Letters to Serene: 12 months

My dear Serene Joy,

Happiest of first birthdays, my sweet little love! Today marks one whole year of your life. What a momentous, life-changing year it has been. Ever since you entered the world at 2:43am on October 3rd, 2013, your daddy's and my lives were forever changed in the best way possible. We have seen you grow in boundless ways from a helpless, precious newborn weighing 6 lbs 9 oz at 19 inches long into a 18 lb, 28 1/2 inch long babbling, smiley one-year-old personality who manages to get into everything. From Day 1, you have never ceased to make us smile, to make us anxious (about your well-being), and to make our hearts ache from our deep love for you. You have shown us so much depth and breadth of God's character and kindness through your life.

This past month, you've evolved more so into a little girl who's unabashed about her inclinations. You express your affection in diverse ways now. You lean in to give us kisses on the lips. You hug us tightly when we hold you as if to convince us never to let you go, which works most of the time. You lean your head on my shoulder and wrap your arms around mine while crooning "mama" with contentment. You squeal with delight, babble, and giggle all the time. You grin at every passerby in utmost winsomeness. You are a pro at charming everyone's socks off. If you're crawling on the floor, you reach up to lean your head on our legs and squeeze them tight. It is the cutest!!!

Speaking of crawling, it remains your most trustworthy mode of transportation, although you're now adept at cruising and climbing everything as if they're jungle gyms. When we hold your hands up to walk, you bend your legs into sitting position right away so that your feet won't be caught touching the floor. You whine like you do whenever you feel anxious. You are resolute in refusing to walk independently for now. Your daddy and I love that you pitter patter around the house. Crawling just gets you places more speedily, especially when you play chase with your daddy. You shriek with elation whenever he chases you around the house.

Until you get distracted by a newfound object. One of your favorite activities is taking objects out of containers and putting them back in. You're fond of banging objects together so that they make as much noise as possible. You're really into displaying affection for your dolls and stuffies - you hug them with all your might and snuggle your face into them. You enjoy warbling into sand buckets and other open containers. You are a silly bundle of sweetness.

You're also an eating monster. You love to eat, and you eat as much (sometimes, more) as your daddy or I do. I don't remember all the new foods you tried this month, but they include black beans, quinoa, Thai noodle dishes, bibimbap, congee, and cod. Your perfected pincer grasp helps you to scarf your food down so quickly that if people are around you, they comment on how they enjoy watching you eat. Your daddy affectionately declares that you eat like him. Of all the foods you love, you have whole wheat toast, eggs, spinach, and fruit every day. They are your tried-and-true staples. You can also drink from a straw, even if you'd rather bite and play with it most of the time. You also finally sprouted your first teeth this past month: the two on the bottom. We think it is darling to see two little white nubs decorating your bottom gums.

Your sleep schedule has been consistent for the past few months and like last month, you nurse 3-4 times a day, for about 10 minutes per session. We cuddle and stare at each other in contentment during those times. Oftentimes, you'll grin mid-nurse, which makes me laugh. We have a special bond, my little love. That's why your daddy and I think you murmur "mama" all day, every day. You will always be my baby, no matter how quickly you grow up. You're the one who made me a mama. You're the one who revealed the inexpressible, heart-wrenching love for a child. You're the one who taught me the staggering responsibility of stewarding a child's life. You're the one who elicited out of me so much heart-shattering joy and love. You're the one who convinced me motherhood is the best calling in the world. You are a most precious gift. I cannot wait to, Lord willing, live more years with you, my baby baby. To celebrate all the moments, big and small, because our gracious God orchestrates them for our good in Christ and his glory. To share with you the kindness of God in Jesus Christ, which surpasses anything this world has to offer. I am forever blessed to be your mama.


Love you so,
Mommy

P.S. Serene Joy at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 months.
P.P.S. Serene Joy's birth story

Letters to Serene: 11 months

My dear Serene Joy,

You have been in our lives for 11 months now, and these 11 months have been the fastest and most transformative I've ever encountered. Every day in this past month, I marveled at how time has passed so quickly, how you learn and develop daily, and how you are practically no longer a baby, but nearly a toddler. I must confess: I am reminiscing a lot more these days about how teeny and fully dependent on us you used to be. In exactly one month, you will turn one whole year old. Time is ticking way too speedily! So here is my attempt to slow it down and remember. To remember all the sweetness, silliness, cleverness, and jolliness that makes up you this past month.

Ever since you gained more mobility, you've become more independent by the month. This month was no different. You mastered the art of pulling up, and are determined to stand your ground anywhere with somewhere for you to hold onto. Speed crawling remains your favorite mode of transportation, which you now spice up with tons of pulling up. Sometimes you'll even cruise a couple of steps. Not sure you'll walk before you turn one, as you aren't standing unsupported yet, but we'll see. You utilize dining room chairs as walkers, and you're adept at climbing stairs, us, pillows, everything. You'd rather mosey about than be confined to your crib, the pack n' play, your highchair, or your carseat.  After all, there is much of the world with which to get acquainted. You're fascinated by objects residing within containers. You have a grand time pulling things out of my purse, the craft drawers, your daddy's laptop bag, and scattering them all about. You like touching (destroying, as your daddy affectionately calls it) things in general and moving them about. Especially in the company of others. You're social in the most winsome way. You get so giddy when you play with other babies or kiddos. You giggle, squeal, and bounce up and down in excitement. You make a fun playmate.

As long as your parents are nearby. Your favorite word is still "mama." You call for me often, and there is no place you'd rather be than in my arms or on my lap as you play. Your new favorite words this month are "ba" for ball, and "wawa," which you utter often in your endless stream of high-pitched squeals and babble. We also like to think you say "may-mem" for Amen after we pray for a meal. It is most endearing to hear you chatter to yourself after you wake up from a nap. You smack your lips to deliver a kiss whenever we ask or whenever we kiss you first. You've been on a waving spree since the previous month. You wave when we ask you to say hi. You pump your arms and hands in the air and clap cheerfully when music comes on. You tilt your head to touch your right shoulder and babble at us, pointing to get your point across. You think the game of peekaboo is the most hilarious pastime. Your favorite song this month is "You Are My Serene," sung to the tune of "You Are My Sunshine." You adore bubbles. Bubbles are your new favorite phenomenon, particularly during bathtime.

Food prevails as another favorite. This month, you sampled for the first time hummus and pita, Spanish rice, string cheese, saltine cracker, turkey meatball, salmon, catfish, cauliflower, lemon garlic chicken breast, bell pepper, brown rice cake, udon, green onion pancake, and porridge. The following remain steadfast favorites for your palate: avocado on whole wheat toast, Rainier cherries, corn on the cob, watermelon cubes, string cheese, sautéed zucchini squash, and roasted seaweed. You eat ferociously like your daddy, and you don't allow your lack of teeth to hinder your culinary adventures. You also think slurping water out of my cup is most thrilling.

You still love to nurse. We've cut down your sessions to 3-4 times a day: when you wake up for an early morning feed at 6am before you go back to sleep, before your morning nap around 11am, sometimes (but not always) before your afternoon nap around 3pm, and before you go to sleep at night between 7:30-8pm. Though I'm pleased you're nursing less, I've also become nostalgic. I hug you a little closer every time you nurse, because I know weaning days are approaching.

