Attempted Tummy Time

We've been trying to no avail to get Natalie more interested in tummy time. She usually protests within a minute or two if we put her on her tummy on her play mat so we tried putting her on the boppy instead. Although she lasted longer, we got similar facial expressions and protests from her after a few minutes:

I'm hoping next month she's more interested -- how else is she going to learn to roll if she never spends time on her belly :(

The swing is a common place Natalie likes to be when she's decided she's had enough interaction with Mommy and Daddy. Beginning around when she turned 6 weeks old (July 11), she started having crying and screaming fits at night. She would refuse to sleep in her Pack-N-Play at night and would only settle down in her swing. Luckily, this only last a few nights but the swing is still one of her favorite places to relax.

We're pretty sure Natalie started social smiling around 3.5 weeks old (whether the doctor says it happens later or not) and they have only increased in frequency since then. It's such a great sight. She now talks with us as if she's trying to tell a story and smiles all the time when we come near her or play with her. These photos are from a week ago (her acne has cleared up a lot!). Doesn't she have the cutest smile!

She's getting big so quickly. I took the photos below earlier today. She's already out of her newborn clothes and in 0-3 month sizes (and she's only in the 50th percentile for her weight). It was sad putting away her "going-home outfit" and some of the other outfits she wore in the first few weeks. She's become so much more interactive and social! It's fabulous! On July 6, I got her to hold a rattle in her had for a few minutes (of course, I had to put it in her hand). She's done it a few times since.

This past Tuesday, I took Natalie to get professional photos taken (www.rliphotography.com) -- like the ones you see of the baby laying naked in the mom's hands, etc. She did such a great job! She didn't cry or fussy at all and actually seemed to be enjoying the noises and faces the photographer was making at her. I get to see the proofs on July 31 -- I can't wait! From the few frames I saw when there, I think they're going to turn out wonderfully and Natalie looked beautiful!

We're trying to get Natalie to start taking a bottle but we haven't been very successful. We've tried different types, Emile giving it to her, me giving it to her, feeding her in different locations, and different milk temperatures. So far she usually screams. We only got her to take a few ounces once or twice in the three weeks we've been trying. We need to her to take a bottle before I go back to work. We're increasing the number of times a day we try to get her to take it hoping that with constant exposure she'll finally give in her. Here's hoping!

We found a nanny to help out when I go back to work -- Meagan. She's a very sweet woman (in her mid-twenties) and very professional about being a nanny. She has a good amount of experience with different families over the last seven years -- all which gave her great reviews. It will be weird having someone here in the house looking after Natalie while I'm working in the the other room in our office-- I'm going to struggle not running to Natalie's rescue every time she cries. But I have to go back to work so it's necessary. Luckily, Natalie will at least be in the house with me so I can spend lunch with her, etc. (and watch over the nanny!).