I can't even believe that you have already been with us for an entire month. It has been the most exciting, joyful, exhausting, month of mine and your daddy's lives.
Your tiny life has brought so much love to our hearts, and I know that we are just getting started on our greatest adventure yet! I'm almost certain I have already kiss your precious cheeks a million times in the past month.
You make us smile and laugh each and every day. I'll be honest...you have also made us cry. Well, me at least. I'm pretty sure the hormone adjustment and lack of sleep are more to blame than you, but I did feel a little helpless when you would be crying and we would have no idea why. (Thankfully, as the month wore on, we learned more and more, and you cried less and less!)
I can frequently hear your daddy telling you, "I have fed you, I have changed you, you don't have any reason to be crying." Don't worry, I take up for you and tell him you are a baby...it's what you do! (I also once heard him tell you, "Patience Woman!" He has a lot to learn!!)
You are the snuggliest baby I have ever met. You would much rather be held than to lay out on a pallet or in any of the 3 or 4 pieces we have for you to sit/lay/play in. I'd have to say, I'm okay with that! There are some days I think I held you for almost all of the 8 hours your daddy was working!
You are also one of the best sleeping babies I have ever met. You get that from your momma! In your first days, you would sleep straight through feedings. We still have to wake you up from time to time. And as far as nights go...you've already had a few 7 hour nights!! Your momma and daddy sure are happy about those!!
Now don't get me wrong, just because you love your sleep enough to sleep through a feeding...you also love to eat. Your daddy and I laugh at you sometimes because you get so excited and so hungry that you can't even calm down once the bottle is IN your mouth. Because of this, we have dubbed you "The Baracuda." (You do the same thing with your paci...which you love too!) You've worked your way up from about 7 ml every 2 hours to about 2 ounces once we got home, and now you are eating 4 ounces every 3 hours.
Speaking of me and your daddy laughing at you...We LOVE your funny faces, darty eyes, those sneezes (and the build up before hand), your yawns, and your SEVERAL minutes of stretching each time you wake up...sometimes even in the middle of your sleep! Each of these are things we are hoping to capture on video at some point so we can always look back at some of the earliest things that brought us so much joy.
Your favorite toy right now is your play mat. The first time I laid you on it, you were crying and as soon as I turned it on...the cries went away. You would listen for the music and watch as the different lights would dance around. We tried some tummy time on there, but you would MUCH rather be on your back and looking around at everything. You also love the Rock N Play, which is where you have slept most nights, and a beautiful soft white blanket that really seems to calm you down when you are upset (including a screaming fit at your very first doctor's appointment). And you are coming around to your swing. You love watching the bears as you rock back and forth.
As far as that whole tummy time goes...you LOVE it, as long as you are doing it on mine or daddy's chest...NOT when you are laying on a mat. But when you are laying on our chest, you do such a good job. You have a very strong neck, and you are always so alert and looking around. I love to watch you as you take everything in. (Something else you don't like...changing clothes!! Don't worry, you'll come around pretty soon! And bath time...you are not a fan of bath time, YET. Oh, and getting in your car seat. You cry every time we strap you in, but you are usually good by the time we get you in the car.)
One more of my favorite things - Your "Magic Cheek." Any time you are getting upset, whether you are laying down on your back or you are in my arms, I can whisper to you and kiss your left cheek, and you will immediately start to calm down. Adding a back scratch in the mix makes you even happier...you already love those. That's because of your Armstrong genes!! I love being the one that can comfort you and calm you down when you are upset. I love being YOUR mommy!!
First Month Stats
Wearing: Newborn diapers and clothes...we LOVE footie pajamas!
Eating: 4 ounces every 3 hours of Similac formula
Sleeping: Waking up around 8:00 each morning - there are "wide awake" times in the early morning and late afternoon with lots of naps in between; Going to sleep around 10:00 each night and sleeping as much as 7 hours at a time
Hospital Stats: 9 lbs 9 ounces and 20.6 inches long
2 week doctor appointment stats: 9 lbs 14 ounces and 21 inches long (90% for girls your age), 39 cm head (measuring off the charts!)
1 month doctor appointment stats: 10 lbs 11 ounces (and one yucky mean shot!) - no length or head measurements at this one!
First Month Highlights
Bryleigh is one blessed girl with lots of people that love her! She got to meet some of those people over the past month!
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| Bryleigh has been welcomed by our wonderful family! |
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| Our small group was so sweet to bring us meals and love on our sweet girl! |
Within the first few days of being home, we had our first family photos taken and got some beautiful portraits of our baby girl. These are a few previews of my favorites, but you can see the full images in their Facebook albums - Morgan Hope BIRTHday and Newborn Photos and Brittney Davis Newborn Photos.
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| Our very first official family photo!! |
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| One of my faves from Mrs. Brittney! |
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| And one of my favorites from Miss Morgan! |
On February 6, just one day shy of being 3 weeks old, Bryleigh had her very first snow day! It wasn't much, and it didn't stick...but it was sure cold! It snowed for most of the day, and the afternoon brought some BIG beautiful flurries.
We've been talking about the 2014 Winter Olympics for a while and every time it was in regards to Bryleigh being here WITH us to watch them. It was one of the first big "things" that would happen after her birth, so we were definitely excited for them to get here.
Just after Bryleigh turned three weeks, we took her out for her very first family outing...a little Sunday Funday! This momma had been in for far too long, and daddy was missing Pluckers, so we decided to be brave and venture out of the house. We fed her, got her calmed down and asleep, got her all buckled in, and then headed out. We were able to eat lunch at Pluckers (our favorite!), run to Best Buy for an exchange, and then a quick Wal Mart run for some things for her announcements. She slept the WHOLE time! :)
Thanks to her sleeping like a champ, we actually went out on our SECOND outing. We knew we'd be in Sulphur Springs for Valentines Day, so we ventured out on Wednesday evening for an impromptu dinner at On the Border and then a quick trip to Carter's for Bryleigh's first shopping adventure. She did great again, but she was awake the whole time for this one. I love when she is awake, alert, and just looking at everything around her.
Valentine's was an extra special one this year because it was Bryleigh's very first holiday. Brad and I had already planned on celebrating with a Papa Murphy's Pizza and snuggling in front of something on the TV with our littlest Valentine. He surprised BOTH his girls with red roses and chocolate covered strawberries for me when he came home with our dinner. I couldn't think of a better way to spend our night! We ended the night with bath time, and it just so happened to be the first one that Bryleigh didn't cry the whole way through! (I LOVE brushing her beautiful hair after bath time!)
Bryleigh's very first Valentine's Day coincided with her very first trip to Sulphur Springs!! I do have to brag on Brad - after roses and chocolate covered strawberries the night before, I woke up to cheez-its, reeses, and a sweet card on Valentine's Day! Packing proved to be a little more difficult than normal seeing as our (sweet) needy baby likes to be held 24/7, so I got to practice with the baby carrier for a little bit.
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| Thank you DeDe for my awesome Valentine's outfit and bib!! |
Over the weekend, we were able to introduce her to my Maw Maw and Paw Paw (my dad's parents) and my Grandmother (my mom's mom). We had all of my favorites - Hopkins County Stew, blueberry muffins, Bodacious BarBQ, and a new favorite...Tierra Del Sol's fajitas, beans and rice. Can't wait for Bryleigh to get to enjoy all of those too!
Cities you were in Month 1: Dallas, TX - Arlington, TX - Grand Prairie, TX
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