Your sleep schedule is dreamy because of its consistency. Ever since I quit dream feeding you at the very beginning of the month, you sleep at 8pm and wake up between 8:30-9:30am, with a morning nursing session at 6am. We were amazed at how long you typically sleep these days: 12-13 hours, which makes me think dream feeding should have stopped even earlier. You also take two naps during the day: one in the morning around 11am and one in the afternoon around 3pm. Each nap generally lasts 1-2 hours, totaling 3 hours of naps per day.

My Serene Joy Joy, time is not halting, which is all the more reason to cherish every moment with you, reveling in your babyness before you're an official baby no longer. Even still, you'll always be our sweet baby, and I'll be relishing each moment I get to take care of you, with every moment a lesson on how miraculous the gift of a child is. And fervently thanking the Lord that He has graciously chosen us to parent you, to teach you who He is and how so very good He is in Christ.


Love you so,
Mommy

P.S. Serene Joy at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 months.

Letters to Serene: 10 months

My dear Serene Joy,

You're 10 months old today! How in the world did we arrive at this day so quickly? You're entering the double digits of babyhood. Before I can catch my breath, you'll be a full-fledged adult! A part of me is wistful you're almost one. You are insistent on growing up. You transitioned to size 3 diapers this month. You wear size 6-12 month clothing, some 3 month leggings, and 3-6 month shirts.  You're still sporting a couple pairs of your size 2 shoes, and your size 3 shoes are still a bit big but wearable. Not sure how much you weigh now since your doctor's appointment is tomorrow, but I'm guessing almost 18 pounds. You were 17 lbs 7 oz in the middle of this past month. The only part of you that doesn't seem to be growing as quickly is your hair ;) Your growing personality more than compensates for that. I want to bottle your sweetness all up. But since I can't do that, I shall try my best to articulate how heart-wrenchingly precious of a gift you are from our gracious God. If I could describe your personality this month in three words, they would be: joyful, adventurous, and loyal.

Joyful. Though you've had a cheerful disposition for ages, I'm convinced your zest for life increases each month as you become more aware of the people and objects in your life. You're especially fond of bouncy balls, other babies, and puppies. You babble a constant stream of vowels and consonants. Your favorite words are still "mama" and "a-duh." You throw your head back and utter wide-mouthed giggles when you see us. Especially when we play peek-a-boo with you or when your daddy throws you in the air. You bestow upon us slobbery kisses when we snuggle with you in the mornings after you wake up. Your beautiful smile lights up our entire home, all the time. This month, you learned to open and close your hands to say hi. You sign hi on command. Which is pretty much the most adorable trick ever, because it is always accompanied by your gummy grin. You're also a clap-happy baby now. Particularly when upbeat music plays. We've been waving hi and clapping a ton around here these days.

Adventurous. You are astoundingly agile on all fours. You love to crawl and do so with such finesse and speed that we are amazed you're not sore from crawling around all day. Even though you can pull yourself up and cruise a few steps at a time, you don't love to (yet?). You're not fond of the imminent consequence: falling on your bottom. You only pull yourself up to stand when something or someone desperately desirable is within reach. Usually, that's your daddy or me, our phones, or our laptops. You're extremely familiar with our home's layout now. You know where to find me if I'm not in sight - usually in the kitchen. You know to crawl to your room to locate your preferred toy of the month: a stuffed sheep. You're figuring out how things work. You flip pages of books. You pry open plastic containers. You flip open wipes packets and pull out wipes by the handful. You open drawers to pull out clothes. You drum on empty containers. You're so adventurous that a couple of times a day, you tolerate being confined in your pack n' play for a mere 10-15 minutes while I'm making a meal or in the shower. No matter how unfamiliar the place, you venture out on all fours to tour your surroundings. You have a particular affinity for wide open greenery, specifically, tree-lined parks. Nonetheless, you're willing to tread on everything, touch everything, and taste everything.

Speaking of tasting everything, you no longer eat purees. You turn your head away from them and only want what we're eating, as long as you get to feed yourself. Very rarely will you let me feed you. This month, you tried mango, orange, papaya, sautéed spinach, Rainier cherries, Asian chicken dumpling, edamame, avocado toast, sautéed zucchini, sautéed sugar snap peas, blueberries, boiled wonton wrappers, roasted seaweed, and plain egg and rice noodles. You like them all, but you love Rainier cherries most of all. It is my favorite fruit too, so naturally, we devoured three boxes of Rainier cherries within four days this month. You and I also really enjoy avocado on whole wheat toast for breakfast. That, and some eggs, comprise our usual breakfast these days. I'm content that we're at the stage where we eat the same foods. It is much more efficient than preparing purees. It's so fun for us all as you enjoy new foods and find our favorites just as tasty as we do. In fact, you scarf your food down with passion. You snatch food with both hands, stuff it into your mouth, and grab more, even if you're not finished swallowing or even if there is still food in your hands. Food flies everywhere, and never in my life have I meticululously wiped the table, chairs, and floor three times a day like I do now. You happen to find my being on all fours, scrubbing the floor, rather entertaining. I affectionately call you Babyzilla when it comes to food. You eat like you have a mouth full of teeth, but at 10 months, you're still toothless. Not a single pearly white in plain view, but we can spot them hiding shyly beneath your swollen gums. The nursing side of me is relieved about your lack of teeth. You still nurse several times a day: in the morning when you wake up, before your morning and afternoon naps, at bedtime, and averaging once during the early morning before you wake up for the day. Though I cherish the bond we have via nursing, I'm resolved to commence weaning in these next two months, as we are hoping you'll be off breastmilk by the time you're one.

Loyal. Your daddy and I are your best friends, although no one can comfort you like your mama can. You get distraught when you catch one of us walking out of the room. You stop what you're doing and lunge at us with desperation in your eyes. When an admirer holds you, you tend to push them away when you see one of us in efforts to jump into our arms. You're also partial to your routine. Your world ends when you're off your schedule for too long. You're so accustomed to regular naptimes at home that when we're out and about, you're too distracted to nap, unless we're driving around. Another time this month that threw us all off was when you got sick for the first time in your life (besides jaundice during your first few days of life). You had roseola, where you had a high fever for three days and then a rash that spread over your entire body. We were so sad and felt so helpless to see you so miserable. Thankful the Lord watches over you and cares for  you more than we ever can. So grateful for how He has sustained and grown you these past 10 months. And I get to witness it all. Especially now that I am blessed to be able to spend so much time with you as a stay-at-home-mama. Your daddy keeps saying how much happier we all are, and it really is all because of God's kindness to us. We're praying you'll one day comprehend His great love for you in Christ. Until then, we pray to disciple you well in His ways so that you would see that He is more satisfying than anything that the world can offer.


Love you so,
Mommy

P.S. Serene Joy at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 months.

