Time is passing by way too quickly. I have to be honest and say that I am dreading going back to work. Not because I don’t love my job…but because I’ve gotten too used to waking up to this gorgeous face and spending my days caring for her…watching her grow…watching her develop.
It’s going to be hard to leave her in just a few weeks. I’m going to miss her smiles and feeding her and changing her and snuggling her. I’ve never in my life really considered staying at home and don’t plan to…but being at home with her has definitely given me some pause where I momentarily contemplated what it might be like to be home with her all the time.
Right now I’m just trying to soak in the moments with her and sometimes, let’s be honest, I totally stare at her as she sleeps. And I take pictures…so many pictures. I am officially “that mom” on Facebook and Instagram but you know what? I totally own it.
Here are Harper’s two month updates and photos:
I definitely had some bouts of anxiety during the last few weeks but I feel like it’s getting better and better each day. I still worry about her health and overall wellness and happiness, but I think all new moms worry. I just try to remind myself to take it easy and to cherish every moment with her.
I remember the first time she smiled at me when she woke up one morning (she had smiled before that, but this moment felt extra special). I finally felt like she really “knew” me and was happy to see me. I know that sounds kind of odd, but I’m sure many new moms can relate—seeing your baby respond to you is really special and makes you feel so bonded.
Thank you for reading and wishing you all a great week!
These pictures are so precious! Love her little outfits!
xoxo
Petchie
https://psblogbook.blogspot.com/
Both of my girls had a little bit of reflux as babies and the symptom was similar – lots of crying during feeding. Its so hard to tell with little ones since they can't tell you! We did see our pedi who prescribed zantac in a liquid form that helped really quickly. We only went through one bottle of the zantac and that was all they seemed to need and haven't had any reflux issues since.
Hi Jen! I had contemplated this as a possibility…but she only screams/cries during some of her bottles. Was that the case with your babies too? She is completely and totally fine during many of her bottles and then for some she screams and cries. Let me know and thank you!
This was the case with two of my four and we did liquid Prevacid for a couple months. They eventually grow out of it and the pediatrician can advise you on when to stop the medication. Helped a ton!
She is so beautiful! It looks like Harper won the ginger lottery like my daughter – my husband has dark hair and dark eyes but our daughter turned out ginger and we LOVE it!
I love her red hair! I knew we had a 25% chance of her having red hair 🙂 I feel like red hair is kind of trendy right now but I have always found redheads to be so striking 🙂
She is adorable!
Thee pictures make me so excited to meet my little one. He is due soon – hopefully any day now!
Look at that red hair, gorgeous! Love her cute little outfit.
My little one did the same thing, she was sporadically screaming during feedings. She ended up having reflux & a milk protein intolerance. Zantac has been a blessing! Once she was able to situp on her own the reflux got better but we're still on the Zantac and Sofia's 9.5 months now. I'm hoping to have her weaned off by a year! Good luck & your little one is adorable, love those sweet cheeks 🙂
https://hellonewlywedlife.blogspot.com/
Thank you Megan! Was she screaming during every feeding or just some? I am going to call our pediatrician,. I feel so bad that she might be in pain 🙁
Just some, it was very random. I'm assuming the feedings she cried was when her reflux was flaring up. Good luck with the Dr., it could just be a phase she is going through too?
it's been going on for a few weeks now…I wish I would have been more persistent about it during our 2 month appointment…we shall see!
Great pics! I think I've mentioned before that Audrey was sensitive to dairy in my milk, which made her cry often during (and after) feedings…seems like Harper would be crying more often if that was the case with her, but just a thought! Otherwise I would just assume it's gas or maybe a little reflux? So hard to know with little ones! I feel your pain!:(
How did you know it was the dairy in your milk? did cutting out dairy eliminate it completely or do you mean she was allergic to breast milk, period? I would say Harper cries like that during 1/3 or half of her bottles depending on the day…
what a cutie she is! xo
https://allthingsprettyandlittle.blogspot.com/
Congrats on such a beautiful baby. When I had my son he had severe colic and my mom taught me a trick that really helped; it didn't cure him but it helped a ton. I've since shared the trick with friends that had babies with similar symptoms and they've found success with it too.
Put 2 cups water and 1 tablespoon fresh fennel seed in a pot, put it on the stove and let it boil for like 5 or so minutes – you're basically making a fennel tea. Take it off the stove and strain it to remove the seeds and then let cool, you want it warm but not hot obviously. Add just a touch of sugar to sweeten it, less then a teaspoon…but really depends on how much you made. You'll want to give her 1 oz or so, I used to give my son 1 oz before lunch and 1 oz before his dinner bottle. Helped to ease his stomach and also helped him go to the bathroom/get gas out and clean out his system so he wasn't uncomfortable.
