Brynn Tracker: One Month

The Story
Oh, my sweet little Brynn.  Where to begin?  I am still in denial that she's reached the one month mark and we're nearly at 2.  I realize that's a very cliche parental statement and I don't even care.  I really need to start preparing myself, don't I?  Having a child around the holidays makes the time absolutely fly - so keep that in mind when you're doing your family planning.

I'm sure the main question on everyone's mind is- how does Brynn compare to Emery as an infant?  If you know me or have followed this blog, you likely recall that Emery was an extremely challenging infant through about 4 months or so.  Is Brynn as difficult?  Definitely not is the answer to that question.  However as the older sister who was difficult and later had to read in her sister's baby book (verbatim) that she "continues to be our little angel" - I will be sure to document that while she's easier, she's not one of those babies you see in the movies either.  (Also girls- please note that Mama and Daddy love you easily and wouldn't change one thing about you... We also realize that teenager-hood you may flip roles.)

Ok, give me your best Olan Mills impression and... go.

What's tough, you ask?  Brynn in many respects is a highly watered down version of Emery in terms of the challenges we experience.  She hates the car also.  She screams about 80% of the time versus Emery's 100%.  It's every bit as awesome as I remember the experience the first time around.  Brynn also won't sleep on her own for the most part.  Her Daddy and I once again have set up shop on the couch in the living room.  Lola is the only one sleeping in our bedroom which I think is the only thing keeping her from auditioning for one of those heartwrenching SPCA commercials.  Brynn also abhors being in the stroller and insists on being in the Moby wrap if her Mama doesn't want to make a total scene in a public location.  Brynn is also a belly sleeper.  How do we know?  Because many times in the morning if I put her down on her belly for tummy time, I'll return to a passed out infant.  I've left her to see how long she'll stay like that (under my watchful eye, of course) and it's a dishearteningly long time.  Longer than she sleeps on us.  The last similarity I can think of is that both of them seem to spend long amounts of time awake for their age.

Whaaaaat are we doing here, Mama?

What's different?  I wouldn't say Brynn is "colic-y".  We are at 6 weeks now, so I feel a little bit more confident saying this out loud since this is the time frame it's supposed to peak at.  I also would say that she isn't as physically loud as Emery ever was.  For instance on the car ride to and from Conroe over Christmas she cried/screamed the whole way but Ryan and I were able to carry on a conversation over it.  With Emery that never could have happened.  The most noteable difference is that Brynn will have significant amounts of time awake and happily looking around checking out the world around her.  If all her needs are met (recently changed, fed, etc) she can sit and happily look around for 20 minutes or more.  I can think of about 3 different things I can do to make her content.  With Emery, nothing ever made her happy consistently.

So, it isn't all just about comparing these two, of course.  Let's talk about some of the adorable things that make Brynn herself, shall we?  I alluded to it in the photo dump post but I'm going to document it here also because it's just one of my favorite things about her.  From the time she was born, when she's awake Brynn has done this maneuver that I have termed the cobra.  If you hold her straight up and down on you (which is her favorite way to be held), she will lift her head up and gaze up at you with those dark eyes while her little head goes back and forth.  She reallllly checks people out.  I know once her neck strength gets up she won't do this as much any more, so for now I am soaking it up.

Seriously, I'm starting to believe you're a little nuts.  Why are you sweating?

In terms of your typical baby questions- she eats well and has the ability to sleep well.  When we left the hospital, she wasn't eating, much like her sister.  Because of the troubles we had with Emery's weight early on, I was incredibly worked up about it.  My pediatrician (a new one since Emery's birth) told me to relax and that it would work itself out.  Sure enough, when I got home she took to it pretty quickly.  By about a week out she was back up to her birth weight.  Sleeping wise, I really think because she is a bigger girl to begin with, she has had a few spells of sleeping 5-5.5 hours at night.  It's not all the time but it's very uplifting and her parentals sure appreciate these little gifts.

Last, but not least, I definitely need to document that she is a Mama's girl.  A semi-manipulative one at that.  A lot of times she will be just fine, I hand her off to go to the bathroom/feed myself/try to do something productive, and she will launch into a fit.  She will try to treat whomever is holding her like an all you can eat buffet until they hand her back to me, at which point she settles down and falls asleep.  Because she wasn't really hungry to begin with.  Sometimes when I really just want to take a shower this is a bit troublesome, but overall it warms my heart.  Emery is such a Daddy's girl that it's nice to have one want to cuddle with the Mama.

