Violet at 2 Months

Whew.

The first month of having a baby is what I like to call the survival month. By golly did it come and go, along with the second month. And I survived! I'm even showering every day again now. I'm telling you, the things we come to brag about sure do change once you become a mother. Like the fact that I got five hours of consecutive sleep a few nights ago. Five hours. Cheers, high fives, and dosey-does all around!

As far as recovery goes, I was feeling pretty good around 2 weeks post labor and delivery. Then at around 4 weeks I started feeling truly normal again. C-sections are hell. Truly. I'm really lucky in that I lost all (that's right, all) of my baby weight in about 3 weeks. I didn't even try. Even though I'm back to my original weight, my body just doesn't look the same. It's like things have moved and rearranged. And I'm pretty sure I have someone else's stomach.

Life is leveling back out again. There's nothing like those huge changes that happen every now and then that are a true upheaval. I'm talking end of chapter, time for a new one type of change. For example, moving to Texas, graduating college, moving to Alabama. There will be many more 'moving to' changes for us in the future. However, none of that compares to having a baby. Not even in the same spectrum. It's really hard, but the crazy thing is... It all comes and goes in the blink of an eye. Violet is only two months old and I've already learned to appreciate time more. If there's one thing I've learned it's that you should appreciate every single day with your baby, because next week you'll be caring for a different baby. They change that fast.

Violet has already made two trips to Tennessee. The trip used to take about five hours, but now it takes about six because we stop more in order to feed her or give her a break from her car seat. The first trip was made when she was four weeks old. She did really well, but man... Did it make her gassy. The second trip was made when she was seven weeks old. She did awesome in the car and was even gas free upon arrival.

We enjoyed Violet's first Fourth of July in Tennessee. It poured down rain the entire time we were there, but that didn't put a damper on Violet's mood. I hated fireworks this year. Despite all of the rain, my family still shot fireworks at my mom and dad's house. I was desperately trying to get Violet to sleep for the night, which proved difficult with pops and booms going off every few seconds. I was the Grinch of Independence Day fun.

My plan is to document tid-bits of Violet's life here, so she can have this to look back on. For all you other people out there, feel free to read on. Just know why these sections are directed towards the one and only.

///////////////////

Growth: You weighed 8lb. 10oz. and was 21 inches long when you were born. When we left the hospital two days later you were down to 8lb. 2oz. It didn't take long at all for you to reach your birth weight again. You weighed 8lb. 8oz. at your first pediatrician visit when you were only four days old. My milk had come in and it was clear from the beginning that you were a champion breastfeeder.

Now at 2 months old you weigh 12.5 pounds and are a ridiculous 24 inches long. You outgrew newborn diapers in the womb. You came into the world a size 1. You moved into size 2 diapers at six weeks old. You also never wore newborn clothes. In fact, at 2 months you are already wearing mostly 3-6 months clothing just for the length. All of those adorable 0-3 month onesies were short-lived. You were only five weeks old when everything suddenly became really tight at the shoulders and diaper.

Appearance: When you were born you looked like your dad. The end. But now you're growing into your own looks. You've been told you have my eyes and your dad's nose, but we'll see how it all turns out because you look different every week.

You had a decent amount of hair when you were born, then you lost some and was really rockin' the receding hair line. You had a cul-de-sac look for a while, but now you're sprouting new little hairs. I'm sorry to tell you that it looks like you've inherited my crazed cow-lick and wonky hair line though.

Like all babies, you were born with dark steel blue eyes. They've grown lighter blue around your pupils, but I suspect it's only a matter of time until they turn hazel or brown.

Development: You're advanced. That's all there is to it. You're doing everything earlier than usual. You could lift your head quickly at birth and by two weeks you could hold it up for several seconds at a time. Now you've really got it figured out. You smiled for the first time when you were only four weeks old. No, it wasn't gas. It was a true social smile. It may have been at 4AM and I may have been half asleep, but I will never forget it. I called you a pootasaurus and you rewarded me with a huge gummy grin. Magical, it was. It became my daily mission to make it happen more regularly, and it does. Now you smile all the time. At everything. And nothing.

You almost rolled over about a week ago. You really almost had it. You began cooing a lot around six weeks and now you've mastered the squeal, along with other random noises. Sometimes you even do them in your sleep. You refused to take a pacifier for a long time. Then at five weeks I bought you a NUK pacifier and you've been hooked ever since. Toys have your attention now and you'll even spend time in your bouncy seat and swing. The first month that was a total joke. 

You've always done fancy business with your hands, but you literally just discovered them for real a few days ago. This had led to a sudden interest in sucking on your fists. Which has led to a lot of drool and laundry. Time to break out the bibs.

Feeding: You love it. The first month you ate every hour or two, making me feel like a real milk cow. You've spaced your feedings out more now, giving Mama somewhat of a life back. The first month I literally never left the recliner and neither did you. You sat with me and either nursed or napped all the day long. Then at night I would be up watching reruns of Keeping up With the Kardashians while my little glow worm was latched to my breast. You're exclusively breastfed and I have to admit it wasn't easy to adjust to the demand of feeding another human at first, but now I've got the hang of it. I'll admit, I really enjoy it. Don't tell Daddy I said so, but I think he's a little jealous.

Sleeping: During the first month you wouldn't nap anywhere but in my arms. I mean, anywhere. I ate every meal with one hand, because you were either in my arms eating or sleeping. Then something magical happened around six weeks and you started falling asleep in other places. Your swing, your bouncy seat, and even your crib. Taaa-daaa!

Initially, you slept 2-3 hours at a time at night. Now you sleep 3-5 hours at a time throughout the night. Because of your inability to sleep anywhere but in my arms at first, you ended up in our bed. It's a california king, so there's plenty of room for us all. You're still there with us every night, but mainly because of me and not you.

///////////////////

If the future continues to go by as quickly as the last two months have, I swear life is going to pass right by. It's been crazy. I feel like one of those old ladies that points her finger and says things like, "Back in the old days..."

One thing I know for sure. Violet is truly loved by so many. My favorite thing about her arrival is the joy she brings to other people's lives. I love to watch her grandparents light up when she's around. It's safe to say that the overall love present around me has quadrupled since she's been in my life. And I can certainly deal with that.