This girl is such a joy to have around. She is a very particular little one, but when her tummy is full and she is well rested, no one can beat her smiles or the giggles she lets out from being tickled. Just within the last couple of weeks she has gained better head control. She is still big for her age and is already starting to wear some 6-9 month clothes. She doesn't mind sitting up in her bumbo, and can for short periods of time. She loves laying under her play gym mat and grabbing the rings and animals that hang down. She is doing better with tummy time and will probably be rolling over in the next couple of weeks. For several night she was sleeping 6 hour chunks, but has since reverted to waking up every 2-3 hours. I wouldn't mind if she changes her sleeping pattern again.
We are working diligently to get her up off her head as much as possible to allow for it to grow correctly. This means a lot of baby wearing, which has grown on her. When she was little and I tried to pack her, she would just cry. She has a fairly bad flat spot on her right side of the head. This developed from having Torticollis in her neck which caused her to always turn her head one way. It is starting to look a little better, and I am hopeful that it does get better before her four month appointment.
I find myself calling her Jenna Ruth very often and Justin just started calling her J-Bird as well. She still enjoys being snuggled and does not mind her bouncer chair. Nursing is going well with her and I think she may be getting to the point she isn't liking the bottle. Which is good and bad. I am happy that she likes nursing so much because this about the point that Natalie started having a hard time with it and preferred the bottle over me, but I know it is going to be hard to ever leave Jenna with anyone if she won't drink a bottle.
Her beautiful black hair is falling out. I cry a little inside every time I see some in her crib or look at her bald spot on the back of her head. I hope that it comes back in dark. She is an excellent communicator of what she wants and when she wants it. She still likes her baths, watching people, going to bed at 7 or 7:30 and is up by 7 or 7:30. It is nice that she is kind of starting to get a bit of a schedule going. I am so grateful for her everyday and love, love, lover her beautiful smiles and baby cooing/talking. Watching her personality emerge is a delightful experience.
Natalie is 2 1/2. One day I was severely frustrated with her after having to fight her for several days in a row on using the bathroom before taking a nap. She woke up with a wet bed every.single.day. I finally read a book on child development that my mom had used when we were growing up. Basically it said that 2 1/2 year olds are just difficult people to live with. Try to limit their choices and direct them, but have a lot of patience. It was actually a relief to hear that. She definitely fits this description. If I can distract her and talk to her about what we need to do and what is coming next, she does pretty well. Sometimes she has really great days, and other days are terrible.
It is such a joy to hear her vocabulary and sentences errupt. She is also very friendly. One of her favorite things to do is to say "Hi" to those walking by, whether they are friends or strangers. She loves to copy a lot of the things we do. It has definitely made us pay more attention to what we are saying or how we are acting. She does really well with J and is very sweet to her. She doesn't hardly ever want to hold her, but loves to hold her hand or just talk to her. She loves Nursery at church and really enjoys playing with friends. She is very quick at learning songs and nursery rhymes. We moved up to the 2 year old story time a few months ago and she loves to follow all of the directions and to practice them at home. Adding in the instructions the librarian gives.
Having Jenna now and seeing where Natalie is at, it is hard to believe N was ever a baby. She is so much more mature then Jenna and is becoming a sweet, independent, strong, beautiful girl. She is a good eater, sleeper, and hates going in time out. So that method of discipline works out well, because she really dislikes it. I love her so much and just recently she burst out with "I Love You Mama!" That made my heart melt. Being a mother is hard, but those types of pay back make it worth every hard moment. N LOVES her daddy as well. He is so good with her and when he is home she is pretty much wherever he is. Lately, he has had some long work trips. When he gets home she will not hardly leave his side and always asking where he is at if he is not in eye sight. Justin has pretty much taken care of N when he is home since J was born. They have a very special bond and I am glad.
We love our girls and are grateful for their health and smiles. They teach us so much and help us be better people. I used to always wonder why mom's looked and acted the way they do. Like never being able to remember anything, not having perfectly matching clothes, not wearing make up, forgetting appointments, etc. Well, now I know..... I am that woman, and someday I hope to get it back together, but right now I am doing the best I can and trying to enjoy each moment of these little girls.
