Clara's 1 month

Little. Little. Little Miss Clara.  You are one month old and I can't tell you where the past four weeks have gone.  You have not left me in a total sleep deprived blur, but I suppose that is where this time was 'lost'.

I really can't imagine life without you anymore, its like you were supposed to have been here all along. Your dad and I anticipated your arrival for so long and when it finally came, we looked at each other and smiled - you are everything and more.

We've learned so much from each other.  I'm not to set on learning your cries, but I can tell when your hungry or need to burp.  Though, you leave me perplexed a lot of the time and then we just bounce around the house going through my mental checklist of things that could be bothering you - wet diaper? are you hot? maybe cold? or is it that pesky tag on some new clothing item you have on...

You are 'learning' to love bath time.  Your dad and I are getting it down to a science, especially since he had the ingenious idea to turn the heat fan on in the bathroom.  We bundle you up and set you under the fan - you couldn't be any more content with this.  And thank goodness for all the wash cloths and towels you got, they have been a life saver.

We haven't quite mastered the gdiapers yet, but we're working on it.  You are growing into the newborn size and I think in another week or so they'll be fitting much better.  For now, you're in Pampers Swaddlers newborn size.  Though, after yesterday's weigh in - a whopping 8lbs - you're fast tracking to size 1.  Keeping our fingers crossed for no diaper rashes and thanking Leslie for the great recommendation of Boudreaux's Butt Paste which keeps your little behind irritation-free.

Yes, I subjected my daughter to this.  Am I horrible??

In the eating department - no problems to speak of yet.  And as above, you are gaining, gaining, gaining.  I'm headed back to work next week, so we tried giving you a bottle last week.  Yes, I was a little nervous, but you took it like a champ.  I think you were a little confused when it was all gone so fast, so you promptly responded by rooting in your dad's chest.

You love your daily walks, but not as much as I do.  Being on pseudo house arrest until you get your shots leaves me anxious to get outdoors.  [As I type this, you are in your Moby wrap while we sit on the porch, its a balmy 71 degrees on this cloudy January day]  You and I walk about two miles every day in The Bob with the car seat adapter - thank goodness for this, which I thought I wouldn't need.  This walk also comes in handy when you get fussy in the afternoon, I've yet to see you keep your eyes open longer than a few seconds.  And if you get fussy on the walk, you ask?  Well, you love to off-road on the bumps, seems to lull you back into a deep slumber.

Sleeping.  It could be better.  But it could be worse.  You still have your fussy nights from about eight to eleven, then you eat, which usually puts you to sleep.  But not always.  You have started to sleep in four-five hour stretches between meals at night; we're still keeping you at three hour increments during the day.  This means I'm only getting up once in the middle of the night and then again about the time your dad is waking for work.  Most nights you fall right back to sleep after eating, but I'll admit to several nights of me falling asleep on the nursery floor while rocking you in your bouncy chair [I'm still refusing to use the vibration mode, though I don't think you really like it anyway].

Your dad had been an amazing help through all of this.  I don't know what I would do without him.[I've had more then one discussion on how all you single moms out there do this alone.  I'm an independent women, but I'm not sure I could do it.]  Bo is so eager to get home from work each day to hold you and sing to you.  When you get older, you're going to love all the funny little songs he makes up to sing to you - they make me laugh just thinking about them.  He is also the Burp Master, an asset for those fussy nights.

We are both anxious to see what else you have in store for us.  Your personality is already coming out - opinionated but cuddly.  You love the outdoors [YES!].  And you can't get enough attention - which means we can't leave you an only child for too long...

A somewhat eager attempt at tummy time.