Letters to Serene: 9 months

My dear Serene Joy,

Happy 9 months, my sweet baby baby. My Serene JoyJoy. My Serene baby. My Serenie Weenie. You are growing so big! You weigh 17 lbs 9 oz and are 27 1/4 inches long. You still wear most of your 3-6 month clothes, some of your 3 month leggings, some 6-12 month shirts and dresses, size 2 shoes, and size 2 diapers. At least when we can get your wiggly self to stay still enough to put them on. You are incredibly aware, unabashedly curious, increasingly mobile, and practically fearless. You're a pro at crawling, grasping, pounding on things, and bashing objects together. You kneel and pull up onto furniture to stand, but you favor crawling, sitting, rolling, and pivoting, all of which you've honed to impressive agility. You have a ball playing by yourself with your growing repertoire. You bounce on your bum when you're excited. You make music by strumming your hand against your mouth as you croon. You wave your hands, sometimes to say hello or goodbye (we like to think), but most of the time in excitement. You're goofy, giggly, and giddy as you interact with your surroundings. You even flail your arms and legs while nursing. I'm the fortunate recipient of your strong kicks and deft slaps as you feed. ;)

You still love to nurse a few times a day, and you eat three meals a day. Some tasty edibles you sampled for the first time this month are corn, egg, brown rice, wheat toast, pineapple, sweet potato, nectarine, tofu, spinach, cucumber, cantaloupe, cauliflower, blueberry, green bell pepper, and whole wheat spaghetti noodles, all of which you enjoy to varying degrees. You eat oat cereal and avocado, banana, or egg for breakfast, and veggie purees mixed with brown rice cereal for lunch and dinner, with mashed bits of other foods on the side, and fruit for dessert. You drink water from a sippy cup by yourself. You much prefer to feed yourself teeny bits of food rather than to have me feed you purees. You could be a baby speed eater by the way you grab and stuff food in your mouth. Which is faster than you can chew with your still toothless gums. I tend to give you your purees first so you get your servings of iron-fortified brown rice cereal before having mashed bits of food. When you're full or don't want any more to eat, you shake your head to communicate "no." So cute!

Shaking your head is a new skill you've become adept at using this month, particularly because your separation anxiety has hit its peak. When others attempt to hold you now, you cling onto us with all your might and shake your head shyly at your admirer. You dazzle everyone with your contagious smile and cheerful disposition, as long as your daddy or I are holding you or are nearby. It takes you a while to warm up to the not-so-familiar now (people, the pool, etc), as long as you're distracted by an enticing toy or you're in our arms. You particularly love going outside as we carry you. You kick your legs merrily and utter successions of breathy, smiley "eh!"s as you gaze at the world around you. In fact, though you babble, squeal constantly, and click your tongue, your favorite word to utter is "mama" (your first real word!), followed by "dada." Your daddy and I love hearing you call for us, and you do so often. You also like when, as we snuggle, I press my cheek against yours and sing to you. You grin and warble along. The sweetest! You are such a silly, happy babe who smiles and laughs often. But when you cry, you scream and shriek with ferocity. You whine in jealousy when I hold another baby during playdates. These days, playtime doesn't last too long before you start whimpering, crawling towards me, and climbing on me to be held. I never mind! Of all the toys littered throughout the house with which you can play, you choose to eat paper, pound water bottles against surfaces, gnaw on shoes, and pull on electrical cords. Which is a reason we gently advise people not to buy you any more toys (also because our living room is beginning to resemble a tornado-torn Toys "R" Us). Your daddy and I like to joke that you're like a little puppy by your affection for gnawing on shoes, dog toys, dog blankets, and even almost licking a puppy one time! Your inclination to explore via taste is hilarious. We sternly tell you "no" when you're attempting any of the aforementioned no-nos. You understand the negative association, stop in your tracks, then giggle at us before resuming your mischief. I then break into a sweat chasing after you. Your mama appreciates her daily workout!

You're so mobile, even in your sleep. You're still on the same sleep schedule as last month, except when we took a road trip up north the middle of this month. Traveling threw your entire eating, sleeping, and play schedule off. We learned that 9-month-olds detest being confined to their car seats for extended periods of time. I think you perfected your shrill wail during the times you were in your car seat. You were such a trooper though, and pretty much fell back into your schedule within a couple days of our return home. Though you're sleeping well at night, your effortless maneuverability causes you to roll around in your sleep and startle yourself. You cry out intermittently because you get yourself in a funky position, usually with your limb(s) stuck in between the bars of your crib. Half the time, I'm too sinfully slangry (i.e. what your daddy terms sleep angry because sleep interruption kindles my fiery temper) to fully comprehend what's going on, but other times, I thoroughly savor these precious moments of comforting you. How sweet it is to hold you close and soothe you back to sleep. Those instances, along with nursing you, are some of my most cherished times with you because they remind me that you won't need me in those ways for much longer. Watching you grow and develop new skills is such an indescribable joy, but as each day goes by, I'm reminded that you are not so little anymore. I need to enjoy all of these sweet moments. Although I often fail to be patient, forgiving, loving, sacrificial, comforting, and present for your daddy and you when I ought to be, I'm reminded that our gracious God is the ultimate parent who cares for and loves us perfectly. Praying that you would find your needs ultimately satisfied in our Savior one day, sweetheart. Until then, your daddy and I serve as imperfect but constant shadows of Christ's love for you.


Love you so,
Mommy

P.S. Serene Joy at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 months.

Letters to Serene: 8 months

My dear Serene Joy,

Happy eight months of life! You are full of life, and chock full of winsomeness. I always tell your daddy that you can't possibly get any cuter, but as you turn another month old, you prove me wrong with cuteness overload in the best possible way. You babble constantly, click your tongue, blow raspberries, and chatter gleefully to yourself and anyone who pays you any attention. There've been a high volume of "Eeee!", "Babababa," "Vuhvuhvuh." and "Mamama" this past month. You raise your hands up in excitement, and wave them around for emphasis. You emit high-pitched giggles and wiggle your whole body when you're happy, especially when you get to ride on your daddy's shoulders. or when we kiss or tickle you in the tummy. You're so endearing that we constantly find ourselves smothering you with hugs and kisses.

You're not the biggest fan of that for too long, for it restricts your freedom. You'd much rather explore your environs, as long as we're nearby and within your sight. Ever since you turned 31 weeks, you push yourself up from your tummy, back, or side into the sitting position like a pro. You sit and play for stretches at a time. Playing means gnawing or pounding on objects this month. Your interest in a single toy never lasts too long, because there is much to see, touch, and taste elsewhere. You crawl like the most legit soldier I've ever seen, and you've been crawling legitimately for a week. You amble around haphazardly in your walker. You grab at everything with lightning fast dexterity. Your curiosity has no bounds, which resulted in a tumble off the bed and a scrape with the nightstand at 32 weeks. Thankfully, you're okay. You adore bouncing on your bum when you're seated, and on your toes when you're standing with support. You started kneeling at 33 weeks while reaching for curios. You also began standing on your tippy toes while holding onto furniture that same week. Your favorite objects to snatch lately are shoes: yours when they're on your feet or when they're in your closet, other people's shoes while they're on the floor, or even when they're on their feet. When we're in the cry room during Sunday service, everyone lifts their feet while you're crawling around so that you don't chew on their shoes. It is highly unsanitary and amusing at the same time. You love interacting with other babies pretty much as much as you love shoes. You grin so hard and kick happily at any baby or toddler you happen to see, especially when it's your own reflection. You've been loving your reflection since the first few months of life, so it's no surprise that you enjoy the presence of other little ones.

