One Month with BellaGirl

We love every moment we have with this little girl, she is very different than her brother and that makes everything all the more special. Connor loves to give her kisses and hugs and hold her when he gets the chance. We feel like the luckiest family in the world to have such a happy girl that we just adore.

Bella Update:

Bella has decided to follow in her brother’s footsteps with blue/gray eyes.  Her hair is still a blondey color and it seems to be growing a little too. She hasn’t really made her mind up about the pacifier yet, she takes it, but I pretty much have to force it. When its in and she is sucking she is usually good for awhile, honestly I am really the only one that can get her to take it; which makes me feel pretty special. Bella gets the hiccups at least once a day, and she is so patient with them. Just waiting them out and letting them pass. Bella is an amazing eater, she nurses for such a long time I can’t believe she is still awake and she eats so fast sometimes that she chokes or spits it back up.

Her umbilical cord fell off at two weeks. Bella has sensitive skin; we have to keep diaper creams on her all the time to prevent rashes. Our girl is so strong, her legs amaze me, and she puts up a fight with them when she has to get changed. She is still wearing newborn clothes and diapers. The swing hasn’t been as much of a charmer for Bella as it was for Connor, she will go in it for awhile when she is sleeping but if she is awake then she is not usually a fan, she would rather the comfort of someone’s arms. Her daily apparel is a long sleeve onesie (with the pull over mittens, I hate long nails that leave scratches) and pants or a one-piece, cute pj’s mostly and a bow! I love bows.  Bella doesn’t like to be cold so we keep her bundled in blankets, no shivers for her.

At 4 weeks we went to the doctor and she weighed in at 8 lbs 10 oz (35^th percentile).

   
Milestones:

• She lifts her head while on her tummy, and moves her head from side to side during that time
• She responds to sounds
• She stares at faces, and follows movement with her eyes
• She has rolled over from belly to back
• She brings her hands to face and sucks on her fingers
• She responds to loud noises, with the startled reflex (flailing her arms and legs)

Bella LIKES:

• She likes tummy time for long periods of time, just staring off and observing everything
• She likes the motion of walking around and movement
• She likes the car
• She loves Daddy’s swaddling talents
• She likes it when you blow on her face and kiss her nose
• She likes to stretch after sleeping
• She loves her Mommy's belly rubs to make her tummy feel better
• And of course she likes to sleep and eat

Bella DISLIKES:

• She hates baths, diaper changes, changing clothes, anything that makes her shiver ends in her scream. And she has a good pair of lungs so the world knows when she is unhappy.
• She hates waiting, so when she wants to eat, you know. 
• She is not fond of the cold so anything cold she HATES; cold wipes, cold hands, cold air. This girl hates it all!
• Sadly her and the camera don't mix, the bright flash gets her annoyed and she makes the funniest faces and closes her eyes with rapid blinks. Poor girl is in for some trouble since she was born to a photo-obsessed mother.

Mommy and Daddy’s Favorite Bella-isms:

• We love when she smacks her lips together and sticks her tongue out
• We love all her expressions, especially her “stink face” as I call it, I think it is her “I don’t like that” face
• We love it when we get a sleepy smile or a half-smile when she stares up at us
• We love her beautiful wide eyes
• We love her grunts, burps, coos, cries and any little noise she makes