We're from the middle east, but I did ask our pediatrician if it was okay and he 100% gave me the go ahead. Also per our pediatrician, we always gave him a warmed up bottle – it's easier on their stomach and typically less stressful to their system. I also did baby massage/baby yoga for his stomach pains and that worked a treat too.
Good luck!! 🙂
Thank you! This is something I can ask our pediatrician about. I also recently ordered some probiotic drops to see if they help 🙂
OMG <3 She's so gorgeous <3
Beautiful photos! Babies are so much fun when they start to smile and coo! My little girl (who is almost two months) also crys during some feeds, I breastfeed her and it usually happens after 5 min into the feed. She has reflux and sometimes I can hear her refluxing. I just stop, burp her and give her a little rest before trying to feed again and keeping her upright. Meds work for some babies, if you do start them, stop if you don't see a difference after a few weeks (I'm a neonatologist and don't feel very strongly about reflux meds). All babies have reflux and only time will cure it.
What does refluxing sound like? I burp her and try to keep her upright but she continues to cry. The ONLY thing that works is if I lay her on me tummy down or carry her over my shoulder with her tummy facing me and that seems to calm her down a bit…
Thank you so much for your advice 🙂 I work with some neonatologists and they are the best doctors and take such great care of our NICU babies 🙂
My little one starts to make gulping noises, starts moving her arms/legs and makes an awful face when it happens. The gulping noise is her swallowing whatever is coming up her esophagus, she doesn't spit up very often. It seems like Harper may have reflux or gas since some pressure on her tummy seems to make her feel better. I hope your pedi can help you and that it gets better soon!
harper seems to kick her legs a lot when she eats and is being fussy (on her normal bottles she sometimes kicks but not intensely or not at all). She doesn't make a face other than her "I am going to scream right now" face right before she cries. I am going to pay special attention to see if I hear a gulping noise. She sometimes makes this sound like she is trying to catch her breath or like she is taking in a big gulp of air…
Baby carrot! Love! She has already changed so much <3
Oh my goodness V! She is so cute! And I just noticed the red hair!! She and Hudson from The Girl in the Red Shoes would make such a cute couple in the future!! 😉
awww 🙂 what sweeties! I love her red hair, I'm hoping it will stay red!
She is precious! I'm a bit jealous of your leave time. I get 6 weeks leave an feel like that just isnt enough time to bond with my baby before I return to work. Like you said in this post, she's just starting to recognize your voices.
I am jealous of the leave I would have gotten if I still lived in Canada—a whole year! 6 weeks isn't enough and it's not fair that this country doesn't seem to care about giving moms the time they need—and even 12 weeks isn't enough…but we do what we have to do for our families and you will be fine and so will your baby. It will be hard, but you can do it 🙂 *hugs*
You could also try switching bottles. My 4month old daughter would sometimes randomly cry and fuss during feedings when I was breast feeding and we found it it was mostly due to the fact that I had a really slow letdown. When we switched to bottles, she would do the same if the flow was too slow. So we tried a few brands and depending on her mood she would sometimes need a different bottle. If she was really hungry then she would need a faster flow. So you could always give it a try!
Your daughter is adorable! My daughter has hints of red too and I love it!!
Sara
Life with Baby Sophia
we switched to Dr. Brown's bottles and she seems to like those for most feedings. I debated starting her on a level 2 nipple but not sure if it's too early?
she is so so so cute! love her outfit too:)
She's so beautiful Veronika 🙂 I really miss this age now looking at her pics. It really sucks you guys get so little mat leave in the US. I had my one year here in Canada but I tell you by 8 months I was ready to go back to work. I ended up going back at exactly 11 months.
Cryig during a feeding could be GERD. Ask uour doctor about the signs. If she seems like she is hurting, has trouble sleeping after a feeding, or is spitting up lots. Also, do your JCrew tees run true to size? I do t have one near me and am debating on the size. Can you share recommendations on how they fit?
she hasn't had issues with tons of spit up (she does spit up but not an abnormal amount) and she sleeps a ton, especially after feedings but I am def. going to contact the pedi.
I wear a medium in the J.Crew tees but I like them a little looser and could probably fit into a small as well.
She's so adorable, I don't blame you for taking tons of pictures of her! My mom was the same way with me! Except there was no IG or Facebook back then 😉 She's just so cute!
First, you both are gorgeous! I love how baby Harper's are also red! Such a cute little redhead. My son suffered from colic and gas as well. The ped told me to try feeding him two ounce at a time and burp in between until he was done with his bottle and it worked! Also, laying her on her back and cycling her legs (as if she were riding a bike)as well as lifting her little legs to her tummy while she's still on her back or putting her with her back on your chest while your standing up and lift one leg at a time for about 30 secs each helps tons. My mom advised me to make some chamomille tea and give him about 30 ml (which isn't much) with no sugar or anything just a little bit warm and maaaan that was a life saver! Trust me I went through this and it killed me to see my son in pain but they get over it so quick thank God. Hope this helps!
