4.28.2014

Eleanor at 2 Months

*Whoops I got behind!  I wrote up this post and took these pictures weeks ago when Eleanor actually turned 2 months.  I didn't love the lighting in the pictures and always meant to retake them before I posted but then I didn't so here it all is, finally just before she turns 4 months!  So that's my disclaimer...

I am in such shock that we are now at 2 months!  I guess subconsciously thought that Eleanor would be the one baby in all of time to forever remain a newborn, but she has proved to defy my expectations and continue to grow at a now rapid rate.

At 2 months…

Her hands are still constantly moving but now they are moving more deliberately.

She is not a huge fan of pacifiers although she tricks us every once and a while and not only accepts the pacifier but also actually lets it sooth her. All the other times though she acts like she is gaging when we try to put it in her mouth.  (Update: Thanks to Jess, we discovered that Eleanor will keep the MAM pacifier in her mouth and we are all so happy about that!)

Oh the chub is continuing!  Her thighs are thick and meaty and her belly hangs over her diaper.  I can even see chub collect in between her knuckles.  When she does take the pacifier, her cheeks roll over its edges. 
She has decided to hate the carseat.  She cries when we put her in it and then starts crying every time we come to a stoplight.  Driving in the car still puts her to sleep but we need a decent stretch without a stoplight to make that truly possible.

Eleanor has turned a major leaf and has actually become a decent sleeper. For which we thank the lucky stars for! At 4-6 weeks, Eleanor was waking up every 2 hours to eat and I thought that I would never sleep more than 45 minutes at a time.  Around 6 ½ weeks, we were getting some 3-4 hour stretches and then all of a sudden at 7 ½ weeks she surprised us with a 7 hour stretch (from 10 pm to 5 am)!! We were utterly shocked when we saw the clock read 5 o’clock.  Since that time, Eleanor has regressed a little but we live with the hope of that 7 hour stretch again.  (Update: For the past two weeks straight, Eleanor has been sleeping from 10:30 pm to 7 am and it has been heavenly!  Cross your fingers it stays this way forever!)
During the day, Eleanor still mostly takes 30-minute cat naps with an occasional surprise 1-2 hour nap in the morning.  She always wants to eat right when she wakes up and so she is usually still eating about every 2 hours.  I’m totally fine with her eating during the day to get her calories in before a long night of sleep J

Eleanor follows us around the room with her eyes and more and more she is aware of how much attention you are giving her.  There have been a couple times that she fusses until you come play with her and then she immediately stops and becomes content again.

And the best part of all?  She smiles back at you with a big ole gummy grin.  Her smiles are huge and she seems so pleased with herself every time she does it.  Instead of screaming during her diaper changes, she smiles and coos at me the whole time.  And that seems like a miracle that I would have never believed would happen.  
Her current favorite songs are “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “I am a Child of God.”  She flashes you the biggest smile when you sing these to her. 

So that’s the 2 month baby update. I am loving 2 months and feel like my baby has really become a baby, not just a newborn.  Now that she is growing up so much, I have started to miss the previous stages.  I miss the way her legs used to curl up.  I miss being able to fit the entire length of her body propped up on my thighs, fitting perfectly in between my knees and hips.  I miss her constant sleepiness and at times I (crazily) even miss the quietness of middle of the night feedings. 

But oh 2 months has been glorious! Truly, so fun.  My body feels a million times better.  I am well rested so I actually get things done during the day (like monumental things such as getting dressed, doing my hair, grocery shopping, eating real meals, etc.).  And Eleanor is so much more alert and responsive so we can play together.  We have daily tummy time, we read books and we take pictures together.  Eleanor is also such a happier baby all together.  She cries so much less and she seems like she has figured out this whole “being alive” thing. 

I wish I could go back and give my two-week-post-baby self a good pep talk.  I would say, “Just wait til you hit 2 months and it all gets easier.  You will be sleeping again!  You will put her down at 10 pm and actual have an hour to be with Aaron and feel like a wife again.  She will cry so much less.  And she will smile at you and your heart will swell.  There will be a real routine to the day.  Nursing won’t hurt anymore either!  Hallelujah! And you will love your little pal.  You will truly love motherhood like they say you will.”   I actually know people said these things to me back then but I either didn’t believe them or was so desperate for more sleep right this minute that it wasn’t too comforting to think about how one day Eleanor would sleep longer.  I remember thinking that an eternity would pass before Eleanor ever hit 2 months old.  But before we knew it we were here at 2 months and oh how much brighter and happier it is!

And Aaron is a natural at fatherhood.  He takes time every morning before going to work to hold Eleanor and sing to her.  He requests pictures all day long while he is at work and he is very involved in wanting to know her daily progress.  He really misses her while he’s away and makes up for it at night and on the weekends by holding her and singing to her the majority of the time.  He loves showing her off to people so much so that he has become an Instagrammer!  (I tried for a while to get him in to it but it didn't work til he had a baby to post pictures/videos of :))

I love that Aaron and I are in this adventure together.  I love that someone else thinks she really is the CUTEST thing in the whole world like I do.  We find ourselves talking about her little developments all the time, even the simplest thing like "She rubbed her eye!" or "She grabbed her shirt and lifted it up!"  Hours of entertainment I tell you!  It is wonderful to be her parents. 

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