Kiera - 1 Month

oh, the life of a newborn

Kiera's first four weeks - otherwise known as The Fastest Month Ever, take III - have already flown by.  And the good news is that we could not be more smitten with this little kitten.  At her one month appointment she came in at 10 lbs and 22".  Although this makes her the lightest of the three at one month, overall she's up 25% of her birth weight and hence the chunky monkey tradition continues.  She's still got a head full of dark hair (not as black as GG's was) and midnight blue eyes.  I can see hints of brown coming through in her eyes and I think she and Geeg will have that feature in common.  Coloring aside, I see more Luke in her than Genevieve.  But in the last couple days she's just seemed to look more like, well, Kiera.

Kiera wasn't really a crier until just the last few days.  She does not enjoy having dirty pants and she'll work up one big healthy yell when she's really hungry.  It's like my warning shot that the girl means business.  In the last couple of days she's ramped up the hollering when she's mad.  I think the wee lass is starting to realize that to be heard over the crazies, she's got to AMP IT UP.  She also squeaks when she's just about given up on life waiting to be fed (in other words, about 20 seconds) so that's when we refer to her as Squeaky Kiki.  Mostly though she is calm and makes hilariously big eyes when she's taking in all the chaos around her.  No lack of stimulation with two bigs running around.   

We've been enjoying all of Kiki's firsts this month, and marveling at the differences in being third time 'rents.  I have no hesitation about just packing her up and taking her where ever the others need to be (which probably contributes mightily to her excellent sleeping, HALLELUJAH) and feeling like she'll just have to deal with it.  Knowing she's our last baby (yes the last, deal with it dear readers) I feel so, so sensitive about trying to absorb all of these fleeting moments.  A lot of differing perspectives from the first and second time around.  And just as many smooches and snuggles, especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays when the bigs are running off their ample energy at daycare.  

So regarding sleep, I just have to say wow.  Actually I don't want to say anything for fear of breaking the spell but at this point Kieks cluster feeds from about 6-10 each night (which makes bath time just super easy), goes down without much of a fight, gets up just once (did you read that?  Once. ONCE!), and is usually up for the "day" around 7.  She's even slept through the night twice.  I know it'll change as fast as any other stage but at this point I'll honestly say her gift of snoozing is the only reason I haven't completely 100% lost my mommy marbles.  It doesn't make life with a newborn easy but it does make it so that I can still parent GG and Boo Boo without feeling the need to (A) choke them (B) lock myself in the bathroom and cry, or (C) check myself into the nervous hospital.  Most days.  Luke is still very much exercising his right to be two and Genevieve is still five going on fifteen, but the other thing keeping me semi-sane is that the bigs love their little.  To excess sometimes, but it beats the pants off the alternative.

And now a lengthy collection of shots from the last four weeks

post first sponge bath

my assistants not assisting

dear kiera, baseball is a Big Deal in this house. you'll get used to it

just adore sniffing and smooching this peanut

super proud big loves to hold little

juggling

father's day: my gift to matt was getting all three to the ball park before the 7th inning

go daddy go! or, if you're luke, doh daddy doh!

the maio pack

baddest biker babe on the block

all this bad assness wears a girl out

i am obsessed with her long fingers and toes

just home from daycare and smothering loving on baby

total mommy 2.0

he's so proud, i just love it. when she fusses he gets right up in her face and hollers 'it's otay baby! mommy's tumming!!'

first real bath.  yo. word to your mommy.

uh, not really pics of you but thanks geeg

slippery little thing

not hating it.  not really loving it.

quite the audience for a little bath

clean, lotioned, diapered, and happy

hi, i hate tummy time

daddy and little piggy, 2008

daddy and little piggy, 2014

hey there's one of you over here

and another one over here!

I did something the other week I never thought I'd do: took the kids to one of those chain portrait studios.  The backgrounds and poses are so artificial.  Seriously what is with all the wicker and ridiculous satin blankets?  Don't get me started on having hands-on-knees or chin-in-hand.  But...if you read above re: desperate to capture the fleeting baby moments you'll understand why I did it (also can be filed under 'can I just get a few decent pics without spending a month's worth of daycare?').  Some of the shots came out pretty well.  Here's the whole brood:

proud of these little people

with all the time geeg spends staring at herself in the mirror, it's no wonder she gives good face

this is just...so...lukie!

 

lovely ladies.  stupid wicker (which i originally wrote as 'sicker'.  makes sense).

hi, i'm a virgo who enjoys dining al fresco and long walks on the beach

thicker wicker. and satin. ugh...but soooooo close to a smile! i'll take 100 copies!

WICKER.  and teeny, tiny toes

And finally shots from Kiek's first monthly photo shoot.  Thanks Emily Duss for giving me this blanket six years ago.  It's come in really handy.

she's got a widow's peak hairline which makes her look worried a lot of the time. maybe she is.  can't blame her.

i'm faaaaalllllllllllliiiiiiinnnnnnnggggggg

chins a plenty and looking a bit more like geeg.  i wish to eat her up.

don't forget the profile chins

oh hello mr. bear. do you have a snack for me?

let me just eat a big clump of fur and find out

you have nothing.  you are useless. i shall give you my concerned look.

also you bore me.

oh that jelly belly

starting to get irritated with the whole 'no milk' issue

temporarily distracted...

embodying luke in this one

hello?  mother?  it's squeaky kiki calling. I WANT MILK!