4 month update {better late than never}

Technically Aven turned 4 months old on June 6th....so let's just pretend this update was
written and published two weeks ago. :)
This may be the #1 cliche parents say, but I can't believe how fast she's growing! Seriously...did I not just birth you last week, child? Slow your grow. 

Check out that sweet smile. And her hilarious goat toy. (I have a thing for goats).

The tongue. Out all the time these days. 

Nicknames: Avie baby, Bug, A, Booger (so feminine, I know), Babygirl

Eye Color: Blueish gray

Hair: Short and spikey on the top and light colored. Long in the back and dark. Bald in between. :)

Weight: 15.9 lbs  (90th %)

Height: 26"  (>95%)

Clothing size: some 3 months, some 6 months

Favorite toys: Sofie the Giraffe teethers, colorful rings, or just a blanket to chew on

Love or Hate Baths: Love

Crib or Parents' Room: Crib (high five!!)

Pacifier?: No. She doesn't like them. (I'm sure I'll be happy about this one day. At least that's what I keep telling myself.)
Routine: Eats every 3 hours during the day. Naptimes are getting shorter, one or two going away completely, depending on the day.

Nighttime sleep: 10pm-ish to 7am. (Praise the Lord!!)

Teething?: In the early stages I would think....lots of slobber and gnawing on toys/hands.

Rolling over?: Only onto her side for now

New discoveries/ Milestones: sticking out her tongue, grasping toys, giggling, lots of smiles, lots of baby talk

being a new mom {& what I didn't see coming}

There is a vast difference between preparing for childbirth and preparing for a child. So much focus is placed on the pregnancy and how your baby will arrive, but we can't just brace ourselves for labor when there's a whole new life as a mother waiting at the end of the delivery. Moms-to-be, you deserve to have realistic expectations so you aren't completely overwhelmed on Day One of Motherhood.

In a nutshell, it's one-hundred times harder than you ever imagined it would be. It's also one-hundred times more spectacular than ever imagined it would be. Here's my take on it. 

{P.S., I have updated portions of this post with my thoughts on things one year after originally writing this!}

Overall, I enjoyed being pregnant. Sure, the heartburn was horrendous and towards the end I was just super uncomfortable. But there was something so special about it. I regularly had complete strangers congratulate me, make gender guesses, speak a blessing over me and my baby, and even physically lend a hand. And yes, there were a few awkward belly rubs here and there, but even those didn't bother me as much as I anticipated.

 I actually thought I was going to miss being pregnant. That is until my kid decided to stay put nine days past her due date and come out weighing almost as much as a bag of potatoes. Anyway, I'm not bitter.

Aven was born on February 6, 2014 and I can honestly say I've never felt more elation than that first moment she was placed on my chest. It was the hardest and most beautiful day of my life.