Talia is 4 weeks old!

Hard to believe we've had our girl for 4 weeks already! It's gone by in a blink in some ways, and feels like an eternity in others ( namely the sleep department!)

We are starting to figure things out.  She likes to sleep on us, particularly when being fed, which has led to a lot of frustration and anxiety for me.  I'd say 80 percent of my thoughts have been consumed with some worry about her getting enough food, if what I'm eating is the cause of her less than normal bowels, if letting her always fall asleep while nursing is going to cause problems later, if her latch will ever look right to me, and on and on and on!  I've exhausted myself with worry, and am trying to step back and just enjoy my beautiful baby girl!  

We had a weigh in yesterday, and while she is definitely small, she is consistently gaining a good amount of weight.  So it must be working!  She was 8 lbs 11 oz yesterday, up 6 oz over 7 days which is great!  So now I have to trust this system for the next 2 weeks, and try to not let myself fall into a bad pattern of worry again!

She's changed so much since we brought her home!  She's making lots of eye contact, and had given us a few smiles in the last couple days!!!  She's so interested in the world around her, often to the detriment of getting her to sleep!  She had been pretty awesome at night, sleeping for good long stretches, but the last week that went out the window except one blissful night!

Her baby acne has been pretty bad!  I'm ready for it to clear up already! :). It's hard to take photos when she kind of looks like a creature from the deep!

She is super strong, holding up her head for impressively long periods!  She doesn't enjoy tummy time much, but we are trying to make her do it even though it pisses her off and often snaps her content periods.

She's been on her first ferry rides to see all her grandparents, and had an adventure to see her daddy play soccer the other night! He even scored a goal for her!  I'm getting more comfortable with nursing on the go.  I'm ready to understand her eating schedule a little better though, as we seem to run into her hungry times at somewhat difficult times!

We definitely have a thumb sucker on our hands.  It's good in that she can self sooth sometimes when she manages to find her hands, but also something we aren't sure about long term! We will probably end up giving her a pacifier, but until I feel a little better about her latch, we think we should wait to avoid "nipple confusion."  Same goes for a bottle.

I've pumped a couple times, and think it is pretty darn cool!  I love seeing the milk come out and knowing that I really am producing food for her!  I'm looking forward to having a little stash so I can feel comfortable leaving her with Kevin or a sitter for more than an hour!

Because of her style of eating, I've been encouraged to feed her often.  It's been hard for me.  I'm such an on the go person, I have a really hard time sitting still every other hour, often for an hour!  But I'm trying to embrace it, since everyone says I'll miss it someday! :). 

She's outgrowing her newborn clothes!  I think I'm a little strange in that I'm really looking forward to her bring bigger and more interactive.  Newborns are terrifying and so helpless! :)

I love watching Kevin being a dad!  If ever there was a man who should be a stay at home dad, it's him!  He's so smitten with her, and delights in everything she does!  From giggling about her diaper changes, to staying up with her when she is screaming her head off at midnight, to making sure she gets her prescribed tummy time exercises in, to reading stories to her everyday, he is truly remarkable!  Plus he's been an amazing support for me as I navigate all my myriad emotions about motherhood!  Things are settling down, and we are figuring out how to be a little family together!  

Here's to a crazy first 4 weeks!!!  Our girl will be one month on Sunday!!! We kept her alive for a month! :)