One Month of Avery

Dear Avery,

Today you are one month old! To be honest, this has been one of the most demanding and challenging months of my life. It has also been one of the most joyous.

From the moment you came in to the world, we knew we were in for a wild ride with you. You were six days past your due date and showing absolutely NO signs of ever coming out. So, we opted for the induction to start the process. Everything happened so fast and when you were ready, it only took four pushes before you were in my arms.

You are a fighter and firecracker. Several people have commented on your personality already. One particular lactation consultant told us repeatedly how strong willed and feisty you are. I have to say that you come by that honestly. After a few days, we were having a really tough time with breastfeeding and that’s been the saga of our month. From what we can gather, we’re pretty sure you were latching wrong and when we encouraged you to latch correctly, you more or less told us “forget you people. I don’t need you!” and just stopped eating. We’re hoping this rebellious spirit ends before your teenage years. I was so committed to trying to give you the best start in life and we spent a lot of time and energy trying to make it work. Breastfeeding has many benefits, including protection against infection and illnesses, lower instances of allergies and asthma, enhanced development and intelligence, and more. Well, after the month we’ve been through, you better be the healthiest and smartest child ever.

It is probably a really good thing that you are a strong little lady because you were born into a strong family. Your brother is a wild man and there’s always a whole lot of chaos going on around here. You don’t seem to be bothered by that.

You keep us on our toes. There’s no magic wand with you, something might work one day and not the next. Your dad keeps pointing out that comes with the territory, you are female after all. You love the blinds and sleeping on your dad’s chest (when, of course, you WILL sleep, which you won’t do very often). You yell like a drill sergeant. It’s not a normal baby cry, it really is like you’re barking orders at us. “Hey! I want food! Hey! Pick me up!” You escalate from mildly unamused to full blown furious in about 4-6 seconds. But there’s also a soft sweetness to you. You like to be held and cuddled. You snuggle in our arms. You smiled at me for the first time yesterday and it was absolutely beautiful. That smile could break a lot of hearts, so use it wisely little girl.

You are surrounded by people who just love you to pieces. Your brother adores you. As crazy and wild as he is, he likes to sit still and hold you. He wants to talk to you, hold your tiny little hands in his (which now seem massive), rub your head ever so softly. As soon as he walks in the door from school, he asks about you and wants to see you. He even picked your middle name. It’s really very sweet to see you look at him and listen to his voice. I’m glad you have each other and I pray that over time you two are the best of friends, even though I know that means partners in crime.

We’ve loved the crazy adventure of the last month and we look forward to many, many more. However, we’d like to ask that you please be kind. A little more sleep, perhaps? We’re so glad you’re here.

Love,

Mama