Two months: Kiwi

If the first month of Kiwi’s life was figuring out what the heck we were doing with our newly expanded family, the second month has been about getting to know this beautiful, engaging, curious tiny person.

I can’t get enough of her.

Getting lost in my baby

I memorize the locations of the freckles on her head. Before too long, her hair will grow longer and I’ll never see them again.

I admire the delicate curves of her ears. They remind me of the swirl of a seashell or the whorl of a knot on a tree.

I feel her gentle breath on my skin as she breathes in and out.

I know the telltale fussiness that tells me she needs to burp (which is different from her tired, hungry or overwhelmed fussiness). And I can feel the burp inside her before it bubbles up. (“Good burp!” Peeper congratulates her every time.)

Figuring out Baby at two months

Parenting a two-month-old is still hard. My shoulders, back and wrists are wrecked from holding and bouncing her so much. Some days, the only way she naps is if I wear her in the carrier, which means I spend many hours with her cuddled on my chest as I write, feed Peeper, walk Finn and cook—both a blessing and a curse.

In this way, though, I’m learning.

I know now that she’ll fall asleep within 60 seconds if I wear her in the carrier and work out on the elliptical machine.

I know now that she loves to stare at the ceiling fan, just like her sister did.

I know now that she kicks like crazy in the bath and tries to bite the water when I rinse off her chest and shoulders.

The other day, a friend of mine with a daughter a few weeks younger than Kiwi looked adoringly down at the little girl. “Stop growing!” she said, holding her little hands.

Kiwi is getting bigger every day—I swear she grows out of her jammies overnight—but I don’t want to hold her back. I’m not rushing her out of the newborn stage, but I know what’s to come. Her older sister is living, jumping, laughing, singing proof of the joys to come.

Every day, Kiwi teaches me something new. As she discovers the world around her, I discover what makes her giggle and what makes her cry. We’re both getting to know each other, and I love her more each day.