My Lovely Poppy,
Where to begin?! You are here! You've been here for *almost* six months-where has the time gone?
I am so desperately in love with you. Your smile brightens any room, your eyes shine brightly, your little dimple is so adorable! I can't believe you are two weeks shy of six months already! Its gone by so fast. Having three kids is a huge change from two and you have been born into utter chaos yet you have thrived~ what a testament to your positive outlook!
I have SO much to tell you about your first 6 months that I may have to write for days to get it all out! Let's start with your birth story~ one of the best days of my life. I really thought we had more time! Both Lulu and Wilder came after their due dates so I wasn't even expecting you yet. We had closed on our Buffalo house on August 26th but there was much work to be done here so daddy was spending a ton of time at this house while we stayed at the New Hope house. He was painting with Nana and Meema, he was doing floors, doing a bunch of projects and overseeing the work done by our contractor. We were eager to meet you and nervous about how your birth and the move into the new house would work out.
So the night of September 14th I went to bed and just like any other night, I woke up having to pee multiple times (oh the joys of being pregnant!). In the middle of the night when I was walking back to bed, I felt a gush and thought maybe I had wet myself. It took me awhile of walking and pacing to really grasp the fact that my water had broken! After about 10 minutes I realized that was what had happened and I decided to let your dad sleep a bit while I processed everything. Technically he had to work the following day so I wanted him to sleep as much as possible just in case I was wrong. At about 4am I couldn't take my excitement and woke him to tell him. He shot up in bed expecting we had to rush to the hospital but I assured him that contractions hadn't even started yet so we had time. He went back to sleep as best he could and I paced in the living room hoping to get contractions started. Once the water breaks, you are on a 24 hour timeline to give birth to avoid risk so I knew you would be coming one way or another and decided I'd rather you come through labor starting than with an induction if at all possible. So I walked...and walked...and watched the sun start to rise and prayed for your safety. At about 6am I decided to lay down and try to rest in the hopes that the contractions would kick in. By 7am I was feeling pretty strong contractions so daddy called Meema and Papa and told them we would be bringing Lulu and Wilder by in a short while. He also called his work and told them he wouldn't be there.
One funny aspect of this day was the fact that colder fall weather had appeared that week and since we had packed to move in May (not anticipating the drama of our home buying process) everything we owned was in storage...right along with our fall clothes. Since Lulu's preschool had sent a letter to all the parents reminding us to dress them warmly, we knew we had to get warm clothes and shoes for her to wear at school while we were in the hospital with you. So....on the way to the hospital we stopped at Target so I could run in and buy warm clothes and shoes for your older siblings, then we dropped them off at Meema and Papa's and THEN we went to the hospital! I must have been a sight for sore eyes walking through Target HUGELY pregnant, pushing a cart and grasping it hard while I contracted and prayed I wouldn't leak amniotic fluid all over:)
Once we got to the hospital and got checked in at about 11am, we met our nurse who was really nice and friendly (which was a blessing) and got settled in and waited for you! We joked with the nurse and I tried to stay calm during the pain of contractinos (not my strong suit) and by about 4pm we were ready to push. I had been nervous because the day before we had an ultrasound and they said you would be 9lbs and 5oz, usually ultrasounds can be a pound or two off so I was really hoping you wouldn't be 11lbs! Despite hoping for a quick labor and delivery it felt like it took forever. I pushed for an hour and 45 minutes and was convinced you were stuck since it was taking SO long and you were just not moving down. Once you were born we found that one of your legs had been turned in a strange position and slowed down your birth. But at that point nthing mattered because you were here and you were stunningly gorgeous. You looked JUST. LIKE. Wilder when he was a newborn! And you were exactly 9lbs 5 oz as predicted:)
What a sweet and precious baby you were. Even now, just 5 months later I miss the smell of your newborn skin. I can remember the feeling when you were first born and placed on my chest (Hallelujah!) of placing my hands around you and feeling your chubby little legs and just being overcome with how soft and warm you were and falling in love with you instantly. You felt so *right* in my arms, what a long awaited blessing you have been to us.
Over the next two days we just breathed you in, loved you and enjoyed every moment of you. You slept a lot, you nursed like a champ and had a lovely temperment. The night before we were to be discharged you started getting REALLY fussy, and you started to sweat and shiver. It was horrible to see and the nurse decided to take you to the NICU to be checked over. Daddy was sleeping at the time and she took you so quickly that I just followed, we left literally 5 seconds after she made the decision to take you so I just threw on my slippers and followed you. We got there and a different nurse from the NICU went back to wake daddy up and tell him what happened.