You also enjoy discovering new foods. Your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners comprise of homemade pureed veggies mixed with brown rice cereal, or mashed fruit, with water as a beverage. This past month, you realized that peas and green beans are not your favorites on their own, but you happily eat them with a bit of pureed butternut squash or watermelon. Zucchini squash is still your favorite veggie, and you love all the fruit you've tried so far. In addition to avocado last month, you've tried and love bananas, cherries, strawberries, tomatoes, and green mangoes this month. You like green mangoes more so because they're excellent teethers - you're still teething madly, but no teeth yet! You especially like frozen banana by the way you kick your legs and pant for more. You also tried Trader Joe's O's oat cereal for the first time today on your eight month birthday. You put so much effort into grasping each tiny little O to put into your mouth. You love them! As much as you enjoy tasting new foods, I don't think you eat as much as other babies your age. You still prefer to nurse most of the time. You simply love sitting at the table with your daddy and me so that you are a part of the family meals. You're all together more content having the both of us at once rather than just one of us.

In fact, you developed intense separation anxiety this past month. You reach for your daddy or me frequently, and hug us tightly for comfort and security. You have not really been letting others hold you as much as before. Instead, you'll start crying and reach for us, although you're content to interact with others while you're in our arms. Sometimes, you only want your mama, and we can always count on you to be cozy and content when you're in my sling, which I absolutely love. You also make it loud and clear when you're tired of playtime and are ready for a naptime or bedtime, which usually occurs every two and a half to three hour stretch during the day (Before this month, we would put you down every two and a half to three hours, but you've really taken ownership of your sleep schedule this month). You begin whimpering and reaching for us. Then you nurse or have a bottle, and then we put you down in your crib. You put yourself to sleep, and if you cry, you don't cry for more than five minutes before knocking out for usually an hour, and sometimes up to two hours. In other words, your nap and sleep schedule have become pretty consistent. Your sleeping predictability, combined with sleep training when you were six months old, make us so grateful. You are ready for bedtime around 7:00 or 7:30pm, and after splashing happily with your rubber duck during bathtime, getting into your pajamas, storytime (you've been loving the Sophie le giraffe board books this past month, especially when your daddy reads to you in his silly voices), prayer time, and bedtime nursing, I put you into your crib by 7:30pm (ideally), 8pm (normally), or 8:30pm (at the latest). You roll around, rub your blanket against your face, and fall asleep. If you cry, you cry for no more than five minutes. Your consistemt sleep schedule has been so dreamy and allows your daddy and me to spend quality time together in the evenings. I also started dream feeding you around 11-11:30pm this past month before we go to sleep because you woke up more often from hunger. Once I did that, you slept until around 5am for a morning feeding, and went back to sleep until around 8am. Then you're ready to start your day!

You're still wearing most of your 3-6 month clothes, as well as some 6-12 month clothes. You're still wearing size 2 diapers and size 2 shoes, although I think you'll be moving to size 3 diapers and size 3 shoes in a few weeks. I think you're about 16 1/2 pounds now. Some people say you're petite. Others say you're big. I think you're just right, but then again, I'm your biased mama. Your mama who could not have comprehended before you came into this world that you would bring us so much joy, little love. Your life is a testament to who God is: kind, merciful, and deserving of ultimate honor, glory, and praise. You are a precious gift from the Lord, and your daddy and I want to be good and wise stewards of our time with you, because we have the blessed responsibility to show you the ways of the Lord. So grateful that I'm able to be on family leave from work this month for that reason. I am beyond thrilled to spend major quality time with you this month, little love! Here's to making more memories in the simple, everyday moments.


Love you so,
Mommy

P.S. Serene Joy at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 months.

Letters to Serene: 7 months

My dear Serene Joy,

Just like that, you are seven months old! This month seemed to fly by in particular, perhaps because you're growing and changing so insanely quickly, every single day. You weigh 16 lbs 2 oz and are 26 1/2 inches long. You move and groove all over the place, and we're getting our exercise in by constantly rescuing you from the baby-unfriendly objects you encounter on your mobile adventures. It began when you were 26 weeks, where your rolling and scooting landed you into the forbidden treasury of your daddy's beloved books. He yelped in agony when you attempted to topple his neatly arranged books over. Then at 29 weeks, you proudly pushed yourself up into crawling position. You crawl with your legs, but haven't fully figured out how to combine the strength of your arms to move forward. You'll rock back and forth in crawling position, and then, in utter determination, resort to a combination of rolling, scooting, and inching with every ounce of your being (face included!) to grab an elusive pink highlighter.

You tend to roll around in your sleep too, particularly onto your left side. Your naptime schedule has been the most predictable this past month. You nap about three times a day, and you sleep even better through the night now. Though you have been sleeping through the night since you were 3 months, you needed the pacifier. Thus, sleep training began when you were 28 weeks. It took you a little over a week to be able to go down without crying anymore. It agonized us to hear you cry it out for that week or so, but we are so thankful you're able to sleep on your own without any crutches now! You sleep for longer, more consistent stretches, waking up between 4-6am for a feeding before you knock out again. Those early morning feedings are so sweet because you snooze (cuddle) in the big bed with us afterward. When you wake up in the morning, you are a ray of sunshine, gurgling to yourself and launching your body at us in hopes that we'd wake up to lavish attention upon you.

You are a squirmy ball of energy all in all. Your curiosity manifests itself in your tendency to leap out of our arms to grab something in your line of sight. Interacting with and befriending the world is your cup of tea. You grin unabashedly at others. You hug and gnaw on your stuffies, your wooden teethers, shoes, and anything within reach. You grasp with more dexterity, especially between your thumb and forefinger. In fact, you pinch really hard! You chatter to yourself when you play. You're content to entertain yourself for up to 20 minutes at a time when you know we are nearby, which is so helpful when your daddy is trying to get some studying in, or when I'm trying to get a shower in. You still have a strong case of separation anxiety: you begin wailing when I leave your sight. You gave your daddy a particularly hard time when you were 28 weeks. He ended up having the genius idea of having me record a video of myself talking to you. He played it for you, and you immediately stopped crying to smile. Unfortunately, the video ended, and so did your high spirits.

It is no surprise that you happiest when we play with you. You warble along when we sing (Frozen or Mary Poppins songs) to you. You crack up when playing peek-a-boo with me. You adore observing the world on your daddy's shoulders. You're fascinated when we read you this book before bedtime. You love being tickle-kissed on your belly. Along with expressing your joy through your heart-melting smile, you experiment with your voice,  vocalizing repetitive consonant sounds and wee raspberries. Your ultimate expression of contentedness includes simultaneously smiling, vocalizing, and bouncing up and down, whether you're sitting or whether we're holding you up in standing position. When you're not jumping up and down against a surface, you're kicking excitedly. Many have commented on how strong you are, particularly when you kick. It makes me fondly recall how hard you kicked when you were inside my womb (I first felt your kicks when you were just 17 weeks along around this time last year!).

We're so thankful that you're growing strong. You started solids the weekend after you turned six months with pureed carrots, and you were not a fan. It took you this past month to acclimate to eating food, and you still don't fancy carrots. You also shudder at the taste of green beans. But you like zucchini squash (mixed with a bit of brown rice cereal), and you love avocado. We can tell because you pant for more between spoonfuls of those two foods - so cute! I love that you love squash and avocado, because I do too!  I'm pretty sure your inclination towards them has something to do with my frequent meals including squash and avocado when I was pregnant with you. Dinnertimes are more fun now because you are thrilled to sit in your highchair up against the table and be a part of the meal action. But you still prefer nursing the most. And I have no problem with that! I cherish our bond and the time we get to spend together in that way, little love.