Great ideas, thank you for the tips 🙂
I forgot to mention that I also cut out all dairy products as well as gas producing veggies from my diet until I stopped breastfeeding. I switched to rice milk and it really helped my son. I also meant to say that I love how Harper's eyebrows are red! Missed the eyebrow part 🙂
She is so precious! And you look so fabulous! Could you do an updated skincare routine?
XO
Sure! I will do 🙂 I can use some products again that I was unable to use during pregnancy.
Veronika, they are lovely photos and she is absolutely beautiful. Such a precious time for you. xx
Veronika, she is an absolutely beautiful baby! I think she favors your husband right now, but she absolutely has your eyes! Maybe not the color, but definitely the shape!
She is looking like the most beautiful combination of you and your husband 🙂 She's growing so quickly! And I always enjoy seeing her adorable little face pop up on my Instagram feed 🙂
Hi V, she is seriously so sweet… I cannot believe she is 2 months old already. I LOVE her hair… You should dress her as a carrot for Halloween! Last year, my daughter's first Halloween, I made her a carrot costume (I used orange fleece and green tulle for the top!) and dressed our dog up as a bunny rabbit…. super cute!
The reflux symptom was exactly the same. I had two really "easy" babies who would cry and arch back during feedings. I remember the doctor asking how long it took us to get through a bottle. I even tried a couple of different bottles and that didn't seem to be the issue. My girls are one and three now and neither shows any sign of reflux now. Hope this helps 🙂
Hi Veronika. RE: Working Mom and/or SAHM, I think it is sweet that it has crossed your mind how you wonder what it would be like to stay at home with Harper. I never thought I'd see you write that- not in a bad way at all, just being honest. I'm recently became a professional/working mom myself, but I stayed at home for two years with my baby and toddler. I just hope you know that it's ok to change your mind. SAHM wasn't for me, and I'm happier now that I'm working. However, you might just find that being a SAHM works best for you, and it's okay to change your mind and lifestyle 🙂 Always love reading your blog, and will continue to no matter what you're up to.
oh that red hair!!! I absolutely love it. She's going to be beautiful just like her mom and dad!
Thoughts on her crying during feedings—Does she seem upset when she cries when you're feeding her? How often/profuse is her spit-up? You may want to ask your doc to consider acid reflux and try her on an acid blocker (H2 blocker or PPI).
–Nurse Practitioner in Pediatrics.
she is so sweet! i love this update for her months, keep them going! i hate when they cry during feedings, it really is heartbreaking! i wish i had your pumping skills, i'm waking up only once during the night to pump and i'm so exhausted! you really are so lucky H sleeps so much during the day, E hardly does so it's hard to get stuff done.
She looks so much like both you and your Husband I think, a complete split down the middle.
Alex
http://www.Bump-to-Baby.com
UK based Lifestyle & Parenting Blog
She is sooooo stinkin cute. I love her nickname too… baby carrot! I really enjoy reading your blog and seeing your pictures. Thanks for making my morning coffee time fun!!!
I am so envious of your sleeping baby. My 4 month old has yet to sleep 8 hours!
meganandmotherhood.blogspot.com
Ohhh I can't imagine how hard it is to go back to work! And these pictures are gorgeous indeed. 😀
Aww she is so precious! Lil redhead :)) Canada has 1 year maternity leave?? That is amazing. My mom said back in Ukraine when I was born, it was also around 1 year. Seems like the US is behind…
Love reading your updates, makes me so excited and anxious to meet my newest addition!!!!
Motherhood suits you!
So I never ever comment on blogs, just secretly stalk haha but I had to post a little note to say your baby girl is GORGEOUS and she looks SO much like you!!!
Too much cuteness in this post! She is beyond adorable! And you look fabulous V!
My baby boy, who is a super calm little guy, went through the same thing around the same age. It was definitely stressful. We used probiotics with him and that may have helped, or maybe he just grew out of that stage (who knows?).I found that the best thing for my own sanity was to wear him in a baby carrier (especially the ergo or moby) and go for a walk. Being worn and the gentle motion seemed to help with gas discomfort. Also, it provides a nice break for you to get some fresh air when you feel like you're going to lose your mind! You are doing a great job, mama!
Aww thank you so much for your comment 🙂 Harper is doing a lot better now, thankfully! 🙂
Your daughter is just a doll and I love her red hair! I have a very unique deep shade of red hair and all of my three children have dark brown hair : ( which is just fine too but I was really hoping one of them would be a ginger!
Harper is just a doll! I love her red hair. I have red hair also and was hoping that at least one of my kids would be a ginger but all three of them have dark brown hair.:)
First off – you and your daughter are beautiful! Going back to work is bittersweet but you will be one of those amazing super moms! If you don't mind me asking, where did you get your bedspread/duvet cover from? I was thinking of making my own with the exact same design.