On Thursday, Addison turned 1 month old!
In some ways, it’s hard to believe that it’s already been a month.
In other ways, it feels like it’s been closer to a year since we first met our little girl!
Here are some things we’ve discovered about Addie this month:
- She is an alert and active little girl. When she’s awake, her eyes are always wide open and checking out her environment!
- She is quite the restless sleeper. She constantly moves and makes noises … which means that mommy and daddy are continuously checking the monitor to see what she’s doing!
- She is freakishly strong. Seriously. I know some people might not believe me, but the child somehow managed to roll from her belly to her back last week! My mom had her on her belly in the pack & play. She left the room and when she returned, Addie was on her back!
- She has a little birthmark on her head. Fortunately, if it doesn’t go away, her hair will cover it! But for now, it’s pretty darn cute!
- Girlfriend goes through diapers like its her job. She also manages to get spit up, pee, or poo on every piece of clothing that comes within 10 feet of her.
Needless to say, our washing machine has been going nonstop recently!
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, taking care of a newborn has been more challenging than I had expected. And that’s putting it mildly …
So I wanted to share a few things that have helped us survive this first month. Now, I realize that every baby is different. So these things may not work for other babies. But I’m sharing anyway because if I can help one new mom, then I’ll feel like I’ve made a difference!
- For her gas and hiccups, we’ve been using Colic Calm. It’s not cheap, and it’s also a pain because it’s black. So it can be messy. But I like that it’s all natural, and it does seem to be helping. It hasn’t been a miracle cure, but I have noticed a difference!
- I mentioned before that Addie is Houdini when it comes to breaking out of swaddles. But I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she sleeps SO much better when swaddled. So I finally found a blanket that keeps her pretty secure. The blanket can be bought at the momsoncall website. And their tutorial on how to use it has also been very helpful, so I’m including it below!
- I’m also finding the book featured on the momsoncall website to be incredibly helpful with trying to establish a sleep schedule for Addie. We’re still working through the kinks, but we’re getting there!
- A sound machine that makes white noise has also been key for us. I turn it up as loud as it will go and set it near her crib for all naps and at night.
- When she’s really fussy, the sound of a hair dryer can help calm her down!
- When she’s starting to get sleepy but won’t fall asleep quite yet, it helps to gently stroke her forehead and the bridge of her nose with my fingers. Her eyes start to close as she slowly drifts off to sleep (God willing
).
- I highly recommend reading the book, The Happiest Baby on the Block. A lot of the tips I’m mentioning (swaddling, white noise, the hair dryer) are discussed in that book. Even if your baby doesn’t have colic (which Addie does not, thank goodness!), the strategies in the book are still very useful.
Those are just a few ideas that have helped us. If anyone has any other tips or tricks that they found useful with their newborns, I would love to hear them! 
Oh and one more fun event from this previous week. Addie got to meet her two older cousins!
Mary-Allison and Mia were clearly in love with the newest member of their family. 
They were so sweet with her … it was adorable!
Question for ya …
What’s new in your world?
Any tips for surviving the first couple of months with a newborn?
Also, my blogger buddy Cinnamon has started an awesome new blog series called Snap to It. She’s going to be sharing photography tips, and she’s also encouraging readers to practice their photography skills and share their work on her site. If you’re interested in getting better with photography (I know I am!), go check it out!
