I'm the Mother of a 2-month old....How Did That Happen?

Ava is 2-months old today! The "baby-moon" is officially over and now I'm back to work. I'm not sad about the work part, just that I can't spend every moment snuggling, nursing her, cooing with her, talking to her and all that fun stuff. Like I've mentioned before in my last post about breastfeeding, I have a flexible schedule since I'm not taking the full 12-weeks. I'm working 4 days at home and 1 day at the office the first 4 weeks. Then starting June 7, I'll work from home on Tuesdays and Fridays. I'm thankful to have this flexible schedule so I have more time with Ava. My daycare will lets me bring her for a half-day and I'll pay for what I use, which is fantastic!

Ava's Growing - 12 lbs 1 oz & 24 inches: We went to her 2-month check-up today and she got her first round of shots. She was a trooper! She cried, but honestly, I've seen her cry worse when she has gas. I nursed her right after they shut the door and it soothed her. Then I dropped her off at daycare and she wanted to nurse again. I can't imagine bottle feeding because breastfeeding gives her so much comfort and mommy's love instantly!

Ava has grown 3 inches and about 4 lbs since birth! The pediatrician told me to keep doing what we're doing because she's very healthy and growing very well. She's so tall and in the 92nd percentile. We could have guessed because her sleepers are always too short before they are too tight in the body. I'm going to find vitamin D drops, per her recommendation because we're keeping her out of the sun (obviously) and the nutrient helps boost immunity.

Development Milestones:

• Smiles at mom and dad started when Ava was 7-weeks old. We can tell she recognizes our voices and faces by the looks she gives us. We love those big grins. It makes us feel connected to her. She give me eye contact when we nurse and it's super sweet!
  
• Ava's breastfeeding like a champ! Breastfeeding without the nipple shield started at 6-weeks and now I'm not using it at all. Ava is able to get a good latch, but I'm trying to make sure it's not too shallow. With all the work we've done up front, it helped establish my milk supply. On my first day back all day at work on Monday, I pumped 3 times and got 17 oz! Ava only had 10 oz at daycare in the time she was there. So I'm producing more than she needs and I'm hopeful this will continue as her requirements increase as she grows. I'm hoping this will continue by my flexible work from home schedule that keeps us nursing on demand a lot. I'm using inspirational pics of her when I pump and it helps me reconnect with her when we're apart.
• Cooing and socializing: She makes cooing sounds now. One day last week, we were looking at each other and I said "oooew" and she responded back "oooew!" I was so impressed because she did it twice in a row. Ava makes cooing sounds at night when she's falling asleep in her bed, too! It's the sweetest thing.
  
• Sleeping longer at night! Ava is giving mommy 4-5 hours of sleep at a time now. She wakes up anywhere between 2:30am to 4am to have a snack before going back to sleep. In case you're wondering, Aaron is able to sleep through all of it, which makes our cosleeping arrangement work since his sleep is not disrupted.
• Putting herself to sleep at night. I've heard it's best for the baby to go sleep on her own without rocking, nursing, etc. I put her to bed drowsy, but not asleep. I'm lucky that she will do that this young. I feed her and change her diaper one last time and then swaddle her. I put her in her cosleeper bed and she'll lay there quietly and coo and chill out. I'm in the room getting ready for bed so I'm sure that comforts her that she's not alone. And she'll fall asleep in 5-20 minutes, depending on the day.
  
• Getting ready for rolling! Ava moves her hips from side to side and even can balance herself when you lay her on her side. She's getting closer to rolling by herself.
  

Entertainment:

• Arms and legs are going wild...Ava likes the bouncy seat so she can move her arms and legs. Check out the video.
• Obsessed by ceiling fans. First, it was a fascination, now it's moved to an obsession. Most of our rooms have ceiling fans in the house and she stares at them all the time. They don't have to even be in motion!
  
• Loving the Baby Einstein play mat! Ava is now able to grab the toys from above and she loves the bright colors, textures, and music. I try to give her 10 minutes on the playmat a couple times a day with a few minutes of Tummy Time.
  
• Looking at trees outside. Ava loves to take walks outside in her stroller or just a quick break outside in the yard with mom or dad. She looks around at the trees and soaks it all in. Being outside also helps calm her when she's upset or fussy.
• Loves the water from the shower. I just realized that Ava never fusses when I'm in the shower. I put her in her bouncy chair when I'm taking a shower and she loves the sound of the water. I'm a lucky new mom that can take a shower because Ava is soothed by the sounds.
  
• Watching Bena play. One night, Aaron was throwing a toy for Bena in the house and Ava was watching the whole thing and loving it! Bena is very sweet with Ava and loves to have her nearby. Sometimes when Ava is crying at night, Bena is laying down by her bed. It's so sweet! Here's a video of them together.
  

Ava is both a Mommy and Daddy's girl. She has special time with both of us. It's really special to have this bonding time with her!