Month One

Naughty Baby. . . :)

Nicknames:

Sissy, Care, Care Bear, Clareece, Claireeeey, Clairey Merry

Weight: 
 9 lbs - 4oz 

Length:  
23 inches 

(Measurements taken at her two week appointment, i'm sure she has grown in the past two weeks.)

Diaper Size: 
Just went up to size one after some exciting blowouts! 

Clothes Size: 

0-3 months 

We got some good use out of our newborn outfits for the first couple weeks, I was so sad when I had to fold them up and put them away. 3 month clothes are usually too baggy but we are finding that Claire's got some long limbs and everything seems to be too short on her! She is a big girl and is growing so fast.

Health: 
We feel so blessed that Claire has been healthy and strong. I have to admit I have been a little paranoid with the cold weather and with it being RSV season. I've turned into the crazy "have you washed your hands?" type. Oh well. I can't imagine how miserable and sad it would be for both of us if she did get sick. At her two week appointment a few weeks ago she had to get the routine heel prick and the nurse kept commenting on how strong Claire is. She said that she has done more than a thousand tests and she thought Claire was one of the strongest babies she had ever seen! Claire holds her head up like a champ and has from the very beginning. We have to be really careful when we stand up because she has a tendency to whip it around. 

• 

Sleep: 

This has definitely been our biggest struggle and is still a work in progress. The first two weeks she completely had her days and nights backwards. We would put her down about 11:00pm and she literally wouldn't fall into a deep sleep until 6:00am but then we would both sleep until 2:00pm. I have been so used to getting up at 5:30- 6:00 in the morning the past few years to teach piano so this was making me totally crazy! As the weeks go on things are progressively getting a little better. I think the longest stretch we've had has been about 4 hours and this has maybe happened 3 times total. The problem is she really doesn't love sleeping in her bassinet or on her back in general and I am too paranoid to have her sleep in her carseat (which she loves) or her Mamaroo Swing (which she also loves) or on her stomach (which she loves) because of all the scary stories you hear. So for now we will just continue to try to get on a schedule and get used to the bassinet. She loves sleeping in our bed with us but I usually don't let her do this either until its morning and Brady is up and getting ready for work. I have a feeling it won't be long before we move her into her own crib.

Diet:  

Right now Claire is exclusively breastfeeding and eating like a champ! She has never tried anything different and has never taken a bottle... yet! It is my goal that sometime in the next week or so to try pumping and getting little Claire to take a bottle from Brady. She is and always has been so good at latching and overall is just a great little eater. She typically goes 2.5 - 3 hours during the day and if we are lucky we sometimes get a little bit longer of a stretch at night. The first two weeks she was "cluster feeding" from 11:00 at night until about 2:00 am. Luckily I think we have that under control! 

Likes:

Claire loves to be held. They say you can't spoil a newborn and I hope this is true because this sweet little lady gets held all day. She's got us wrapped around her finger and has two sets of grandparents and many aunts and uncles that all live within a mile just can't get enough of her.

Claire surprisingly loves taking showers especially when the warm water runs on her head. She wasn't so much a fan on the bath- maybe we will have to try again!

(First Bath)

Claire loves getting her hair brushed or played with, it is the one thing that always helps calm her down. She also likes to have a soft blanket near her face or up against her cheek. 
Claire loves her carseat which is such a blessing. It is actually pretty hilarious- if ever she is sad Brady will just tell everyone around us, "watch this!" He will buckle her into her carseat, put her blankets on her, put her binky in, close the carseat cover, pick up the carriage and within 10 seconds like clockwork... silence! 

Claire loves to be stimulated and many have made the comment that she is very alert for a baby of her age. She keeps us all entertained with her many different facial expressions. She loves to look at lights, colors and patterns! One of her favorite things is when her dad holds her, he will dance around with her singing her "my girl!" She loves the bouncing movements. She also loves to be on the go in her stroller or in the car. She is a little angel when we are out and about and for that we are so thankful!

