Where has the time gone ?

In just two days my little girl will be four weeks old. I've been reminiscing about the day she was born and I can't believe how different my little sprout is. Her weight is probably the most drastic change. She is sitting at about 7 lbs right now. Her skin has changed and the newborn dry, peely, skin has diminished. We started doing tummy time with Ava on her play mat this week; She is already showing great milestones for a three week old. She can move her head from side to side, she lifts her head, and she's got some decent head control going on for being such a new baby. A few of the things in Ava's four weeks of life that I have either fallen in love with, or found essential would be:

• This giraffe is a nifty tool. It plays four different types of sounds to help your baby calm, sleep, relax, or play. We only use the sleep option because it is a substitution for the "shhh" sound we use when starting the "5 S's" to soothe Ava to sleep. It works wonders and we allow it to play throughout the night.

Cloud B Gentle Giraffe

• I've used my boppy nursing cover several times. When we have guest over, or when we are in public, I always use my cover. I can peek in and see Ava while she's nursing, and I have complete privacy. I'm never nervous about anything being revealed or exposed with using this cover. It also has this handy clip on top of the cover that you can move to remember which breast you last nursed from. 

Boppy Nursing Cover

• California baby products! A huge thanks to Laura for the baby gift. I love the natural and organic shampoo and lotion from this company. It leaves Ava's skin and her hair soft and smooth. Our biggest consistency we've had for our parenting style has been natural and organic as often as we can. I'm glad we've found a line the entire family can use.

California Baby

• Drying rack!  A new buy, but I can't see Justin or I diapering Ava effectively without it. Anyone who reads my blog, knows I cloth diaper. In order to maximize the best wear out of Ava's cloth covers, inserts, shells, etc. I have opted not to dry them in our HE dryer. Hang drying just ensures that they aren't getting as damaged or worn as they would from the dryer. These can be bought locally and they are super affordable. 

So far these items are my "loves" as of right now. I'm excited to see what else becomes apart of our daily needs with Ava. Some of the other things we are busy with this first month of her life are:

1. obtaining her confirmation of birth from the hospital
2. obtaining her birth certificate
3. obtaining her social security card
4. Enrolling Ava in DEERS
5. Enrolling Ava in Tricare

We've been pretty proactive and on the ball with all the things you have to do when having a new baby. The military provides their own set of requirements and deadlines when you have a child as well. Thankfully, I have a husband who is anal about getting things done. Especially with us traveling in just a little over a month. Tricare only keeps your newborn covered for sixty days after birth. It's vital that you make sure you enroll your little ones so they are always medically covered.