2 Months - Already!?

I can't believe that Annie is already two months old!  Time has flown by...and over the last 2 months, I've probably experienced every type of emotion too.  I guess that is expected when there are still some "crazy" hormones lingering and slight sleep deprivation :).  But, overall, I honestly can say that the most common emotions over the last 2 months have been joy and love.  Our little Annie has changed our lives, and I never want to go a day again in my life without the amazing feeling of being a mom! 

Looking back at her 1 month pictures, it's hard to believe she has changed so much in the last month!  Here are her "stats" from Tuesday:

Weight: 11 lbs 14 oz. (50th to 75th percentile)

Length: 22 inches (10th to 25th percentile - shrimp!)

Head circumference: 38.7 cm (25th to 50th percentile)

Overall, Annie is a really good baby!  She is so sweet - very smiley (she did her first real smile in response to me around 1 month) - and I'm sure anyone who has been following pictures of Annie on Facebook or Instagram know that she is a smiley girl! :)  Over the last month, she has become so responsive when you interact with her.  She of course loves to smile at you, but also loves to make those adorable baby sounds - the range of her "talking" has become much more versatile over the last couple of weeks!!  I swear she has been on the verge of laughing one time for me and Ben said one time for him too - I think it's only a matter of time before we hear that adorable giggle!  It's so fun to think about all of the fun things she'll be doing over the next few months!  Well, the rest of her life for that matter :)  But this first year is just so amazing how much they learn and change!

Other 2 month "milestones": her neck is getting very strong - from about 2 weeks, people have been commenting on how strong of a neck she has for her age.  She is pretty good at lifting her head at a 45 degree angle (if not more) when she is doing tummy time and when you are holding her over your shoulder, she holds her head up really steady (which she has been doing for a few weeks now!).  

We have had some challenges along the way...Annie has a mild case of reflux, which isn't fun because you can tell she is in pain, especially during and after feedings.  Some days it is really bad, and others she is fine.  But because of her reflux, she often fusses when I try to feed her (which makes it difficult to get a full feeding since obviously I don't force it if she is in pain...), spits up quite a bit, and is just uncomfortable after eating.  We do try some things to make her more comfortable (holding her upright after feedings for 30 mins, angling her crib mattress, etc.), but the worst part is that we really can't do much about it.  Hopefully just a little bit of time will help this issue!

For the first month to month and a half, Annie was having a lot of "internal" issues...she fussed like crazy every time she had gas or was trying to work something out (if you know what I mean!).  Again, another issue that is so hard to deal with because there isn't a lot you can do about this.  I did try a few things though....gas drops (seemed to make it worse), I cut out dairy and soy for a week or so (didn't really seem to make a difference), tried a little pear juice in her 1 bottle a day (seemed to make it worse too!)...finally, I cut out all caffeine which seemed to help (finally!!)  I really wasn't even having much, half a cup of coffee a day, but it seemed to make a difference.  She is passing things along a little bit easier now - she still fusses every now and then when she has gas pains, but it's not horrible anymore (and this is normal for babies according to her doctor).  The idea of going back to work on Monday without ANY caffeine though is a little scary...haha!

As I said at the beginning, there are so many emotions that you experience as a new mom - joy, love, happiness, helplessness, worry, uncertainty, doubt, frustration - just to name a few.  I think the hardest part so far is knowing what exactly we should do for different things...like what to do about her reflux (and feeling helpless in the meantime that you can't help her pain), or how to start good habits so she falls into a schedule eventually (how long is too long for a nap?  How long should she go without eating during the day?)...and on top of all of that, there is SO much contradicting information in books and on the internet (all from credible sources) on what is right.  So, it definitely has been a challenge to try and get all of the information possible and then come up with our own decision on what WE are going to do....all the while having NO idea if we are doing any of this right! :)

In the end, what is most important is that our baby is happy, Ben and I are happy with one another, and we are happy as a family - and I can say without a doubt that all of those things are true!  So, at least for now, I think we're doing something right :)