nora ~ 2 months

{click on Nora's photo to view 2 month photo outtakes}

On October 19th, Nora turned 2 months old.  Crazy!  How can two months go so quickly, especially when I have to go back to work in less than 2 weeks.  Such is life.  We've had a busy month with trips to Nebraska, lunches out with friends and Dad, visits from family...and we've all become a little more accustomed to our new life as a family.

Everything has gotten a little easier this second month.  We've figured out a good bedtime routine for Nora.  I can now time feedings better so we're not late everywhere we go.  I can now cook and sometimes Hubby and I can even eat together as Nora FINALLY is content sitting in her papasan.  And most importantly, we have a happy baby!  Sure, she has her fussy or crabby moments (don't we all?) but she is laughing, talking, and smiling more and more each day.

Two big health milestones for Nora this month - she got her 2 month immunization shots and started taking Zantac.  More often than I'd like, while I was feeding Nora, she would fuss, wriggle, and cry when I burped her followed by a good amount of spit up.  Not fun for her and not fun for me.  After a visit with the doctor, we decided to try Zantac for reflux.  Around the same time I gave up dairy to see if that was the issue so it's tough to determine what the problem was/is, but she is doing much better.  Her shots went well too.  She screamed at the poke but was a happy baby the rest of the night.

Taking the lead from Dusty at All Things G&D, I'm going to start posting some stats about Nora each month.

Nora's current stats:

Bedtime:  9:00 or 9:30 pm

Wake up time:  7:00 or 8:00 am --- but this is after a quick wake up at 2:00 am for the pacifier and a 4:30 am wake up for a feeding.  We're still working on stretching this girl through the night!

Naps:  Lots of cat naps!  Nora is following a pretty predictable schedule - wake up, eat, play, sleep.  We're finally stretching the time she is awake and playing, which sometimes ends up stretching her time in between feedings.  I'm really working for her to get one solid nap, generally in the afternoon.  Some days, she does great and will nap for 3 hours.  Other days it is a struggle with lots of little cat naps.

Eating:  Nora eats every 3 to 4 hours and when we do give her a bottle, we're giving 4 oz. but are working to increase it to 4 1/2 oz. or 5 oz.

Favorite toys:  She likes her black and white books and a soft toy with rings and a mirror.  I hold it above her and she can stare at it for quite some time.

Firsts/Milestones:  Talking and singing a lot now.  She likes to sing along with me.