Six Months

Dearest Meredith,
You are six months old now and I can confidently say this last month with you has been the absolute best. It's almost like the moment you turned five months old you personality just popped right out of you. Daily you have learned new things and given us a greater peek at the little girl you will become.

You are very vocal so I'm curious if you will be a little chatterbox. You mostly like to "sing" in an operatic type voice. Sometimes it's very loud. A couple of weeks ago a man stopped me while we were out to comment on how vocal you are. One thing I have noticed though, is that you save most of your talking for home. You talk almost nonstop at home, but often get quiet and curious while we are out. In the last week you have started to make new sounds- sounds with consonants. You started with "gagagagaga" and just a couple days ago started saying, "mamamama." While I know (or at least don't think) you have any idea what you are saying, it really brings me such joy. Your daddy was a little bummed you didn't say "dada" first :) Yesterday you said "baba" once. I'm excited to hear all the new sounds you figure out.

This month you have also learned to roll over. You roll from tummy to back and back to tummy quite efficiently now. I am so proud of this accomplishment. You now have a little piece of mobility. You are also starting to be very determined to crawl. Mostly you lay on your tummy and flail your arms & legs about. Sometimes you'll manage to get up on all fours, but you don't know where to go from there. I have a feeling that you'll figure it out by the time you are seven months old.

This month saw a lot of firsts. Your first Christmas, your first time getting a Christmas tree, your first time visiting Santa, your first time meeting your great-great-grandfather and your first time meeting your great-grandmother on your dad's side. You saw your first snowfall and survived your first blizzard :)

five generations!

I could say this every month and I'm sure I will, but I have fallen even more in love with you this month. I love the little baby that you are- how happy you are and how friendly you are to our friends, family and even strangers. I love how your little smile and squishy hug can cheer me up when I'm having a sad day. I'm having trouble capturing just how fun and wonderful you are and just how fun and wonderful this month has been. But just know, baby girl, that your dad and I love you to the heavens and back. Not a day goes by that we don't marvel at you, this wonderful little baby we've been blessed with.

Lots of Love,
Mommy

4 Months

Dearest Meredith,
My little chicken, how are you four months old? It feels like only yesterday that I was waddling through Harvard Square, eating spicy foods, hoping to spur on your arrival.
It seems like only yesterday that we were bringing you home, so tiny in your car seat and ridiculously frilly dress.


But it wasn't just yesterday. It was four months ago! And my have you grown. You are such an amazing little baby. This month saw some more firsts for you- your first trip to Parker's Maple Barn (yum!), your first time getting a pumpkin and your first time at the Head of the Charles.

This month you also made lots of developmental strides. You have started grabbing for and holding your toys. You like to put everything in your mouth. You found your feet and have grabbed them several times. I think you might've laughed for the first time on Tuesday. I'm not sure, but whatever it was, was very cute. You smile so much. It's the sweetest thing. You have this precious little dimple up near your nose and sometimes you scrunch your nose at the end of a smile. You are very curious about the world around you.


You wish you already knew how to sit up and crawl. You sometimes get very frustrated in laying down positions. When we have tummy time you flail your arms and legs, looking determined to move. You are learning how to, in your own way.

(you, trying to sit up)

Sleep is improving, sloooowly, but surely. This month you've started consistently napping in your crib. You fall asleep after I've rocked you, laid you down and patted your back for a few minutes. You usually only nap for about 30 minutes at a time. You've taken some slightly longer naps the last couple of days, so maybe things will change? At night, you are going to be consistently around 7. Most nights you fall asleep within 10 minutes of laying you down. You are still waking up twice to eat. Sometimes you wake up and fuss between those times. I'm hoping that will end soon :) I know you can do it!


It's amazing how much I love you. You are the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. You constantly amaze me with your new skills and interest in the world around you. Not a day has gone by that I don't feel incredibly blessed to have you in my life. I try to tell you that everyday, too. Even though you don't really understand yet, I want you to always know how happy your daddy and I are that you've come into our lives. Your daddy said it best the other day when he said, "Everything is more fun with Meredith around."
I love you, baby chicken,
Momma

6 weeks

Dear Meredith,
Tomorrow you will be six weeks old. This fact makes my mind want to explode. It absolutely doesn't seem possible that you have already been here so long. It so many ways it still feels like yesterday and you still seem so tiny and new. But, I guess, in other ways I can see the passage of time. You are definitely bigger and don't fit so well it your itsy-bitsy newborn onsies. I no longer time your feedings neurotically- I have visible proof you are growing and thriving. i can change your diaper quickly and you have less pee-all-over-the-changing-table-and-yourself accidents. I no longer cry everyday like those first two weeks. So, yes, 6 weeks have passed.

I love being your mommy and getting to stay at home with you. Some days I feel so accomplished- you nap like a champ, i do laundry! dishes! sweeping! cooking! Other days my biggest accomplishment feels like watching multiple episodes of Cake Boss while rocking you to sleep on the sofa.

My favorite time of day with you is when you first wake up. Sometimes it's earlier than I feel ready for, but other times I am amazed by how late you get up. Regardless, when I open my eyes and see your big blue eyes searching the room or your cute little wrinkly forehead as you stretch out your arms and legs, my heart feels so full of love for you, my little chicken. You make so many faces in the morning- you purse your lips, share a quick smile, furrow your brow in concentration- and I am always torn between grabbing a camera to capture the moment and simply soaking up your adorableness.

