2 months of Hazel!

Everything they say is true, it all goes so fast! As I scroll back through the (probably thousands) pictures I've taken since she was born I can't believe how much we've accomplished the past two months (aside from the hours and hours of cuddling we've done). For one, I birthed a whole human and have made a full recovery from the wonderful and traumatic experience it was. We've gone on two trips as a family, attended two weddings (one where I was a bridesmaid), seen lots of friends and family, ventured out of the house for at least one adventure a day, and are now gearing up for the holiday fun to come. Hazel had her two month check-up today so it seemed fitting to share an update here.

First of all, we love her so much! I know it seems silly, but the love I feel for her has taken me by surprise. I could never understand when moms would talk about missing their babies once they put them to sleep, but it turns out that's actually a thing! Something else I didn't expect was how sweet it would be to see her fall in love with ME. I guess I just always assumed the love would be one-sided (you know, kids...), but she actually sighs out with love and adoration when I approach her, and she just stares at me with such love eyes. We've established such a sweet bond and I'm already getting sad about going back to work. Thankfully, we have about a month left together before that has to happen!

Here's a little breakdown of our little Hazel Belle at 2 months old . . .

Development/Milestones: She's one smiley and chatty babe! She started smiling a few weeks ago, and just last week we started getting some quality coos. It really seems like she's found her voice, and it's one of the sweetest things to witness.

Eating: She eats about every 3-4 hours, except through the night (see below). I'm exclusively breastfeeding for the time-being, and I'm grateful that hasn't been a challenge. She and I have both taken to it naturally, and it's such a sweet thing. She's in the 80th percentile for weight (12 lbs!) and we have a love / hate relationship with seeing her grow! 

Sleeping: A little over three weeks ago she started sleeping 8 hours a night!! I don't attribute this to anything other than being SUPER lucky, but we are oh so grateful. Once she was about a month old, we let her start sleeping in her crib (mostly for our sanity), and it seemed like she slept even better there than in our room. While I'd love to say this love I have for her is completely unconditional, I would be lying if I said her sleeping habits had nothing to do with it. I know it would be so much harder to enjoy these sweet days if we were sleep deprived.

Likes and Demeanor: She is a happy little clam and really only cries when we're in the car, and then she cries A LOT. I'm not sure if it's because she knows we're up front and she's not with us, but these are definitely some of the more stressful moments for us. Outside of the car, she's content to just be with us and will happily be cuddled by just about anyone. We prayed for a cuddly babe, and a cuddly babe we got!