heard a little babe like yourself hiccup the way you do.  You get them a couple times a day and working them out can be a task, but we get through it just fine.  This is no surprise because when you would get the hiccups while in my tummy, they were a tad humorous with how my belly would almost shudder.

You have the most expressive facial movements – I love love love your sleepy grins, wrinkling of your nose, and pursing of your lips.  No real grinning just yet, but I think we are close..I can see the smile in your eyes and thats almost just a great as a big cheesy grin.  Your little noises are the most precious- I forget how amazing those baby sounds are, and having you to remind me makes me want to relive this over and over again.  You are coming more and more into developing who you are- but I really see the perfect blend of Jolie and Parker in you.  In one moment I see an exact replica of Miss Parker Jane – your sweet little perky nose and dark grey eyes are nearly identical to hers (you get it from your mama) and in the same glance I see your oldest sister Jolie Grace – its your lips and chin that resemble hers the most.

I really cannot wait to see what month 2 has to bring – how you will grow and change over the next four weeks.

You make me (and your daddy) so happy.  

I miss you when I sleep.

I miss you when you sleep.

I wish we could just snuggle all day long.  You give the best snuggles.

I still cant believe we have been blessed by you for one whole month already.

How perfectly you complete our family of five.