Anna at 7 Weeks

It's funny all things that feel like miracles when you're watching your child develop and grow.  I remember, vaguely, being very excited when Juliet could focus on things and when she began to smile.  But with Anna, I'm getting to experience it all over again.

In the past week, Anna has really begun to focus her eyes on objects and track them.  She watches me carefully as I move around her nursery, and she (like her sister) loves to watch a ceiling fan.  She has also begun to smile actual smiles, not just gassy smiles.  Yesterday, she was fussing in her crib, so I went to get her.  And when she saw me, she smiled a huge smile that was not followed by any gas at all.  (Victory!)  It was the best feeling in the world!

She's also starting to coo and talk just a little.  I love love love the sound of her voice.  It is so sweet and calm.  I'm excited to hear her start talking more and to watch her begin to really interact with Juliet, who is desperate for Anna to be able to do more than just lay there.

The other night, at some point in the middle of the night when I was up with Anna, I was thinking about how different Juliet and Anna already are.  And perhaps it's just that Juliet is such a whirling dervish of toddler energy right now, but I feel like Juliet is my ball of fire and Anna is my grounded girl.  Or perhaps it's just that because I've done it with Juliet, things aren't as scary with Anna?  Maybe I'm calmer, so Anna is calmer?   Here are some differences I've noticed:

• Even at her fussiest, Anna isn't nearly as loud as Juliet was.
• Anna eats more than Juliet did, and although she has some gas issues, they are nothing like Juliet's were.
• Anna's witching hour is typically literally an hour.  (Unfortunately, it seems to be right around the time I have to drive across town and back to get Juliet, so there's lots of screaming in the car.)  Juliet's witching hour was hours long.

Because she's eating all the time, she's growing a lot as I've mentioned in previous posts.  However, curiosity got the better of me yesterday, and I weighed myself with her and without her.  There was a twelve pound difference.  So our tiny baby girl, who weighed under 8 pounds at birth, is now close to doubling her birth weight.  I've skimmed back through my posts about Juliet at this age, and I can't find anything about her weight, which makes me think that Anna's gains are more remarkable.

As with Juliet, we decided to breastfeed exclusively, so I'm not worried that Anna's gaining too much too quickly.  And when I'm exhausted from lack of sleep or feeling "touched-out" from incessant feedings, I remember this article, which my father-in-law shared with me while I was still feeding Juliet.  I also have Ray cheering me on, saying things like, "Look at Juliet.  She is proof that this is the right choice for us."  Here's to raising little girls with high IQs.

Milk coma