Falling in love with Autumn Rose.

1 Month Old-

I can hardly believe that it has been so long since I last recorded an entry on here.  So much has taken place since January 1st, to include the arrival of what has become Chris and I's pride and joy...Autumn Rose.  I will take this post as an opportunity to dive right into parenthood and what week 4 has held for us thus far.  As far as what has happened since my last post, I know I have MUCH to catch up on and so much I want to record (to include her 'Birth Story'!) but will save it for a rainy day, or several days for that matter when I'm in between feedings and entertaining the little sprite.

After some unanticipated recovery time post delivery, I am finally back to society and loving every waking (to include very tired, but still awake) minute spent with Autumn.  I heard from several friends that your child will become your greatest teacher and that couldn't be more true.  While Chris and I spend time attempting to 'perfect' certain methods that we have read about or heard about, Autumn is busy switching up her game, throwing us a few curve balls and teaching us that she is the one that is in control and I have had to stop and truly smirk at this factor.

I was reading on another mom blog that she has spent 11 weeks coming to the realization that they enjoy the natural flow that their little daughter Ada has come into on her own and it is something that I already feel with Autumn.  No need to force things on her, have expectations of certain things that she should be doing at certain times or truly try to dictate every waking moment of her life with what she 'should be doing'.  I like the idea of letting her just 'be' and figuring her out as the days go by.  I found myself nose first in the pregnancy books looking up every single thing that was happening every week she was in the womb and since I have delivered Autumn I have found that I hardly pick up a book.
 Chris has been Superdad and truly has a knack for fatherhood so much of what I have adapted into my motherhood style has stemmed from watching him with our gorgeous girl.  As the saying goes you take all advice with a grain of salt but eventually you come up with your own recipe and I can safely say that's what we have done with Autumn.    

So what is Autumn doing as a brand new 4 week old baby?  She is doing remarkably, if not stunningly well.  She can recognize voices like a champ.  Chris and I love getting close to her face and just talking to her as she sits there wide eyed listening to our words and seeing our faces.  She is also incredibly visual and gets bored pretty easily with things like the mobile, so she's progressed to staring at other objects like her wall mural in her nursery, ceiling fans (which she loves), and even her activity gym which has contrasting black and white toys on it that she is completely digging.  At this age their eyesight reaches about 12 inches and the more the contrast of dark and light the better they are able to visualize.  The faces she is making at this age astonish us both sometimes as well, just check this one out for instance! 

She is digging tummy time more lately because of how well she can hold her neck up.  Her outer strength is just as good as her inner strength (she inherited a very strong will so it seems) and so being on her stomach just gazing away at her toys has become a favorite past time and thank goodness it has because Chris and I were running out of ways to entertain a 4 week old in between feedings while she was awake!

Her sleep patterns are fairly predictable and she typically eats about every 2 hours, plays for a little while, naps and then repeats.  We have been pretty fortunate in that most nights she goes for two 4 hour sessions of sleeping so that Chris and I are able to switch off feedings and both get in our beauty rest.  We thank her dearly for this time and realize that it could be fleeting! (she is loving her boppy pillow at the moment too and it's a favorite place of Chris and I's to put her just to have her 'chill' time. And to snap some photos in several of her many styling outfits she has.  We're all about the hats and leg warmers right now!)

She LOVES her carriers.  While I want to post more about babywearing down the road, Autumn definitely enjoys being snug in her Moby Wrap and Ergo carrier.  No matter who wears her as long as she is being worn she is happy as a clam.

And in terms of our cloth diapering, our dreams have already been answered and she can officially fit into both the Fuzzibuns and Bum Genius All-in-ones that we got her!  While we still have some newborn disposables left from my one Amazon purchase, it's reassuring to know that we won't be needing to make anymore disposable diaper purchases after they are gone. Talk about a relief to the wallet!

In terms of post-partum exercise, week by week I can feel myself getting stronger and back to my 'normal' self. I'll go into detail later what I've been up to in terms of getting back to my pre-pregnant self but it has mostly included running, trekking, plenty of yoga and tons of patience!  I realize that there are only so many hours in my now shortened days but I hope to find time to catch up on all that has been happening with our lives these past few weeks just for the sake of my sanity.  I want to be sure to document those first few precious weeks that you never get back!

And when we're not entertaining the little sprite, we have found a few spare hours to get our room looking put together.  We finally found some decent nightstands on Amazon that we could both agree on, we love them! (the wall mural is coming along but is still half finished.)

Sigh.....she is already 1 month old as of today-Happy One Month Birthday Autumn Rose!  While Chris and I love to watch her development, a small part of us just wants her to stay this size forever...but then again doesn't every parent want that?!

Here Autumn is rockin' out in one of her 12 onesies that were made especially for her at the Welcome Autumn Party~she decided to be extra good for her photo shoot this morning which was amazing! P.S. How fricken adorable is that owl hat that my sister made especially for Autumn Rose?  We can't get enough of it on her!

 ~Fist pumps!~