One Month

Steve and I both looked at each other in disbelief when I reminded him that we had Kate's one month-old check up last week.

Here are her 4 week-old stats:

Height: 21.25 inches - 50th percentile
Weight: 9 lbs. 5 oz. - 50.75 percentile
Head Circumference: 36.8 centimeters - 50.75 percentile

On the exam table.

All smiles before her shot.

Although she had to get her first vaccination and did not like it one bit, Kate's check-up was a success. The highlight of the the appointment was when her pediatrician, Dr. DiMundo, was practicing tummy time with her, right on command as she warned us to watch Kate carefully because she is strong and could roll over from her stomach to her back anytime, she went ahead and showed her and did it!

After her appointment with her heart band-aid where she got her shot.

Every parent says it, but our first month with Kate really did fly by. It has been a special time for us as we both have been able to take a break from our jobs and focus on getting to know our little girl. Between using some vacation and sick time and Family Leave, Steve is home from work for seven weeks. He still has two more to go. I will be on leave from Pepperdine for the fall semester, which gives me until January to be with Kate.

Here's what we know about her so far:

Her likes:

-Eating: Kate's pediatrician says she is a "snacker." She likes to eat just enough almost every two hours during the day. It's okay (for now) because she is gaining weight and overnight she stretches it to three, and few times even four hours, between feedings.

-Looking out at her world: From day one she has been a very alert baby. Kate loves looking out and trying to focus her eyes on things. One of the things that works best to calm her down when she is upset is when Steve holds her in his hands, facing out, and flies her around the house. He has named the position the "Flying V."

-Falling asleep in someone's arms: We will have to correct this one in time, but for now Kate's favorite place to be is sleeping while snuggled in someone's arms (usually mine).

-Bathtime: We all love doing this together. Steve takes on the hair washing and head holding while I do all the other washing and rinsing. Once she's out we snuggle her in towel and sometimes give her body and hair a little blow dry.

 Her dislikes:

-Waking up: Waking up for Kate is a long, laborious process. She stretches, groans, grunts, makes dolphin noises, and peeks her eyes open and then closes them again for a long period of time. Here's a time lapse video of Kate's wake up process that Steve captured:

-Mornings: So far, Kate really is a classic newborn. If she is crying, one three things (diaper change, feeding, or rocking to sleep) can usually fix it, except in the morning. From about 6:30 to 11:00 am, she is not happy. We think it caused by tummy troubles. In last few days we have been trying gripe water, but we are not sure if it is working. We can get her calm for about 20 minutes, then we have to work through a series of things that includes diaper changing, a quick feed, singing slow country songs (by Steve), and the "Flying V" all over again.

Nicknames: One nickname hasn't really stuck yet. There are several in the mix from me including June bug, bebe, little lover, and little one. Steve has kept it more simple and most often refers to her as baby. We both also call her pup. I would like to think its because some of her sounds and actions are puppy-like, but it is also probably because that is how we affectionately refer to Otter.

A quote in a very timely Huffington Post blog summarized the first three months of being parent with: "You won't want this phase to end, and yet you can't wait for it to end." For us, right now, it's more of the former rather than the latter. There are not many times in life where you truly take a pause to appreciate just how fortunate you are and for us this is one of them. We are feeling blessed by the entire experience of becoming parents. From the pregnancy, to the delivery, to our first month, including a great doctor who has provided us with multiple appointments and reassurance, it has all been extremely positive. We have also been overwhelmed by the support of our family and friends who have shown us so much love and interest in our little Miss Kate.