Some days all I want to do is take you all in. I can stare at your little toes for hours- as you curl them, stretch them out, appear to use them as fingers as you grasp at your swing. And did you know you have toe jam? That sounds gross, but you are a newborn so it's cute to me and how is that even possible? You don't walk yet! I also examine your face and all its dainty features. You have the cutest button nose. You get it from my side of the family, which makes me happy. You have amazingly blue eyes. Almost every time I look into them, I think of my sister. I wonder if your eyes will stay blue. Your lips are perfectly full and wonderfully shaped. You have soft brown hair, which I love.

I can't wait to get to know your personality more. So far, you seem curious, strong (maybe a bit stubborn?!) and serious. You fight sleep like its your job. You don't want to miss anything, even when you seem so tired it hurts. You love to explore your surroundings. You stare at windows, light streaming through them, patterns in the ceiling. You have a particular affection for two rectangular, black frames in our bedroom. Your eyes and serious expression tell those around you that you are busy learning.

Meredith, being your mommy is a blessing. Motherhood, in these last six weeks, has been a rollercoaster adventure. Some of the highest highs I've ever experience. It has not been without its challenges, either. All of it has been incredible to experience and I am so glad you are here, on the outside to make us a family of three.

Love to you, my sweet little baby,

Mommy

Birth Story

Meredith Laurel was born on Monday, June 28th at 9:01 am after an intense, but short labor. Around 3:20 am I woke to a strange kick feeling in my belly. As I stood up to go to the bathroom, I realized that feeling was my water breaking. I called my midwife who told me to head right to the hospital because I was strep b positive and needed to get started on penicillin. She also said I'd need to get started on Pitocin since I wasn't having strong contractions. I was really disappointed by this news. My hope was to have a nonmedicated natural birth and I knew Pictocin could make the contractions really strong and fast.

Chris got in the shower after I got off the phone, I got some last minute things together and then showered after Chris. By the time I got out of the shower contractions had started and were about 3-4 minutes apart. While they weren't yet causing me to stop in my tracks, they were markedly different than all the Braxton Hicks contractions I had been having throughout my pregnancy. Once we had gathered all our things, we got in the car and headed to the hospital. We were both feeling very excited and a little nervous. It was crazy to know we'd probably meet our baby by the end of the day. We prayed in the car together, asking God for safety, health, peace and calm through the labor.

We got to the hospital very quickly, around 4:30 am, and checked in at the Emergency Room (since it was after hours). We then headed up to Labor & Delivery where we were met by a very sweet nurse named Misha. We were able to go right into a birthing suite which I was happy about. As we settled in with our things and started to be monitored (for contractions and the baby's heartbeat) the contractions were definitely getting stronger. I was able to use hypnobirthing breathing to help keep me calm and get through them. After a while the midwife came in and checked me. I was already at 5 cm, which I was so grateful for. This made me more confident that I could make it without an epidural.

After I had been monitored long enough I got up to go to the bathroom. I think this was around 5:30 am. Almost immediately I threw up several times and then proceeded to the bathroom to get changed into a johnny. While in the bathroom the contractions started coming really close together and much harder. Breathing and leaning back against the wall helped me get through them calmly. I also stood, leaning against Chris, through a few.

I was then ready to head out to the room. I sat in a rocking chair for a bit, but I found it difficult to be comfortable through contractions there. I was most comfortable leaning against Chris, so that the lower part of my stomach could stretch out. At that point I thought it might be nice to get into child's pose. The nurse asked me at that point if she could monitor the baby's heartbeat while I laid on the bed, because getting the heartbeat in child's pose very difficult. I was fine with that. I laid on my side while she monitored the baby and had several very strong contractions.

As she was finishing with the monitor I had one contraction that felt much more intense and much different, ending with an urge to push (that large bowel movement feeling I had heard a lot about). The nurse noticed that my response to that contraction was much different and almost involuntary. She told me that it seemed like my labor was progressing very quickly and that she wanted the midwife to come back in and check me.

I tried to get into child's pose while we waited for the midwife, but the pressure to push was too much for this to be comfortable. The midwife came in then and told me I has dilated to 9 cm. Hallelujah! I was so happy I'd be able to follow my body's urge to push soon. I stayed laying on my side, breathing through each contraction. Soon after that the contractions were very strong and I was really needing to push. My midwife checked me again, confirming what we all could tell- I was fully dilated and free to push as my body told me. I believe this was around 7:15. This was also around the time that the nurse shift changed. I was sad to see Misha go, but fortunately got an equally amazing nurse named Katie. I will never forget either of them and what amazing support they were.

I really tried to stay calm and remember what I had learned with hypnobirthing- breathing down. This was remarkably helpful and kept me from being scared, tense or anxious. It also allowed me to get rest between each contraction. From this point on, its all a blur, except that I know each contraction got much more intense. While I kept breathing through each one, I did feel that I was truly pushing. Pushing was so intense, but knowing that I would be meeting my baby soon helped me get through it. My midwife eventually had me feel during a push that the baby's head was coming down. This was very encouraging. A couple of contractions later, they turned on the baby warmer, brought all the stuff over and my midwife got in position. I knew she'd be out soon!

I would say the last three or four contractions were super intense and I was determined to get her out. I have never put more physical effort into anything. I was pushing with absolutely every ounce of strength I had. Each contraction saw visible progress. Once the baby had crowned I was determined to get her out- the final push I pushed so hard and I was so grateful and shocked that her whole body came out and she was soon laying on my tummy! Meredith was born at 9:01 am!

The relief, joy and shock I felt is indescribable. I was so happy. My baby was born and perfectly healthy. Chris and I were able spend two hours cooing, cuddling and falling in love with our little baby before she headed off to the nursery.

Meredith's birth was exactly what I had been hoping and praying for. It was quick, nonmedicated, calm and incredibly special.