month two

Dear Chicken,

I can't believe we're about to begin Month 3! This month I really did start using your name more (instead of all the nicknames) but for some reason, "Chicken" has stuck with me. I've started to call you the dog's name and caught myself but this week I almost called her your name. I think that's an oddly good sign. What I'm wondering is how do those families do it? You know, the ones with like 12 kids with names that all start with the same letter? Do they ever get the kid's name right? Or does the common first letter give them a split second more to come up with the right one?

So if there had to be a theme for this month, I think it would be The Month That You Christened Us As Parents. I know Month 1 was the one where I gave birth but this one has been a bit more challenging/interesting in several areas. I had mentioned at the end of last month that you had gotten your little bodily fluids on both your father and me. Well, I've now had the trifecta--pee, poop, and vomit. Good times. Your dad foolishly had you sitting sans diaper on his lap/chest while he was lying down one evening. You had bad poo (of course) aimed directly at him.

We're still not sure what's going on with you but gone are your lovely fair-smelling poos and in their place is crazy diarrhea that often finds its way out of your diaper. That poor bouncy chair has taken a beating. As have numerous outfits (yours and ours), blankets, burp cloths, a throw pillow, the changing pad, and your carseat. Luckily, it hasn't yet happened in a socially unacceptable place. It's only a matter of time. Because of this poo, however, you got to go to your first sick baby appointment. And to Urgent Care. Medical folks have told me not to worry about this--changes just happen in babies. Don't I know it. That could be the alternate theme of this month...

We don't really enjoy this new poo and you seem to be uncomfortable with your digestive system so we've made some changes this month. I'm limiting lactose/dairy. You're taking a bottle of formula once a day. That one's because you would get so grumpy by that last feeding or two of the day that we would both be really frustrated and that was pretty much the only time Daddy was home. Not good all around. And we've been trying Mylicon. I'm not 100% sure it's working but it kind of seems to. We started that at the suggestion of a lactation consultant. We went to our first breastfeeding group last week and those super new babies seemed so little! There was a 4.5-month-old there, however, and she seemed so much more developed compared to you. It's crazy to think that you'll be rolling over and giggling and shaking rattles before we know it.

At your 2-month pediatrician appointment today, you were 10 pounds 12 ounces and 22.5 inches--our petite little baby. You do seem so much bigger to me now than when you were born. You're still kind of in-between sizes for clothes--only the smaller 0-3 month things fit you but newborn stuff makes you look like an older woman going through a mid-life crisis who tries to reclaim her youth by squeezing into that size 4... (Might I add that that sentence could describe me right now.) Sadly, you're kind of in-between sizes of diapers, too. I think this makes for more diaper failures.

You're making progress with holding your head up and generally having more head control. We also make you bear weight on your legs and you're getting better at that as well. It's so funny seeing your little body "stand." And you've found your hands! You have much more control over your movements, often putting those hands in your mouth or rubbing your tired eyes with them. You're much more alert and are awake much more often than in your early weeks. You track things much better with your eyes and sometimes enjoy looking at toys but really just want to see faces. By far the most exciting development this month has been your first real, social smile. I was so excited and, of course, also teared up. It was awesome. Your gummy grin and crinkly eyes. Sigh... You do it more and more frequently but I'm not sure if anyone except me has seen it. Just like when you'd stop moving in the womb when Daddy came around, you hide your smiles these days.

A few other firsts... You used your stroller for the first time. Maggie, you, and I walked down to the water. You've done great in it even though it's still a little big for you. You generally stay awake and quiet the whole ride, just looking around. You also attended your first wedding that happened to take you to Jackson County for the first time (where I grew up). You were very well-behaved at the wedding. I was a bridesmaid so Daddy had to tend to you. At one point a baby started crying and it didn't even phase me. Then I realized, "Hey, a baby is crying. HEY! It's not my baby!"

Chicken, this month has had its challenges but it's also been great watching you grow. I love cuddling with you and plan to do that as much as I can while you'll let me. You're just so soft and cute. I love seeing your little expressions and how you immediately have the grandpa-types wrapped around your little finger. I've had some weird stuff going on with my health for awhile now and the main reason I want to figure out what's going on and to be ok is because I want to stick around for you. It's weird how quickly you became the most important thing.