Branstad Family: Our Little String Bean is 2 months old!

Boy, I thought time was flying by when I was pregnant; that was nothing compared to the way it seems time is flying by now. How is Alaina two months old already? How is it I only have 3 weeks left of maternity leave? How is Alaina is in size 1 diapers and no longer in newborn clothes? When did this happen?

I can't get over how much Alaina has changed in the past month. She is smiling up a storm and each one melts my heart every time. How is it that one little smile can make all the sleep deprivation, poopy diapers, and fussy times seem like no big deal? She has also started to make new noises in response to us. They're not quite coos and giggles but she's super close to that. However, she has been cooing and giggling in her sleep. John and I will sometimes hear it over the monitor before we go to bed and it's the most adorable thing ever. Sometimes it lasts for 5 minutes or more and it almost sounds like she's singing in there. Speaking of singing, Alaina loves music and being sung to. If she's being fussy, I can almost always get her to calm down by swaddling her in a blanket, giving her a pacifier (I mean come on, I'm not super mom), a combo of rocking and jiggling her, and then singing. I have found she responds best to two songs. If she's worked up during the day or at bedtime I sing Jewel's "You Were Meant for Me." She's usually out by the first chorus but I sing the whole thing for good measure. When she gets fussy during diaper or clothes changes an enthusiastic rendition of "I'll Fly Away" usually does the trick. Sometimes I mix it up with a little "Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty" or "The Star Spangled Banner" but they don't work as well. John tries the Minnesota Rouser and "We Built This City" (ha!) but she's partial to Jewel apparently.

Alaina's been eating and sleeping really well. John and I are feeling very blessed. I nurse her basically every three hours during the day. In the past month, she's only been waking us up once a night for a feeding, usually around 3 or 4 and then she'll go back to sleep until 8 or 9. That is definitely manageable. She's slept through the night (from 9 -11 pm until 6-8 a.m.) for the past week. I'm hoping this is a recurring thing and not just a fluke. We'll see...

She had her 2 month check up on 10/10. She was 22.5 inches long (51st percentile) - that's 2.5 inches gained since birth! - and 9 lbs 13 oz for weight (14th percentile). John and I were concerned she was only 9.8 pounds but the doctor assured us it was okay because she's eating well and peeing and pooping a ton and it's probably just the way she's going to be: long and lean. He also added "I don't know if you two have looked in a mirror at yourselves recently but..." Touche, Doctor..Touche. Looks like Alaina might be our little string bean child!

And then came the part I was dreading: SHOTS. I wasn't dreading the fact that she was receiving immunizations; I'm all for immunizations. I'll refrain from going on a rant about those idiots who refuse to vaccinate their children. Anyways, I was just dreading the pain she'd have to go through. However, Alaina took her shots like a boss. The first vaccine was liquid. She swallowed it just fine until she realized it wasn't milk. You could tell she hated it - she was crying a little with her bottom lip out and had tears, but she didn't fight at all. She reacted how I expected for the shots - big loud cry and tomato red face until she took a breath - but then she had this sad little wimper cry I had never heard before. Broke my heart. I swear she was trying to be tough. I had her calmed down in no time and she was bright eyed when we left the clinic. I was so proud of her. Newborns don't do a whole lot so you take pride in the little things! When we got home I nursed her and she ate well but I could tell the shots were taking their toll as I changed her diaper. Lots of sad crying. On top of that, I had to use the dreaded rectal thermometer to make sure she wasn't getting a fever. Her doctor insists it's the only way to get an accurate temperature, which is true, but boy did I not want to do it. I had to have a little talk with myself. "You're her mom, she's counting on you to keep her safe. Suck it up and do it." Fortunately, she never got a fever. She took two giant naps with a short and fussy feeding and diaper change in between but by evening she was back to basically her smiley self.

Her neck is getting stronger. She can hold her head and chest up for minutes at a time when she's being held upright on our chests. She also can look from side to side when it's up. Strong baby! She's become very aware of her surroundings and is interested in looking around at things.

Here's what else Alaina's been up to the past month (in pictures, of course!):