My heart is so full. Your daddy and you are my greatest earthly treasures - reflections of God's kindness. So grateful for how your daddy leads our little family and lays down his life for us, especially since this past month has been particularly intense for him, with his finishing seminary. We love your ever-growing joyful personality, sweetheart. You are such a warbly, giggly, effervescent gift from the Lord! It is a privilege to raise you by His grace. I am constantly in awe that God has allowed us to be on this amazing adventure with you.


Love you so,
Mommy

P.S. Serene Joy at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 months.

Letters to Serene: 6 months

My dear Serene Joy,

Happiest of half birthdays, my little love! This past month has been about honing the developmental milestones you gained the previous month. Your heightened curiosity has led you to play on your own for longer stretches of time since you turned 22 weeks. You love play time in your pack n' play and on your mat in the living room. You're content to play with anything within reach, whether they're toys or a pack of wipes. However, you prefer Cosette your fox friend since we introduced her to you at 24 weeks, and Sophie le giraffe most. Your favorite activity during play time is rolling around and about. If we put you down on your blanket in the living room, you'll have rolled yourself to the opposite end of the room within seconds. Your primary mode of transportation this past month has been rolling around, but you also deftly scoot around on your tummy to grab objects. Rolling and scooting has allowed many an adventure on the carpet, against the wall, and around furniture. No matter where you are, you wiggle madly. When you're nursing, your legs climb my arms, and your hands explore my face. You think it's hilarious to stick your fingers in my mouth. Diaper changes have become a battle since you turned 25 weeks last week because you'd rather flip over to explore your changing area than stay still to receive a fresh diaper. You roll around in your sleep too, waking up at times because you landed on your face or your limbs got caught in the crib's bars, which contribute to a rude awakening. After we detangle or flip you over, you resume snoozing.

Thankfully, your sleep regression ended before you turned 22 weeks and you're sleeping through the night in your crib again. You're back to usually waking up between 5-7am for a diaper change and quick feeding before you knock out again for 2-3 hours (on our bed because your mama and papa are too tired to put you back in your room at that point). During the day, you whine to let us know it's naptime. You rub your blanket against your face as we pat you on your bum and hold you close until you fall asleep. Your daddy loves napping with you for that reason, because you love our proximity to you while you do so.

You went through a growth spurt at 24 weeks, and nursed more often. You're still exclusively breastfed, though you've been telling us loud and clear that you can't wait to start solids. During mealtimes, you eye our food with utter fascination. You make lightning fast attempts to grab our food, which makes holding you on our laps during meals an adventure and a test of our own dexterity. You eye a piece of food travel from plate to mouth, and sometimes even jump and whine because we're cruel not to share with you. The doctor told us to wait until after your 6 month appointment to start solids, which I wasn't opposed to (for the sake of putting off stinky diapers as long as possible). You mastered sitting up this past month, and can sit for longer periods of time, which you love. You get so thrilled by the vantage point the position offers that you throw your head back in excitement, which means that you land on your back. Because you're sitting up well enough now, we just got you a high chair and feeding supplies, and shall be giving you your first food this weekend since we got the green light from the doctor at your appointment this afternoon.

At six months, you weigh 14 lbs 15 oz and are now 26 inches long (1 inch longer than last month). You're still wearing size 2 diapers, 3-6 month clothes, and some 3 month clothes. You wear size 2 shoes now, and are still using your newborn bathtub that fits in the sink (although you're getting too long for it so we'll be transitioning you to a bigger tub that sits in the bathtub this month). Your hair is still really fine, and we pray for you to grow more hair on your head pretty often. This past month, you developed a double eyelid on your left eye. You had faint double eyelids when you were born but they disappeared within a few days. Your double eyelid on your left eye appeared at 22 weeks and has been here to stay. We're waiting for the double eyelid on your right eye to emerge, and until then, your left eye seems bigger than your right eye. Your daddy likes to tease that you have my eyes because when I smile, my right eye looks smaller than my left eye. For now, we'll be eye twins, but I sure hope your other eyelid shows up soon.

But really, we can't believe we've been blessed with you in our lives for six whole months already. At the same time, we can't imagine what life was without you. You are the joy of our little family. No matter how discouraged your daddy and I may be, we take one look at you and cannot help but smile at your giggly and goofy self. God uses you to remind us that momentary afflictions shall always pass, for you exude exuberance, being as quick to smile and laugh as ever. Your shining personality is evident; everyone, even strangers, mentions how friendly and happy you are. We like to encourage your grins and giggles. I played peek-a-boo with you at 22 weeks, and you laughed really hard for the first time. You also fancy dancing with us while Mary Poppins Pandora plays in the background. We like to think you love Frozen too (only because your daddy and I have been obsessed with it ever since we watched it when you were 24 weeks). We're guilty of playing the songs for your enjoyment nonstop. You're pretty much content when you're around other human beings, though your mama and papa are still your best buddies. You pant and jump up and down in excitement and reach your arms out to be held when you see either of us. It makes us feel pretty special that you prefer us. It is an absolute joy to love you and  ascertain that you reciprocate our love. I wonder if this is but a shadow of what our gracious God feels when we seek to love Him by His grace. He is teaching me so much of what it means to love Him through you, little love. Praying that you'd come to know and love Him too.

Love you so,
Mommy


P.S. Serene Joy at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 ,and 5 months.

Letters to Serene: 5 months

My dear Serene Joy,

I can't believe you're already 5 months old. It confounds my mind that a human creature can grow so quickly in such a short span of time. You’ve shown us loud and clear that you are not so teeny anymore. At 14 lbs 7 oz and 25 inches long, you’ve been transitioning to some of your 3-6 month clothes these past couple of weeks. We used up your size 1 diapers, so we bought you your first stash of size 2 diapers over the weekend to herald in your 21st week of life. You’ve also been declaring strike on your cradle for the past week. Gone are the days when the cradle was your most preferred sleep spot. When we put you in it for naptime now, you attempt with all your might to roll over in it, or to arch your back and screech at the top of your developing lungs. Yes, you learned to squeal at 20 weeks. The first time that came out of your mouth, you were so surprised that you were capable of such a high-pitched utterance that you did it again to confirm your newfound ability. And then again for emphasis. And again to ensure our undivided attention.

And you’re so good at doing so. You’ve made us laugh so much this month. You’re such a goofy character. You giggle, gurgle, and are full of glee so much of the time. Though you chatter away cheerfully when you nurse, when you play, when you wake up, and when you encounter friendly folks, your favorite people are your daddy and me. You’ve developed some intense separation anxiety over the past couple of weeks. Enough to subject your baby-sitters to hours-long teary meltdowns. Indeed, your daddy and I perceive your happiest moment in a day to be my return home from work. When you see me coming through the door, you literally jump for joy as you giggle and wriggle your entire body. You grin so hard that you end up panting and whining to be held at the same time. It’s one of the sweetest and funniest things, for sure. But overall, your joy seems to augment by the month. People constantly remark on your joyful disposition when they’re in your presence. You dole out those heart-melting smiles unabashedly, sweetheart.

