Dear Lucia, (Six Months)

Today is your 1/2 birthday! We did not celebrate with cake, but instead your very first taste of food other than mama's milk. Avocado was a hit.  Proof.  

You are such a sweetheart.  You melt the hearts of so many around you. Your personality has continued to blossom.  You continue to be very curious and are always smiling and/or laughing. We have been stopped on more than one occasion by someone commenting on what a happy baby you are. 

The pediatrician called you a 'little firecracker' this afternoon and you really are.  Your facial expressions say it all. You have no qualms about letting us know what you want. You have also began to fuss if a toy is taken from you.  You can see the motivation in your eyes when trying to reach for an object or move around. 

You sat up in the shopping cart for the first time, and absolutely loved it. You looked so proud and giggled all the way through our shopping trip at Trader Joe's.  I am pretty sure Saturday morning grocery trips will become a thing for us through the years. 

You still fit into most of your 3-6 month clothing but that is not a surprise as you are quite petite. You make the 10th percentile look fabulous.  Your Nonna and Nonno are quite certain you will grow to be taller than both myself and your Daddy, but your pediatrician begs to differ. 

Lucia I wish I could remember every second and detail of the days that pass. 

Love you lots & lots, 

Mommy  

Baby Must Haves {First 6 Months}

I have kept a running list of my baby must haves with Lucia to share with my sister-in-law and brother who are going through infertility treatments.  They recently had a very successful retrieval with excellent PGS results - okay, perfect PGS results! 

I figured I could share my baby must haves with you! These are my must haves for the first 6 months and also some honorable mentions. 

Cloud B Sleep Sheep - Lucia needs white noise to sleep, and that is not a bad thing. There are several advantages of sleeping with white noise.  The white noise is a cue for Lucia to sleep.  When she hears the noise she almost instantaneously closes her eyes and drifts off into a peaceful slumber. Are sleeping babies not the sweetest thing? Anyhow, there is also this study which shows that babies who sleep with a fan in their room are at a lower risk for SIDS. It could be the air circulation, but could also be the white noise.  The white noise reduces active sleep and active sleep is the sleep state where SIDS is most likely to occur.  White noise is also a tremendous help for when she is overstimulated. Again, it has a calming cue. We have several white noise machines around the house in the areas she sleeps and then also the White Noise app for on the go. 

Fisher Price Kick and Play Piano - This was the first toy that Lucia was interested in and still finds interesting. I can see her playing with this for months to come as it 'grows with her'. The music stimulates her and she loves to kick the keys to set off the music.  She found this much more interesting than her $80 play mat especially in the younger months. This is a great toy to introduce to your little one around the 2 month mark. 

Fisher Price Rock n Play - This has been the single most necessary baby item for us.  The only thing I would change is I would purchase two seeing we have a two story house. Lucia suffered from some nasty acid reflux and this little contraption has been her saving grace. We do not use the vibrate or auto rock functions but Lucia has been sleeping in this contraption since she refused to sleep in her expensive bassinet and crib.  As much as I love it, I know that this is going to be a very hard habit to break and need to begin transitioning Lucia to sleeping in her crib. I should have begun this like yesterday (months ago). I plan on beginning the transition tomorrow evening. Wish me luck - I am going to need it. 

Lifefactory Silicone Teethers - I feel as if I have purchased every teether known to man, but these were clearly the winners with our sweet Lucia. The different textures, ease of bending and overall design have been key in helping with the pain associated with teething.  They are also made in the USA! 

Hanna Andersson Pajamas - If you follow me on Instagram then you know I have a slight infatuation with these pajamas, but seriously these are the best pajamas. Lucia has been wearing a few pairs of HA jammies since she was born and is just now outgrowing them (size 50) She could not wear 0-3 month (too big) clothing when she was born, but was able to wear the HA (size 50) with obviously months to grow! They are made with organic cotton, no flame retardants, and are super soft (and get softer after each wash). In addition, these suckers wear well. They look almost brand new. The zippered long johns have been my favorite for all of the midnight diaper changes. 

Munchkin Waterproof Changing Pad Liners - We use these suckers everywhere there may be a mess (bouncer, changing pad, pack & play) etc. We also used them during the newborn stage when we would change her on our bed because let me tell you even girls get a bit wild when they pee. 

Dear Lucia, (Five Months)

You are one short month away from being with us for HALF of a year.  You are full of so much curiosity.  You have grown so much in this last month - physically and developmentally.

We have not weighed you, but you are definitely filling out your 3-6 month clothing and ready to move up to size 1 diapers.

You are talking up a storm! You love to be told stories and now respond with some of your own.  You are also blowing raspberries and drooling at an alarming rate. It is very evident that these two bottom teeth of yours will be here before we know it.

You love this bunny!

