ONE MONTH

{ December 30, 2011 }




MORGAN ELAINE

*ONE MONTH*




I am writing this blog post at 5 weeks. Having a newborn baby has left me no time to blog. Or do a whole lot of anything else.

*****{ STATS}*****


  8 lbs


 20.5 inches long


Size: Newborn


When the month began newborn clothing swallowed you up. But at the end of the month they seemed to fit you perfectly. It will probably be another month until you outgrow your newborn clothing. Maybe. We will see.


*****{ HEALTH & DIET }*****


Your health is great. When you were born you got to stay with mommy at hospital for 3 days and go home without any restrictions. You are in perfect health little one. 


I knew before I gave birth to you that you would be breastfed. No formula! Well, this didn't work out so well. When I went back to the hospital the second time, I got really sick. I wouldn't eat anything other than some crackers. Since then I have had a hard time eating for some strange reason. So you are breastfed and if your still hungry you get a bottle. I am doing all sorts of things to try to supply you with enough of my milk. Taking fenugreek supplements, drinking mother's milk tea, eating as much as I can and nursing you as long as you will let me. We will see in time if these things will work themselves out.


*****{ SCHEDULE }*****


Well. Your schedule didn't change much during your first month. You only woke up to eat and get your diaper changed. You ate about every 2 hours. You basically slept like an angel. I believe I slept as much as you did during this first month too. You just started sleeping (almost) through the entire night at the end of this month. You would wake up at either 1:30am or 3:00am or both. Even when you would sleep longer it was only about 3-4 hours. This month I let you sleep. I didn't wake you unless I needed to nurse you to try to keep my supply up. 


***** { FIRSTS }*****


You had your first real bath (no wipes involved) on December 11, 2011. You weren't real thrilled about this either. You loved the water being on your body but not on your head. You cried until you were wrapped up in the warm towel.

{ December 11 }

You gave mommy and daddy a big fat smile (while you were awake) on December 27, 2011. I had a tiny tear of excitement over this! Daddy was holding you when it happened. He smiled too. Now we are constantly trying to get you to smile :) I didn't get it on camera but one of these days I will.

Your first Christmas was this month. You slept through most of the festivities. You were spoiled by your aunt, uncle, and grandparents the whole time! Mommy and Daddy got to open all of your presents. This was a wonderful time for you. You got to spend time with some of your family on mommy's side too. 

{ December 25 }
Your first Christmas

You slept through the night for the first time once this month. It was on Christmas Eve. Mommy and Daddy went to bed around midnight and woke up around 6am. Mommy and Daddy did a double take while you were sleeping. We did another double take and then I asked daddy if he woke up with you during the night. He said no. Then he asked me if I woke up with you during the night. I said no. Then we smiled at each other thinking that you were already going to start sleeping through the night at just one month old. I think that it was all the commotion with visitors and you were just plum wore out!


Your first time away from home was December 16, 2011. It was mommy and daddy's first year anniversary. Our good friend Beth watched you while we went on our date. She sent me a picture on my cell of you. It was so sweet! 

{December 16}
The text message said:
Hi mommy and daddy!!! Love, Morgan ;-)

*****{ MOMMY'S FAVORITE THINGS THIS MONTH }*****


I love watching you sleep. You are constantly giving little smirks, eye-rolls, and smiles. I love to see how many different faces you have for me.


Something daddy said to me this month:

A son is a son until he takes him a wife. A daughter is a daughter all of her life. -unknown

I really loved bringing you home. It was a relief after being in the hospital for 3 days with you. I loved the way you slept so close to me. I loved watching daddy take care of you. It amazed me to see how gentle and loving he was with you. Daddy was also very proud of you too. He kisses you all the time.

Your smile. I love your little toothless smile. It's adorable. The first time you smiled was while you were nursing. I couldn't and still can't keep my eyes off you. You stopped nursing just for a quick second and smiled at me (asleep of course). I was instantly in love (again)! 

I love love love how fluffy your hair gets after you get a bath. It's almost like baby duck hair all fluffy and sticking up everywhere! 

I also loved trying to catch your feet! Whenever I would try to put your socks on, your feet went back and forth as if you were on an imaginary bicycle. It was adorable. I was constantly getting the sock onto your toes and then you would pull your leg back time after time. Eventually I had to learn how to catch your foot with 8 fingers and put your socks on with the other 2. I loved every minute of it!

I absolutely loved when you would give me what I call { The One Eyed Willy }!! You did this constantly. I would wake you up to say hi and you would look like this! I would laugh so hard. I thought that one of your eyes got stuck shut. This was definitely one of my favorite things about you. 

{ December 6}
One Eyed Willy


~Love Mommy

*****{ DADDY'S FAVORITE THINGS THIS MONTH }*****

I love when I come home from a hard day at work and you are fussy (or just mad at mom for something) and all of a sudden everything is better once you are in my arms.  Your eyes open wide and I just know you are trying to say Da-da.  I love that you are the only one in the house that understands and loves football as much as me.  As you sit quietly watching and get so sad when our team loses.  I love to see how happy you have made your mother.  I love all the new challenges and experiences that I have gotten to be a part of with you.  I love how you rock those plaid POLO shoes that don't quite fit yet.  I love that I can take your picture on the brow tines of Grandpa's deer and you don't fuss once.  I love that we can go out as a family shooting guns and you just sleep and eat with not a care in the world.  I love how you suck on the tip of my nose waiting for your bottle.  I was amazed in the hospital how calming my finger tip was to you when you got so frustrated about not being able to latch.  I love that when you sleep you drool like Daddy and even snore a little.  I love when you hold my finger tight in your hand and we practice our pull-ups.  I love how you hold your binky in with two hands as if you  will never part with it and when I turn away you have spit it out again.  I love that you fall asleep best while laying on my chest and the moment I try to move you, you get so upset.


