Adelaide {one month}

Dear Adelaide,

You are one month old today! This has been the shortest and longest month of my life! My days blur together with our crazy sleeping schedule (what schedule???), so to think that's it's already been a month seems so quick! But at the same time, some days seem so long that I don't think they'll ever end, and I count down the minutes before your daddy gets home from work so I can take a shower or even just fix something good to eat.


The past couple of weeks you've been really gassy. I don't know if it's something that you're sensitive to in my milk, or if you just swallow too much air. I am eating a dairy-free diet now to see if that will help you, because milk allergies are common in newborns. So far I don't see it helping, but it could be another couple of weeks before we start seeing changes. As far as you swallowing too much air - I know you are! When you nurse, you squeak, grunt, squeal, and you're constantly latching on and off. And sometimes I know my milk comes out really fast and I can hear you gulping. I try burping you a lot, and boy do you know how to burp!, but you still cry from gas pains. You get so upset sometimes that all I can do is hold you, nurse you, and let you sleep on me. I don't mind though... the weight of your little body feels so good in my arms. I just hope it gets better soon, little one!


I still really enjoy breastfeeding. It's a very special time just between me and you, and I love those moments when you look up at me. You're also getting more control of your hands and you like to either hold my finger or rest your palm on my chest. I love it! And I love all those sounds you make. I keep thinking I need to record them before you stop making them - I know one day I will miss all those grunts.


You're officially smiling now. For a while I wasn't sure if it was just a reflex from gas or real social smiles, but now I'm sure that you are really happily smiling at your daddy and me. It makes me so happy when you do smile, that I repeat whatever I was doing at the moment for the next 10 minutes to try and make you smile again. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. You have a beautiful smile and it melts my heart (and your daddy's)!


You love, love, love getting your diaper changed, which is a good thing because we change 8-10 diapers a day! We have a whole routine. After undressing and taking off your dirty diaper, we do lots of tummy massages to try and help you toot. My daily accomplishments have been reduced to whether or not I can help you fart! It really does help you though, since you're having such gas and tummy troubles. You coo and squeal and smile a lot when we're doing the massages, so I think you like them a lot! We've been doing cloth diapers with you since day 10, and we love it. It's a lot of work to wash and dry them every other day, but it's worth it to be able to save money and keep disposables out of the landfill (and off of your body!).


You are still sleeping a lot during the day, and at night you sleep anywhere from two hours to three and a half. Since you sleep in the bed with daddy and me, we can hear you as soon as you start fussing. I get up and change you (and play and try to get you to smile), then I bring you back to bed and nurse you back to sleep. It usually takes at least half an hour (but sometimes more) to get you back to sleep, what with all the grunting and squeaking! Daddy and I can't sleep while you nurse because you make so much noise!


Adelaide, we love you so, so, so much! We are so happy now that you're in our lives! I can't believe my body grew you, and now it seems surreal to think that I carried you all that time! I am so glad every time we stare at each other, and I know that you love us too. Being a mom is so much better than I imagined, and nothing will top it.

I love you, my sweet daughter,
Moma