Sunday, September 3, 2017

Lexie: {One Month}


Lexie –

You are one month old! I honestly can't believe it's already been an entire month since you joined us on the outside. Being our last baby, I'm sure you'll hear that more often than you'd ever want to ;)

According to our measurements at home, you are 8lbs, 4oz and 21 inches long. The last time you were officially measured at 3 weeks & 1 days and you were 7lbs, 1 oz, and 20-1/2 inches long.

You are still in newborn clothing. 0-3 month outfits are a little big for you now, and 3 month clothes swallow you up! You are still wearing newborn diapers.

We began exclusively breastfeeding. It was going ok, and mama was determined to make it work. However, at your 3 week appointment at the doctor, you were just under your birth weight. In a panic, mama started exclusively pumping to know exactly how much you were getting vs. how much mama was making. You were weighed at a lactation consultant appointment last week, and you were 7 lbs, 6 oz. You didn't eat as well as you did before, so it seems like you're just not staying awake/being aggressive enough to get all of mama's milk out. We go back for a lactation consultant appointment next week, so hopefully we can see what they suggest. Mama is pumping around 20 oz a day, so it should be enough for you. Mama is hoping that, once you get a little bigger, you can go back to nursing. However, if we need to just exclusively pump, then that's what we'll do. It's more important that you are fed. It would just be a little more convenient/helpful for mama if you just nursed ;)You eat every 2-1/2 to 3 hours during the day, and 3 to 4 hours at night. 

You sleep for 2-1/2 to 4 hour stretches most of the time. So far, you're a good sleeper, and can handle most of the noise levels in the house. Good thing, because it's crazy here! You are taking MAM pacifiers, though you don't seem to like any others. We'll try some different ones again, but we're fine with just one kind :) You like to be held on our chests the most. However, you do like to be cradled. You will snuggle up close, and get nice and comfy! You only wake up at night if you’re hungry, wet, or have gas.

At first, you didn't like bathing at all! It took your umbilical cord stump a long time to fall off, so you were doing sponge baths for over 2 weeks. When it finally came off, it looked like it needed another day or two to heal before we tried a big bath. Once you got in the big bath, you were not a fan of that either! Honestly, I think you just despise being cold, and you let us know you are not happy. It's getting better with every bath!

So far, you like the swing, being held against our chest, being held as much as possible, having your cheek and forehead stroked, the ocean white noise on the giraffe (not the special white noise machine mama bought OR the app or mama's phone), and having a full tummy! You despise being cold, waiting for a bottle, gas bubbles, being alone, and being tired.

You did pass the newborn hearing screening in the hospital. We just never know exactly what to expect with that, but we always know we have a great community to help us if you ever need that kind of help!

Some things I want to remember about you:
You have pretty good head control already. Being baby #4 with a older sibling just 1 year older than you, you have a tendency to get pushed on the back burner when you start to cry. You've gotten red in the face before, and we try to get to you ASAP. This is just a reality in the little years. We promise we love you, and do our best to take care of you honey! You ride in the car well, and only cry if you've lost your pacifier. If you are close to a feeding, your cry is this combination of a gasp and chipmunk yodel. It's hard to describe, but we know exactly what you want with that cry! You went to church for the first time when you were 3 days old, and baptized when you were 3 weeks and 3 days old. We have not gone out of town yet, but your first Tulsa trip will be soon. Your first holiday to celebrate will be Halloween. We're already trying to think of cute costume ideas! You haven't smiled yet, but you're close! Overall, you are adored by your siblings... maybe even a little too much. Lots of reminders to be gentle. Lottie loves to check up on you, but will always steal your pacifier, even if it's already in your mouth! HAHA No real nicknames besides Lexie Grace. Mama tried Lexie Boo for awhile, but it just didn't feel right. We'll figure something out ;)

Lexie Grace, it's a true blessing to be your mama. You're a good baby, and we're figuring this all out together. We are all so excited to see what the rest of your first year holds. If it's anything like this month, we'll have a great adventure :) Love you, sweet pea!

And some outtakes:
{She's side-eyeing someone...}

{Patiently waiting for this to be all over}

{There's a semi-smile! Or maybe just chewing on her sticker HAHA}

{Scrunching up}

{Aaaaaaand we're done}

{David wanted to take a picture with her. He wouldn't look at the camera, but he insisted on taking the picture}

{My nearly Irish twins :)}

{1? I thought I was 1 mom!}

{Sweet girls}

{Lexie with her BearCat}

{Pssst... Dada. Get me outta here!}

{Oh please, are we done now mama?}

And a comparison:
{Left: Jillian 1/2012 Middle Left: David 1/2014 
Middle Right: Lottie 9/2016 Right: Lexie 9/2017}

But I Know What It Feels Like

This post is going to be awfully vulnerable and hard for me, but I really want to finally say it out loud. I got permission for my daughter ...