P + L + G + G: Georgia's Firsts

We waited for a nice, cool day to go out to Hill Ridge Farms for some Fall fun. Gabriel had a great time!! There is so much to do there!! I'll let the pictures tell the story...

Feeding the farm animals

Running through the colorful maze... he would have done this all day if we let him!

Indian Teepee (didn't interest Gabe at all) and Fort Arrowhead (he loved running around this)

Almost 3 and almost 3 feet tall! (2 yrs, 9 mos)

Heading up the hill to the giant slide! I don't know that either of them really wanted to do it...

Nonny & Boo watching

Wee!!! I filmed so many strangers because you couldn't tell who was coming next. Awkward.

Next up: train ride! The kids' first. Gabriel was so excited!

♥ ♥ Four Whitakers ♥ ♥

Daddy's girl! I think she got his hair color.

All of us on the hayride, also the kids' first

Picking out our free* pumpkins (*included in the admission cost) and attempting to get some cute pictures of G & G!

2 Week Stats
Weight: 7 pounds, 13 ounces (35%)
Length: 20 inches (39%)
Head circumference: 35cm (27%)

Matchy-matchy at her doctor's appt. We ♥ our little lady!!

Likes:
-Being held on your chest (greatly prefers this to the cradle position)

-Patting her back
-Listening to her big brother talk/play
-Looking at Perry's abstract painting in our living room & bright things, especially daylight coming in the windows
-Baths
-Tummy time

Dislikes:
-When the car stops
-Having to burp or pass gas
-Wiping her eyes and face

Clothes/Diapers:
We only had a few newborn size things so Georgia is wearing mostly 0-3 month clothes. The newborn diapers lasted until she was 1 month & 1 day old (4 1/2 weeks). We used up the Huggies from the hospital first, then Pampers Swaddlers- we received 1 big box as a gift and bought another ourselves. They were getting a little snug around her thigh rolls! Now she's in size 1 diapers.

Eating:
I'm thankful for another good eater. She is a noisy one! I have been a lot more laid back when it comes to breastfeeding; I'm not recording anything (which side, what time, etc) and I trust she is getting ~~enough~~ plenty! The only problem I had was a blister I got in the hospital but I think it's because I was letting her latch slip off as she (and I!) drifted off. She eats every ~2 hours during the day, sometimes more frequently in the evenings when she is a little fussy. She does this weird thing almost every night: alternates between nursing & swallows a few times then pulls back and wails! No idea what that's about. Overnight she nurses around 9pm, 12am, 2:30-3am, 5am, then Gabriel is up around 6am...

Perry gave Georgia her first bottle at 3 1/2 weeks old. It hadn't been long since she nursed, but she still seemed hungry; I think she got just enough from me to be sleepy, but didn't fill her belly! It was the perfect time- since I had already started pumping, she had fresh milk! She drank 1 oz. (of the 2 oz. I put in the bottle) and did fair. We're reusing Gabriel's bottles, Tommee Tippee Closer To Nature for Sensitive Tummies.

Sleeping:
At night, Baby Girl sleeps in a cradle in our room for 2 1/2-3 hours at a time. An incredible tip I received from my brother's girlfriend's mom {thank you, Terry!!} is to use a heating pad to warm her cradle while I'm feeding/rocking her so the cold sheet doesn't wake her right back up when I lay her down! It works great!! Georgia is cold-natured, so get her nice & toasty and she's out! During the day, she sleeps a lot in the morning and midday, and seems to be more alert in the evenings. I started putting her in her crib for "naps" around 3 1/2 weeks. I try to at least once a day- soon we'll move her out of our room at night and into her crib. Otherwise she is in her bouncy seat or in our arms! I play relaxing rain sounds with an app on my phone. In her crib or the cradle, we swaddle her with Summer Infant's SwaddleMe wraps- my favorite!! They didn't fit her for the first two weeks so I used blankets; she would only stay sleep on my chest, and since I was so tired, I just let her... She sleeps so much better snugly swaddled- hard for me to do with a blanket!

Top L: first time in a SwaddleMe Wrap... it swallowed her 2-day old body!
Top center: blanket-swaddled in her cradle beside our bed
Top R: on my chest

Hair & Eyes:
Georgia's hair is brown and her eyes are a medium blue! Maybe she'll end up with colored eyes! She has drainage from both eyes, crusty in the morning, watery during the day; likely the cause is blocked tear ducts. Gabe had this, too, and we gave him antibiotic eye ointment, probably unnecessarily.

Randoms:
-My friend Jennifer who has a part-time photography business took Georgia's newborn pictures at 1 week old. They turned out fantastic!!! Post coming soon!
-Her umbilical stump fell off on day 15. Our Pediatrician informed us that the recommendation for stump-care had changed in the 2 short years since Gabe was born. We no longer were advised to swab with rubbing alcohol at each diaper change. I think that made her's stay on longer (Gabe's fell off on day 9).
-We let her try a pacifier ("bobbi") at 4 weeks old. It did help soothe her some but Perry had to hold it in, otherwise she just pushed it out with her tongue.
-Very mild baby acne showed up at 4 weeks old.
-She has gas, but unlike her brother who's seemed to be painful upper/mid-GI and was hard to get rid of, her's is lower-GI... we are shocked at the sounds that come from her tiny little girl body!! Gabriel will ~~subtly~~ announce, "She tooted!! 'Scuse me, Baby Georgia!"
-Georgia is a pretty mellow baby!! She cries when she is hungry or is uncomfortable and/or wants to be held. Once her need is taken care of, she's quiet, content and wide-eyed!