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Tuesday, August 02, 2011

our first month

Our Cecilia is one month old already! It is amazing how quickly my days off of work are flying by. I can't really tell you what I do to fill up each day, but before I know it Todd is home from work, we are having dinner and getting the girls ready for bed. Having not done the whole baby thing in close to five years I have quickly been reminded just how much work they are and how challenging it can be to keep them happy throughout the day. But in four short weeks we have seen our tiny baby start to develop some chub on her cheeks and I believe we are the verge of smiles...I could not be happier!

Olivia continues to be enamoured with her little sister. She has already begun sharing with her too. The first thing she has decided to share...her germs! Olivia recently had a small summer cold and within days I noticed that Cecilia started developing a stuffy nose and watery eyes. Needless to say I was not pleased that my tiny baby has already had to deal with her first cold, but I guess that is life with multiple children. I thought that because I was nursing Cecilia, just like I nursed Olivia that she would be extra-immune from catching anything, especially at such a young age. I think I am a bit naive! It was a minor case of the sniffles and she is already over it.

Aside from growing Cecilia is not doing much else. As Olivia would say..."All babies do is eat, sleep and poop!" She is 100% correct. She has been eating like a champ, sleeping pretty well during the night and starting to be more alert during the day. She has become a bit more fussy than normal over the past week. Not sure why, but it can be hard to satisfy her when she is likes this. During this time I try just about everything until I figure out what is causing her to get so worked up. As I look back on the past week I believe that she usually becomes inconsolable when she is either hungry or tired. I should be able to curb the fussiness as I better learn her cues. Overall she is not a fussy baby. I am just trying to do my best to get her what she needs when she needs it so she is content.

I feel like we are on the verge of our first smiles. I have seen a smile here and there but I am not sure if she is responding to us or just has a bad case of gas! I can't wait until she starts to coo and interact with us more. Not that I am trying to rush this baby stage, but it is hard trying to find a way to keep Cecilia happy and occupied all day. There is only so much you can do with a 4 week old! The one thing I find myself doing the most is just staring at her beautiful face!

An important milestone for the girls recently was their first bath together. Olivia was dying to have a bath with her sister, and as soon as Cece's cord stub fell off we were able to fulfill her wish.

I think Olivia enjoyed the bath a bit more than her sister. She was content for a few minutes but by the end of the bath she was less than pleased.

I have a feeling the girls will have many duel baths together. Olivia may not be as interested in this activity as she gets older, but I have a feeling her sister many feel differently. This past week my Aunt Delia came for a visit. She lives in Bloomington and has been dying to get her hands on Cecilia since she was born. We have not seen her in almost a year so Olivia was excited to see her as well. She is super crafty and is always showering us with homemade gifts. Her forte is crochet and she makes beautiful stuff. She has made us blankets, hats and stuffed animals in the past. On this visit she gave the girls matching hats. They are adorable. As you can see in the picture, Cecilia's is still a tad big and Olivia's fits great when she has it on her head properly.

She also made Cecilia a stuffed bear. She did the same thing for Olivia when she was born and "Stuffy Bear" was her favorite until she flattened him with love. Cecilia's bear is bigger than she is right now, but one day he will make the perfect cuddle pal. She did not forget about Olivia's love of stuffed animals and presented her with an adorable floppy bunny. All of the gifts were so cute and so very thoughtful. It was a short visit with Aunt Delia, but I am glad she was able to make the trip.

Our lives have been all about baby lately. We have been trying to keep Olivia's life as normal as possible. I am trying to stay pretty close to home these days. It is just too darn hot out to do much of anything and it just seems easier to keep Cecilia in the comfort of her own home instead of dragging all around town. Todd and Olivia have been spending a ton of time at the pool and she has also been spending a lot of time with her Nana. With some help from my Mom, Todd and I have been able to take Olivia out and do a few things, just the 3 of us. I think that is important, especially since I have been devoting so much time to Cecilia lately. Olivia has still not shown one ounce of jealousy and that makes me so proud. She has handled this transition with such grace. She continues to enjoy her life to the fullest...which means she is often exhausted!

In the chaos of bringing home baby around the 4th of July Olivia still had the opportunity to enjoy some sparkler fun with her Dad. She is not a fan of fireworks, but is fearless when it comes to sparklers. She made me very nervous holding these sticks of fire but she was very safe, making sure to hold them far from her body. I love watching the look on her face when she is doing something she enjoys.

Life as a family of four is falling into place nicely. I am trying to enjoy every second because I know I will look back and wonder how the time passed so quickly. Taking care of a baby is challenging and often trying at times, but looking at her little face and realizing just how blessed we are makes all the long nights and the bouts of crying all worth it!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You have a beautiful family that is for sure. I can't wait to get my hands on Cece, I may not let her go.. I am so proud of Olivia and how she has handled this whole thing. See you all soon..Love Aunt Sue Sue

Wormie said...

It was so wonderful visiting, and we'll have to make sure that our next visit is sooner than later!

Thank you so much for keeping this blog - it's so nice to be able to keep up with everything and see so many pictures this way. We love it!

Katie said...

Love it! Happy to hear the transition is going smoothly. Can't wait to meet her!

Anonymous said...

It is great to see Cecilia getting so chubby...love the cheeck and the thighs!
Love,
Nana