The first month of Vivi's life was extremely joyful, but also extremely trying. I knew that it would be hard, but I never expected the kinds of issues that we would have to deal with. The first issue was breastfeeding. I was so excited to nurse, but Vivi had a hard time latching on. It took lots of perseverance and tears (for Vivi and me), until she was finally able to eat on the third day of her life. Tears of joy for sure! Once she was finally eating, her little tummy had trouble learning how to digest the food, and she had some acid reflux. She was crying so much that we thought we had a colicky baby on our hands! We tried gas drops and gripe water, with not much change. She wouldn't sleep well in her crib, so we put her in her swing a lot which seemed to help. It was really hard for a couple of weeks. Also during this time, Vivi was not gaining enough weight. She was going to the pediatrician every week, and eventually the doctor wanted me to supplement with formula since she wasn't growing at a good rate. I felt horrible that I wasn't able to provide my child with what she needed. At the same time, I knew that starting with formula could mean the end of breastfeeding, and I was determined to make it work. I started eating foods and drinking teas that were known to help with lactation, and it started to make a difference. Finally, at Vivi's 4 week appointment, she had gained a good amount of weight (almost a pound in a week!). I was so thankful to be on the other side of that challenge. We had made it through with lots of prayer, and yes, lots of tears too!
During these trying times, I was still recovering physically from the birth, so it was really frustrating at times. All I wanted was to feel my best so that I could have the energy to take care of my new sweet babe. Thankfully, my parents were staying with us, and they did EVERYTHING. Cleaning, laundry, dishes, cooking (and of course they soaked up time with Vivi too!). It was amazing to have all of that help in the beginning. Also, we had people from our church bringing us meals and visiting with us almost every day! We had almost three weeks of meals provided for us! We definitely felt so much love and support from our church community. Then, Tim's mom came to stay with us for a few weeks, and that was a blessing too! We were well taken care of (aka spoiled!) for sure!
After the first month or so, things really started to even out. I was feeling good, Vivi was eating well, and she wasn't struggling as much with tummy issues. Vivi was getting to know us, and we were getting to know her and her personality. We found that we had a pretty happy and calm baby on our hands. She was not a crier anymore, and she was pretty content no matter the circumstance. We started taking her out in public more often, because she loved snoozing in the sling that I wore. Every Thursday night was date night for Tim and me, and we would go to the mall, go shopping, go out to eat... all while Vivi slept the evening away in the sling. It was heavenly! Also heavenly was that Vivi started sleeping through the night just after she turned 2 months old. It was glorious! We were all rested and happy, and Vivi was starting to become much more interactive. At 2.5 months, she started laughing, and I cried the first time I heard her! It was (and still is) the most beautiful sound in the world! Then, just before she turned 3 months, she learned to roll over, and I was so excited that she was starting to become mobile. She's an extremely determined and curious little girl, so every day was something new, and I could tell that she was trying to take everything in.
At just 3 months old, Vivi took her first plane ride to meet her family and friends in America. She did amazingly well with the 14 hours in the air, and we were so proud to show her off to admirers in the plane and at the airports. Since being in America, Vivi has had LOTS of new people to meet! We've spent time in Michigan and Indiana, and it has been amazing to have family and friends around at all times. Now that she's 4 months old, Vivi has started scooting, eating rice cereal, and learning to sit up without support. We have found that she loves spitting, scratching things, eating her toes, chewing on things (especially her fingers), lights, classical singing (when Mom and Dad are singing of course!), little kids, phonics songs, and her Sponge Bob toy. She does NOT like putting her arms in clothes, laying on her back, and she especially does not like putting her head down- EVER! Which makes bedtime interesting. :) I think that she is worried that she might miss something! She is a sponge soaking up everything, and it has been so much fun to watch! It's also been fun to have family around to help celebrate the milestones and to watch her grow and change!
In posts to come, I will share in more detail about our summer festivities, so for now I will just say that I feel so grateful... to have such a precious, beautiful girl... to be home with family... to reconnect with amazing friends... and to know that there's so much joy to come. Vivi has definitely lived up to her name thus far... She has made each day "full of life and beauty", and we love her more than we can say! Motherhood is a beautiful thing. :)
