one month

Sweet baby Kate is one month old. Some pictures to show off this little doll:

She really is a sweet baby. At least so far, she only cries when she has a legitimate need, like being hungry or cold. For the most part she is just so happy to be here and has a calm little spirit. Granted, she will tell you in no uncertain terms if she is unhappy, but what I mean is she always has a reason. :) I was telling Chance, "Man, we'd better enjoy this time now when she cries because she really needs something. Pretty soon it'll be because she can't have the candy or doll she wants, haha." I am so in love with her and so is Chance. It is way cute to see her and Chance's relationship. I swear she is much calmer with him than with me. She loves to hear his voice and lay on his chest and you can tell she just relaxes around him. I love to watch it. 

Some things that have gotten easier in a month:

Hearing Kate cry. After I wrote that I thought, "That makes me sound like a terrible mother!" but let me explain. What I mean is, although it does stress me out, it doesn't freak me out like I thought it might because you really learn that crying means a need and for the most part, you can figure out the need. I always thought I would hear my baby cry and freak out, but for the most part, I have felt more in control than I thought I would. It is still scary to know that you have all the responsibility for this little crying person, but you are more capable than you think and you learn how to help them. You just keep saying to yourself, "They are telling me something" and that helps you remain calm.

Baths and diaper changes. I have gotten much more efficient at both of these. Baths especially made me nervous, and they still do a little, but I'm much better at it.

Nursing. This is NOT a walk-in-the-park, perfectly natural thing that just happens. Well, it is natural, but it doesn't just happen, at least not for me. We have both been facing a steep learning curve, but in the past few days, I do feel it clicking. We haven't had huge problems aside from latching issues, but I think we are finally getting the hang of it (knock on wood!). And randomly, Kate seems to latch and nurse better in public! Isn't that funny? We had a family reunion this weekend and I was nervous about nursing when we would be out and about but almost every time she latched just fine. Maybe she just likes an audience or does better under pressure? Haha who knows, but I was okay with it. Even though it has not always been easy (especially when it is the middle of the night and you are trying to stay awake while also trying to get a crying baby to latch on to your boob, haha) I will say this. Nothing is sweeter than watching Kate eat. It is seriously the sweetest thing to see her contented face as she fills her little tummy. Melts my heart every time.

I can totally see that Kate is getting older. Just in the way she behaves and even in the way she cries. She is still  a little baby but even from when she was born, I would look into her eyes and I could just feel that she was older than a newborn. What I mean is you can tell there is a spirit in there that has existed long before this little body has. It is really a cool feeling. 

We love our sweet Kate.