Month One

UPDATE
Weight: 8 lbs (10%)
Height: 21 in (40%)

Piper is adored. She gets stared at all day; whether she is sleeping or awake. Someone begs to hold her multiple times everyday. And we all want to have her close; "Can Piper sleep next to me? Can Piper take a bath with me? Can I kiss her? Can I hold her hand? Can Piper play too? Can Piper come?" We are all feeling so blessed to have Piper in our family. When asked recently "How does it feel to be a family of six?" I immediately thought of how amazingly fast it all feels normal and like its always been this way. We love every little bit of it!
When at the doctor a few weeks before we were told to give her a bottle, formula or pumped breast milk, at 3-5 wks. This is the prime time for them to be accepting but not cause nipple confusion. So because of a time crunch and a five hr home buyer class we needed to both attend we went with formula at 4 wks. I hope to start pumping and give her a bottle regularly a few times a week (Sundays for instance and night time feedings would be nice).
Her eyes seem to be a dark blue color, I wonder if they'll change to brown, Shea thinks they will stay blue.
Piper is rockin size 1 diapers and still fits in all newborn clothing except a few extra small ones. And although 0-3 mons is big she wears them sometimes too. She doesn't mind being changed most of the time. Her daily apparel is a long sleeve onsie or gown, sometimes pants. If we're going out she wears a sleeper and bow, if we're seeing people then she gets into fancy cute clothes. A blankie is always near along with a spit up rag, the car seat makes her spit up every time and so does daddy ;)
Her skin is a little dry and she gets a diaper rash like once a week but diaper creme clears it up right away. Baby acne on her cheeks is a common occurrence.
She has rolled twice spontaneously in attempts to defy the tummy position she was left in for too long.

LIKES

Back pats, from Daddy especially!
Most of the time she enjoys being on her belly. She has amazing head strength and tends to raise it anytime she's on her belly or someone's shoulder.
She loves staring at faces and lights.
I wouldn't say she likes it but she puts up with time in the rock n play a few times a day while napping or watching the wild antics of her trio of siblings.
She smiles quite frequently randomly, we love it. But not sure they are quite real yet. Those smiles happen a lot at faces though, but can they really start smiling right from birth? Or is it all just coincidental. Your guess is as good as mine but we sure love every smile she gives.
She loves her hands and we just barely started letting them out of the mittens and such. Sucking them is her favorite thing. I'm trying to avoid another thumb sucker so I try to pull hands away from her mouth when I can.
She's made coos only a couple times. Love those itty bitty sounds.
She LOVES scrunching up in the fetal position, while laying on your chest.

DISLIKES

Baths and getting lotion on after are never her favorite activities.
Mommy can make the pacifier work but really she has to be desperate. I'm trying to push it at night but I suck at remembering and sleeping is still rough. Let's not go into it...
Spit up. I'm not discussing this and some might say I'm in denial but for now we will leave it at, yes it happens.
Hiccups. She got them everyday for the first few weeks and hated it and cried through them, but finally it seems that pattern is stopping.
She hates being stretched out, especially when we clean out her stinky hands.
THE CARSEAT. So shopping with her is loud and rushed. While driving she usually sleeps or cries herself to sleep.
Silence. We are starting to think that she can't sleep unless there is a little background noise.

FAVORITES

I love catching her staring at me while I'm holding or feeding her.
I love her yuck face when I give her the pacifier and she doesn't want it.
I love her tiny arms and hands and how they flail when I pick her up or when she gets surprised.
Daddy loves giving her nicknames; Piper Diaper, Piper Viper, Pipes, Princess Pie.
Daddy loves kissing her cheeks and smelling her sweet baby breath.
Daddy loves her strong neck and back and that new baby smell.

Connor loves "that I get to hold her".
Bella loves "Piper Hugs".

Sydney loves "when Piper wake".

Amazed

This boy SERIOUSLY AMAZES me.

He is the SWEETEST BIG BROTHER.

When baby is happy, content, and still, it is not surprising that people want to hold her; 

but when she is fussy, crying, and wild this boy asks to comfort her.

