Remember how the first time I didn't get Milo's monthly photo/update posted on the 21st was when he was 22 months old? Yes, well. I missed Olive's very first month. Poor second children. Always getting forgotten. In my defense, I didn't exactly forget to take her photo and get something posted. It was more that it hadn't even occurred to me to take a monthly photo.
Forget I said that. I don't think I'm helping my case.
But of course I'm guilty of not taking nearly as many photos of Olive in her first few weeks as I took of Milo. And as a secondborn child myself, I should be standing up for her rights. So, Olive, I promise you, Mommy is going to try to be better. And so I present the first (of many, 24 at least) monthly update.
Olive, I have no official stats on weight and length to offer, since you do not have your next check-up until you're two months old. I do know that you are outgrowing your newborn cloths at an alarming rate, and that it royally ticks you off when your pj's are not long enough for you to fully stretch out in.
Olive does not like to be swaddled and hasn't since the first couple days of her life. She much prefers to have her arms free and usually sleeps with them up by her head. She also does not really care for her paci, though it does calm her down and get her to sleep from time to time. She easily relaxes when being walked around and patted on the bum, and she can sense the minute you sit down no matter how hard you try to emulate the motion of walking.
She gave me her first smile yesterday, right at the one-month mark. I was tickling her face and making funny noises and she looked me in the eye and smiled as her arms flailed about. I'm hoping it was a real smile and not just a reflex. She has adorable dimples and I can't wait to see them more often.
Olive has had her first bath in the bathtub, and it was not her favorite thing. She just looked cold the whole time, despite the space heater and my efforts to continually pour warm water over her belly and arms to keep her toasty.
She has had a cold the last few days, and sleeps really well on her belly. It's a real shame that sleeping on one's belly is no longer acceptable, because I think she'd be happiest in that position. We have laid her on her belly for brief periods of time while she naps, though always checking on her frequently. I would never ever forgive myself if something happened to her while she was on her belly.
I'm actually growing quite fond of her. I'm not one of those people who instantly bonds with her child the moment she lays eyes on her or hears her cry. It takes me awhile to connect. Of course I loved her from the start and felt fierce protective emotion when it came to her time in the NICU and her overall health and well-being, but it takes me longer to start to really just like her. I hope I am not sounding like a terrible mom, but that's just how it is for me. But now that I've spent a month with this lady and am getting to know her better, there's a love for her that is never ever going to go away.
I adore my new family of four. Olive is the just-right addition to fill up our house and our hearts.
Posts
2 comments:
Ah, the second child syndrome. I still take more pictures of Audrey than Charlotte. Is that bad? Hope to see her in person soon!
And what size clothing is she in now? Three months? I can easily drop some clothes in the mail for you if you need them!
Hopefully you will be a little bit more forgiving of your mother when you wonder why there weren't as many pictures of you or that you were rarely in a picture all by yourself as the second child. Having a sister who was 15 months old when you were born kept me hopping. I know Olive feels your intense love---and she won't know the difference that her 1 month post and picture is a day or so late!
Post a Comment