Walking with the Cooks: Happy 1 month, Anna!

Anna's first monthly update! I love looking back at how the big kids have changed and grown and I am excited to begin documenting Anna's first year. She has changed a lot over the past 4+ weeks and I look forward to better knowing and continuing to enjoy her little personality and as she grows.

We didn't have a well visit at one month for Anna. The doctor said that she couldn't fathom needing to check her weight when Anna gained a pound in the first week out of the hospital, but to call if I thought she wasn't gaining.

At discharge: 8lbs 6oz
At 2 weeks: 9lbs 14oz (91%)

Nursing: Anna is a great eater. We worked hard in the hospital to get a good start and got help from every nurse who would voice an opinion. They were great! And we are already in a really good groove. She had her first bottle on the 29th and Dave said she took 5oz like a champ. She, amazingly, has only spit up three times. Those three occasions were big, but I am so thankful she is a clean eater.

Sleep: This has been the greatest change we have seen in Anna over her first month and the change has been slow and steady. From the start she seriously had her days and nights confused. I was convinced that when we turned the lights off in the hospital room she got unhappy and if we turned the lights on she settled down and slept. We used lots of gas drops and occasionally the shaky chair. At the one month mark she was going back down after eating without needing lots of coercion. Anna generally eats twice at night and does one longer stretch of 4.5 or 5 hours.

Physically: Anna still has her sweet head of hair and it is the most commented on of her features. Her eyes are still blue for the moment. She is held A LOT during her wake time as she is passed from sibling to sibling, but doesn't seem to mind tummy time. She is getting good head control, but hasn't tried to lift her chest much. When angry she gets a good crease between her eyebrows.

Schedule: Right now we start Anna's day 7:30am and wake her up she is goes more than 3 hours between feedings during the day. We are following the Babywise suggestion of feed, wake, sleep cycles.

Next appointment: Friday, September 2, 2016 at 10:00am for her 2 month well visit

showing Anna her crib

Welcome home, Anna!

Each of the kids brought her their favorite lovies as soon as we set her down.

So tiny!

Dave bought her a pack of real bows on the way home from the hospital.
After Lydia's lack of hair, I only packed headbands!

First nap in her crib.

Cheeks :)

Happy 4th of July! First trip to Chick Fil A with our friend Lindsey.

Funny face!

She gets lots of snuggles.

The big girls are showing her how to do tummy time.

He is so good with her. And with all his sisters!

She was singing "if you're happy and you know it clap your hands." Anna didn't appreciate Lydia clapping her hands, but she didn't mind having her feet clapped.