2 months old!

Bravery is officially two months old! It's weird how fast time flies but how slow it feels all at the same time. We have enjoyed every moment with Bravery but there have definitely been some challenging moments. It has been quite the adjustment to be so needed by someone new and still have all of my other responsibilities with three older kids, keeping up the house, cooking meals, church stuff, etc. I love being a mom to four kids but it is definitely stretching me more than I thought possible and there have been moments when I thought I might break!
For the first month I had tons of help: my mom was here for the first 11 days, then the ward brought in meals for a full week! Travis took some time off and then my in-laws were here for 6 days and my mother-in-law left meals in the freezer. I was seriously so spoiled! I didn't cook a meal for a month. Then month two started and I was all on my own. That adjustment has been where the challenging moments set in. Bravery has made it all worth it though. She started smiling about 2 1/2 weeks ago and really making eye contact. I forgot how fun this stage is, getting to interact with her and see her recognize us. When she is happy, she is super happy and will grin and grin as long as we hold her gaze.

She has been my fussier baby though but with the help of some Zantac, a moby wrap and lots of housework left neglected, we are making it through it. The last week and half have actually been a lot easier and I have been able to set her down more and get other things done. The girls have been a huge help. If it wasn't for them holding Bravery each evening, I wouldn't ever get dinner on the table.

Wisdom has been one of my bigger challenges. He is pushing the limit on everything. If he's not poking Bravery to try to get her to yelp, then he's coloring on the wall, tearing books, or hurting his older sisters. He has been so destructive. I know it's just to get attention and that I need to give him more but sometimes I just feel pulled in so many directions that a time-out is the quickest and easiest consequence for his behavior. We have fazed out naps and the last couple hours of the day are the hardest. Sometimes he falls asleep during his timeouts or in the car if we drive anywhere after 4 pm. He's slowly adjusting though and each day seems a little better.

Sleeping with the toy he was playing with, still in his hand!

Time-out Nap!

So on to Bravery's newest stats. She is growing too fast!

Weight:  10 lbs. 1 oz. (30%)
Height:   23 inches (70%)
Head:     36 cm (40%)

Bravery's most favorite thing is being held. Her second favorite thing is her pacifier (even though she spits it out constantly). She loves to be swaddled. She is learning to like her swing. She does not like her bouncy seat. We just started to pull out toys for her. The older three were especially excited about this but have been a little disappointed that she'd rather smile and stare at them than have anything to do with the colorful toys dangling in front of her. She loves her bassinet which is especially helpful at night. She has been sleeping better and better. Some nights I get 4-5 straight hours of sleep! :)

With her hands by her face . . . always.

Bravery also loves her bath, getting out, not so much but as long as she's soaking in the water she is a happy camper! She has discovered her little voice and will coo and babble to us when we talk to her. She still loves to have her hands up by her face which really helps with holding her pacifier in. She's started putting her fists in her mouth too.
The darn dry Arizona air mixed with the air conditioner (which has started to run constantly lately thanks to the 90 degree weather we've been having) has really made her congested. The pediatrician said this is very common around here and said to keep the humidifier running and use saline. She's pretty patient through it all, even when we suck the boogers from her nose.
I feel like even just in the last week she has adjusted more to life here and we have adjusted more to having her here. I'm excited to see how much more adjusted we are in another month.
Until then . . . enjoy the pictures!