Plaid Dress (on sale) / Monthly Milestone Cards c/o / Blanket

I’m a few days late in posting this, but Amalia turned two months old on Sunday. It’s crazy to think that only two months ago I was still pregnant. It feels like an eternity! While the second month was definitely easier than the first, it’s had it’s share of challenges… However they pale in comparison to those first few weeks home. For any new mamas out there, I am here to tell you that it doest get easier very quickly. Not easy, but easier for sure. A big turning point for us was around six weeks, if that helps.

Also, if you thought you were in love with your baby when she was first born, just wait until her whole face lights up when she smiles at you. My heart skips a beat or two every single time. That’s been the biggest difference in her personality this month, the way she interacts with us. She responds to funny faces and sounds, and it feels more like a two way street. She’s trying so hard to laugh, too, but it just sounds like a cough. We’ll get there…

The Biggest Lesson I’ve Learned this Month

As I’ve mentioned time and again, we have her on a sleeping and eating schedule that makes her happy, rested, well-fed, and calm… When we’re at home. We’ve learned now that we’re going out more that she has a hard time sleeping outside of the house because we hadn’t practiced it very much. We’re trying to get her out more often so we don’t feel so stuck in our house with her.

It’s a challenge because she has consistently slept through the night since 7 weeks and that has made the whole family happier and calmer, but we also need to have a life!

So the lesson is that I need to remember that she isn’t a robot and it’s ok to have her be off-schedule once in a while so that we can be more mobile! Any tips for that are more than welcome.

Her Schedule

I usually have to wake her up at around 7:30. I like to get up at 7 and shower and drink some tea before I get her so that I can be fresh and alert for her first feed of the day. Sometimes she wakes up on her own at 7 and I skip that, but it’s nice to have on most mornings. She’ll eat then be awake until about 8:30 and then she goes down for her first nap. Here is what the rest of the day looks like:

7/7:30am- Wake up and feed
8am- Awake time (We usually read books and listen to music in the mornings)
8:30am- Nap
10am- Wake up and feed
10:30am- Awake time (Tummy time, bouncer)
11:15am- Nap
1:00pm- Wake up and feed
1:30pm- Awake time (Walk, play mat, sit outside)
2:15pm- Nap
3:30/4pm- She usually wakes up on her own and she eats again
4/4:30- Awake time (This is the longest stretch she’s up each day so we’ll try to go for a walk, play on the playmat, or really keep her occupied)
6pm- Bath/massage
6:20pm- Swaddled, clean, lullabies on, last feed of the day (for me!)
7/7:30pm- Asleep
10:30pm- Dream feed (Done by Anel with a bottle)

The time between 3:30 and 6 is a little dicey so sometimes she gets another “power nap” for 20-30 minutes. We’re still trying to figure this out but it basically depends on how well she sleeps during the day before that. I’m still working on a post all about sleep training but it’s taking a long time because apparently I have a lot to say about it!

Her Disposition

When she’s on or near the aforementioned schedule, she’s happy, giggly, and so so sweet. My mom likes to brag to all of her friends that this baby never cries. And while that’s true most of the time, we’ve found that when we’re out and about and she misses a nap, she definitely gets fussy. But it’s crazy, I can wake her up out of a deep sleep on normal days and the first thing she does is look at me and smile! Or she’ll be spitting up all over herself and laughing. It’s unreal and so so cute.

Anel and I both strive to be very calm whenever we’re around her and I think it pays off because she’s usually very calm as well. She likes to look around and will stare at a tree or a pattern for 5-10 minutes at a time, just taking it all in. It’s very sweet.

The biggest exception to her sunny disposition was actually yesterday. She had a major nap regression, and wouldn’t sleep all day. She was crying and fussy for most of the day, and definitely wanted to be held more than usual. After asking about this on Instagram, I heard back from a ton of people that it’s probably a developmental leap, and will pass soon. We’ll see! Per your recommendations, we got the Wonder Weeks app, and have found it so interesting.

Breastfeeding

It’s gotten a lot easier and we’re in a groove now. I’ve actually found that she will eat more and get less frustrated with bottles so I breast feed her 2-3x/day and then give her pumped milk for the other three feedings. For her dream feed, she gets formula which helps her sleep through the night. I was originally going to try to breastfeed her for a year, but now I’m not so sure. I have no idea what the right amount of time is so I’m kind of taking it month by month and going to go with my gut and what feels right for her.

I mentioned this yesterday but I’ve yet to breastfeed in public… Not because I don’t want to, but because we really haven’t taken her out that much, and when we do, it’s mostly in between feeds, so definitely haven’t mastered that yet but will have to practice before our flight next week!

Earlier this week on Instagram stories I talked about how I am craving carbs and sugar like crazy (and I mean bread, pasta, and cookies, not quinoa or farro). A ton of you responded that you had the same thing happen to you, and it feels good to know that I’m not alone! A few of you even said that when you tried to cut the carbs, your milk supply went down. So crazy!

Child Care

Right now I am still with her most of the time. Anel takes Wednesday afternoons off (the perks of having his own business!) so that I can have three hours off. I’ll usually get an hour or two one other day a week too between his clients. It’s nice to be able to go out and get groceries, work out, or get lunch with a friend. We have a friend who is going to start babysitting for a few hours a week starting next week. I’m excited to have that specific time to focus on work and photo shoots!

Worst Moment

Last week she had a stomach issue and I’m pretty sure it was because of something I ate which made me feel extremely guilty. The poor kid didn’t poop for almost three days and she was spitting up every time she ate. She was fussy and clearly in pain and it broke my heart.

Yesterday’s nap saga was a close second…

Best Moment

In the mornings after her first feed, we like to listen to music and “sing together” which consists of me singing along to Hamilton and her making sweet baby noises and smiling like crazy. She absolutely loves it and it still brings tears to my eyes most days. There was also one specific day when she was really tired before her bath and she was super cuddly and fell asleep on me, something she never does. I was in heaven and never wanted her to wake up.

Read her one month post here.