Claire loves her MAM pacifier and has since we first were in the hospital. Brady hates it though because the only MAM one we own is blue and it often gets her mistaken for a boy. This was especially true while we were in the hospital so now Brady is always the first one to find her a bow before we leave the house. 

Dislikes:
Claire's greatest dislikes at this point in her little life is sleeping when she is supposed to. This has left her dad and I quite sleepy but we have been soaking up every second we can get with her asleep or awake, day or night! 

Claire also really doesn't like to be naked or cold so diaper changes and changing clothes are often a struggle. We typically try to catch her in a "milk drunk" state before undergoing these type of activities. 

Claire has really taken to a pacifier but it immediately turns into her worst enemy the second she is hungry and wanting the "real thing." We have been quite impressed with how far she can spit it out when its not giving her what she wants. 

Things I don't want to forget:

Doctor's Appointment: 

We had a funny experience at her two week checkup appointment where I felt like a total disaster as a mom. First of all I never would have made it to the doctors if it weren't for my dear mother. She has been the best help to me! So, the nurse came in and asked me to undress her down to just a clean diaper. Right before the doctor came in we heard a big rumble in her pants so I jumped up and tried to get a clean diaper on her before the doctor came in. She was already screaming because she was naked and cold. As I was sitting there hurrying to clean her up the doctor walked in and started talking with me as usual, mind you this whole discussion was over some pretty intense screams. It didn't seem to phase him which I was so thankful for but right when I thought I couldn't possibly seem more dysfunctional she peed all over the table. Good thing my doctor is a great guy- I felt like such a newbe! 

 

Frantic Eating:

One thing that Claire does that I secretly love and never want to forget is this frantic and vicious head shake when she is hungry and can't find what she wants. We always joke that she must be ravenous! It is hilarious and poor girl I usually try to get her want she wants as quick as I can but sometimes when she goes ape on her binky we can't help but laugh. 

 

Overwhelming Love:

I had an experience the morning after we brought her home from the hospital after Brady had gone back to work and I was laying in bed next with her right beside me. I was overcome with the most overwhelming feeling of love I had ever experienced in my life. I broke down in tears thinking of how blessed Brady and I are to have been given this most precious and perfect baby to be part of our family.This feeling of love was also coupled with overwhelming worry and doubt as I started to question how I would ever be able to give her all the things she deserves in this world. In this brief moment in time I think I felt every emotion possible- joy, gratitude, worry, fear, anxiety and awe- it was truly a moment I will never forget. Maybe we can chalk in all up to postpartum hormones but I truly believe it was the gravity of the amazing miracle we had just witnessed finally sinking in. The love a mother can have for her child is real, tangible and something I know I will never not know again.

Brady Daddy: 

One of my favorite things about this whole experience has been watching Brady become a dad. He has transitioned into this new role with ease. He constantly looks at Claire and just says, "oooh she's so cute!" His love for her has been instant and it is so fun to watch. I always joke that I always try to calm Claire to soothe her while he stimulates her. He always dances or sings to her. One time I had to run to the neighbors and I came home to find that Brady had set up a whole Christmas themed photoshoot of Claire. He had put her in a Christmas stocking set up a back drop and even found Christmas props. I know this is only the beginning of the fun it will be to watch Brady interact with our kids. 

(Came home from running errands to find Brady conducting a photo shoot!) 

Meeting Grandma Merrilee: 

When Claire was two weeks old we took her out to the assisted living center to meet her namesake, my grandma Merrilee. Grandma Merrilee is my mom's mom and has always been a very important person in my life. About 15 years ago, when she was in her mid 50's she was diagnosed with a form of Alzheimer's Disease. Since then she has slowly gone downhill. Recently, she has really taken a turn for the worse. It was always my greatest wish for Claire to meet her. I am so glad she did. Our greatest hope is that one day she will be even half the woman whose name she carries. Even though the photos didn't turn out very good, they are some I will cherish forever. 

      

We love this little cutie and can't wait to watch her continue to learn and grow!