Our little baby doll Alina turned one-month-old on 9/12/11. One thing we have really taken notice to is how incredibly strong she is. Alina has been holding her head up since birth. After I feed her, I always place her over my shoulder and pat her back to burp her. She will usually either burp or spit up, but afterwards if she is still hungry she lifts her head, slightly opens her mouth and starts bobbing on my shoulder, she will then push with her legs and arms and crawl back down to nurse! I guess I shouldn't be amazed by this, but Elise never held her head up or did this until much later, so it is a bit surprising to see her doing this so early. When Elise was hungry, she just smacked her mouth like crazy and flailed about. Alina doesn't waste time, she just bobs her head a few times and then decides to move herself to where she wants to be. It is so interesting to see all the differences between them, especially even in these early few weeks.
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I'm cute, but beware - I spit-up...A LOT!
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Another, not so glamorous reality of having a one-month-old is the non-stop baby puke. My arms, chest, stomach, neck, legs, clothes and even my hair have all become prime targets. Alina spits up like it's going out of style. She's projectiled on daddy and I more times than we can count. Elise is wise enough to know not to hold her after she eats because, as she so eloquently puts it, "she spits" - isn't that the truth! I know in the next few weeks it will start getting better, but right now she's our little puke machine. Nothing can prepare you for the massive amount of laundry you will be doing in the first month; it really is neverending and spit-up clothes have to be washed fairly quickly. I look forward to getting past all the spit-up accidents, but other than that Alina really is the easiest and sweetest little baby doll around.
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| Daddy got a chance to feed her the first bottle |
Admittedly, feeding her has been more tiring this week. Alina tends to have on/off days. On days - she's more alert and nurses regularly while off days - she just wants to sleep and little will wake her, even at feeding times. While she's perfectly content with this, it is not exactly ideal nor comfortable for mom. Fortuntately, breastfeeding IS easier the second time around. I think I've only declared that I wanted to give up one time in the past month. The first time around, I said it more times than I can remember. Even through bouts of mastitis and thrush (which were both equally painful and discouraging) I've pushed through and am finally arriving at an easy/second nature attitude towards her feedings. I must say, that it is an incredibly rewarding feeling to know that your baby is content and feeding well. It makes the path there, and any struggles along the way, all worth it in the end.
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| Happy, sleepy girl |
While I love spending each and every special moment with Baby Alina, the stickler in me is having a difficult time accepting that certain things just have to be put off. It drives me crazy to look at my floors right now, they are in desperate need of cleaning. The sofa has been transformed into a laundromat and Elise's toys are overtaking the most random parts of the house. Burps clothes are strewn across our bed and the dishes are calling my name. Also, work is piling up in my office inbox. Plus, I have a ton of pictures I want to post and photo albums I want to complete, but unfortunately working on photos is my last priority right now. Ultimately, I've come to a point of acceptance that this is the way things will be until I get Alina on a regular daily schedule. After all, taking care of her is my main focus and as exhausting as it may often be, I wouldn't have it any other way. Love you baby girl!
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This little doll keeps me going strong!
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...and this one reminds me to cherish each
moment because the baby stage goes by so fast! |
