Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Lydia: Four Months!

This letter is two weeks overdue. It's safe to say we've been a little busy!

My Dearest Lydia Jane,



You are four months old! I can hardly believe it. 


It has been quite a month! You've definitely experienced the four month growth spurt that I remember with your brother and sister, with random increases in your appetite and sleep, which consequently cause your little routine to be all over the place! You slept through the night more nights this month than you ever have, which is much appreciated! You still wake up for that middle of the night feeding sometimes and I love our snuggly time together.


You are in the 87th percentile for your height ... and the 8th for your weight. YIKES. Don't get me wrong, little babies are the norm in our family, but you dropped from the 35th percentile to the 8th, which was cause for concern (read: Mama was borderline hysterical). The pediatrician asked if my milk supply had decreased at all and I didn't think that it had. However, it's apparently normal for a breastfeeding Mama's milk supply to change around three to four months, because this is the time frame when postpartum hormones begin to normalize (read: change). For example, my postpartum shedding has been in full-force, one of the best examples of hormonal change.

He suggested I drink at least two liters of water a day, so I started drinking three (your Mama is a worrywart). With working out and the hot weather upon us, I really need to keep up my hydration, since I'm responsible for hydrating two people! I pumped and took notes. You take 3-4 ounces per feeding and when I tried giving you more (in a bottle), you puked everywhere. Point taken. I called the pediatrician and told him what I had recorded and he said it sounded fine--but to be sure to keep my water intake up. So, I have. When I asked him if I needed to give up coffee, his response was, "I wouldn't do that to you!" He knows me well. One coffee drink a day ... and lots of water! You've been doing great! Phew. You had me scared, little Ladybug.

Okay let me go get another drink of water.

Ahh.

You smile all the time. Your whole face lights up and it's absolutely amazing. I can't help but squeal when I see it and your Dadda and I do a good job making idiots of ourselves whenever your little gummy grin begins to form. You love to be held and snuggled and oh, I absolutely take advantage of it. I can't get enough of your sweetness. You've found your voice, too, and love to squeal and giggle. Yep. You have my heart.


Your sleepy time routine is a simple one--I sing you a song (typically "You Are My Sunshine") while I rock you in my arms and then I lay you down. You smile and coo and eventually find your thumb and go to sleep. Way to go, baby. Yes, you are a bonified thumb-sucker, just like your big brother! I have to say, you're pretty good at falling asleep in random places, like your sister. When you're sleepy, you're ready for bed! You've made one big discovery this month: Your FEET! You love to grab your toes and put them in your mouth. So cute. You're working on that hand-eye coordination. It's so cute to see your serious concentration as your wobbly little arms reach for your wobbly toes ... and when you finally grab them, your eyes get so big! Victory! So sweet.



Baby girl, what an honor it is to be your Mama. Keep growing, my ladybug.

Love,
Mama

3 comments:

  1. First, This may or may not have make me tear up. No because it's sad, but I used to sing "You are my sunshine" to Layli. Sweetest memories singing, rocking, and cuddling with her.

    Second. Do you have any pictures of you as a baby? I'd love to see how she and you compare. I am usually wrong about these things, but I swear, she could be your mini-me! :-)

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  2. If it means anything to you, Josiah did a big percentile drop in the weight department between his two-month and four-month appointment with the doc.. I was so concerned as well, but he was totally fine, normal in every way, doing everything he was supposed to do. At his one year appointment, he was still in the lower percentiles, and his doc said, "So he is thin," and I do think that he's just on the skinnier side as far as babies go.. It sounds like Lydia is doing so well and growing perfectly fine.. And ditto to the water intake.. I drank so much in those first months of breastfeeding..

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    1. That does make me feel better. All of my babies are small--Naomi was in the seventh percentile at her first birthday! But since she was eating solids (like a beast), I wasn't as worried. I think that's one hard thing about breast feeding--when stuff like this comes up, you know it's basically your fault, in a way (even though it isn't intentional). I'm so glad she's doing great.

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