1 month

How on earth did time fly by this fast! I feel like she is such a big girl, no longer in newborn diapers– and getting bigger everyday! We attempted to cram many memories and "firsts" into this month, more like the first two weeks, since Daddy was leaving for a pretty long trip. We took Lillian on family outings, trips to the hospital for immunizations, the grocery store, coffee dates, walks and gave Lillian her first bath. Lillian definitely enjoys bath time as she seems most relaxed and happy during this time of the day. Being able to experience these moments together, as a family, was so wonderful. We are definitely looking forward to making many memories together in the future and documenting them for you.

Since bringing her home from the hospital she immediately showed signs of head control, for a few seconds, but without a doubt, was a bobble head at its finest . With my PT background… it's no surprise that you'll be reading lots about her physical development ;) With that being said, she hated tummy time and there was nothing we could do to calm her in this position. Since tummy time is good for newborns, we kept at it and tried entertaining her during this activity, multiple times a day- eventually she didn't mind. She smiled a lot as well- when she was gassy and sometimes during naps which melted my heart. We knew these weren't intentional smiles but accepted them; we oohhh and awww'd over each little grin.  Lillian was eating roughly every hour, sleeping what seemed like all day and was wide awake during the night. 

Just thinking about it makes me sleepy! I’m so surprised at how well this went. I thought the sleep deprivation would be the worst part of the newborn stage, but I’d say the breastfeeding and lack of schedule during the day was the most challenging part. Mornings became my favorite time of day. She would light up when anybody came to get her after she had woken up and would stop crying immediately.  During the first few weeks we really had no kind of schedule. I never knew when she would fall asleep or want to eat. With the eating, we generally could count on every 1-3 hours, but as far as a time of day, it was really hard to plan things in advance. I read the Baby Whisperer book at about 3 weeks and realized Lillian was doing E.A.S.Y. (eat, activity, sleep, you) already, so that’s the routine we followed. She was generally really happy after she ate and then got gradually more subdued in the 15-30 minutes after until she would put herself to sleep. As the days passed, more time would pass between feedings and she would waken for a few minutes more every week- we were so excited to watch her learn and explore. Since we were getting use to Lillian's schedule, outings became less frightening and more comfortable as we were able to time her feeding periods and get things done.  We finally started with normal everyday life activities like shopping, day trips and walks which became easier by the day. We were able to ride the ferry to seattle and visit pikes place market and enjoy the lovely sunny weather, outside. 

This month was difficult because my husband and father of our newborn child was leaving for 7 months. Although it was hard, it was bittersweet too as I did not have to raise our child alone while completing my journey and lifelong dream of becoming a doctor of physical therapy. The work I had to look forward to during these next few months, would have been impossible without the support of my family, especially my mother who I will never be able to repay for the love and time she was able to provide us. This time apart from my husband was the perfect opportunity for she and I to create a new and amazing relationship. I watched my best friend unfold into the most wonderful grandmother a daughter could ask for her child. It is truly an amazing feeling to have God and such a awesome family support system to help raise and provide everlasting love to our child.  This month we were blessed by another family member who was able to visit- Aunt Brigitte. We were able to spend lots of time together, bonding and exploring the Washington state area. We really appreciate the individuals who have reached out and continue to make an effort to be part of our life. 

I can’t even begin to describe the intense protection and love I feel for Lillian.  There are so many things I want to remember about this month that I have tried to cherish every moment. Lillian is so alert and full of personality already- there isn't a day that she doesn't bring a smile to my face . We are so blessed and I am so excited to continue our journey together.