Swinging with the Happiest Baby on the Block

So Molly has been alive for over one month. Score one for the parents!

Over the past four weeks we have grown to know our little nugget... when she's hungry, has a dirty diap, needs a nap and so on. At the beginning of the month we had no idea what we were doing but I think we are getting better because of these.....

Molly enjoying her swing.

Welcoming the early morning hours in style

Let me explain. About a week ago, Wyatt and I were dumbfounded when Miss Molly Mae would freak out for 1-2 hours at a time. Sometimes the freak out happened in the morning, sometimes in the evening. Thankfully never over the night time hours. We thought it was gas- so we bought some baby gas relief medicine (didn't work). We thought it was because she was hot or cold- so we added or subtracted layers (didn't work). I'm blaming the sheer desire for mental relief, I broke down and bought a swing.

You may say, "But a swing is a good purchase, Jeanette!" Indeed it is but in my bullheaded nature I was bound and determined to not be bombarded with baby things throughout the house thus no swing. It's amazing what a lack of sleep combined with mental and emotional anguish can do to bullheaded, and I admit a bit ridiculous, beliefs. So we have a swing and Molly enjoys it.... when she is already sleeping.

However we still need to endure the freak out to get to the sleep. We were getting closer....

She still freaked out and again with my bullheadedness I refused to believe this had to her's or our life for the next 2-3 months. So thus started a quest for solutions. Through research I stumbled across a resource, "The Happiest Baby on the Block" which laid out the 5 S's plan for calming an infant. The 5 S's are based on the belief that humans are born 3 months early, due to head/brain size, which means to calm them it is best to mimic the environment in which they should still be a part of, the womb. (Sounds like hooey, eh?) Written by a seasoned pediatrician gave it some credence but I remained skeptical UNTIL we tried it and IT WORKED!  She freaked out and we calmed her, and calmed her quickly. It was amazing and energizing. She freaked out again and we calmed her again.

As a new parent, it's empowering to have the confidence to calm your babe.

Oh and the second swing purchased last week was a great porch swing. Every morning the first rays of sun tell Molly- WAKE UP!! thus it's time for one of us to join her as she welcomes the day. When it is my morning to start the day with Miss Molly, I find myself drawn to the porch swing. We swing, she smiles and enjoys the breeze. It's growing to be my favorite time of the day. Our neighbor, Judy, has named the swing the Mollyfier. (hahaha, get it? That Judy is so clever!)

So that's how the Feelfus family is swinging into having the happiest baby on the block. It also doesn't hurt that we are the only ones on the block with a baby so defacto we have the happiest one!

Oh and not related to this post... here's a few of my favorites from our one month living room photo shoot. I'm told she is cute but obviously I have mom-goggles on.