{ Nine Weeks }

Dear Elaina Rae,

 

At nine weeks old, you are quite the little charmer. You smile and coo many times each day. You have frequent little "conversations" with Mommy, the back of the couch {you roll over to look at it while I'm changing your diaper and will often entertain yourself "talking" to the couch for 5-10 minutes}, and light fixtures. Your repertoire of sounds is increasing steadily; sometimes it's hard to tell if you are really excited and happy, or hysterical-about-to-cry!

 

Your favorite place to sleep is still on a warm body.

 

 

:: too hot for clothes! ::

 

Daddy and I both started this parenting thing strongly anti-baby-in-our-bed. When we put you in your cosleeper next to the bed, you often cry and fuss for hours before falling asleep. But if I put you next to me in our bed, you're usually sound asleep within 15 minutes. And since Daddy and I aren't huge fans of baby crying for hours during the middle of the night, we've eased up a bit on this front. ;-)

 

Last Thursday, you slept for seven hours without waking up! Glory Hallelujah!! You continued that streak, sleeping 6-7 hours, waking up to eat, then sleeping another 2-3 hours, 'til last night...and I don't think either of us wants to talk about last night. Let's just say that nonstop crying and wailing and fussing from 10:30pm till 3:00am was not how either of us wanted to spend last night, yes?

 

Recently, I discovered that you love to lie on the floor and "talk" to chair legs, the wall--anything that's within a couple feet of your face. Last week I put you on the floor next to me while I was folding laundry. You promptly rolled over onto your left side {your very favorite position--you have rolled onto your left since you were a couple weeks old} and started cooing at the wall. Then you realized your feet could touch the wall, and you started dancing away...and actually propelled yourself several inches down the hallway!

 

:: another hot day...don't worry, I don't take you in public in your skivvies! ::

 

 

:: picture time with Mama ::

 

You have always had a super strong neck, holding your head way up from the time you were a week or two old. Lately you have taken that skill to entirely new heights {literally!}, lifting up your entire upper body and holding yourself up for a minute or two at a time while you look around.

 

:: showing off your neck skills with Daddy ::

 

In spite of your love of holding your head up when we're holding you, you have absolutely no interest in doing so during tummy time. At least you don't hate tummy time anymore--but all you do is lie there, looking to one side, perfectly happy...but lift your head up? Exercise those neck muscles? No ma'am! Why waste perfectly good, comfortable time on your tummy by lifting up that enormous head? On more than one occasion, you've actually fallen asleep during tummy time. {I don't blame you, I'm a stomach sleeper too...much more comfy.}

 

 

:: finally, some of your size newborn onesies are getting a little snug, but all your newborn clothes still fit ::

 

I love all your little facial expressions. You talk with your whole face, girlfriend! Though I have yet to capture a true smile on camera; as soon as I bring out the camera you get really serious and frowny. I don't think you like the flash. At all.

 

You snort on the inhale all.the.time. when you cry, which is adorable and hilarious.

 

You make the sweetest little noises in your sleep; sometimes you look really worried and make almost-crying sounds. I wonder what you dream about?

 

:: CHEEKS! ::

 

 

:: Echo Babies of 2012: Meeting Violet, my former coworker's baby, who is 22 days older than you but almost three pounds heavier. ::

 

One thing that stands out to me lately is that you don't really look like a baby. Perhaps because you don't have much baby chub--nothing like the rolls I'm used to seeing on babies--you look more like a little person. A tiny little person, not a roly-poly baby. At your two-month checkup today, you weighed 9 pounds, 4 ounces--almost three pounds above your birth weight!

 

 

Your eyelashes are getting longer and darker. They are so pretty!

 

Dear little Bug, your Daddy and I love you so much and we are just tickled pink to be your parents. You delight us daily as you reveal more and more of your sweet, quirky little personality. We can't wait to get to know you better as you grow up!

 

Love,

Mama