Charlotte- 2 Months!

Clothes
0-3 Months all the way!  Everything fits perfectly right now.  The cotton sleepers are getting a bit snug in the length, but overall she can wear anything in this size.  I loved the holiday season because I had more of an excuse to put cute clothes on her!





Health
Again, I am so thankful of our healthy little girl.  I thought for sure she would pick up something with all the trips and people we met this holiday season.  Luckily, she managed to not catch anything.  The eye (right) that had the clogged tear duct is all cleared; however, this eye waters a lot.  At the last doctor’s appointment, she was 50% in weight and 75% in length.  We are excited to see how she measures at her next appointment.  This month brought on the spitting-up and drooling.  All of the sudden these things started….and so did often laundry.





Diet
This past month we decided to change things up with feeding.  We continued on her schedule of feeding every 3 hours; however, we introduced formula at 6 weeks.  She will have anywhere from 0 to 4 ounces a day.  Basically, we give her a bottle at the very end of the night to ensure she has enough to sustain her through the night.  If I don’t have enough pumped milk, we top it off with a little bit of formula.  Luckily, she has taken this like a pro.  Ever since we made this decision, I’ve been so much more stress-free with breastfeeding.  Honestly, I had a lot of negative thoughts about breastfeeding and was unsure of how long I could continue because I just did not enjoy it….at.all.  However, since it is now stress free because if I want to give a bottle and do not have enough pumped milk, there are no worries.  Derek even mentioned that he hadn’t heard me “complain” about breastfeeding for so long.  See, take the pressure off of me, and I’m a much happier momma :)




Sleep
Ever since Charlotte turned 4 weeks, we have been implementing the Mom’s on Call schedule.  Because of breastfeeding, we loosely follow the schedule but are pretty strict with the principles (eat, play, sleep).  Sleep has been the best yet during month 2.  In fact, the last two weeks she was in bed anywhere from 9:00-9:45 and would sleep until 8:15am when I would wake her up!  Those two weeks were glorious..and yes, I’m speaking in past tense because ever since the holidays, she is on no schedule.  I don’t know if it is a natural regression or if it was from the traveling but she is not sleeping in her bed during naps (has to be held by me) and she is not in bed before 11:00/midnight.  It has been quite a week (but I guess I’ll leave more of those details for “month 3”).





Crying
Because of the schedule, I can identify the reason much easier when Charlie is crying.  I can pretty much tell you if she is hungry, tired, or over stimulated.  As I mentioned last month, she is extremely vocal so she will let you know what she wants!

Baby Gear
Swing, play mat, blanket to lay on her back on the floor when the play mat is over-stimulating, rock n’ play, baby bath tub, miracle blanket, Baby Mozart CD, Baby Animals Black and White book





Likes
Music (like her Daddy), laying on her stomach, being held, getting her diaper changed, staring at Brutus, bath time, and being swaddled or held really tight.

Dislikes
Mom’s cold hands on her skin, and sunlight in her eyes

Nicknames
Baby girl, Sweet Pea, and her Dad’s favorite, Chuck (don’t even get me started)





Milestones
We saw a lot more strength in her little neck this month.  Her ab muscles are incredible.  She will be sitting slightly inclined and then will try to pull herself up with those suckers.  We also don’t have to hold her head when holding her against our stomach.  She holds herself so tall looking around.  We loved seeing her smile this month.  She is super smiley right after waking up and right after eating.  My whole day is made when I see her sweet little toothless smile!  So far, I heard her giggle once.  She has a slight “laugh” that is pretty funny.  She is so much more vocal this month, especially with “ahhs.”  Lastly, she will turn her head now to find where the noises are coming from.




Other Thoughts
This month was a lot more fun than the last!  Although the hard work continues, we received so much more personality and intentional snuggles every single day.  This month also marked more periods of awake time that she was able to “entertain” herself.  I could bring the rock n’ play into our bedroom while I was getting ready and Charlie would be content just hanging out.