Can’t believe Saturday Miss Lilla will be 1 month old! A lot has happened over the past month and even though most of our nights have been sleepless, Jon and I are head over heels for the new addition to our family.
Here’s a brief recap of our first month with our little (sometimes screaming) bundle of joy:
Week One – New Parenthood Bliss
The first week was a blissful fog. Lilla was sleepy and easy. Probably because she was still adjusting to her new surroundings. Jon and I took turns gushing over her perfection as we wiped the sleep and giddiness from our eyes. My family was in town to welcome Lilla to the world and then once home from the hospital, we had the pleasure of having my mom stay with us and help out for 2 whole weeks. A time I completely cherished and always will.
Week Two – Hello Reality
Lilla’s second week was quite the 180 from the first. Still perfect in every way, she seemed to scream more than she slept. A lot. And the only thing that seemed to comfort her was eating. Which really took a toll on “Mommy” aka “Lilla’s Milk Factory”.
Jon, my mom and I tried everything to get her to stop screaming. Burping, rocking, shushing, singing, dancing, swinging, you name it, we did it. Nothing really seemed to work. It seemed all she wanted to do was to scream. We started to wonder what had happened to that perfect sleeping baby we brought home. The one that slept through Penny’s impromptu barking, our chit-chat and perpetual TV watching. The one that looked so peaceful when she slept. Key word being “when”.
Funny story from week 2 – My mom, Jon and I were sitting in Lilla’s nursery as Lilla screamed her head off. Trying to figure out how to battle the screaming, Jon asked to take matters into his own hands. As he walked out of her room, my mom and I began guessing what to do next. Suddenly we realized the screaming had stopped. My mom and I both looked at each other. And then we heard something. Something that sounded like singing. Like Jon singing. We peeked around the corner, only to see him bouncing Lilla up and down as he sang “The ABCs”. It was one of the cutest things I’d ever seen. And even better, it was working!
In Jon’s own words, “I’ve tried The ABCs, Happy Birthday, Jesus Loves Me, even Frere Jacque. Except I quickly realized I didn’t know anything after “Dorme vous”.
Week 3 – Duh! and Yay Grandparents!
So after our second visit to the pediatrician, it became clear the reason for Lilla’s screaming – she wasn’t getting enough to eat. Down to 8 lbs (born 8 lbs 15 oz), the doc gave us orders to fatten her up. And in two days of constant feeding (we introduced the bottle in addition to nursing), she became a completely different baby. A happy, content and sleepy baby. Jon and I looked at each other with a “Duh, why didn’t we realize she was hungry this whole time?” look on our faces. Either way, we were thrilled that Lilla’s screaming problem wasn’t colic.
Grandma and Grandpa Rodgers came to meet their newest grandchild. And it was pure heaven watching them interact with Lilla and having their help (hello nap time!) with caring for her. Jon and I barely changed a diaper the entire week they were here. Quite the nice break. 🙂 Aunt Lindsay also made it out to SF to meet her new niece. And Lilla christened her visit with a nice big diaper blowout while Lindsay cuddled with her.
Week 4 – Smiles, Smiles and More Smiles.
So even though the majority of Lilla’s smiles up to this point had been in her sleep, we started seeing more and more with her eyes open. And some seem like they’re in response to us. At least, we’d like to think that they are.
After introducing her to the bottle, she suddenly became mobile. The 3 of us drove down to San Jose for her first photo shoot (courtesy of newborn photographer Shannon Cline, http://www.shannoncline.com). And afterwards, we met Grandpa, Grandma and Lindsay at Santana Row for a peaceful outdoor lunch and some shopping. All of which Lilla slept through. We also discovered that car rides put her right to sleep. 🙂
thelillapad 
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