Juliet at 4 Weeks

Bright-eyed and smiley - just the way we like her

Where has the time gone? It feels like only yesterday that I was a giant whale begging my doctor to do whatever she had to to get labor moving, and so it's hard to believe that we've had Juliet for four weeks. It's hard to believe that we haven't had her forever.

What can we say about our JuJu? Overall, she is an incredibly mellow babe. Crying really only occurs when we're not fast enough on the feeding or we've kept her up too long and she's overtired. She loves to watch faces already, can gaze for long periods at the black and white patterns in her Moses basket or at the art installation of black and white playing cards that Chris and Charlie made for her. Perhaps this means that like her sister, she'll have a freakishly good attention span.

While we started calling her "Charlie Junior" as a joke, Juliet is quickly looking only like herself. She has dark blue eyes (sure to change in some measure), blondish/redish hair, and a funny little herniated belly button that we all love to giggle at. Although it's hard to see what with the double-chin she's growing, Juliet has a sweet little heart-shaped face with a pointed chin. Since coming home from the hospital, Juliet has already gained 3 lbs. and is well on her way to having giant cheeks and a chubby belly.

Juliet makes the funniest faces; we realize that most are involuntary, but we like to fool ourselves into thinking that she's laughing and smiling at our antics.

Since almost her first day at home, Juliet has been a girl on the go. In just four weeks, she has been to multiple playgrounds, the swimming pool, the Museum of Contemporary Art, out to lunch and dinner, coffee, and ice cream, visited with both sets of her grandparents both at home and in Woodstock, had many visits from friends, attended a street festival, gone to the movies (Ramona and Beezus - Juliet and Charlie give it a thumbs-up) and on many walks, and is an absolute pro at riding the L.

Juliet has decided that naps should be taken in your arms, rather than her crib (she tried it for the first two weeks and after giving it strong consideration is now boycotting), and that sleep should come in 3.75 hour or shorter chunks. But, that's okay with us (for now). We well-remember that this time is fleeting, and what is better than snuggling up with a sweet little baby? That being said, JuJu, we really would like you to give your crib for naps another shot!

Charlie continues to be Juliet's biggest fan, and I think that Juliet feels the same way about Charlie. Theirs is sure to be a great love affair. When Juliet fusses or cries, Charlie is her advocate admonishing me, "So pick her up!". Charlie is always up for singing a song to Juliet while she's on her changing table, and entertaining her with stuffed animals while Mom and Dad run out of the room for a few minutes. While we had warned Charlie that babies are kind-of boring, she doesn't think so in the least.

Hooray for big sisters!

Overall, Juliet is delicious, and a little sleep deprivation notwithstanding, it has been a fantastic four weeks!