Month One Favorites

These items are ones that are used on the daily in our house now! Many of them can be found at Target or online!

1. MAM Pacifiers
Nora just started taking a pacifier really well and these are her favorite. We tried the Soothie brand but she didn't keep them in her mouth very well. A pacifier really is an incredible invention! Especially at night!

2. Fisher Price Rock and Play Sleeper
This is what Nora sleeps in every night, right beside our bed. She seems to really love it and I love that it rocks on its own! I usually don't have to use the rocking function until I put her down after her first feed at night.

3. Little Remedies Gas Drops
Wow! Do we have a gassy girl on our hands. She is always burpin' or tootin' and sometimes her little tummy hurts real bad when she has some gas. This of course makes her fussy, we giver these drops and about 15 minutes later she is lettin' out all that gas! It is both entertaining and great because she gets relief and we get to laugh!

4. Munchkin Wipe Warmer
Nora does not like having her diaper changed and I think this helps a little. I want one for me too!

5. Fisher Price Bouncer Chair
We actually didn't register for one of these and weren't planning on getting one. Then I realized about a week before she was born that we didn't have anything that was easy to move from room to room. So we picked this one up for only $30! So glad we did because, besides the bassinet it is our most used item!

6. Raney Day Designs Burpies
I am slightly biased because the creator of these is my lovely sister in-law, but I love these burp rags! I had her make me a few and they already look pretty raggity because they get so much use!

7. Gripe Water
Nora gets the hiccups just about every time after she eats. She doesn't mind them for the first few minutes but then she starts to get upset. The Hub's sister told us about this stuff and it is amazing! We give her the recommended dose when she gets the hiccups and they are gone after she finishes taking it! It says it helps with colic, gas, and teething as well but we haven't noticed it doing much for those.

8. Halo Sleep Sack Swaddle
Bedtime routine always involves nursing Nora on one side, burping her then putting her in the swaddler before nursing on the other side and putting her down for the night. Babies love to be tight, warm and cozy and for the most part she really does love being swaddled. If her arms get twisted or aren't down by her side she gets frustrated so we just adjust and she's happy again! She also looks super cute, like a little baby burrito!

One Week

How in the world is Miss Nora Kate already one week old? Time has absolutely flown and in many ways it has all been a blur. I am slowly learning to be this little girl's mommy and falling more and more in love with her each second she is alive! Nora has been such a good baby so far. She has a very calm demeanor and only screams when you change her diaper or give her a bath. Other than that, she is usually content and calm. I am so blessed to be mom to this little lady and can't wait to see her change and grow each day!

I want to do monthly updates as often as possible because I want to remember every little thing! The piece of advice I have been given the most by parents is that time goes so fast, so I plan on savoring these days, even the hard times. Our first week together is a big milestone so I wanted to remember everything possible!

Some first week stats:
Number of baths given: 2
Number of blowouts: 3
Number of meals burned: 1
Number of showers: 7 (personal victory)
Number of times I have checked if she is breathing: 47,228
Number of kisses given: 123,455,399

Weight: 6 lbs 12 oz (after first appointment weight loss)

Length: 20 inches 

Hair: Nora has lots of strawberry blonde hair. It is one of our favorite parts about her! 

Eyes: Right now they are blue like all babies but I am doubting they will stay that way with 2 brown eyed parents. 

Clothes: Little lady can only fit in newborn right now so we had to buy a few things for her! 

Diapers: Newborn. She HATES having her diaper changed right now. Hopefully that will change cause she cries the whole time!

Sleeping: Nora is a great sleeper so far. Some of that is because she is low level jaundice and the doctor said that will make her tired until it is all out of her system. At night I change her diaper and put her in jammies at 10:00 then nurse her and put her down in the bassinet at about 10:30. She wakes up at about 12:30 to eat again, I put her back down and the wakes up again around 4:00 or 5:00 to eat and then sleeps until 8:00 or 9:00. During the day she is off an on sleeping, eating, awake. Typical newborn stuff :)

Eating: Breastfeeding was a struggle in the beginning. Nora struggled to latch in the hospital the first day. By day two she was doing better but was really hurting me because she had a shallow latch. When we brought her home, things got worse, she acted like she hated eating and would act hungry but scream and cry and wiggle or just fall asleep the whole time. She was only really eating like once or twice a day and it was really concerning me. Luckily, at her doctor's appointment she was doing fine weight wise and I got to speak with a lactation specialist. I got some great tips and now her and I are champs! Makes this mamma feel so much better that she is getting what she needs. She also gets hiccups every time she eats! Thank goodness for Gripe Water!

Likes: She likes to be moving! She loves her swing, her bouncy chair or to be in someones arms. I love that she lets us put her down when we need to but she doesn't do well sleeping if she isn't on the move in some way. She loves to be held in the burping position and snuggle up real close ( I love it too). She also makes these adorable squeaking sounds which has given her the nickname Squeaky! 

Dislikes: She does not like having her diaper changed (totally don't blame her). She also is not a fan of baths. 

Milestones/Other: Nora is incredibly strong and loves to raise her head up off our chest if we are holding her. She took her first trip to Target (mommy's favorite store) and slept the whole time! I'm sure when she gets a little older she will appreciate it as much as I do!

Baby items we can't live without: 

Graco Swing (Target)

Boppy (Target)

Bassinet (Target)

Bouncer Seat (Target)