My One Month Old

Today my Lucia Rose is one month old!  I can hardly recognize her as the tiny little newborn I brought home from the birth center (in fact, she already outgrew her first outfit!), yet at the same time, I feel as if she's always been a part of our family. 

This first month with her has been a strange one, because we've barely had time alone to get to know one another as mother and daughter.  My mom flew in two days after she was born and stayed two weeks, then we flew to Colorado to spend the holidays with family less than a week after she left.  I've only spent four days alone with my baby girl while my husband was at work.  We don't leave to go back home until Monday and I will be very sad to leave family, yet am looking forward to more peaceful, relaxing days with Lulu at home.  With future children, I don't know that I would embark on such a journey so shortly after birth; however, this trip definitely was worth the discomfort and difficulties that have accompanied it.  It was very important to us that our families meet Lucia as soon as possible, especially since my husband and I have elderly grandparents who were eager to meet their first great-grandchild.

Lucia has changed so much in the past few weeks.  She is awake and alert much more during the day, and thankfully she continues to wake up only once or twice at night.  Her eyes are also much more focused and she gazes into the eyes of those holding her.  She has become quite the wiggle worm.  When laid on her back, she often throws her arms wide to the side and looks like she is in search of a hug.  She is quite the snuggler!  I've been doing a lot of "tummy time" with Lulu and she seems to really enjoy it, at least for a while until she gets a little frustrated that she can't move herself around more.  Her neck is getting very strong and she can push herself up a little bit with her arms, lift her head up and look around.  Having not been around newborns since my brother was born almost 20 years ago, I really am not aware of when babies should reach certain milestones, but it seems like she is developing well.  She's no longer the delicate little baby she once was.

Usually, she only cries when she wants one of three things: to nurse, to have her diaper changed, or to be held.  Nursing has continued to go well and I cherish the time I spend feeding my little daughter.  Recently, she has started coming off the breast at random times while breastfeeding, giving a little satisfied smile, and then going right back to work. 

She's also become a bit more fussy, but that is usually fixed by being bounced, rocked, or, even better, danced around the room.  She will also self-sooth by sucking her fist - or her thumb as we discovered just yesterday (we aren't using pacifiers).

Although daddy used to seem to have the magic touch when it came to calming his crying baby girl, the past few days all I've had to do is pick her up while she was crying and she'll stop.  I think that I'm also becoming more aware of her needs, her different cries and expressions, and the ways in which I can accommodate them.  I certainly would be lost without the baby books I've read and advice I've received from my relatives and other mothers, yet there is also an element of mothering that is intuative that I've developed through time spent with my little one. 

Perhaps what I've enjoyed most the past few weeks with Lucia are her facial expressions.  I never realized that babies were so expressive.  Some of her faces mean something concrete (she makes some very obvious "yum yum" faces when she's hungry), yet many others I believe are experimentation.  Just as she throws her arms and legs around, she is moving her face in new, creative, endearing (and hilarious) ways. 

If I could keep her as my newborn forever, I would, but since that isn't an option, I can't wait to see what she'll do next!

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