Baby Broadcast: 1 Month with Belle!

Hi everyone! Thanks for stopping by the blog! I wanted to take a minute to document some of my observations after the first month of having a newborn in my life. Can you believe Belle is already a month old?! Disclaimer: if you landed on this post looking for a parenting expert- you are not in the right place! Before Belle, I had very little experience with babies. I could probably count the amount of diapers I'd changed on one hand! So that might make some of these observations extra amusing to those of you who've been in the parenting game for a long time! I'm just sharing our experiences. I'm planning to do some vlogs on more specific topics (like breastfeeding, products we love, working at home baby, anything else you want to see?), but for now- I thought you might find these bullet points entertaining!
Style...

My most-worn hairdo: hair clipped up in a bun. Even if you see my hair down in a video, it's not usually staying that way for long.
Outfit priorities: comfort & ease of breastfeeding.
If someone asks if the reason I look rested in pictures is because I have an "easy baby", it's not. It's makeup! My stash of concealer is plentiful and very full coverage.
In addition- my "new mommy glow" is also makeup.
Any guesses as to what created the pregnancy glow?
I'm obsessed with the length/thickness of my newborn's eyelashes.
They say babies love studying your face, but I'm convinced that Belle is especially entertained by my funny faces when I'm wearing a bright or dark lipstick. I suppose she's able to pick up on the contrast more. She's mesmerized!

Stuff Baby Does...

Baby facial expressions are both hilarious and adorable! It's hard to look away!
A freshly bathed baby is the best scent.
When a certain someone is having a tantrum, I start to feel like my cat really has her act together.
ALL baby bodily noises are cute. Hiccups, burps, and yes- even when she toots. It's cute!
Cats will enjoy a baby play mat just as much, if not more, than the baby.
Babies change FAST. Seriously, it seems like every couple of days I notice some little difference in her appearance.

Stuff We Do...

I'm always surprised by all the repetitive songs/phrases Tyler and I will come up with while soothing a crying baby. How many times have I said "she's ok!" or "she's a good girl!" Over and over and over...
You can tone a lot of muscles while walking around bopping a crying baby.
Sometimes the baby talk voice finds its way into regular, non-baby related conversations.
Poop (amount/color/consistency) is openly discussed without any awkwardness.
The same can be said for nipples.
I can't begin to count how many times I've kissed Belle on top of the head.
When soothing a crying baby, some random thing that you do will make you believe you have the magic touch. Until the baby cries again, and it doesn't work anymore.
Googling "is it normal if..." happens a lot.
The 4th hour of the Today show (with Kathie Lee & Hoda) re-airs in the middle of the night on NBC. (At least it does in our TV market... does this happen where you live?) I LOVE KLG & HODA, so this is awesome. Say what you want about them, but I believe they have some of the best chemistry of any TV hosts I've watched.

Breastfeeding...

I've heard so often that breastfeeding is not painful. However, I'm convinced that there is a phase early on for some people (a.k.a. me), where the nipples are very sensitive to this new task... particularly because I have a "little snapping turtle" on my hands with a very aggressive sucking tendency. It only makes sense that there would be a period of time where the nipples have to get used to this. After a month, I'm finally starting to round a corner and am experiencing less sensitivity/pain. The initial latch might hurt a bit, but it definitely subsides.
Breastfeeding makes you thirsty.
Before you start a session of breastfeeding, have everything you might need in the near future within reach, especially if you're alone (water, burp cloth, phone, remote, etc.)
Make sure your nursing bra is big enough! One that's too tight is both uncomfortable, and could cause problems with plugged ducts.
Leakage is real. Get some Ultra Soft nursing pads from Lansinoh. The Lanolin ointment is also a must.
A breastfeeding app is handy for remembering what side you fed the baby on last, and to keep track of how long he/she has been feeding. I use the Baby Nursing/Breastfeeding app from American Baby. You can track tons of things on there if you want to (diapers, pumping, doc visits, etc.)
If you're a visual learner,

this video and

this video offer some great breastfeeding tips. Even after taking a breastfeeding class, I found these videos super useful.

And one final observation... a DIY photo shoot with a newborn that involves any sort of complex outfit is about as easy as dressing your cat up for Halloween (I'll admit, I tried that once). But I really wanted to get pics of Belle in this adorable outfit that Jennifer Hickey sent from Adora Bella Boutique! The onesie says "Our Princess Belle Has Arrived" and Jennifer also sent the cute tutu and headband! The stuff is absolutely darling. We may re-try this photoshoot again at some point (and maybe consult the help of a professional!) But for now I have a couple of pictures! :) The tears started flowing pretty fast, but I promise that's when the pictures ended! Thank you, Jennifer, for the insanely cute outfit!!

Bottom line: I cannot BELIEVE how much Tyler and I have learned in the past month. Things that weren't even in our vocabulary before are now part of everyday life. There are challenges... those moments where you've tried EVERYTHING but the baby is still crying. Or you're so tired you could almost fall asleep standing up. But there's one thing that comes very easily-- and that's the love we have for this little baby. We love her with every ounce of our being. And looking into those wide eyes during a calm moment and realizing that this little life is in your hands... it's just amazing. I'm so glad I get to be Belle's momma. She's brought so much to our lives in one short month- I can't imagine what the future holds! ♥