Happy 1 Month Birthday!

Melody is a dream. A joy, a wonder, a treasure. Melody is bliss. Melody is euphoria.

At one month old, she is almost 9 pounds and growing beautifully. Her eyes are still a deep blue. Her hair is still funny looking with an old man's receding hairline. Her cheeks and arms and legs and knuckles are fattening up like a baby's should. And her color is becoming a dainty princess pink.

She's already wise enough to know that her cries are more effective when used sparingly. She's aware that most of the time, a few sound effects will do to get us to tend to her. She saves the howl for when she really means it.

Her sleep schedule is not a schedule at all during the day. She eats very often, and naps when she feels like it. At night she can usually be counted on for a 4-5 hour snooze, and then she's up every 2 hours. I'm hoping to have a more mom-friendly sleep report when I give my 2 month assessment.

Every day she is awake a little bit longer for what I like to call "social time." That is, time for us to hang out, where she doesn't require food or changing. This is the time when I stare into her giant blue eyes and get lost in them, and try to memorize every funny face she makes. She's not making eye contact with us yet; so far only her mobile and Elmo on TV have won the honor of her gaze.

Melody is still exclusively on breast milk, but luckily she accepts bottles (of my pumped milk), so daddy and the grandmas and everyone else can feed her (and further their bond with her) too. Guess who enjoys feeding her the most? Yep--her devoted big brother!

I don't know when I love her more--when she's a perfect little doll in a pretty dress or when she burps and farts like a proper Nicodemi-Orecchio.

Did I mention I'm in love with my daughter?