The Jesters: Two Months!

The very best thing about Hallie turning two month old is that she sleeps! At night! We really didn't expect that to happen after our experience with Emma, the child who has always stayed up at night. But Hallie is sleeping a solid 6 hours almost every night now, and she even slept 8 hours once! (Hallelujah, praise Jesus!) Dan and I immediately felt human again after she reached that milestone. The only thing we changed was putting her in her car seat to sleep at night. We had done the same with Emma when she was a baby, and it helped some, but not as much as it has with Hallie. I think being in the car seat makes babies feel like they are being held while they are sleeping, and elevating them prevents reflux. Hallie will sometimes sleep flat on the couch or a bed during the day, but usually it's only a short time before she's awake again.

We love that she's not a big crier. She is almost constantly snorting, panting, and grunting, though. We call her our little monster, because if you couldn't see her laying there, you might think there was some sort of terrifying creature in the crib. When she wakes up hungry in the middle of the night, I usually hear her snorting and catch her before she works herself into a full cry, so no one else is disturbed.

She's giving us big, beautiful smiles every day now, especially in the mornings. She's just beginning to pay attention to the world around her, and enjoys when we take her around the house or outside to look at new things. She has begun to notice the sounds and smells of mealtimes, and will loudly protest if she's left out while everyone else is eating! We often take turns holding her and feeding her a bottle during meals so we can get some bites of food in, too.

We've experimented with different formula types, and have settled on the Similac for Spit-Up brand. It has some added rice starch to make it thicker, so it stays down a little better for Hallie. She gets pretty upset when she spits up, which I can understand because it's just gross.

Right after Hallie turned a month old, Dan's coworkers threw a baby shower for her. It was the sweetest thing. They gave us a generous gift card from Babies R' Us, as well as a few personal gifts. They even gave Emma a baby doll and stroller, so she can take care of her new baby at home while we are taking care of Hallie. We were so blessed by their love and thoughtfulness!

Emma loved helping Hallie open all her cards and presents

The beautiful cake and cupcakes

Emma holding her new baby, just like mommy.

Dan's coworker, Martha, and his Headmaster, Kathy, loved cuddling with Hallie

The lower school principal, Barb, and the coordinator of our shower, Jen.

The week before I returned to work part-time, I joined my coworkers for lunch. These ladies had surprised me with a baby shower before Hallie was born, and they loved meeting her in person!

One of the rare occasions when we got Hallie all dressed up

People say she looks more like me than Dan. This was her reaction when I told her that her bib said "cute like mommy."

She's giving us the happiest smiles each day, which is the best thing ever!

Emma loves to help take care of her baby sister, and checks on her often to see if she needs anything.

I told Emma that we had to watch Hallie carefully when she's sleeping on the couch so she doesn't fall off. So Emma sat beside her to make sure she was safe. And to poke her in the forehead.

This looks like a sweet moment, but I'm actually keeping Emma from growling and pouncing on Hallie like a lion. She likes Hallie to look at her, and has discovered that the best way to get her attention is to scare her to death. Heh!