Paisley Ann || 1 Month

One month. One stinking month.

Seriously...who's in charge of time here because I'm going to need for someone to stop the clock. 

Today our sweet angel turned, well you guessed it, one month old. When people tell you time flies when you have kids, it could not be more true. 

Here's what's been going on in the past month of our Paisley girl's little life:

• Weight: 7 lbs. 6 oz.
• Height/length: 19ish inches (since our last doctor's appointment)
• Eating: Exclusively being breastfed/bottle fed breast milk every 2-4 hours depending on the day. 3 hours seems to be the sweet spot, except for days when she goes through growth spurts and wants to do nothing but cluster feed. While I question my want to wear a shirt on those days, I know it's important for her growth so I just sit back, relax and let sister nurse all she wants to.
• She has a super sweet demeanor and (knock on wood) only cries when she's wet, hungry or wants her momma. Yes, I know I carried her for 10 months, but it still amazes me that she instantly knows when I have her in my arms. And it makes me feel super wanted/needed/loved. :)
• Likes: eating, sleeping, pooping...the norm for a 1 month old right?! She also enjoys being in the car, stroller or when I wear her in my Baby K'Tan wrap and loves being read to or when we sing to her. She just looks around everywhere! It's the cutest thing ever! I adore her curiosity! She also seems to really enjoy her baths (for the most part). As long as we keep the room semi-dark and really warm with a space heater, she just lets us take our time. I'm thankful for that because I can't imagine bathing a screaming, squirmy babe! Talk about stressing a momma out! 
• Dislikes: Tummy time...sister HATES tummy time. She also HATES having a wet diaper. I swear the child starts wailing on me before pee even touches the diaper. I'm okay with it though because I'm hoping that prevents diaper rash. 
• She sleeps a LOT and is awake for maybe 6 hours total out of the day. At night we get at least one good 4-5 hour stretch and then the rest of the time she wakes us up every 3 hours on the dot (no lie) to be fed. At night she sleeps in her swing and during the day she naps in her Rock n' Play. I'm still too big of a wuss to put her flat on her back so for now, these spots seem to be working well for us.
• Though she despises tummy time, she is really getting some strength in her neck. I swear she's been lifting her head like a pro since she came out of the womb. Even the nurses in the hospital agreed she was really strong for her size!
• This month our tiny peanut went from 5 lbs 8 oz to 7 lbs 6 oz so after multiple "weight checks" at the pediatrician, we are so happy and relieved to be on the positive side of the weight gaining debacle! If one more person told me "She's so tiny!", I'm pretty sure I was going to have a serious meltdown!
• On the weight note, she's finally fitting in more of her newborn clothes! Hallelujah! For the first 3 weeks, poor girl only had like 5 outfits and 2 sleepers that truly fit her without hanging off of her like a ragamuffin.  Oh and some of her smaller headbands really fit her now, too! 
• Milestones: She's been smiling here and there in her sleep and I swear she consciously smiled at me this morning when I was changing her to take these pictures!  There really is nothing sweeter than a tiny baby smile, especially one that's followed by a sweet little giggle! 

I've been saying this since August 21 and I'm sure I'll say it for the rest of her life but I still cannot believe she's ours, and we're her's, and we get to keep her forever and ever. I'm so thankful she's a patient baby because Beau and I sure are having to figure out this whole parenting thing as we go! She's the best snuggle bug in the whole wide world and her smell...oh my gosh...the new baby smell is SO euphoric, especially when it's your very own!

Paisley has already grown and changed SO much in just one short month and I thank God every day for putting this little blessing in our lives. She's already taught us so much about life and love and we seem to fall more and more in love with her every single day! ...Even the days that consist of 4 hours of sleep ((max)) followed by cluster feeding all day long. :) 

Though I'm SO anxious to see what kind of personality she'll have, who she'll start to look like,  and how sassy she'll become, I'm really trying my best to absorb every second of my time with her right now. Like they say, she'll never be as small as she is today, so I'm off to soak up some snuggles.

I'm hoping I can get it together (emotionally, mainly) and write out her birth story soon. The thought of putting it all into words brings back so many crazy feelings of happiness and an overwhelming sense of joy that I just know my keyboard will be covered in tears the day I decide to sit down and write it. :) One day, my friends, one day...