Dear Macey (one month)

Macey Jean,

You are one month old (okay, a little over a month, but your mama's busy and tired so I hope you'll forgive me for being a tad late on this one)!

We just had your one month well baby check-up a couple of days ago. I was worried how it was going to go when we walked in and I saw how crowded the waiting room was, but you were a perfect angel and slept the whole time. Not surprisingly, you're in the 85th percentile for height. You and your big brother are making it clear that I'm going to be the short one in the family. You're currently in the 50th percentile for weight (weighing in at 9 lbs, 6 oz), but I wouldn't be surprised if that changed over the months to come. Your brother started off in the 50th percentile for weight and slowly dropped down to the 10th percentile! I credit that to your tall, skinny daddy.

You're currently on a "loose" Eat/Activity/Sleep routine (I say loose because, given that you're only 5 weeks old, it's expected that we're going to have some off days or off moments during the day). I wasn't aware of this routine when your brother was your age, and while I'm not a fan of having a baby on a strict schedule, I like the predictability this easy routine has given our days together. It helps me to better understand your needs throughout the day-- an understanding I really lacked when your brother was a newborn. You live and learn, right?

Macey, you're a sweet girl with an easygoing disposition. I'm able to sit you down on your own for small intervals of time while I get things done around the house or play with your brother. You are content to just kick and smile during these times. You're also starting to give us some social smiles which are absolutely adorable. You love the sound of voices-- particularly your brother's voice-- and will freeze no matter what you're doing and your eyes will widen as you listen quietly.

What else? You're nursing like a champ-- every 2.5 hours or so. Sometimes you cluster feed a bit at night time. You typically wake up twice during the night-- once between 2-3am and once between 5-6am. You're up for the day between 7-8am. Bedtime varies right now. I like to have you down for the night around 9, but that doesn't always work out. Last night you decided to keep me up until after 11. With you, the paci is hit or miss. That's more than I can say for your big brother, who already hated the paci by this age. Sometimes you'll spit it out in disgust; other times, you suck on it vigorously for long periods of time. You just can't decide how you feel about it!

Our evenings have been a little rough. By definition, you don't fall into the colic category, since the "Rule of Threes" doesn't apply to you (crying for 3 hours, 3 days a week, for at least 3 weeks). But you certainly fall victim to the newborn Witching Hour in the evenings. It starts off as fussiness, and then gradually increases to inconsolable crying. Thankfully (and I'm knocking on wood a thousand times here), the crying only lasts for 20 or 30 minutes at a time. That might not sound like much, but when there's nothing that can console you during that time period (not even a boob!), it's quite stressful for your mommy. We've invested in some Gripe Water and a Miracle Blanket over the last few days, and last night you were a perfectly happy little girl. I'm not getting my hopes up, as it could be entirely coincidental, but I sure will be glad when this phase is over! The funny thing is, even on your fussiest nights when you cry the loudest and longest, you always wake up the next morning with a big grin and your sweet demeanor back. It's like your little apology to me, and I sure do appreciate it!

Macey, you are the perfect addition to our little family. We're so glad you're here with us, and we can't wait to see what the months and years to come bring. You are so loved, little girl.

Love,
Mommy