The Reynolds Fam: 1 Month!

Happy 1 Month birthday sweet Harper! (a couple days late of course) It has been probably the best month of your Dad and my life :) It's also hard to believe that you've only been here for a month!! Our lives are vastly different and the further away we get from July 2nd, the more difficult it is to remember what life was like without our little girl!

It's amazing how much different she looks from when she was born. She had so many wrinkles a month ago that have now filled in with a cute little layer of pudge. Her little cheeks have gotten a little chubbier as well! Her head full of hair has thinned out quite a bit in the last week or so. I felt pretty guilty because I first noticed it a day after I had a big ol' headband on her head... of course I was worried I rubbed the hair off ;) And maybe I did?! haha.. hope not. It's a lot thinner on top in the front and still pretty long and thick in the back... my girl is rocking a mullet I think ;) She has gotten so much longer and looks tons bigger to us! Andy quickly weighed her on the produce scale in Kroger one day last week and it said 9.97 lbs. Granted she had clothes on and who knows how accurate it is but we're guessing she's probably around the 10lb mark now. She was up to 8lb2oz at her 2 week appt. Sometimes when I look at her I am quickly reminded how thankful I am not have birthed a 10 pounder!!!

She has gotten so much more alert in the past couple weeks. She loves to look up at lights and will follow Mom and Dad's voices when we're talking. Some days she wants to sleep all day long and others she will be awake nonstop. She's a pretty great baby... typically only cries when she's hungry, dirty.... or neglected ;) I read somewhere that babies aren't capable of crying for attention or being manipulative until they are 6 months old... um... not true. Sometimes she just wants to be loved on or wants a change of scenery! ;) She definitely looves being held!! And I love holding her so we do alright together :)

Her sleeping is pretty normalish for a newborn I guess?? She sleeps for about 4 hrs then wakes up to eat, then another 3ish then another 2 1/2-3. Sometimes she goes to sleep at 9, other times she's up til about 11. She definitely decides when she is good and ready to go to sleep and does not appreciate us trying to put her to bed before she wants to go. I tell her that I promise she won't miss out on anything and it's fine to just go on to bed but she apparently doesn't believe me! I am happy to report that we have made a successful move to the crib! She hasn't slept with us for the past couple weeks. Although if she happens to wake up anytime after 630 I do bring her to bed so she can snuggle with her Dad for a bit before he has to go to work!

Harper's current favorite activities are laying on her playmat, being held, eating and going outside. I told Andy that I think she would be in heaven if we got her a hammock. It would allow her to roll as close to me as possible all while laying outside! Whenever we lay together she somehow wriggles as close as possible to me. She is quite the mover in bed! so much that she got her bumper taken away last week... poor girl! I woke up and looked at her monitor one night and she had somehow scooted herself about 2 inches away from her bumper so I went into her room, took it out and put her back in the middle of her bed. Next time I woke up the poor girl had a leg hanging out of her crib! haha! I told her she can have her bumper back after she becomes a little more intentional with her movements. We have witnessed her roll over twice... definitely on accident both times. They were each from belly to back and probably because she was so mad from laying on her tummy for too long.

Her little neck muscles have gotten so strong and she is great about holding her head up! Until of course it becomes too heavy and slams back down into your chest... haha. No injuries yet fortunately :) I am so excited for her to start cooing at us. I spend a lot of time talking and singing to her when she's alert and in the past few days she's started moving her mouth like she wants so badly to say something... and it's definitely a different movement than "feed me!" We've heard a few little coo's and are excited for more of her sweet little noises! I have also heard 2 little laughs escape from you... both while you were sleeping! I love the sweet little smiles you make when you're drifting in and out of sleep and cannot wait until one of those smiles is directed at me :)

I've started studying for my board exam which takes place in a few weeks so I try to get that done in the morning whenever she naps. It is amazing how time consuming taking care of an infant is - I seriously would not have believed it if you had tried to convince me pre-baby. When she's awake I don't get much done because I love talking and playing with her! When she's asleep it's often in my arms so is equally hard to do things. And then of course there is nursing which is about the most time consuming thing ever. Don't get me wrong though, there is absolutely nothing in the world I'd rather be doing than hanging out with my girl all day long!

Here's a few pics of our sweet girl!!! :)

Snuggling with Dad on the couch

And with Mom :)

Love my bouncer! and yes, my mean Mom decided to give me a paci during week 2.... and it took me a minute to get the hang of it but I've decided that it's alright! Although I will make the most awful face and spit it out if I'm seriously hungry ;)

My favorite way to take baths is in the big tub with Mom or Dad... and they wear bathing suits, ha. Thanks for my ducky Mrs. Becky!

Mom finally took my mitts of my hands and clipped my nails when I was asleep... she figured I'd never use to learn my hands if I always had mitts on! And now I love grabbing her hair so it's worked out pretty well :)