One Month Old!

Dear Ali,

Today you are one month old. I cannot believe it.

This month has absolutely flown by in a blur of laughter, tears, worry, and the most amazing, all-consuming love. My days come and go, and I can't really even tell you how I spend them other than taking care of you . . . watching you sleep, yawn, sigh, coo, smile, squeal, cry, stretch, squirm, snuggle, stare . . . you are an amazing little creature, already growing so much, already learning, already changing.

We had your one-month check-up today and you are healthy all around. You are finally settling into a steady weight-gain (8 lbs, 12 ounces today--yay!!), you are growing longer (today you measured 22 inches!), your head is getting bigger (15 cm today!), making room for your ever-growing, ever-absorbing brain.

You are a beautiful baby. Everyone says so. Our friends and family. The nurses at the doctor's office. Strangers. You have big, blue, expressive eyes (we're not sure if they will stay blue or not, but they are gorgeous!) and rich, dark hair that swirls into a tiny little curl on your forehead. You have the most perfect little mouth, and you spend a great deal of your time making different expressions . . . you have discovered your tongue and like to stick it out at us; you frown; you smile; you look concerned; you go cross-eyed; you pucker up your lips like you are saying, "ooooh, look at that!" When we turn the lights down, you open your eyes as wide as possible to try and take in as much as you can.

You are starting to spend more and more time awake, calmly looking around you, taking in the world. You are such a good baby. You don't cry unless there's something wrong. I have learned what your hungry cry sounds like (half-hearted), your impatient cry (a little more energetic), your angry cry (girl, you have got some lungs on you and aren't afraid to remind us!), and today it broke my heart to hear your pain cry for the first time. You had somehow managed to grab hold of a bunch of your hair and you were pulling it; you cried out in pain and I immediately knew something was very wrong . . . I had never heard that particular cry before. I tried gently coaxing your fingers open, but you had balled your little fist up in pain, not realizing that you were compounding the very thing that was hurting you in the first place. After I finally loosened your grip, you snuggled into me and whimpered. I hope you knew in that moment how much I loved you, how much I wanted to take your pain away, how much I wanted to take care of you.

You are starting to make adorable little baby noises, cute little coos that I love to mimic back to you. I know that soon you will start to smile in response to the faces and noises that your dad and I make to you. I cannot wait.

You are a phenomenal sleeper. So much so that we have to wake you up to eat. You are usually a pretty good sport about this very unfair arrangement, and you make the most adorable stretches as you slowly wake up. You are a phenomenal stretcher.

You were given lots of warm-weather newborn clothes, so we've had fun dressing you up, even on days when we just stay inside, just to make sure that you have a chance to wear everything. My favorite so far is a colorful striped sundress. You are wearing it today in honor of your birthday and you look positively adorable.

We have started to let you spend some time on your tummy on your play mat. Yesterday was the first time, and you loved it. You kicked your legs out again and again. It almost looked like you were thinking about crawling!! You are quite the kicker . . . we call you "frog legs" when we're changing your diaper because you kick your legs in and out so energetically. Does this mean that you are going to be an early mover? While I am so excited to see all your progress, I have to admit I love the fact that you stay right where I put you right now. It gives me less to worry about. Once you are mobile, you will start going where you want, when you want. You will start to assert your independence. And I will know that my tiny little baby will have grown up, and part of me will cry for the loss of the little snuggly lovebug you are right now.

So, happy one-month birthday to my snuggly cooer, my happy little sleeper, my observant, beautiful baby girl.

Our lives are one-month richer because you're here.