Two Months Old!

{I had intended to do a little post for each month-marker of little Holland’s first year, and I obviously missed the one month post, but here’s to doing all the rest :)  It’s really crazy to me how much you forget about the newborn stage.  I feel like I’m always saying to Philip, “did Wade do this?” or “was it like this with Wade?”  It’s so strange how you just forget!  (I think this is God’s way of ensuring we have more children, because let’s be honest, most of us going through the newborn stage will tell you that it’s not easy!)  This time around, I am finding it much easier to relax through the hard times because I know it will pass.  Somehow we will get through the tough stuff and our baby will grow up, and then I’ll miss my baby!} 

Dear Holland,

Has it really been two months since you were born?! (*I promise part II of your birth story is coming soon!)  Time is flying and you are growing!  I love the little pork chop rolls on your legs, and I’ve made it my goal to make sure you never lose these (like your big brother did!).   To that end, I pretty much feed you whenever I think it may make you happy to nurse.  I don’t know if we’ll always do this (maybe we will?), but I love nursing you and I really treasure the fact that I have the ability to generally instantly soothe you with breastfeeding.  You still sleep with us at night (something your brother never did, but I love it…we are both much better rested because of this arrangement, and I absolutely love to snuggle you in bed), and most of your  naps happen while either your daddy or I am wearing you in the Ergo Baby Carrier.   I’ve loved this, but I will admit it’s getting a bit tiring to wear you so much, as my back is feeling the effects!  We’ll start working on you sleeping in your crib soon…

Some fun things about life with you right now:

-unless you are tired and not in a great mood, you will almost always give us the most wonderful smiles when we smile at you.  It’s the best!

-you’ve started to “talk” to us a little bit, and we treasure those “goos” and “gaas”!

-you like having your diaper changed! (your brother did not!)

-you’ve started to tolerate the bottle!!!!  Playtex drop-ins came highly recommended and you seem to prefer them much  more than the many others we tried.   I feel much more encouraged about keeping up a long nursing relationship with you when I know your daddy and I can get out every now and then :)  I’ve learned that I’m a better mama when this is the case!

-you give us good stretches of sleep at night, usually around 4-5 hours. 

While we can’t imagine life without you, I’d be stretching the truth a bit if I didn’t acknowledge that this month has been challenging too.  You really don’t like to be put down very much at all, though you’re starting to tolerate your bouncy seat.  There have also been many nights (actually most nights is more accurate) where daddy or I soothe you to sleep with the very loud sound machine propped up behind us in the living room while we have the TV turned up extra loud to watch 24.  This is not a sustainable situation, so we’ll just bank on the fact that you won’t always require this, ok?  You also dislike riding in your car seat, just like your big brother when he was your age, so this makes for some very stressful traveling.  We’ve been known to cart that sound machine around with us in the car in an attempt to soothe you with it! 

All that to say, we love you dearly and love that you are part of our family!

 

Love,

Mama