You are also undeniably curious. You stare at objects with such curiosity and even fuss until we help you satisfy your curiosity.  Just recently we had to put you in arms reach of a bag of Saltines. You were fascinated by the crinkle it made when you touched it.

You have begun rolling over more often than than before and wiggle yourself out of the Boppy.  You grab at your toys on the toy bar above your piano play-mat as leverage for you to attempt to lift yourself up.  You do not like to be stationary and do everything in your power to wiggle elsewhere. Time to baby-proof the house!

We celebrated your baptism a couple of days before you turned five months.  It was a joyous occasion and you were celebrated by everyone that loves you and prayed for you before you were even born. The ceremony was longer than most and you were a trooper in your big white gown.  I am sure it was less comfortable than your usual attire.  One of the highlights of the day was definitely the part when you dropped your favorite teether in the baptismal fountain!

I cannot wait to see what month six brings!

Love you to the moon and back!

Mommy

Dear Lucia, (Four Months)

This last month has been a month full of exciting changes.  You are full of smiles and giggles. Lucia, you make me happy every - single - day. Truly.  There is nothing I enjoy more than returning home to you after a day of work.  The truth is I don't always let you sleep if I come home and you are sleeping. I cant help myself, and you do not seem to mind.

You have continued to roll over from belly to back. You don't do it often, but its enough to make us worry about where we lay you down. Your dislike for tummy time has not changed much.  You prefer to be sitting on one of our laps or in one of your chairs and observing all of the sights and sounds that surround you.  You can see the curiosity in your eyes.  You have also begun turning when your name is called. It has been one of my favorite milestones thus far. You have also found your toes and are eager to explore them when your feet are bare.  Just this morning you fussed at your feet until I
uncovered them from your sleeper.

You have been in good hands while I have been working.  You have been able to spend time with your Uncle David and Auntie Fay and also your Auntie Rita. Nonna has spent so much time teaching you new tricks.  You now give "five" when someone prompts you with their hand.  You have also mouthed the sounds of "I love you" on different occasions with Nonna repeatedly prompting you. I am not going to lie I didn't believe her at first that is until I saw the video. You love to mimic us!

You continue to love being out and about whether its a stroll around the neighborhood, a trip to the car wash with Daddy or a trip to Target with Mommy.

You are sleeping through the night and using that time to grow! The majority of your clothes are in the 3-6 month range and you are quickly outgrowing size one diapers. You were 24 inches and 12lb 5oz at your 4 month checkup (4 month & 4 days)

I am so thankful to call you my daughter.

Working Mama Routine

I am back at work, and feeling like I can handle this new gig as a working mama.  I experienced lots of anxiety about returning back to work, and it is quite possible that you found this blog post because you are having some major anxiety returning to work after maternity leave...

YOU'VE GOT THIS MAMA!

My transition has thus far has been fairly smooth, but I do understand that I have a lot on my side with the big one being in home care for Lucia.   

I wanted to share a few things that I did in order to make the transition a little smoother.

• Communicate with your caregiver; I drafted a 4 page document (excessive? perhaps) sharing Lucia's general schedule and everything I thought would be helpful to my mother-in-law. It was also therapeutic to me. I felt a gazillion times better after writing it out on paper. I also went a little crazy with the label maker by labeling all of Lucia's necessities.  If I was going the daycare route I would probably have had a trial day. 

• I am exclusively pumping so I was no stranger to the pump, but if you are not it would be worth while to begin pumping before going back to work to become acquainted with the pump and to stash some breast milk in the freezer.  I also put a work pumping schedule into effect. A couple of weeks prior to returning to work, I began pumping on the schedule I planned to use when returning to work. I plan on posting all about my pumping journey and tips and tricks I have found along the way. 

• If possible, outsource.  Hire a cleaning service, utilize Amazon Prime for household necessities and use grocery delivery services like Peapod.    

• Stock your desk drawer full of healthy-ish snacks if you are pumping. Also, invest in a nice water bottle for after pump sessions when you are in need of ALL OF THE WATER.

• Plan meals and also realize you are not necessarily going to have the time to prepare the meals you did before baby. I was famous for running to the grocery story numerous times a week, and now I am religiously meal planning. I plan at least two crock pot meals, one convenience meal (think... Trader Joe's Orange Chicken or frozen pizza), one dining out/carry out meal and a simple meal for during the week.  The weekends are up in the air.

• Use your lunch break to meal plan, run errands, appointments, exercise, meet friends for lunch, etc.

• Challenge yourself to at least one household task before work and one household task after work. 

• Spend 45 minutes of uninterrupted time with your child immediately after returning home from work.  This is so important to me. It allows me to disconnect from work and reconnect to Lucia.  I am also much more adamant about 'disconnecting' on the weekends. I allow myself to blog, interact on social media and check e-mails during the time she is napping or the time that I am pumping.  It's all about the quality of the time being spent with your child!

