Dear Sophie,
Today you are one month old. The past four weeks have gone by so much quicker than I wanted them to. We snuggle you all day long, but I know I’ll regret not holding you even more. Ella loves you so much and asks to hold you and care for you all day. She lays so close to you and looks at you with such love in her eyes.
Your daddy and I beg you everyday to stop growing. You are still such a tiny girl, wearing only newborn clothes and diapers, some of which still swallow you whole. You have long fingers and toes and your arms and legs are still so skinny. Your brown hair is still long and fluffy and hasn’t given any hint of curling or turning blonde. The only thing plump about you are your precious cheeks and little round belly.
We couldn’t have asked for a better sleeper. You are getting up about twice a night, but letting mommy sleep five or six hours at a time overnight. During the day, you open your eyes every three to four hours and sometimes stay awake for several hours at a time. You are so wide-eyed and alert! Your big blue eyes just take everything in.
Lately, we’ve been catching you smile; it might be the sweetest thing we’ve ever seen. You have always smiled in your sleep and we wonder what you must be dreaming about. On Wednesday, you smiled when Ella told you good morning and I got a sweet Mother’s Day smile early on Sunday morning. Your daddy claims to get smiles all the time, but we won’t tell him that it’s probably just gas! This morning we heard you giggling in your sleep. Daddy and I laughed so hard at such a sweet little sound.
Your appetite is quite healthy, little one. You eat far more than your sister did at this point, sometimes six ounces at a time. You eat so much, in fact, that we are giving you formula every other bottle because it seems to help keep you full. I call you my little piglet. You look so satisfied after eating when you throw your arms over your head and stretch your neck. I almost always kiss that soft spot on your neck when I can catch it… neck sugar is mommy’s favorite.
Ella’s favorite time of the day is bathtime. We bath you on a sponge in our kitchen sink and use that yummy soap and lotion that your Aunt Lane sends for you. Your big sister stands on her step stool at the counter and watches you wriggle in the water. You love the warm water and never cry when we pour it over your sweet head and body. The part you hate is getting out! You almost always squeal when I wrap your wet body in a towel. We fight over who gets to brush your hair and snuggle your freshly bathed body. If only Ella liked bathing as much as you do!
Sophie, we never could have imagined how much you would change our lives, how much you would bless it. I have learned so much about motherhood in the last four weeks. Going from no children to one child is a difficult transition, but going from one child to two is life-changing. We are still figuring things out, but having such a wonderful time doing it.
Thank you for every moment this last month; I can’t wait to share so many more with you.
Love,
Mommy
