Little Lermas!: August 2014

Sometimes I think that I should post weekly rather than monthly because so much changes on a week to week basis with Isabella. But really this past month has been a whirlwind of changes in the Lerma family, so there was no time for that.

Isabella is another month older (already!?!). She has taken her first plane ride. We have moved to a different state. I have started thinking about starting a different job (although am still in a bit of denial because leaving my PICU and amazing co-workers was insanely hard!).

So packing up an entire townhouse with 9 years worth of "stuff" and memories, just after a c-section, with a newborn, was hectic to say the least. But now that we are down in Georgia and getting settled, close to family and some best friends, I know that it was all worth it.

HAPPY 2 MONTHS ISABELLA!

Such a happy girl, always raising that right hand, and moving all around : )

Second Month Highlights:

-Your personality is truly starting to flourish this month! At 5 weeks you started to coo and make sounds, which was the same time you started to have a few smiles in reaction to us. Now, by 8 weeks, you can hold eye contact for a long time and you are smiling and laughing in response to things we do. It has been so much fun seeing your personality change this month!

Such a happy baby!

-You have become pretty predictable for us over the last several weeks which has been nice. You have stumbled upon a sort of routine that makes it easy for us to follow your lead. You typically wake up in the morning happy, like to have some activity, and then go back down for a nap. The rest of the day seems to follow suit, with a period in the evening where you may be fussy. But if we swaddle you tightly, hold you (particularly daddy's football hold), and give you Moo Cow, you fall right asleep.

-Some of our best friends, the Testas, finally got to meet Isabella as a family! Probably the cutest thing of the day was Logan (5 years old) whispering to his dad "Dad, does she have arms!?" upon seeing Bella tightly swaddled while napping : )

-We spent a family day downtown Chicago where Bella got to see where Mama works, and meet a bunch of her co-workers. We absolutely LOVE the city, and you did too!

-We took tons of walks again this month because you love being outside, and Mama needed it for her sanity.

We LOVE, love, LOVE our Ergo carrier!!

-You had your first evening being babysat by someone other than Mimi or Auntie Ja, and for longer than just "in between feeds." We were able to go to a wedding and completely enjoyed our night out. You, of course, did fantastic! Thank you SO much Tamera and Mark Kinsley!

-We moved! And not just a little across town move, but a giant to another part of the country move. Our stuff is all in storage, but we are physically in Georgia, staying with Mimi and Pops until our townhouse sells (for real this time, given 2 contracts have now fallen through!). It was an insane time packing everything, and there were several nights eating dinner picnic style on our floor of the bedroom because that was the only room that had furniture for Bella to sit/lay on.

-We went to your first outdoor concert in Suwanee, GA listening to a cover band, and you absolutely loved it! You sat wide eyed staring intently at the band for the first half, and then fell into a deep sleep the second half. We enjoyed the music and all the food trucks!

-On your 8 week "birthday" you moved to your very own room. I have to say, it was much harder for me than I had expected. But you of course did fabulous. The week before you started sleeping for about 5 hour stretches, eating around 9 or 10 pm, and then next feed starting at 3 or 4 am, so it was a good transition time. But, it was just another reminder of how quickly time is flying by with you, and you are no longer a complete newborn.

Breastfeeding: So we went back to the shield...sadly. After seeing the lactation specialist and hearing that the combination of small nipples and her having a slightly shorter tongue don't go well together, I knew that if the cracking and bleeding continued, we would be back. And we are. But it's not as horrific as I thought it was before. Or maybe 6 weeks of insane pain with cracked and bleeding nursers (as Jon calls them : ) was enough to make a shield seem like a better option. When we go out, I don't take the shield b/c logistics of using it while trying to balance her and keep covered are too much. So going out can be a nice break.

But with the shield, Bella is a champion eater. It's still not exactly comfortable in the beginning, and can be particularly painful on the right side for about 20 seconds at the start but it's getting better every week. Over the last several weeks she has been taking both sides more consistently, rather than just one side, but doesn't do it every feed. It usually takes her about 10-15 minutes each side and she is good to go. She eats every 3 hours during the day, and then usually around 9:30 pm, 3:30 am, and starts the morning feeds at 6am. Occasionally she will wake up every 2-3 hours at night to eat, but that's only about once or twice a week at this point.

Isabella Loves:

-Being tightly swaddled when she is sleepy

-Being held

-Moo cow WubaNub

-Taking baths in the kitchen sink or in the shower with Mama or Daddy

-Bouncy seat with the vibration

-Being outside, especially when it's warm (she can seriously sleep for hours when outside!)

-Daddy's football hold
-Staring at fans

Isabella Hates:

-Being in her carseat...as in it's an all out turn purple in the face-hold her breath- punching her arms ordeal

-Getting dressed with clothes that go over the head

Second Month Stats:

Weight- 9lb 4 oz (we have finally hit the 6th% mark...yeah we are on the growth curve!)
Height- 21 in

*You are still wearing newborn diapers, and we are sticking with Pampers Swaddlers because they fit you so well and almost never have any leaks.

*You still wear newborn clothes and the few preemie onesies we have. We have tried several 0-3 month outfits lately, and you are just swimming in them still.

Isabella's Firsts this Month:

-First time starting to coo and make interactive sounds 6/21/14
-First time to smile in a reaction to something (not just gas) 6/25/14
-First time being babysat for the night 6/26/14
-First airplane ride 6/28/14
-First concert in Suwanee, cover band 7/2/14, and you LOVED it!

And finally, this month in pictures...