Channeling her inner Zoolander.

Overall, despite it having been a tiring and chaotic first month- it was an awesome one.  I know how quickly this time flies and I'm making an effort to truly be present and try to block out the things that are difficult to enjoy the things that are incredible.  They're only little for so long, after all.  Before I know it, she'll be the one running around the house yelling "NO NO NO NO NO!"  We love you to pieces, bebe!  It's tough to remember life before you and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Little wiggleworm.

The Stats

• Height at 2 Weeks*:  22.25" (99th percentile)
• Weight at 2 Weeks*:  9 lbs 10 oz (96th percentile)
• Head Circumference at 2 Weeks*: 14.5 in (97th percentile)
• Height at 1 Month:  23"
• Weight at 1 Month:  10 lbs 12 oz 
• Diaper Size:  1 but I have a feeling these won't last long
• Clothes:  0-3 months
• Feeding:  During the day she typically eats every 2 hours.  At night it's usually between 3-5 hours between feedings but some nights she cluster feeds like during the day.
• Sleeping:  As I noted above, she CAN sleep up to 5 or 5.5 hours.  It's not the standard.  She will give us one 3-4 hour stretch per evening though.
• Favorite Games:  She loooooves to have you "sit" her up on your lap so she can look at you.
• Things Dropped on Her in the Moby Wrap:  Iced coffee (Mama).  BBQ Sauce (Daddy).
• Other Notables:  She isn't as into tummy time as I'd like her to be.  She loves to suck on her hand when she can find it.  

* Last official stats from the doctor since we didn't have a 1 month appointment

Mmmmm... I think she was over it.

Putting 1 month BEHIND her.  (See what I did there?)

i(Phone) Spy: Month One - Brynn

What's that they say?  If it ain't broke don't fix it?  I think it should be, if it worked for the first, why the heck shouldn't it work for the second?  So that's how we'll roll.  Each month as Baby B grows I'll try to compile all my massive quantities of iPhone pics into one succinct(ish) post and to summarize all the other things in a verbage post like I did with Emery.

On December 18th, my beautiful Brynn hit the one month mark.  I am truly in awe that it's already been that long.  Life is going way, WAY too fast for my liking.  For Christmas I asked for a time slowing machine but Santa didn't come through for me.  I hope you enjoy these pics of my tiny bundle as much as we've enjoyed having her... Added bonus for you- you don't lose any sleep though.

So you're the Nonnie that Emery keeps going on and on about, huh?

I know little one- I was skeptical too when I saw those cheeks, but I promise I'm your Mama.

Gotta keep an eye on sister no matter where she is in the room.  She's usually coming in hot.

So this is the world?  Kinda unimpressive.

My babies.

*sigh* It was so much quieter in my previous home.

In case you were confused which one she was.

First bath- was not all she dreamed of.  Girlfran does not like any clothing items being removed.

Considerably happier post-bath.  You don't like to be missing articles of clothing?  Fine- we'll give you as many as we can.  Hats.  Mittens.  Pile it on.

This is how Emery "shares."  By piling things on top of sister until you can't see her any more.

Not finding this hat as funny as her Mama does.

Kisses from "Bebo".  If I'm going to out brainwash her Daddy, I've got to start immediately.

Psssssst.  I don't care if it is 2 am... If my eyes are open, yours should be too.

(This photo was taken around 3 am.)  Hey Mom?  Have you ever stopped to think about how I got in your belly in the first place?

Can you tell where the light was?

 I gotta admit- I loooooove baby-sleeping-on-Daddy pics.  For your benefit I've forced myself to only post a few.

No way Mama.  I definitely didn't just manually bounce my sister as hard as I could.  Look at this face.  Could this face lie?

Still thinking about how I got in your belly.

I realized that she hadn't worn this newborn outfit yet.  So naturally, like a good mother, I shoved her into it when she had probably outgrown it about 1.5 pounds ago.

WTH lady.  You said we were going home.  This is not home.  This is a grocery store.  I'm going to let everyone else know how rude it is for you to bring me to an establishment with food I can't eat for months by screaming disapproval starting in 3...2...1...