You’re keen on exploring your environs, especially objects that are right in front of you. You think it’s the bee’s knees to reach for something and touch it. Always with your hands first, and then with your mouth. These days, you’ve left consistent drooly trails on Sophie, your baby gym, your mama’s or papa’s hands, your blankets, and your carseat mobile. Teething is another culprit for the wake of wetness you leave behind. You’d get pretty fussy last month, but the effects of teething on your mood have waned this month, thanks to the amber necklace. I was pretty skeptical of its ability to soothe your teething aches, but lo and behold, it really has been helping with those bothersome gums of yours. Now you sport it every day. Your daddy calls it your sorcery necklace. Needless to say, we’re believers now.

Of all the things you manage to put in your mouth, whether you’re teething or exploring, your toes are the toys of choice. You’re a big fan of your feet this month. We’re not sure if you comprehend that those wiggly little digits belong to you yet, but every time they parade before you, you grasp them and your mouth attacks. They entertain you for a long enough stretch where you grab your feet and talk to yourself for a while once you wake up in the morning.

You’re gaining mobility, slowly but surely. This might be the last month where you’re stationary most of the time. You roll over from back to tummy, and vice versa effortlessly. You manage to inch yourself around and about like a giddy little worm during tummy time. You’re partial to the seated position, and this past Sunday, you nearly sat up all on your own, even if you were hunched over and it lasted 10 seconds. You thought it was the niftiest milestone ever, and so did we. You’re so eager to sit up and move that you even attempt to do so in the middle of night. You’ll squirm yourself into some funky position, which means that we find you with your feet caught between the bars of your crib.

Speaking of scooting about in the middle of the night, your dreamy stage of sleeping through the night ended at 20 weeks. You’re currently going through some hardcore sleep regression. Your noggin is just on overdrive so that you can’t fully rest at night. I confess I’m not usually grateful those several times you do wake up in the middle of the night out of tiredness on my part, but we’re so thankful that these “wonder weeks” are an indication that big milestones are headed your way. We are here to celebrate every move of the way. We thank God every day that we’re blessed to see you grow and thrive, little love. You are such an indescribably sweet gift from the Lord, and you teach us so much about the Father’s love for His son. We pray that you'll get to know Him and be in awe of Him one day, for as much as we love you, our love does not compare to Christ's love for you.

Love you so,
Mommy


P.S. Serene Joy at 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 months.

Letters to Serene: 4 months

My dear Serene Joy,

You underwent quite a few changes this month, sweetheart. The most significant interruption to your normal was when your mama went back to work full-time the day before you turned 3 months. Which makes me feel like time sped by in a hazy blur this month. I bade farewell to maternity leave to commence a season of adjusting to my not being your primary caretaker during the day anymore, which was as challenging for your daddy and me as much as it was for you. You hated life the first couple of weeks to the point where you howled all the day long and refused to take the bottle. You’d eventually give in and drink almost 2 ounces until I came home, which was when you’d perk back up to your jolly self and nurse all night – every hour until bedtime. I think that’s why you slept for 8 hours through the night for those first couple of weeks after I returned to work. You were plumb tuckered out from wailing all day.

Thankfully, you’ve been adjusting better these last couple of weeks – still snoozing for at least 6 hours and up to 8 hours through the night in your crib before you woke up to nurse, following with a nap for another 2-3 hours. In the earlier weeks of this month, you needed the pacifier to sleep, except you’d wake up several times a night, screaming because you lost it. We’d get up like zombies each time you wailed to stick it back into your mouth until our sleep deprivation made us lose it. We let you cry it out for the first time at 16 weeks, and your daddy whimpered the entire time because he believed you’d grow up with identity issues. I had to convince him not to get up to rescue you, and you ended up crying for about 20 minutes before you knocked out. Since then, you’ve needed the pacifier less or not at all, and we are so thankful. Though we hope you maintain sleeping a 6-8 hour stretch at night, it would be dreamier if you weren’t such a night owl. You usually don’t sleep until 10:30pm or 11:00pm, which is more likely our fault that we don’t start your bedtime routine until 9:00pm, since we’re out and about until then most nights of the week.

You’ve also been settling into a new routine better in terms of drinking more from the bottle rather than outrightly succumbing to a meltdown. You even grasped your bottle and fell asleep with it while I was at work last week. I thought it was the most mind-boggling development, considering your detestation of it a mere week ago. You absolutely won’t take the bottle if I’m around, though. Our primary activity together these days is parking ourselves on the bed to nurse, and grinning goofily at one another. I was so anxious that you’d forget me, or become mopey, but I’m so grateful you’re generally no less cheerful than when I was around. You are such a jovial babe, specifically around your daddy and me. We are hands-down your favorite people as evidenced by the force of your smiles. They overtake your entire face as you throw your body backward or forward in utmost exuberance.

Though you have a sunny disposition, you’ve also discovered how to skillfully pout and whimper, and your cry has increased in volume and passion – so much so that people have told us that your robust vocal chords indicate your future as a soprano singer. We absolutely wouldn’t mind if that occurs, since we’re not gifted in that department ourselves, and so your daddy's dream of having kiddos who sing like the Von Trapp family may be fulfilled. But, goodness, dear girl, sometimes you scream-cry like you’re dying. Usually when you’re hungry or when we’re out of your sight. I had an evening work event last week, so your daddy and I dropped you off at your grandmama's for the longest stretch we’ve ever left you at night since birth – nearly 8 hours and, apparently, you put her through a 3 hour crying marathon.

You can't help this new wave of fussiness though. Your cries have been more pronounced this month not only because you're dealing with our increased absence, but also because you've begun teething. Your gums have been the bane of your existence since 15 weeks, so you chomp on anything your mouth touches –your blankets, my hand, Sophie the giraffe, and especially your fingers. Your greatest comfort is nursing, and if you fuss during a session, deft pats on your bum soothe you just fine.

Speaking of your bum, you're still wearing size 1 diapers. At 4 months, you're in the 25th percentile, weighing 13 lbs 6 oz and measuring 24 inches long. You're still rockin' your 0-3 month clothes, and they're fitting you pretty perfectly right now. You have some pieces in that size that are still loose, so perhaps you'll transition to 3-6 month clothes next month.

Though you're petite, you’re growing strong, little love. You prefer to be held sitting upright against us, and you gurgle with glee when your little hands grasp my index fingers so that you can lean forward. We position you sitting up against the Boppy too as you stare at your environs while sucking on your fingers. You’d stuff your fingers so far into your mouth that you’d end up gagging sometimes. You’ve become more adept with your hands overall, grasping at toys and my clothes at 13 weeks, and batting nimbly at your car seat mobile and baby gym at 17 weeks.

You’re cooing more varied consonant sounds, and for longer periods too. You coo along with you daddy when he sings his little naptime song to you, and you smiled at me so hard this past week that you emitted premature laughs. They sounded more like “KUH!” I can’t wait for the day when you laugh for real. It might be coming soon!

Your first crawling foray may be forthcoming, too. When you did tummy time this past week at 17 weeks, you pushed your legs under you so that your lower body was practically above the ground. You rolled over for the first time this past month too, at 15 weeks. Your daddy had put you down for tummy time, and you pushed up and rolled over onto your back. Twice. While I was working. Which made me so sad that I missed that milestone of yours for the first time. I had to wait a couple of days before I witnessed that for myself. And you can bet I celebrated that occasion with you. Because when I am able to spend any snippet of time with you now, I cherish it all the more fiercely. Those moments with you and your daddy are my absolute favorite times of the day. You are so precious to us, little love, and it amazes me to see you grow a tad more as each day passes. God is too kind to entrust you into our care.

