The First Two Months

Happy Sunday all!

Here goes an attempt at a blog post about the first few months with Addison in our lives.  I'm not a master of words.  Therefore, I believe it is impossible to express the emotions I had as I started learning how to be a mother.  In some ways I feel like something bigger should have happened when I became a mom, and I haven't changed at all.  On the other hand, I am a completely different person. 

Before baby came, I wrote out a lot of note cards with scriptures on them that I thought would help me get through what I had heard were challenging days ahead.  I didn't read them every day once she got here, but during the moments when I needed help, they saved me.  There had been hard times before when I didn't turn to the light of the gospel to pull me back, and those times taught me that it was the only thing that would keep me going when things got tough.

I know that Heavenly Father is overjoyed that we brought Addison into the world and that he will always help me as I strive to do my best in raising our family.

"...for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the things which he commanded them."

-1 Nephi 3:7

 Things got really tough (breastfeeding!!!!!) and I thought I might just never have a life again and that I would be consigned to my couch for eternity. We went to the lactation consultant and we both cried very hard. I'm glad that I am writing this in retrospect so that I can see the results.  See next scripture:

"And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord; and after I had prayed the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was great calm."

- 1 Nephi 18:21

Now I often feel that great calm even though there were many stormy days.

"Nevertheless, after much tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers..."

- Mosiah 23:10

 

Now for the highlights!

-For the first month or so, Addison was overwhelmed by eating. This lead to lots of time attempting to burp her, which led to a very strong neck and very strong legs! She was hold her head up by 4 weeks or so and was standing against me on her own! Amazing little creation, she is.

-After a few weeks she started sleeping at least four hour stretches. By a month old she was doing five or six hours consistently. By two months she was doing seven or eight consistently with a nine and a ten thrown in once and a while!

- From 2 or 3 weeks on, she has loved lights and windows and could look at them all day. \

- She loves moving. She would like to be moving at all times. She likes being carried (while we're standing--she hates when we sit) and walking around carrying her is one of the only times she falls asleep without eating.  She loves the car. And the stroller.

-  She loves noises.  Need to calm down Addie? Turn on the vacuum or the bath tub or Taylor Swift.

- While I feed her she grabs hold of my shirt with one hand and tickles my side with the other. :)

- She is really awake after 4 or 5pm.  She started waking up more during the day after 9 weeks or so.

- She talks a lot! She gabbed a whole sentence once with consonants and vowels and blew me away! I feel like we're communicating all day and forget she can't talk.

- She HATES pacifiers and bottles. But she never really cries, so who cares about the paci.

- She looks pretty bad in black and red and plain white and pretty good in blue and green and yellow.  Funny thing though, she mostly wears pink.

- I think I say "she is SO cute" every time I look at her. She gets cuter every second.

I know there is a lot of to learn still and I am sad to see the newborn days go, but welcome the change.

"...and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance; But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call upon his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering."

- Alma 13:28

"Day by day, minute by minute, second by second we went from where we were to where we are now. The lives of all of us, of course, go through similar alterations and changes. The difference between the changes in my life and the changes in yours is only in the details. Time never stands still; it must steadily march on, and with the marching come the changes.

This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now."

-President Thomas S. Monson