Hazel's 2 month update || Baby diaries

This second month has been so much more enjoyable than the first. Hazel has found her little personality and we are getting lots of smiles, coos and babbling without much prompting. She doesn't really feel like a newborn anymore. As a newborn she would happily fall asleep in our arms or against our chest, soothed by our warmth and heart beats, it didn't matter what was going on around her as she wasn't interested in anything else. This has not been the case this month as now she doesn't want to fall asleep in our arms any more and always wants a clear view to see what's happening around her, which includes wanting to watch our TV, much to our disapproval. So we have had to turn our screens off for her to focus on what she is meant to be doing. With this new awareness she has also become so much more interactive and whenever she gives me a big gummy smile it makes my heart sing. These smiles are some-what difficult to capture on camera as they also come with waving arms and legs which often make for a slightly blurry, out of focus photo. Hazel's favourite spots seem to be her playmat and her change table of all places. Where she likes to wriggle and wave her arms about as much as possible.

She has developed a nice strong neck which she uses to headbutt me when I burp her. So while burping her on my shoulder I have suffered a few headbutts to my face while tuning my head to see what she was up to and getting the message loud and clear.

She has a healthy appetite but not a lot of patience, so breast feeding has become more difficult. She wants milk, lots of it, and she wants it immediately and unfortunately that's not how (my) boobs work. Unfortunately she needs to work a bit harder to get fed than with a bottle. So if she doesn't see results within one or two sucks she gets very upset and refuses to nurse any further, which prompts us to resort to my expressed breast milk in a bottle, which she guzzles quickly. I am coming to terms with the fact that breast feeding may not work out for us, as I now find it very stressful and have lost confidence in it, knowing that it will most likely result in a melt down, causing her swallow air which turns into a gassy, crampy tummy later on. The good news is that I still produce and can pump a lot of milk, which is actually way more than she currently needs. So we are both keeping happy and healthy.

Being bottle fed means that we can fill her up to maximum capacity, keeping her fuller for longer. She is now sometimes able to sleep up to 6 or 7 hours straight during the nights, although most of the time it's still 4 or 5 hour stretches, however the 7 hours overnight is a nice treat. It's not all smooth sailing in the sleep department though, as she now thinks she has the stamina to stay awake longer and be around us more, which is nice in theory but then she gets tired and doesn't want to go back to her bed, which results in her getting overtired. This always seems to happen right around dinner time or when Chris gets home from work (witching hour). Most nights we can get her back to sleep within an hour or two but there have been occasions when it takes much longer for her to settle. I have cut out eating broccoli and spicy foods as eating these seem to coincide with her getting a gassy tummy.

Chris celebrated his first Father's day when Hazel was 6 weeks old, we didn't do much except spend time together as a family, which we all enjoyed. Next year will be a bit more eventful with a toddler I'm sure.

6 weeks old

She has taken a liking to her video monitor camera and because of the night vision, when she smiles up at the camera it is equal parts cute and a little creepy.

7 weeks old

7 weeks old

At almost 8 weeks old she has grown out of her newborn clothes and is now in size 0-3 month (000). This has been bitter sweet for me to pack away her teeny tiny onesies which hold such precious memories but it's also very rewarding to know that she is growing nicely and now gets a hold new wardrobe.

Hazel did brilliantly at her first photoshoot with Little Annie Monthly Pop-in Portraits. This happens once a month where a professional photographer opens their studio for the day and each participant pays $20 to get a nice photo. It only takes a few of minutes and doesn't break the bank. I took along her teddy bear that she got from her Grandad as a size comparison to show how much she grows every month.

Hazel at 8 weeks old at her first photoshoot

That weekend she also had her first road-trip to Taupo to visit the grandparents and she met her Nana's two dogs for the first time.

Going for a walk at the lake with Nana and the dogs, Cello and Abby.

At her two month Plunket nurse appointment she got weighed and measured and I am thrilled with her growth, she is now a healthy almost 50th percentile in weight and height. All that good breast milk has been doing the trick and she finally has the chubby cheeks and thighs to prove it.

Two month stats:

Height: 57.5cm

Weight: 5.190kg

Sleeping: Generally 4 hours during the day and 5 hours at night

Eating/Feeding: 150-200ml

Sizes: 0-3 Months (000)

Milestones: Rolling/tipping over (front to back), lots of smiles and babbling

Nicknames: Darling, Gorgeous, Honey Bee, Poppet, Hazel Mazel Mouse, Madam.

Likes: Smiling at us, watching her mobile spin, getting her nappy changed, looking at the world map on our wall, getting a bath, me singing to her, tummy time and her playmat.

Dislikes: waiting for a feed, getting out of the bath, gas bubbles,