1 Month Old

Amaya is one month old today. What a big girl! She is growing, growing, growing and more loved each day. She has recently started smiling and she lights up the room with her little grins!

 Here she is on her one month birthday in her pretty Spanish dress that Maria and John gave us.

I can't believe how much Jay and Amaya look alike - check out these two pictures!

Pretty cute. I hope she takes after her big brother in every way (except sleeping!)

Amaya still loves to stick out her tongue ;p She makes adorable grunting noises and cooing sounds and loves to move her legs and arms crazy style. She's still a little pip-squeek, wearing newborn clothes, but she has moved on to size 1 diapers. She loves her binky - it can quiet her flailing body in an instant. She loves to look at faces and can track people and objects as they move across her line of vision.

She has become pretty interested in the camera too, since it's always in her face.

I made the flower in her hair.

Her eyes are still blue.

She seems to really enjoy bath time. She never cries, just looks around with her wide eyes wondering what will happen next.

Her sleeping patterns have begun to improve. She seems to understand that awake time happens during the day and sleepy time is for the night - although she still wakes up to eat at least twice between 10:00 and 8:00 am. She has started to sleep a few 4 to 4 1/2 hour stretches at night, which is wonderful!  Mom can't wait until they turn into 6 or 7 hour stretches though :)

 She loves her swaddle!

Most nights go like this: eat between 9:30 and 10 pm. Mom and dad in bed by 10:30 or 11 pm. Amaya is up to eat at 2 am. Back to sleep by 2:30 am. Up again at 5 am for the sunrise feeding and then back to sleep (sometimes with a little more difficulty at this point - but the swing saves us if she's too restless) around 5:30 am. Then Jay wakes up around 7:30 am and Amaya wants to eat again at 8 or 9. Some mornings daddy is still home when Jay wakes up so he takes him downstairs and they eat breakfast together before daddy leaves. Then daddy turns on a cartoon for Jay while mommy sleeps a little more. It's so nice! We are looking forward to the day when Jay can take Amaya downstairs when they wake up and then play together until mommy and daddy get up. I remember doing this with my own brother many mornings.

Jay has been such a good little helper to his mommy and baby sister. Check out his new haircut.

 He loves his Amaya and enjoys giving her kisses and love. Today we took a walk in our new-used (thank you Craigslist) stroller/bike trailer.

When we turned into the sun Jay automatically reached over and covered Amaya's eyes with his hand so it wouldn't be so bright for her.

What a sweet brother! I think Amaya is wearing Jay out too because he never falls asleep when he doesn't have to - but one day he was so exhausted that he laid down on the couch and within minutes we found him like this.

We love our Jay and Amaya so much. They bring joy beyond measure into our home. Happy one month birthday lovely little girl!