Another month has passed, little one, and much has happened since the first month update.
For a start, you are changing every day. During your two month checkup, we learned that you weigh more than twelve pounds now, and you’re in the 50th percentile in height and the 75th percentile in weight. Good news for a growing baby girl. And as a result, you’ve already begun to grow out of some of your 0-3 month outfits.
Thankfully Mommy has not become overly emotional over this change. One of our friends told us that she cried when her daughter went up a size in diapers, so I was a little worried for a while. But Mommy proved to be much more practical than our friend.
You’ve also begun smiling with purpose this month, and I think this has been the change that Mommy and I have enjoyed the most. Rather than the random, accidental smile following a burp or a poop, you are now grinning from ear to ear for genuine reasons. Mommy sings The Itsy Bitsy Spider to you, and whenever the rain come down, you smile. I dance and sing to you in the living room and you smile with a wide, open mouth. You also love to kick your legs and will often grin whenever Mommy or I grab your tiny feet and start kicking your legs for you. A diaper change, a bounce on Daddy’s knee, and your Mommy’s declaration of your beauty all engender smiles as well.
It’s our favorite part of the day.
You’ve also learned to blow spit bubbles this month and can often be seen both blowing bubbles and smiling simultaneously. To be honest, we’re not big fans of the spit bubbles, but I guess it could be worse.
The good news is that you’re sleeping through the night, little one, and this pleases us a great deal. You earned $24 this month for your excellent sleeping habits, and for nearly a week now, you’ve been sleeping for at least five hours at a stretch and many times six. There are many, many jealous parents in the world because of you, Clara, and we make sure to let them know how lucky we are at every opportunity.
You have also begun snuggling in bed with Mommy after the 6 AM feeding, and sometime the two of you will sleep until 9 AM together in the coziness of our bed. You can’t imagine how beautiful you and Mommy are in bed together like that, and even I have had the pleasure of some of this snuggling on the weekends. I must admit that the sight of the two of you, cuddling and snoozing in bed as I leave for work each morning, is both heart-warming and heart-wrenching.
While I still adore my job and my students, little one, I wish for nothing more than spending every day at home with you. This past month has been quite difficult on Daddy.
You also experienced your first illness this month, a virus and ear infection that stuffed up your nose, put you on antibiotics for the first time, and sent us to the hospital. It was a miserable three weeks of saline shots up the nose (Daddy got quite good at this), suction, and constant sniffling, but as the month ended, you were happy and healthy once again.
You’re also taking a much greater interest in the world around you. Lights remain your greatest fixation, whether it is the night light in our room, the glow of the computer screen, or the string of lights above the kitchen table. But you’ve also taken to staring at us much more, following our movements around the room, and even noting the presence of Kaleigh and Owen with a modicum of interest. You also continue to take great pleasure in pulling Mommy’s hair and necklaces and grabbing my fingers and lips.
You still adore being held, especially by Mommy, and it is often difficult to put you down in your bassinet for a nap, as you will almost immediately begin crying. Daddy has developed some highly effective strategies to get you to sleep, and as you approached your second month of life, you finally fell in love with your swing. Mommy has also been placing you in your crib from time to time for naps, getting you ready for your transition to your own bedroom in a month or two.
You spent a great deal of time outside the house this month, too, mostly visiting friends and spending time at the mall with Mommy, walking around, shopping for a dress for Mommy (we have a bunch of parties coming up, include Aunt Emily’s wedding) and nursing in the Nordstrom's ladies' room. Mommy has met a bunch of women nursing in this apparently palatial atmosphere, and this week she had a bunch of these ladies over for brunch with their babies. Next month the Nordstrom's Ladies Bathroom Brigade plans another get-together at the home of another member, a friend of ours named Emily. It should be fun.
You’ve also proven to love car rides, though twice you have literally lost your mind in the car, wigging out completely while we are driving. You did this once for me and once for Mommy, and both times you were inconsolable. When you can speak, you’ll have to explain the reasons. But other than the rare fit of screaming, car rides have been a joy for you.
Just for the record, Mommy and I sit in the front seat with you in the back. This is the way it’s supposed to be done.
We’re looking forward to watching you grow during your third month, little one, anxious to see how your personality continues to reveal itself to us. And though I didn’t think it would be possible to love you any more than we already do, our love for you grows daily.
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