 Daddy


*****{ WHAT WE MISS }*****


I think daddy can agree to this - but I really missed my sleep this month. You were up all the time. All day and all night. I adored every minute of it too. - mommy


Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful things a woman can endure. I miss wondering about you. All of your cute little fingers and toes kicking and pushing about. I always wondered what you would look like. Which parent you would favor. I also miss looking through all of you belongings day in and day out before you arrived. I was in love with everything that belonged to you. Even though I couldn't wait to bring you into this world, I miss being pregnant with you. It was a wonderful experience and daddy was there every step of the way! - mommy


SLEEP!!!! and mommy's big butt. - DADDY


*****{ A LITTLE ABOUT YOU }*****


Your cute. So cute. Your warm and cuddly. I absolutely love your skin. When you were born you had this amazing tan complexion with rose colored cheeks. 


Your hungry. Always hungry. 


You already know what a binky is. You gripped your binky at 2 days old! Nobody was taking that binky from you with your 24 hour surveillance grip!

{ December 3}
look at the double fisted grip on that binky!

You are already spoiled. That is for sure. 


You are always blowing bubbles into your diaper. I laugh because my hand is usually holding your butt when this happens. It's like a tiny Kale is inside your diaper. I'm waiting for the day you out-stink-bomb your daddy. Even daddy said, "Yep, she takes after me".


You are very aware of what your arms. You would only let me swaddle you for the first week of your life. During that first week when we had you swaddled, we would check on you and one of your arms would be hanging out. I knew right then and there that you were a little mover. You always found a way to get at least one arm out of your swaddled blanket. I thought it was adorable. During weeks 3 and 4 we just skipped the whole swaddling you process. You really liked to be laid out wherever you were. 


You will probably be a daddy's girl all the way. Daddy adores you. He loves holding you. He hands you over when its time for you to nurse but loves taking you back into his arms as soon as he can. 


He is already getting you into football. You watched your first football game (asleep) this month. Daddy also made mommy laugh when he put your tiny hands around a football. Mommy laughed at daddy! I told him NO. But when he turned his back, I grinned and loved him even more that day!


*****{ A LITTLE ABOUT MOMMY }*****


Oh goodness. Mommy is good. I am happy that you are here. I am happy that you are healthy. I was in the hospital after your birth for 3 days. I returned to the hospital with post-partum preeclampsia one week later. I also stayed in hospital for 3 days. It was rough but you were right there by my side. I had to talk the hospital staff into letting me keep you with me! I was so happy when they finally told me I could have you there. I didn't want you away from me for one single minute!


I haven't been a big eater these days. From the surgery to the medications and hospitalizations. This has taken its toll on me. But I'm getting better day to day. I feel better too. 


I have lost all of my 'baby weight' from my pregnancy with you. This makes me very happy although I still can't wear most of my jeans. I am almost ready to start running again. Hopefully be ready soon to go to the gym. Daddy wants to get into these P90x videos that Nana and PawPaw let us have. Not too sure our schedule will allow this right now. But we are going to try. This will be a challenge for mommy and daddy both. But we are excited to get fit after this pregnancy.


I am feeling very blessed with three beautiful children and a loving husband. There's nothing like family. Our family went from 4-5 fast! Daddy and mommy just got married the December before you were born. We found out we were pregnant with you just two months later. I cried like a baby out of joy. This has been a wonderful experience.


Mommy and Daddy decided that instead of me going back to work after you were born, that mommy would stay at home. I love being at home with you. This has given me so much time to care for you, bond with you, and watch your every move.




*****{ A LITTLE ABOUT DADDY }*****


Daddy is doing well.  A little tired but what is new.  I have been working endless hours it seems trying to keep up all while doing what I can to help mommy around the house and taking you and your brothers so she can finally have some peace and quite.  Last weekend we went out in the woods as a family to shoot some guns.  I was the proudest daddy ever when my little girl didn't mind one bit when a high powered rifle was going off not more than 30 FT from her.  (Don't worry Mom and Tache, she was behind the four-wheeler covered in her car seat)


I am so thankful and relieved that Morgan and Sharin have made it through the pregnancy, birth and first month all in good health with only a few worries along the way.  The Lord has blessed us.


I am looking forward to the future while doing my best to enjoy the here and now.  I know it is all going to go so fast.  Slowing down is a goal for the near future so that I won't miss a thing that you and your brothers have in store for Mommy and Daddy.


*****{ YOUR BIG BROTHERS }*****


Your brothers absolutely adore you. Your oldest brother is 9. He is in love with you. If Colten hears you make even the smallest peep he goes running to make sure that you are o.k. He gives you your binky. Turns on your swing and music. He loves you so much. He has turned out to be a really great older brother!

{ December 5 }

Tyler is the middle child right now. He is also your big brother. He is only 5 so he is still revolving around himself. He loves you too. He is the one who sings to you. Talks to you. Shares his toys with you even though you can't really play with them. He bebop's around you like a busy bee. It's fun to watch the way he interacts with you. 

{ December 5 }

*PHOTOS FROM YOUR FIRST MONTH*

{ November 30 }

{ December 3 }

{ December 5}

{ December 5 }

{ December 6 }

{ December 11 }

{ December 21}

{ December 25 }

{ December 27 }

{ December 29 }

I can't believe your already a month old. This month has gone by so fast.

I have ultimately enjoyed becoming your mom. This month has given me so much! Our friends and family have given us so much. The Lord has truly blessed me again. I am thrilled that you are a girl. (Finally) A little girl to do girly things for and with.
I embrace every day that goes by. You are so special to me Morgan. I love you with all my heart.