You sure it's safe to put me down here with that dog and heathen child running amuck?  (Author's note: this only happens while sister is at school.)

My life: A self portrait.

Getting a little early morning fist pumping in.

Were you wondering what Ryan has been doing this month?  Wonder no more.

Let me get this straight- you think you're going to take me out in public, in a stroller, and that I won't make a scene?  Oh mama.  You have so much to learn about me.

This is a terrible, terrible picture of me.  I am only including it in case this mental image somehow ever fades in my mind.  I call Brynn my tiny cobra because when she is awake, she constantly pops her little head up, with fairly impressive strength for her age, and holds it as long as she can while studying you with her dark eyes.  It warms my heart. 

A rare occasion- both arms are still in the swaddle.

I'm so hungry I could eat my own hand and you're just sitting there taking pictures.  Where's CPS when you need them?  Put them on speed dial.

But Moooom, we aren't even going anywhere.  Why am I dressed up?

Don't you just want to smooch her?!

No pictures please.  Just trying to cobra my Mama over here.

The standing position cobra.

Staring off into space.  Thinking deep thoughts about fans, lights and all the other interesting things this new world holds.

Relaxing like this only means one thing- sister must be at school.

Proof that I only give birth to belly sleepers.  I walked into the kitchen to make coffee while Brynn did some tummy time.  Returned to a passed out child.  Le sigh.

Is there a dress code at the pediatrician or what is this all about?

Mama thought if she got me dressed up like a little shopper that it might inspire me to get into Christmas shopping with her.

i(Phone) Spy: Months Nineteen through Twenty One - Emery

Blame it on sleep deprivation or perhaps over indulgence in eggnog, but I just realized that I posted my Emery updates out of order.  I typically post my photo dump post prior to the tracker one.  My bad!  Just keeping you all on your toes.  :c)

As I noted in the last post, these past 3 months have been way too much fun.  Enjoy some photographic evidence of that fact below.

Little Mama's got a brand new bag.

Go go flower rangers!

Seriously?  We are going to do this picture-taking thing every morning?

One way to make sure no one else steals the remote?  Take it with you to Cracker Barrel.  If I can't watch cartoons, nobody can.

Cheerios at Nonnie & Pawpaw's house.  Does it get much better?  No.

This is one of the first times I remember thinking that she looked like a big girl.

Whoa whoa whoa.  So you're saying that I should NOT put my eggs in my Cheerios?

This photo was taken on the day that Emery started giving Lola her treat by chunking it in her face.  She's a real sweetheart.

An extremely rare Mama & Em selfie.

Are we in Hollywood?  Nope- just my kitchen.

Just testing it out, Mama.  We wouldn't want baby to get hurt, obviously.

Working on those big sister skills.  She subscribes to the smother them with love theory.

Nothing tastes as good as something off of Mama or Daddy's plate.

She wasn't impressed with Ryan & I's rendition of boots with tha fur.

Tiny angel apparently with Shaquille O'Neal's shoes.

"Puhkin" squared.

Rocking glasses way more impressively than her parents do.

Just hanging out waiting to turn 16.

Lady.  I have places to go (read: school) and people to see (read: Ms. Pat for Cheerios)- I do NOT have time for pictures.

Everybody loves the Daddy.

Every morning she takes quite a few things with her to school but this particular morning she took it to the next level.  Clearly she was pretty proud of up-ing her game.

Yeah, Mom I see that you think we're sharing this and that's cute.  I think I'll just hop out of this seat and go get my own though.  Thanks.

Emery discovered the cook books under our oven.  This particular morning she was showing me and bebe the cupcake one.  I applauded her efforts to lure sis out.

How cute is she?  Seriously.

Trying to carry about 20 different things.  Standard.

This semester's school pic.  Be still my heart.

Too close to sister?  Me?  Nu-uh.

Just reading about "no-men" (snowmen) with Pawpaw.

You think you're going to stand up with da bebe, don't you Nonnie?  HA!  Not on my watch.

GAP models eat your heart out.  (Haaaa.)

Love watching Em with Kylie.  She is such a sweet, patient big cousin.

WOWA!  What do you think you're doing?

Alright kids- I'm blowing this popsicle stand.  I'll catch you again when I'm TWO!