• Talk to your boss about changing your schedule to something a bit more flexible. I have arranged for 2-3 early days and a more flexible start time in the morning. The ability to avoid rush hour traffic will be a big lifesaver! Get creative. 

Dear Lucia, (three months)

Dear Lucia,

I am convinced you are the cutest most lovable baby in the entire world.  I also may be a bit biased, but rest assured many feel the same way as I do about you.

You have come a long way since you were born, and in what seems to be such a short time.  You are developing into a whole new baby in some sorts, and to be honest much more high maintenance. The good thing is - we do not mind one bit. The extra time we spend with you is so rewarding. Every sly smile, goo-goo-gah-gah session and move you make is so fascinating to us.

You are doing a lot 'more' so to speak.  You are giggling, drooling, talking (well not quite, but you sure have the goo-goo-gah down pat!) and wiggling. Oh boy do you wiggle. We will lay you down vertically and you will be horizontal at the blink of an eye. Seriously. You have a lot of ambition when it comes to wiggling and kicking to move positions.  You are very interested in your toys.  You are fascinated by the Baby Einstein small handheld musical toy.  Your eyes light up at the sound of it. You have also rolled over for the first time!

You have been fascinated by water. You love baths and were fascinated at the Bass Pro Shop waterfall.  I have a feeling we will be spending a lot of time at the pool this year!

You are continuing to eat like a champ, and your newly developed thigh rolls are proof of that.  I am unsure of your exact weight as you do not have another doctor's appointment until next month but you are definitely getting longer. You are beginning to outgrow the length of your 0-3 month clothing and have begun wearing some 3-6 month clothing, but still have quite the 0-3 wardrobe. Baby clothes sizing is weird.

Your sleeping habits during the day are still random although on average you take short cat naps throughout the day in feeding, playing and sleeping cycles which last an average of 3 hours.  The past couple of weeks you have slept through the night more often than not. You fall asleep around 9:30 and wake at 5:00 AM for a feeding.  Mommy is so grateful for this!

You have begun teething.  Very few people believed me, but we can feel actually feel the teeth (front bottom two teeth) which means you are drooling all over the place. You are our own miniature St. Bernard. Your acid reflux has improved dramatically. You still have some occasional projectile spit-up, but mama has a whole closet full of clothes just waiting for you to christen them.

Speaking of christening - we have begun planning your Christening. Just another one of those things that I have yearned of for you before you were even born. You also experienced your first Ash Wednesday.  You joined Daddy and I at mass and were very interested in the little boy in line in front of us while waiting for ashes.  I am pretty sure you noticed he was your size.  To think next year you will be joining us for our traditional Ash Wednesday meal - pepper and egg sandwiches.

I have also begun preparing to return to work. Cue the tears! Although, I know this is best for our family and you will be in the best of hands, Nonna's and Daddy's hands while I am away at work. I have also worked out somewhat of a reduced schedule. I will be home earlier a few days a week to spend some more daylight hours with you. I am optimistic things will work out and you will gain lots of valuable bonding time with both Nonna and Daddy.  I promise you the time we do have together will be all about you and snuggles - lots of snuggles.

Lucia, we have waited a long time for you and the moment you were born it seemed like you fit a spot that had always been yours. This whole parenting can be tough and I imagine it only gets tougher but Daddy and I will always be there for you. Always.

Love,
Mommy

Dear Lucia, (two months)

Dear Lucia,

I can't believe you have been with us for two months!  Things are settling down and we are getting into a groove as a family.  Baci is even growing to love you or at least accept you are not going anywhere.

Right now Daddy is consoling you as you are a tad fussy due to your 2 month vaccines. You were a trooper and have been sleeping the majority of the day.  Your 2 month checkup went very well. You are just perfect, but we knew that already. You are 60th percentile for height and 25th percentile for weight. Your head is the perfect shape and you impressed Dr. Olson with being so smiley, alert and strong. You were a little ham. You are still suffering from acid reflux but you have more good days than bad days.

You are full of surprises these days! You are swatting at objects on your play gym with both your feet and hands.  You continue to love music. You are smiling and beginning to entertain us with some baby talk.  You love being out and about whether it is a trip to Target or a car ride for some froyo (soon enough you will be able to enjoy some yourself!) You also love when I sing itsy bitsy spider to you and when Daddy snuggles you with his wet hair. You still have the cutest and most vivid expressions.

You still have somewhat of a sporadic sleeping pattern, but more often than not you fall asleep for the night between 9:30-10:00 wake up for two feedings between 2:00 and 6:00. There have been a few nights where you only woke up for one feeding. No worries - I do not mind the quiet time with you my sweet girl.

You are so loved my little one.  I am off to help Daddy with your bath and to give you lots of evening snuggles.

Love,
Mommy