It’s hard to believe that Miss Isla is one month old already! This last month has gone so fast, yet when I look back, it’s hard to picture what our life was like before she joined us. Before Isla was born, we both felt like we had a good idea about what life with a newborn would be like, but I don’t think one can ever be fully prepared to bring a brand new infant home from the hospital!
I read somewhere (or heard from someone – I can’t remember) that having a newborn is like having a boss who complains all the time. While that sounds a little harsh, it definitely has some truth to it! We’ve started calling Isla “boss lady” because we’ve learned that her schedule has become our schedule and when she wants something, we had better fulfill her wish!
Despite the nickname, the “boss lady” has really been a pretty great baby so far. She sleeps about 4-5 hours at night in her Pack n’ Play next to our bed, wakes up to eat, and then goes back to sleep for another 3-4 hours. Her nighttime feeding sessions usually last about 2 hours though by the time we finally get her back down to sleep.
She is really only fussy when she’s hungry, and is a pretty happy baby otherwise. When she’s awake, Little Miss LOVES her playmat. She kicks her feet and punches her arms to the music and loves looking at the designs on the playmat floor. She enjoys looking at the “mobile” on the ceiling in our room (the fan) and stares at designs around the house as we carry her around. We also try to read at least one book every day (hello, teacher mom!) and while she lacked interest at first, has started to look at the pages and listen to our voices.
A lot of you have asked about how the dogs are getting along with Isla. They’ve really adjusted well to her being home, and seem to ignore her more than I thought they would. The one time they really notice her is when she wakes up crying in the night. They look at us with concerned faces until the crying subsides, like “are you going to take care of her?” (Yes, the dogs sleep in bed with us – it’s a crowded room!) Isla hasn’t really noticed them yet except for when they occasionally sneak her kisses before Logan or I can stop them! She doesn’t seem to mind though.
By nature, I’m an “on-the-go” kind of person. I get a little stir crazy when I’m just home all day, so we’ve tried to get out of the house when possible. I’ve learned that getting a baby ready to leave the house and keeping her happy (or asleep) while we’re gone is quite the chore, but I’ve become more confident with each outing and figured out Isla’s schedule and cues better than I did a month ago!
Logan’s grandfather passed away last week after suffering from dementia for the last few years. We knew he had taken a turn for the worse last weekend, so we made the 3-hour trip to Sioux Falls last Saturday and will be traveling to the funeral in Oklahoma this weekend. Isla will have been to (or traveled through) six states after this weekend! I would say that’s quite the feat for a month old baby! If anyone has any tips for traveling with a little one, I’d love to hear them.
I’m having a hard time accepting the fact that our tiny little girl is already a month old. When everyone told me to enjoy every minute because it flies by, they weren’t kidding! I’m looking forward to watching her continue to grow and change and reach new milestones during month 2.
Thanks so much for reading today!
XOXO, Jenna
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