And How

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Her First Month

So it hit me today that Anna turned one month old...THREE DAYS AGO!!!  What kind of mother have I become????

Just kidding.  I'm not stressing too much about this.  This little girl has kind of slipped right into our lives and it's hard to remember that she wasn't filling up our days just a little over a month ago.  Here's a little glimpse into our life learning how to be a family of five...


Poor little Anna...the girl is tortured constantly by everyone except her Daddy.  Penn and Jude can't...PHYSICALLY CAN'T...leave the poor girl alone.  They love her, adore her, and tell her how pretty she is all day...even if she's sleeping, crying, or getting her diaper changed.  I've never seen anything like it.  And as much as I melt each time I hear Jude cooing in her face "I wuv you baby sisher," or, "Mommy, I mawwy her," I also equally would like to scream for him to leave her alone for five minutes (and sadly, sometimes I do...) and not wake her up from her nap for the sixth time today.   And Penn, "The Great Baby-Holder" is constantly checking her to make sure nothing has changed (When will she wake up?  What color are her eyes now?  When will she get teeth?).  Most of the kisses Anna gets are from Penn.  Truthfully, both my little boys are great big brothers and they are also a very big help.  I don't have to bend over to pick up anything that their baby sister might need:)


I, on the other hand, torture her in different ways for which I believe no one will judge me.  MY baby girl wears a bow (with a headband) pretty much every day.  We also do several wardrobe changes during the day and I can't promise that they are all necessary.  It's her fault, really.  She just looks so cute in everything! 


This month has been a celebration of all things girly.  Pack even went out and bought Anna her own pink bathtub.  We've never had a baby bathtub for either of our boys, but Pack Daddy didn't want his little girl bathing in the sink:)  And let me tell you...our Anna is a girl that LOVES her bath.  She went from a screaming fit to perfectly serene in the little mini-spa we arranged for her after her umbilical cord stump fell off when she was a little over a week old and has been enjoying her twice-a-week bath just as much since then.


Here's a few more little facts we've learned about our newest family member:
  • She cries...LOUDLY. ---------------------------------------------->
  • She loves to be outside.
  • Noise doesn't bother her (thankfully).
  • Yellow is her color:)
  • It appears that her second toe will be longer than her big toe (Thanks, Aunt Amy!)
  • She eats..A LOT!
  • She's got all three males in the house wrapped...
  • ...I think she has me suckered too;)

All in all, it's been a whirlwind of a month, but I am loving the sweet moments we are having as "Anna's family."  We are so fortunate and can't wait to get to know her more and more as the months go on.



Saturday, February 4, 2012

Things I Already Forgot (about newborns)

  • Breastfeeding makes you extremely hungry, thirsty, and sleepy...all at the same time.  I forget about this until I've got my newborn good and latched on and then realize I forgot to grab a snack or drink.
  • Speaking of hungry...breastfeeding "hunger" is much more intense than pregnancy "hunger."
  • It's fun to play dress-up with a new baby...they look cute in everything.  It is not much fun for the baby...she hates it.
  • Nothing stimulates baby's bladder and bowels like a clean diaper.  Nothing.
  • Babies are little, but their cries are not.  In the middle of the night, it is the loudest sound imaginable!
  • Spit-up happens (always on a cute outfit or on my side of the bed).
  • Apparently, Packard babies always look alike...boy or girl (see evidence below):
    Exhibit A (Penn)
    Exhibit B (Jude)
    Exhibit C (Anna)
    Thank you and goodnight:)