Maggie: 2 months

That's right, it's already been two whole months of life with Maggie. Her personality shines through more and more each day and we just can't get enough of it. The smiles come more frequently (mostly in the morning), the cooing is music to our ears and she hasn't stopped wiggling.

A few things you may not be able to tell from photos: she is still a good eater, she has an expressive face (especially her eyebrows) and loves people. She likes to look around and see who all is in the room. I think she's going to be a social one.

Just as a friend had told me, "once they smile, it's a game changer" and boy, was she right. I wasn't prepared for how Maggie's smile would melt my heart. Whether it's a spontaneous smile or one I'm trying to coax out of her, I'm amazed at how sweet that grin is. And when she smiles out of recognition, well this momma's heart nearly skips a beat!

I'm not sure if it's being more aware of how long it takes me to get both of us out the door or if I'm getting faster or just skipping certain things that I used to always do, but we are getting out the door more smoothly. There have been days I've only had time to shave one leg (don't worry I got the other leg the next day) and I've also forgotten to put on makeup. But all in all, we are going more places and it doesn't feel as overwhelming to be gone from the house for more than an hour.

I still have a lot to learn as a mom, but I am so happy to be figuring it out with this little girl. It is a privilege to be with her as she discovers the world. Just this week, she started staring at her fingers and I can't wait to see what she discovers next.

Maggie's likes:

• being sung to (thankfully she doesn't seem to mind me often being off key) 
• riding in the Moby or ErgoBaby 
• listening to music with Daddy

Maggie's dislikes:

• tummy time
• bumpy rides in her stroller
• being surprised

One thing I want to remember from Maggie's second month of life was her smile and alertness. We went from saying things like "I think she meant to smile" to "that was definitely a smile." She also seemed so much more alert, holding her head up and making eye contact with us. She recognized our voices and has recently started following us with her eyes and sometimes turning her head to continue watching us when we move around the room.

I want to remember month two of parenting as being much more relaxed than the first and finding a bit of a rhythm, even though I wouldn't say we have a set schedule.