I can’t believe it has already been 3 weeks since Adalynn was born. I feel like I blink and several weeks have slipped right by me. Granted it has been CRAZY busy with school starting and the fact that I have cabin fever so bad that I always seem to be wanting to go someplace – but still – I just want these precious newborn moments to last a little longer. I’m trying to SOAK up every minute I get with this little angel before she grows up before my eyes.
I love just holding Adalynn in the evenings when all the boys have gone to bed and the house is quiet. We sit and look into each others eyes and we talk or I sing to her. I love inhaling her sweet newborn scent and feeling her cheek against mine as we snuggle and cuddle. And I LOVE the joy that Adalynn brings into our home. It is such an amazing thing for me to see the LOVE and ADORATION my boys have for their baby sister. How they beg to sit and hold her, look at her, kiss her, and tell her how beautiful she is. I love to see how Adalynn already has her Daddy wrapped around her little finger and I love the bond the two of them are making. What precious moments these are. I never want to forget them.
Already we have started nicknames for her. Adam and the boys and I call her Sister, Sissy Pants, Princess Pea, (PP for short), Little Miss, and Precious princess. I’m sure she will earn more names as she gets older.
Adalynn has been such an AMAZING baby so far. With the exception of her first two nights home from the hospital she has been sleeping 5-6 hours a night and is only up ONCE around 2:00 or 3:00 to nurse. Then I usually have to wake her in the mornings sometime between 7:30 or 8:00 to start her daily feeding routine. She eats every 3-4 hours and is taking in about 3.5 to 4 ounces of breast milk at each feeding. She has not spit up ONCE either and burps easily. She’s also a pro now (for the most part) at putting herself to sleep and will cry for only a few minutes before drifting off to dream land – and most of the time she goes down without a bink.
As with the boys Adam and I have been following the “Babywise” program by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam, and once again the program seems to be working miracles in helping Adalynn figure out her days from her nights. I love how the program teaches me to feed Adalynn, keep her awake, and then put her down during the day and then do the exact opposite at night (minus the keeping her awake part of course). I love how it helps me feel secure as a mother and teaches me to look for healthy growth indicators like how many wet and poopy diapers she should have per day. I also love how it teaches me to assess Adalynn’s cry before I react and not just to offer my breast or a bottle every time she is upset. I love how for the most part I know when Adalynn will need to eat again, and when she naps – so that I can plan my day around that accordingly. It seriously makes being a Mom of a newborn SO MUCH EASIER.
At Adalynn’s two week appointment she was THRIVING. When we left the hospital Adalynn weighed in at 6 lbs 13 oz and by two weeks she was up to 7 lbs 9 oz. I was a little worried because she was only averaging 6-7 feedings a day (they tell you newborns should be eating 8-10 times per day) AND I was having to WAKE her up for every single one of those feedings with the exception of the middle of the night feeding – but my pediatrician said she is doing wonderfully and from the sounds of it she is eating twice what a normal newborn usually does (She eats 3-4 ounces of breast milk and most newborns only eat 1-2 ounces).
Anyway, we are just absolutely loving having little miss in our home and just feel so blessed that she is apart of our family. Below are some pictures from the last two weeks she’s been home with us.
First time in a Sunday Dress (I snuck in the Mothers lounge to listen to Sacrament meeting this last Sunday) and couldn’t help but dress her up! Love this shot with her and Adam.
The boys all wanted to hold her in her “princess dress.” CUTE!
Adalynn – 2 weeks old
Love these little feet and toes!
Sure love this precious little girl of mine!