1 Month Old

I have seen so many people do this cute thing where you get a stuffed animal and take your babies picture next to it every month to help document and give you a visual of how big they are getting and how much they are changing. I think it is a totally cute idea, so I stole the idea.

 Here is our sweet little Carys at 1 month old.

 Some things about Carys at 1 month:

-She was finally starting to be awake a little more and alert more often.

-Still wearing newborn clothes with no sign of outgrowing them soon.

-Her eyes are turning light blue and her hair is starting to lighten up a fair bit.

-She makes good eye contact

-Very content and easy going and loves to be held in a cradle position

-She won't sleep in the bassinet, but if I put her in bed next to me she passes out almost immediately and sleeps amazing!

-Getting up to feed only 2-3 times a night and going about 2 1/2 hours in between nursing 

After 1 month you kind of want to stop and evaluate how things are going. How you are adjusting and handling your new life. Well, quite honestly it was a lot more surviving than adjusting. Having 4 was seeming harder in ways that I was not necessarily anticipating. I thought it would be hard getting around, going shopping, running errands, getting kids to and from school, etc. But really that part has not been so bad. It has been life at home that has been tough. Carys is a night owl. And knowing there is a good chance she is our last, I cherish every moment at night, when all the other wild kids are sleeping, to sit and peacefully hold my baby and cuddle with her and stare at her without constant interruptions. 

Unfortunately this means there is not time to do all the chores I normally do at night. Suddenly my home has baskets of laundry that are sitting, waiting to be folded. Dishes sit in the sink longer than I would like. Toilets stay dirty more often than they used to. It has been rough...balancing the needs of my baby, who in all reality I just want to hold and snuggle with all day. The needs of the other 3, who are a bit more demanding with what they want/need and when they want it. The needs of the household. It's really been a reality check for me.

And then there is this cute face...

 I expected Conner to have a really rude awakening. I figured he would not at all like his place as baby in the family being bumped out of the way and watching someone else steal his mama's lap. But much to my surprise, he embraced his baby sister with arms wide open. In fact, he fell madly in love with little Carys right away. When they came to see us at the hospital after she was born and it was time to go, he broke down in tears and had to be carried out the room because he did not want to have to say goodbye to the baby.

But even though he was kind to Carys, he was not kind to Mama. Con was suddenly dishing out a whole lot of drama. Temper tantrums, teasing his siblings, hitting, getting into trouble the minute I sit down to nurse and he knows I am slower to discipline him. Such a little stinker. Luckily this phase didn't last long, thank goodness. So at one month, yeah, survival mode is pretty much in effect. But survival in the most grateful, happiest way possible!