And She Smiles!

Dearest Lucy,

You are seven weeks old... and 2 days. I meant to write this awhile ago, and then I would have had a nice clean opening of "you are six weeks old today." But apparently little things like blog posts get delayed when taking care of a baby.

Her smiles are hard to capture on the camera!

We are learning so much about you, and are amazed at the way you change just a little each day. The most exciting development recently has been your smile! You first smiled a few weeks ago, but recently, you have started smiling in direct response to attention from others. And sometimes you give us 8 or 10 smiles in a row! It's astonishing how you can command the attention of the entire room with just a grin. :) And I swear you are working on talking already. When we interact with you, you move your mouth like you see us doing... but have not yet learned how to make sound come out at the same time. I love "talking" with you!

You have also started making solid eye contact with us, which, when combined with a winning smile, just makes us melt. Just this last week or so, you've started making noises that can be classified as something other than "crying." It makes me laugh out loud to hear your gurgles and sighs and tiny little squeals. Of course, you have also been giving your lungs some good exercise, and have quite the cry when you're unhappy.

You continue to not only snort (and the hungrier you are, the more gusto you put behind this), you also give the occasional belch that rivals any junior high boy. You can tell we're new parents because we think this is absolutely adorable. You have also discovered your hand recently, and when you're hungry, you expend much energy furiously attempting to shove the whole thing into your mouth (sometimes while snorting!).

Practically speaking, I have appreciated the ever increasing strength in your neck, making nursing on the go so much smoother. I no longer feel totally lost without my whole set up at home, and can make do very well sans boppy pillow. :) However, taking a bottle continues to be a bit of a battle with you. You take forever to drink just an ounce, and will only eat enough to take the edge off your hunger before pushing the bottle out of your mouth. -sigh- One of these days we'll get this skill mastered.

Uncle Jonathan with Lucy

Another development, which has both your dad and me pleased as punch, has been your sleeping schedule. Starting a few weeks ago, you started sleeping longer stretches at night, adding about an hour each week to how long you'd sleep. This week, we got up to eight hours! You go girl.

So many "firsts" have happened in the last few weeks in your little life, too! We put you in the nursery at church for the first time when you were six weeks old, and you did so well. I confess, I missed you a little bit, but it was nice to be able to focus on our Sunday School lesson.  You got to meet your Uncle Jonathan for the first time over Thanksgiving break. He's quiet, but I think he liked you. :D I went back to work for the first time last week, as well, starting my one-day-a-week schedule that will stretch over the next couple of months. I enjoyed the "grown up" time in the office, but was sure happy to come back home to you.

After Thanksgiving, we got the house all decorated for Christmas. You didn't get to participate much this year (though I appreciated your obvious admiration for the Christmas tree lights), but it made me look forward to future years of opening each box of decorations with you and re-discovering each little trinket as it's unwrapped, like I used to do growing up. It was fun to get to hang three stockings by the fireplace this year. :)

Three stockings hung by the fireplace this year

You are growing so fast, Lucy, and we are loving each new day with you. What a blessing you are in our lives!