Emma, Two Months Old

Emma Noelle is two months old! She weighs 10 pounds 12 ounces and measures 23 inches long. She is smaller than her big brother was at this age (I cannot imagine her being 13 pounds right now!), and I'm totally okay with that. I'll keep this tiny peanut for as long as I can. 

Emma has settled into a comfortable feeding routine, nursing every three hours through the day and night. She has taken one bottle so far--around 6 weeks--and did pretty well with it. I think introducing a pacifier to her early on had something to do with that. And let me say, that pacifier? Clutch. Isaac never took one, but I knew it would be helpful this time around, for the hard moments. And it has: more than one double meltdown has been avoided because of a paci. 

Em continues to sleep well, without fussing at night. Thank goodness. She wakes around 7:30 a.m. and is up for an hour or two before going down for her first nap. She spends most of the day alternating between napping and being awake for a couple hours at a time. Then she's ready for bed around 7 p.m. And as long as I keep my dairy consumption to a minimum, she doesn't fuss most of the evening like she did previously. That's right, I can no longer deny it: Emma has a dairy intolerance. Every time I have a heavy day of consuming dairy, she breaks out in a rash on her face and chest. Aside from a dollop of cream in my coffee, I've cut out dairy. We're both okay with it. (Mainly because I have that cream in my coffee. Otherwise, it would be earth-shattering.)

I should post more of these photos, because inevitably this happens every time I lay Emma down to photograph her for her weekly photos. Isaac can't resist a good teeth-grinding squeeze. Neither can I.

Speaking of Isaac, he is adjusting very well to having a little sister. We definitely saw the typical regressions and nap refusal that you're warned about when a sibling comes along, but the love he displays for his sister far outweighs the tough moments we encounter. So often Emma and I are greeted in the mornings by big brother crawling into bed with us. He'll say, "Hi little sister, big brother is here now," or "Hi sweet girl, you're getting so big!" in a sing-song voice. He is so love struck by her. We all are.

Isaac is finding his way into a new routine now that Emma is here. Daddy usually puts him to bed at night--and he always runs into our bedroom before sleep to give his mama and sister a hug and kiss--and he also wakes and has breakfast with Daddy most days. During the day he prefers to play with me as often as possible, but is pretty patient when I'm feeding or changing Emma. He also doesn't mind including her in our play, if she is awake. He likes to help with her as much as he can, often giving her a paci when she's fussy or bringing me a burp cloth or wipe when it's needed. There have only been a handful of times when I've had to scold him for purposely hurting Emma--usually when he's in a sour mood and she is crying. We're working on it, though.

Emma is much stronger than I'd like her to be. She enjoys tummy time, she holds her head up on her own, for the most part, and likes to stand on her legs (with assistance, of course). I can't remember when the stepping reflex goes away, but when I hold her up so she can stand, sometimes she steps her feet and walks to me. I'm praying it's just a reflex. She has also just started grabbing at things. Grabbing! I was counting on at least another month of newborn baby bliss before the grabbing began. Slow down, baby girl!

And just like her brother, she's all about those fists right now.

Oh, Emma Noelle. Already you are such a beautiful little being. Sweet girl, I am completely overcome by you. It's like our birth instructor, Katie, once said: "My husband should have felt threatened by how much I loved my son those first months." I didn't understand, and certainly didn't take her seriously when she said it--she is often one to joke. But now? I get it--I am living it. It's as if I exist solely for you; I love you so completely, Emma Noelle. You are it for me.

It is the same feeling I had when Isaac was a baby. Everyone else in the world fades away. You think of no one but your babe, not even the one who created this amazing little being with you. Your one true love is this child. It's a bit different this time, having both Emma and Isaac. There's some emotional confusion and internal struggle--how can I love both of them this much, when each love feels all consuming? It's crazy. But the trick is not to question it. Instead, just feel thankful you have love like this in your life.

I am so lucky.