That began a horrifying experience for you and us. We had to leave the NICU while they did a spinal on you, because the doctor didn't want us to watch. We sat in the hallway outside the NICU sobbing and could hear you crying and it shattered us both. Then we had to wait almost a day for results not knowing what was wrong with you. I was SO afraid. You spent hours and hours crying in the NICU, I stayed there and held you even though the nurses pressured me/us to go back to the room and sleep. I just couldn't leave you. I snoozed in the rocking chair holding you all night just praying over and over that you would be okay.
It was a LONG few days in the NICU, you were a very unhappy baby there and ultimately they decided that you had dehydrated a bit in our warm room, which angered you and dehydrated you further...which caused the whole meltdown. Since it takes a week or so for my milk to come in, and you were a bigger baby, you just needed more than I was able to make in those first two days. I am so blessed that nothing "big" was wrong with you. God is good. You are a healthy happy girl right now and I am eternally thankful for that.
Shortly after we brought you home Lori came to visit, we officially moved to Buffalo and life was pretty crazy for awhile. You were such a sweet and easy baby that nothing phased you. About the time life started settling down was when your sleep habits became a challenge. You seemed determined to not let us sleep at night~ your dad and I thought we were going to go crazy from exhaustion! You would cry every night from midnight to 4am and wanted to sleep all day. That all started around your 3rd month and didn't really get better until almost 5 months. As of today you are 5 and a half months old and its only been a short time that you have been good about sleeping at night. We are still working on a normal nap schedule. You do nap, its just more willynilly as opposed to being at specific times each day. We will get there;)
You were rolling in the later part of your second month and you started sitting up around the last week of your 4th month and now a few weeks later you are a very confident and strong sitter. You can reach for toys and lean over and self correct. What a proud look on your face those first few times you realized you were sitting up by yourself. They were magical moments, I was SO proud of you and happy that you were proud of yourself! You are now starting to hobble forward a few steps here and there in your walker and you are moving around the room on your tummy by inching around. I can't believe how fast you are growing! I LOVE our bond. Breastfeeding is so wonderful because it allows us to share such a special kind of love.
A about two weeks ago we started you on home made baby food. You had tried rice cereal in your 3rd month in the hopes that it would help you learn to sleep at night but it didn't so we took a break hoping to get to 6 months before starting solids. We realized in your 5th month that you *needed* more than breastmilk in the evening, you were hungry and nursing just wasn't enough so we decided to start you on baby food before 6 months. Your first food was avocado which you ate with gusto the first two or three times, then you either decided you didn't like it or got bored with it because it got to the point where you just didn't want any. Your second food was carrots which you loved, and you just recently started eating rutabaga which you have enjoyed as well!
I'm sad that you are not exclusively breastfeeding any more. Starting solids is a big transition because it means you are growing up and branching out which is a great thing, I just pray that we are able to continue to breast feed as long as possible because I love that time with you. I love that we stare into each others' eyes and I love when you pull off, smile and then latch on again. You are the sweetest, silliest little beauty! It makes me so proud that when you are tired or crabby, it often takes me to calm you down. Our bond is so special. I love that at night you lie between daddy and I and roll back and forth looking at us both and reaching out for us. You love your siblings, and have an amazing tolerance for how close they get to your face. You giggle and get so excited when they play with you and talk to you. They love you more than anything. Sometimes I have to work hard to keep them away from you so you can rest! They LOVE holding you in their laps and kissing you. Lulu loves to sing you songs and touch you, and Wilder often speaks "for" you by asking you questions and then responding as you in a high pitched voice:) I love to hear what you have to say through Wilder~ ha! They adore you Poppy, just as daddy and I do!
Poppy, you are the sweetest, most beautiful and loving little girl there is! I love when you grab my cheeks and pull my face into yours for a kiss. You make me feel pure joy and happiness. I love you and your siblings more than life. You have brought such joy and love to my heart. You are SUCH a blessing! I am so thankful for you, so blessed to be your mom, and so excited to watch you grow into the gorgeous and sweet little girl you are sure to be.
I love you so much my lovely little one. I love you more than you will ever be able to comprehend. You are Lulu and Wilder are the reason my heart beats, the air that I breathe and I am SO proud to be your mommy.
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