Love you so,
Mommy

P.S. Serene Joy at 0, 1, 2, and 3 months.

Letters to Serene: 3 months

My dear Serene Joy,

At three months, you're in the 10th-25th percentile, weighing 11 lbs 12 oz at 23 inches long. My sweetheart, this month has been one of wonder and joy for us. Your happiness is infectious, and you smile so often and so hard that it permeates your entire face and body.  It’s as if your mouth is not sufficient enough to express your joy that you need to kick your legs and turn your head from side to side as you grin. Your daddy calls those your Stevie Wonder smiles. Your gummy grins are often accompanied by cooing in response to your daddy and me when we talk to you. It is so incredibly darling that it makes me want to cry. Receiving your unabashed smiles never fails to melt our hearts and cause us to reciprocate, no matter how sour of a mood we may be succumbing to at the moment.

You do not reserve smiles for just your mama and papa, though. You are so friendly already. Though you snoozed through your daddy’s entire sermon the morning you attended your first worship service at church, you were so willing to be held by others during potluck lunch afterward. Your admirers on Sundays have been finding you easy to entertain  – you react to them with your signature grins and conversational cooing, even if you’ve just met their acquaintance. You’ve been around people aplenty this month since it was your first Christmas and New Year’s. We attended or hosted holiday parties, and you were unfazed by the crowds. In fact, the more people who pay attention to you, the happier you are, and the more frequent your smiles. I think you’re exhibiting early signs of an extrovert (like your mama!).

In addition to fine-tuning your facial and vocal expressions, you’ve also been noticing your hands. Though you discovered at four weeks that you can sort of suck on your fists, that feat didn’t resurface intermittently until you were nine weeks. By the time you were eleven weeks, it became habitual for you to open your fists to unintentionally clasp things around you (e.g. your other hand, your blanket, your mama’s torso), and attempt to jam your entire fist into your mouth. Drooling commenced, too. Drooly smiles, drooly fists, and drooly-anything-you-managed-to-suck.

Your sucking reflex is so strong, which has helped us establish a nursing rhythm (other than the growth spurt you had when you were about eleven weeks). You usually start to do a whimpering pant to indicate your hunger when you see me. Once I pick you up and position you on the Boppy pillow to get ready to feed you, you kick your little legs ferociously and twist your head towards me in anticipation of your meal. You are so squirmy in that way until you latch on. Once you latch on like the expert you are now, your legs and arms go limp in contentment. And sometimes, you smile as you eat; it is rather endearing. But other times, you’ll start crying at the end of a nursing session because you’re full and don’t want milk anymore, but still want to suck. I didn’t realize this until you were six weeks old, and once we did, we started giving you the pacifier to satisfy your urge to suck. I am thankful for the pacifier at these times, and when it helps you fall asleep on your own.  It is funny because your daddy claims that you have pacifier idolatry. I do admit I’m fearful that you prefer it a tad too much.

You also prefer observing the world around you now, more than ever. You don’t like being cradled in our arms like a newborn anymore. You started letting us know at eleven weeks that you prefer to be held upright so that you can hold your neck up (pretty steadily!) and swivel it from side to side to gaze at your surroundings. Your newfound ability to focus your gaze has fostered your curiosity and allowed you to take in many a wondrous sight this month. You are mesmerized by our Christmas tree with all its twinkling lights. You like staring at the sunlight streaming in from our window shades as your daddy or I hold you against our chest in the morning. Your eyes take in the sea of bright colors and varied handwriting as you do mini push-ups during tummy time on your quilt. Most of all, you delight in looking at your mama and papa. Though you like people, you absolutely prefer your parents. In fact, you wail whenever you comprehend that we’re not in your presence, for you’re most content when you can see us.

I think that’s why you enjoy bathtime so much; you capture both your daddy’s and my undivided attention as we bathe you and sing to you. We think it is so cute that you’re so calm during bathtime, with your hands clenched into fists like you’re holding a backpack, and your legs sporadically kicking in mid-air as you’re being cleaned.  By the way, you are thoroughly fascinated by your reflection in the mirror during bathtime. You’re pretty much staring at yourself the whole time, since your bathtub currently fits into the bathroom sink. I shall be sad the day you outgrow your little white tub, and have to transition to a stand-alone tub in the bathtub.

I’ll also be sad when you outgrow your bassinet. You’ve slept in it by our bedside since the day we brought you home from the hospital, and we love having you an arm’s reach away – nursing you in the middle of the night is just easier that way. However, I knew that as you approached three months of age, we’d have to start transitioning you to sleep in your nursery. We started the process at twelve weeks of age by having you nap during the day and sleep for a couple of stretches at night in your crib. Up until we started putting you in your crib at night, your bedtime routine had been unfolding as follows: you’d get fed around 9pm, then bathed, lotioned, changed, dressed in your pajamas, and cuddled until we put you down to sleep. Your daddy also started reading to you on the day you turned twelve weeks from The Jesus Storybook Bible before we put you down to sleep, which you are loving. Then you’d play with us until you have a late-night feeding before you drift off to sleep in your bassinet, usually between 11pm-12am. You’d sleep for a five hour stretch, wake up between 4am-5am to get changed and to eat, and then knock out again for about three hours until you wake up between 7am-8am for another quick feeding before you snooze for another two hours or so before you’re ready to start your day. But yesterday, you slept two four hour stretches in your crib in the nursery beginning at 11:30pm. Progress!

Other developments this month: You detest having your tongue cleaned. Whenever I clean your little tongue of milk residue, you scream like a banshee. The first time I did it, you cried real tears for the first time. You also don’t like hearing sneezes. You cry with passion whenever one of us sneezes. It’s kind of cute but sad that a sneeze frightens you so much. Thankfully, it does not take more than a hug and snuggle to soothe you back to contentment.

All in all, you are such a delightful and winsome baby. Some of my most cherished moments in the day are at night and in the wee hours of the morning when, after you nurse, I’d hold you against my chest in an upright froggy-legged position to burp you. You’d snuggle against me, fast asleep in the most content way. I take those few minutes to gaze at your little features, and squeeze you tight. Then I always whisper to your daddy as I kiss your little face, “She’s just so sweet.”

You are so sweet, my baby baby. So sweet that I’m thoroughly convinced from these past three months that motherhood is the best job in the world. I’ve been so sad to the point of tears in the weeks leading up to yesterday: the day I returned to work from maternity leave. You were in your daddy’s sole care, and you both, as he said, had a D-Day. You refused to drink from the bottle, and screamed all day. Though you took the bottle just fine for the first few weeks of life during the times your grandmama baby-sat you while your daddy and I snuck away for errands or a quick date, I suppose you’ve realized that the bottle just isn’t the real thing. Apparently, you wailed so ferociously that you and your daddy both tired yourselves out and knocked out for a nap. It was heartbreaking, and you nursed for what seemed like the whole night when I got home to make up for the day. We are praying so hard that you (and we all) adjust well to my absence in the days to come. As much as I yearn to stay at home to care for you, we just can’t manage that at this point in time. I am just selfishly hoping you save your next milestones for when I am home in the evenings from work. Rest assured, despite my imminent daytime absences, I love you fiercely, so much more than I ever could have imagined!

Love you so,
Mommy

P.S. Serene Joy at 0, 1, and 2 months.

