Graduations!

Dear Isabella,

As I write this, you are sleeping next to me in your bassinet, swaddled (but of course your right arm has managed to wiggle out) and beautiful. I can't believe that tomorrow you will be one month old! You are graduating from "newborn" to "infant."

In fact you've had a lot of milestones this week. The final bit of your umbilical cord stump (finally!) fell off this morning. So tonight we gave you your first real bath - before this we couldn't get that stump wet (more on that in a bit). You also graduated from diaper size "N" to "1." And in the past two weeks you went from eating 2.5 ounces per feeding every two hours, to eating 4 ounces per feeding every three-ish hours. I think you had a growth spurt in the past few days because you look and feel a lot bigger (and heavier!), and you were certainly extra hungry! Oh, and with all those changes you also have outgrown all your "Newborn" sized onesies - on to the "0-3 Month" size. You're getting big so fast!

And finally, we are getting into an eat-change-sleep routine that more or less works and is fairly predictable. In fact, this week we started a pretty good all-day routine of waking hours, going out hours (even if it's just to visit Daddy at work - it's good for us to get out of the house a little every day), and night time sleep schedule. Life is getting a little easier with this routine and predictability - even if Daddy and I are still very tired all the time!

The only thing that has sort of been a challenge this week is that you're having trouble going "number two" lately. Last week Thursday you hadn't pooped all day until at night you suddenly had a diaper overflowing (literally)! And Friday was the same thing. Saturday we caught it before it got all over you, but that was just by chance. And then on Sunday you had nothing! So I called the doctor on Monday and they told us how to "help" you go. Poor little thing. This whole week we've had to help you. At first it felt so weird to do that to you, but like your Daddy said, we're just helping you feel better. We have a pediatrician appointment on Tuesday so hopefully they'll give us a new solution. Though I hope they don't advise us to change your formula - finally it seems like your gas/spitting up problems have settled down.

Because of those diaper blow outs we had to bathe you even though you still had a little bit of an umbilical stump. They weren't "full" baths with a tub of water, but we had to use running water to get you clean - a sponge bath would not have done the trick! You still aren't sure about how you like the bath. You seem to relax when the water runs over you, but you certainly don't like your head getting wet! Tonight when I washed your hair you cried so hard, and real tears were actually running. I could tell it stressed your Daddy out to see you so unhappy. But you're so cute in your hooded towel afterwards!

We also saw Aunty Maki this week, and baby Mana and Uncle Jin. We walked to meet them in Waikiki to give them some formula that we had that you can't use. It was so cute to see you and Mana "meet" each other - even though both of you weren't really aware of it. Oh gosh, sweetie, Mana was born in January so she's three months older than you, but you two are almost the same size! Mana was born at just over five pounds though, so you had a 3 pound head start! Haha.

Yesterday we also visited other people in Waikiki. We stopped by P.F. Chang's and saw Uncle Adam and Uncle Shane. They both said you are super cute! Uncle Adam has a little baby too, Cole, and I still remember the day he came into Starbucks and told us his wife was pregnant! He was so happy and already proud. Just like your Daddy was when he told his friends. Uncle Shane doesn't have any babies for you to play with, but he said he's going to teach you all about life. (I'm not really sure what that means!)

Finally, we also walked all the way to the Hilton to visit some people at my work. You met your Aunty Yukari who was so excited to meet you! She made one of your diaper cakes for our baby shower (in fact it's her size "1" diapers we're using now). While I was pregnant with you she used to talk to you a lot. She loved you from the start! You also met Uncle Bobby, Uncle Tim, and Aunty Lori. When we got there, Aunty Yukari carried you for a little while and then Aunty Lori carried you the rest of the time. They both said you're so pretty. Aunty Lori kept joking that she wanted to take you home with her. She has a teenage daughter, a little boy, and another little baby boy who is turning one year old soon. We had to go after a little while because you were starting to get too hot - and hungry.

You're starting to pay more attention to what's going on around you - probably partly because you're starting to be able to see a little farther. You love your swing at home and at Grandma and Grandpa's house. You have a book there that's called "How Do I Feel" and it has pictures of kids with different emotions - you like to look at that too. You still love to sleep on top of me or Daddy - and most afternoons that's how you have one of your naps. Now that you're able to sleep in your bassinet and you aren't so insistent on sleeping on top of us, it's really nice to have you do that for a little while every day. It feels nice to see you so relaxed and content - and to know that it's because you're close to us and feel safe with us.

You're growing so fast, Bean! Pretty soon you'll be too big for your bassinet and you'll have to sleep in your own room. I can't believe how much you've already grown and matured - when I look at pictures of you when you were just days old, I am so amazed! You are prettier and prettier every day, even though every day I don't think you can get any prettier than you already are! Sometimes I look at you and I am still blown away that you're ours. That we made you. You're my daughter. I don't know if I'll ever stop being in awe of that.

What will the next couple of weeks bring us? More milestones, more growing, maybe some new challenges (I don't think that will ever change! It's part of being a parent!) and definitely some more great experiences.

Congratulations on your One Month Birthday, my Isabella. I am so proud of you every moment, and I love you so much!

Love,
Mommy