Zoë's First Christmas

Our First Family Christmas

Santa Baby

Five Generations

All We Wanted

6 Weeks

Well, 6 weeks has been pretty good to us.  We're all becoming better adjusted to each other and sleep is happening in greater amounts of time and with less interruptions.  Thank you, Lord!   Zoë is smiling up a storm and trying her best to talk.  We've been venturing out more and I'm slowly becoming more comfortable driving with her.  She is starting to scream less in the car and usually ends up falling asleep by the end of our journey.

Our Little PresentGood Things Come In Small Packages

On Friday we took Zoë to see Santa.  I was very nervous about it, but knew I would regret it if we didn't go.  It's such a chore getting out of the house and I wasn't sure how she would handle being in such a crowd.  Well, I was nervous for nothin'!  She did great.  She was so wide-eyed and just wanted to take it all in.  Our little missy wasn't going to sleep for anything!  It was so funny, there was a 9 week-old boy in line ahead of us who slept through the entire thing...waiting in line, sitting on Santa's lap, getting the pictures afterwards.  But, no...not Zoë!  She breezed right through nap-time and wasn't about to miss a thing.  I wonder what this says about future outings??

 

Zoë & Santa

Our gift after a big afternoon out at the mall was 6 hours between Zoë's feedings that night.  A Christmas miracle! ;)  Once again, I know it probably won't last...but, hopefully it was a taste of what's to come.  And mommy felt so good after several hours of sleep.

Zoë Love

More Magic From Karen

HALLELUJAH!

*cue angels singing*

Zoë went FIVE hours between feedings last night...only woke up ONCE during the night...and Mama got FOUR consecutive hours of sleep!  It was a good night! ;)  Now I know better than to get my hopes up that this will continue...but, I have to believe if she can do it once, she can do it again.

Overall, Zoë seems to have turned a corner when she hit one month.  She is crying less and napping better during the day.  And at night when she wakes up to feed she has been going right back to sleep.  All of these things we were majorly struggling with a couple of weeks ago.

Now if I could just get a shower everyday for a full week...I just might recognize myself again! ;)

1 Month

Dear Zoë,

My sweet precious angel, today you are one month old.  It's so hard for me to believe you have already been with us for a month.  Everyone says how fast these weeks go by...and they are right.  And you, little missy, are changing so much!  We took you for your one month pediatrician appointment today and you did so well.  You totally charmed the Doctor and pleasantly enough kept your screaming to a bare minimum.  You now weigh 9lbs 12oz and you are 22in long.  I couldn't hide my excitement that you have gained two pounds and your daddy said, "Well, I think you are proud of yourself!"  And I am!  Nursing is challenging and very time consuming.  Most days I feel like that is all I have accomplished.  But seeing you on that scale today made me realize that it's working!  And, yes, I am very proud.

My greatest joy the past week has been seeing your smiles.  I quickly realized that what we are seeing aren't "gas smiles" at all!  You are smiling in response to hearing our voices and seeing our faces.  Talk about making a Mama and Daddy melt!  And of course there are the drifting off to sleep smiles which are equally as precious...as well as the full on in-your-sleep belly laugh.  Too cute!  The only difficulty is actually capturing these smiles with the camera.  You'll have to forgive all the obnoxious noises and faces we make trying to get a good shot.  We just want to share all the cuteness with everyone else.  

You are also becoming much more alert and attentive during the day.  You like to see faces and interact as opposed to sitting by yourself.  It took a few weeks, but you are now enjoying the swing more and will stay in it for more than two minutes (which is about all you would tolerate at first).  You are also starting to notice the rotating mobile that's above your head in the swing.  You still don't like riding in your carseat.  Your daddy and I have to really turn the music up to get you to stop screaming.  Thank goodness you like good music!

As you can see you still have all of your fabulous hair.  Everyone says it will eventually fall out...but you haven't lost any of it yet.  And at this point I can't imagine you without it! 

The past few weeks have been difficult and challenging in ways I never could have imagined.  I don't think there is any way to fully prepare for all the physical and emotional demands a newborn requires.  And there is definitely no way to understand how the complete lack of sleep will wear you down.  Everyone tells me, "Don't worry, it gets better."  And I am believing them.  I know you are just adjusting to your new life and what you want more than anything is to be held close.  But, being a new mom is hard...and there are so many books that try to tell you exactly how to do things.  These books can make you feel like if you don't do things "their way" you're doing everything wrong.  As if we don't already feel inadequate enough!

So, after a couple of weeks of trying to buy into a parenting style I don't believe in I am letting go.  I have decided to throw out all the books that tell me to not to spoil you by holding you too much...and not to let you fall asleep in my arms or you'll never sleep on your own...and to get you on a schedule or you'll never sleep through the night.  I am following my mother's advice and trusting my instincts.  And my instincts tell me that this is your "fourth trimester" and what you want and need more than anything is to be held and comforted and loved.  My job for now is to feed you when you want to eat and show you by my comforting arms that this world is ok.  Since I realized all of this and let go of following someone else's ideas things have felt more natural around here.  We'll work on schedules and what not next month.

Zoë, for all the challenging and difficult moments...there are just as many moments of sheer awe.  Sometimes I just sit and look at you and say silent prayers of thankfulness that you are finally here.  And oh that smile makes it all worth it.  I can't say it enough, little one...Thank you for choosing us.

Love,

Mama

Daddy Love

My Two Favorite People Lovin' Each Other

Lots of firsts

Zoë has had lots of "firsts" the past few weeks.  Here are some pictures from some of them...

The day after we came home from the hospital we had a pediatrician appointment.  Her office is in Decatur so we thought it was a good time to go by and introduce Zoë to her great-great Nana.

Zoë enjoyed her first bath at home.

Well...for the most part.

Rockin' her Kit Hughes hair-do.

A couple of weeks ago we had a warm day and decided to take Zoë to Piedmont Park.  It's one of our favorite things to do on a pretty weekend.  Too bad Penny didn't get to go this time.

Ryan, Lesli & Sydney got to come by for a visit a few weeks ago.  Sydney was precious with her new cousin.  She was so loving with "baby Zoë".  I think they're going to be good friends!

Worth the Wait

Karen seems to think miss Zoë was worth the wait.  I think we might agree with her.

karenmphotography.blogspot.com

We had a wonderful newborn photo shoot with Karen this weekend.  I can't believe how well Zoë cooperated.  Check out a few of the pictures she has posted on her website.  We are excited to see the rest!

If you're in the Atlanta area and in need of some fabulous photographs I can't tell you how highly we recommend Karen.  Aside from her obvious talent...she is so calm and has the ability to make you feel comfortable while she does her magic.

Thanks again, Karen!  You're the best!

3 Weeks

Zoë's first Thanksgiving

Well, I know I have been so bad about posting updates and new pictures.  The days and nights are blurring together in a haze of feeding, changing diapers and rocking.  The few stolen moments I get during the day I find myself choosing between eating, sleeping and doing random stuff around the house.  So, my emailing and blogging have taken the back-burner for now.  Zoë & I were so blessed to have Kit home for almost 3 weeks.  He's back at work full-time now so little miss & I are figuring out our days alone.

Thankfully Zoë is eating like a champ and growing everyday.  She is sleeping pretty well...even if it is only in hour and a half increments.  When she is awake she is so precious and alert.  She'll even treat me with a smile or two every once in a while.  Granted they're probably just gas smiles...but, I'll take 'em! ;)

I can't believe she'll be a month old next week!  I'm trying to savor these moments even through the extreme sleepiness and moments of inconsolable crying.  I know she will never be this little again...and it's already going by so fast.