He is AMAZING!

I LOVE HIM for that. 

I need those moments of PEACE after her SCREAMS, and he KNOWS how to get them.

The FIRST FEW TIMES I thought it was a FLUKE, that he had turned her wailing into dreaming.

But then as I watched AGAIN and AGAIN, as he PATTED her back, SANG her his own renditions of lullabies,  and ROCKED her gently; I became more and more grateful. 

He is now known as the BABY WHISPERER. 

And he refers to his expertise as BABY MAGIC, "Remember guys I have Baby Magic, let me try."

And I will let him hold his sister whenever he wants, because when he leaves her dreaming he is SO UTTERLY PROUD that he can't help but BEAM.

Being a MOTHER doesn't get much BETTER than this.

LOVE YOU CON!

Wear Green

Connor has been looking forward to St. Patrick's Day ever since his teacher at school said "next Thursday need to wear all green", and he took that very literally.
He was so excited to wear ALL green and planned his outfit out days ahead of time and got dressed right away that morning.
Green Undies, Socks, Shorts, and Shirt; he was very disappointed he didn't have green shoes to wear too.
They went all out at school and he brought home all sorts of fun things and greeted us home from school as a little leprechaun.

While Connor was at school I was busy rushing to make a treasure hunt for the kids. My Mom and I had planned one and she brought the "gold" and helped me set up. So we were ready at the gate to greet Connor home from school with the girls and Uncle Joe all eager to start the hunt.

St Patrick's Day Hunt

I'm a lucky leprechaun I'm small and green. 

I hide where I can't be seen. 

Follow the clovers along my trail and if you can catch me today

I'm sure to give my gold away! 

Your door is so tall and I'm so small but lucky for me I have my magic rope. 

Now to find some snacks, I hope! 

Sorry for the mess, but don't have a fit! 

Quickly now I left to clean up a bit. 

Oh great my clothes are wet and need to dry, I'll try and find somewhere not too high. 

Round and round and round I went and now I need a great big drink! 

Now I'm ready to jiggity jig,

Find me where you go to dig. 

Wow I'm so quick and your so slow,

I've left to rest my head, you know! 

You can't catch me, I'm faster you see. So I've gone off to watch some tv. 

Whoops looks like I can't work this thing maybe I'll try and cook, deep inside this great big nook! 

Well darn your catching up and right on my tail, I think I'll go see if you've got mail. 

Oh no you've found the clue. I'm getting chilly, better go find a jacket too silly. 

You sneaky scamps you found my treasured treasure, you followed the tricky trail. 

But when we leprechauns don't get our way. We tend to find a place to hide away.

Better luck catching me some other day! 

They all loved all the mischief along the way; spilled lucky charms, green sink/toilet water, green milk, green things in the dryer, bed sheets tented all over and pillows were even under the bed. It was all so fun and Connor was disappointed to hear that I had done it and that a leprechaun hadn't really come. Next year I'll have to remember not to spill the beans.

That night we enjoyed green mac n cheese and watched The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns while we devoured our "gold".

At the Doctor

Lately we've spent a lot of time at the doctor lately.

With our Piper.

When it wasn't well checks, it was weight checks, and umbilical cord checks.

The first week we went to the doctor a few times because she wasn't gaining weight as fast as they would of liked to see. (...Sydney flashback...)

She also had shots and heel pricks.

Then when her weight finally picked up to an ounce a day, we didn't have those appts as frequently. But unfortunately that's when her umbilical cord started getting kinda "funky". So we were calling and seeing the doctor every other day about the color, smell, and bleeding. It seems it was snagged a couple times, great job Mom and Dad.

At two weeks it came off but still showed signs of the umbilical cord (umbilical granuloma), after we went in to get it cauterized it still took a while to heal. And were then told to clean it with rubbing alcohol.

Finally right around her one month mark her belly button looked perfectly healed and umbilical cord free and she was finally cleared by the doctor for full baths.

Now we are all sleeping a "little" better knowing Piper isn't seeing the doctor every few days. Mom and Dad are sure appreciating the little break.