Letters to Serene: 2 months

My dear Serene Joy,

You’re two months old, my sweetheart! This month has been replete with milestones in your development despite unforeseen speed bumps for your mama and papa, including my bacterial infection that interrupted our barely established routine when your daddy rushed me to the ER for treatment, and a hullabaloo of a move to a new home. With my recovery and subsequently packing, moving, and unpacking in the weeks following, I witnessed your daddy flourish as the leader of our little family. He did such a good job taking care of us, treating my wounds, taking me to endless doctor’s visits, and coordinating our move. You know it's love when he drives back and forth all week to pick up the remainder of "all your vintage." I am thankful for your dear papa who leads our family with a sacrificial heart like Christ’s – I do hope your future husband will be just like him, although he insists he’ll “kill” any young man who tries to “get at you.”

We have a couple of decades to go before that happens, hopefully. This past second month of life, you’ve gained more control of your head, as your little neck muscles are now able to hold up your head for a few seconds at a time. One of our most favorite highlights of this past month is when, after nursing, I’d hold you vertically against my chest to burp you, and you immediately wiggle your head and upper body, inching diagonally down from my torso so that you literally fall right into my arms into a snug cuddle and a deep slumber. It’s amazing that you trust that my arms are there to catch you. It is the absolute cutest thing and your daddy started calling you a little snake that inches into her snake pit. When you were five and six weeks old, you took great comfort in being as close to your mama as possible. When I put you down for a nap on your side a few inches away from me, you found some way to shuffle your face and body so that you’re snuggled up right against me in the crook of my elbow, armpit, or side. I love that you prefer snuggling close to your mama, but I wonder how you’re able to breathe while you sleep.

Your sleep and feeding schedules are more routinized on the whole, and we are so thankful that there is now a burgeoning rhythm to follow. You’ve distinguished between day and night, staying alert and awake for part of the day, and sleeping three to four and a half hour (five hours twice!) stretches during the night. You also started using a pacifier to put yourself to sleep at seven weeks. You eat every two to four hours, averaging every three hours during the day, and every four hours at night. You’re so sweet when you nurse: your eyes are closed (so I use that time to notice your eyelashes are getting longer and that you’re growing more hair on your head), your little hands are clenched up into fists by your face, and your legs are curled around my waist – all signs of absolute contentment.

Your contentment also translates into smiles. You smile so much now, and we are head over heels in love with your wide-mouthed grins with which you are so generous once you turned six weeks old. Whenever we talk to, smile at, or sing to you, you flash us a heart-melting smile. Nowadays, your gigantic grins take over your entire face so that your eyes smile too. You even beam in your sleep sometimes, and those intermittently morph into wee wheezy laughs. Our presence makes you happy, because you grin so hard every time we’re near you, but howl once we’re out of your sight as if you believe we’ve abandoned you. We can differentiate between your cries now, from your ongoing whine when you crave attention, to your desperately loud wail when you’re hungry. When we answer your call, your cries magically cease and are replaced by a whimpering pout in which your eyebrows and mouth wrinkle up like a prune. Your cries are no longer your only mode of communication. On the day you turned seven weeks, you discovered your voice and have been cooing nonstop since then. Your newfound sounds and gurgles are the other absolute cutest thing and we love how you’re communicating with us in that way.

Not only are you growing in the aforementioned ways, but you’re also growing physically. We ran out of our stash of newborn diapers when you were seven weeks, so now you wear size 1s. You’re outgrowing some of your newborn clothes and are slowly transitioning to your 0-3 month clothing. Your belly is getting rounder, your cheeks are getting fuller, and your thighs are getting creasier. Your daddy calls you his little chub chub sometimes, but when we went to the doctor's for your two month check-up today, the doctor said you're underweight and underheight by American standards. I suppose that means you're just fine at the 25th percentile, weighing 10 lbs 9 oz at 22 1/4 inches long.  Oh, and your facial features are emerging more. We think that so far, you have your daddy’s hair (because I was nearly bald when I was born), my eyebrows, your daddy’s nose, my mouth, your daddy’s ears, and my fingers and toes. You have a cross between both of our eyes, though people keep telling us that could change. We’re biased, but we think you get cuter every day.

You turned eight weeks on Thanksgiving last Thursday, and we were glad to reflect on God’s goodness to us in giving you to us for the time being. We are so incredibly thankful for you.

Love you so,

Mommy

P.S. Serene Joy at 0 and 1 month.

Letters to Serene: 1 month

My dear Serene Joy,

I can't believe you're already one month old. At the same time, it hardly feels like merely a month because we've been anticipating your joyous arrival ever since we discovered God blessed us with you in my womb. Nevertheless, time has flown by, and since you've been born, God has been teaching us how great His love is for His son. We finally understand just a smidgen more how fierce, encompassing, and sacrificial a parent's love is for a child, which causes us to better comprehend God's great love for us because He gave up Christ for us. God is so kind to us through Christ, and we daily pray that in the years to come, you would know Him for your ultimate joy. This past month has been an steep learning curve for us as new parents (as expected), and despite the hiccups along the way, our love for one another and for you is unconditional, steadfast, and grows ever more by the day. Because of you, your daddy wants to have seven kids like the Von Trapp family. Needless to say, you've made us proud new parents, little love. We're learning that we cannot love you best if we do not first love the Lord and one another.

My sweetheart, we're treasuring every single minute with you since you came into this world. We love snuggling with your cuddly self, talking to you in hopes that you understand us, exclaiming over your beautiful smile, snapping endless pictures of you, laughing at your adorable newborn grunts, and playing with your littleness. Especially with your little feet. We love how you curl your legs up froggy-style; that and your perfectly teeny toes kill us each time. You are a such a sweet newborn; this past first month of life, you have slept soundly through the night in three hour stretches the majority of the time, only waking up to feed from Mommy the Milk Machine and to get changed by Daddy on Diaper Duty (we hope to be more than just that to you someday!). We're slowly adapting to your nighttime schedule even if we teeter around like zombies the rest of the day. I tell people that we're real parents now - we have real(ly dark) bags under our eyes! On the other hand, you're slowly adapting to our daytime schedule by being more alert while the sun is out, but napping well in about two hour stretches nearly anywhere, from your cradle, to my sling, to our bed, and especially in our arms or in the arms of the many admirers who've come to meet you for the first time. You expressed your gratitude to them by snoozing through all their visits this past month. You were not fussy at all until you went through a growth spurt at three weeks old, when you began cluster feeding while simultaneously crying intermittently for two to four hours during the day, which made nursing in the midst of it a battle. Tears were shed on both ends, and we are thankful that stage is tapering off. We never would have fathomed that newborns could eat or poop so much. Besides eating and pooping, you also currently enjoy warm sponge baths and being wrapped in a toasty towel while listening to Disney songs that your daddy plays for you. Though I'm a tad sad that you're no longer as teeny as you were on that first day, we are so grateful you're growing healthily. At 1 month, you are 8 lbs 14 oz and 21 inches long. We are so thankful we get to cherish all this and more with you, our precious gift from the Lord.

Love you so,
Mommy

P.S. Serene Joy at 0 months.

Her little rocking chair

Our dear friends got Serene this spiffy rocking chair for her lounging pleasure. We love it, and we think our wee one-week-old does too! See her introduction into the world here and the story of her birth here. Happy Monday, friendly folks!