One month old.

I can't believe that Mia is one month old now. The last month has gone by so quickly...shoot, 2014 is going by so quickly! How are we already almost halfway through February?!

The last month has had its ups and downs, but it's been great overall. She's growing so fast - I had forgotten how fast newborn babies grow! She's out of her newborn clothes and into most of her 0-3 month clothes...thank goodness, because I bought a ton of 0-3 month clothes that she can wear! I'm not quite sure how much she weighs since she won't go back to the doctor for another month, but she is seemingly picking up weight and growing the way that she should. After spending two weeks on formula, we met with a lactation consultant and started exclusively breastfeeding...that's a whole new experience, since JJ was formula-fed. We're making it work, though, and I'm actually enjoying it now that I've made it through a couple of weeks. I hope to keep breastfeeding after I go back to work next month.

She is really a good baby during the day. She spends most of it sleeping, wakes up every 2-3 hours to eat, then goes back down. At night, though, she is wide awake. She still has her days and nights switched, which makes for a long night for me; she usually only stays up for 3-4 hours before knocking out, though, so at least she's not up all night long. She still isn't a big fan of the pacifier but is a big fan of skin-to-skin time and snuggling with mama. She's starting to recognize voices and seems to calm down when her big brother is around, which is so precious. I'm a little concerned about how close they will be since they're 5 years apart in age, but so far, it seems like they have a great relationship.

JJ is such a great big brother. He always gets me things when I ask, likes to help carry and hold baby sis, and always greets her with a hug [and a head pat] when we pick him up from daycare. I am still trying to give him one-on-one time when he gets home, and it's getting better as Mia gets older and our routine gets more established. I hope this trend continues.

Physically, I feel great. I'm back in my regular clothes, for the most part, but I refuse to step on a scale until my postpartum appointment next week. I'm getting a couple of hours of sleep at a time [when i can get it], so I'm sleepy a lot of the time...but I'm hanging in there. I feel like I bounced back quicker from this pregnancy than my previous two, and that may be because I still have to keep up with things since JJ is here and on an established routine. I think breastfeeding is helping, too; it's forcing me to eat healthier and keep my water intake up, since those help with providing milk for Mia. I hope to start running again when I go back to work in March.

Maternity leave is awesome. I'm not anywhere near ready to go back to work, so I'm glad I have one more month off. I've been a pretty lazy bum while home, but I do keep up with the housework. I should get out and go grocery shopping, but we got 2 inches of snow last night, so I'm not going anywhere but my couch. Ha. I thought I would be more active while I've been home, but I just want to snuggle with Mia and sleep during the day - which is pretty much all I do. With half of my maternity leave gone, though, I should probably start to get back on a semi-routine. Maybe. I've spent a lot of my leave snuggling with Mia on the couch while watching Food Network, HGTV or soap operas...don't think I want it any other way at this point, either.

We had Mia's newborn pictures three weeks ago, and they came out so great. I shared a couple of the pics on Facebook but am going to put some of my faves here. Every day, I look at Mia and can't believe that she's here, can't believe that she's mine. I do still have my moments of absolute sadness, because raising a rainbow is still hard. It reminds me of all of the moments I didn't get with Devon, and it makes me miss him even more. But I like to think that, when Mia is sleeping and starts to smile, she's talking to her big brother up there. I know that may seem silly, but that does give me comfort.

The first month of Mia's life has been great. I can't wait to watch her keep growing. I am beyond smitten with my sweet girl.

Sweet Pea has her daddy wrapped around her finger already.

Love.

This is one of my faves.

Adore this girl.

Baby yawns are the cutest!

One of my absolute faves.

Wide awake - and so adorable. 

This is my favorite. Ever. Can't wait to frame this one. 

I love her faces - and her onesie.

You make me happier than you'll ever know, sweet girl.