Sabine: Month Two

Dear Sabine,

You've got us all enraptured. You are a beautiful, perfect baby. Not that you need to be perfect, but it is a bonus. Not a day goes by without you meeting someone new and they tell me just how stunning you are. You've got your own look and personality already. This is where things get really fun.
I've been calling you Sabine Smiles a lot lately because that is all you do. You smile. You smile at anyone who is kind enough to look in your direction. You smile big and proud. When you're not smiling, you've got the furrowed brow going, like you're trying to figure something out about your surroundings. Recently we've been catching you with your eyes down, looking hard at the feet right in front of you. You've also found your hands and it's just the cutest thing to see a baby slowly examining their clenched-up hand just a few inches from their faces, eyes all crossed in fascination.

Along with the discovery of your hands has finally come the ability to shove a finger or two into your mouth. I can't tell you what this has done in terms of making you happy. You really love sucking on pretty much anything, but to see you go to town on your tiny little thumb is adorable. Incidentally, it's your left thumb that you've been going for. This makes me happy because I think maybe it's the very beginning of your favoring a certain side, and I am really hoping for a lefty (like me).

The eyelashes on you are another thing all together. I can practically see them growing by the day. You whole body is growing too. You've already made it out of most of the newborn sizes that I know Jacob wore much longer.

It seemed like for a while you were getting into this multi-day cycle where you were awake basically an entire day, and then the next day you'd sleep all day to make up for being awake. Then maybe on the third day you'd have a half and half day before starting from the beginning again. That's not happening so much now. You're mostly awake on most days. Boy, that time of all day long newborn sleep didn't last long...

None of us really have a schedule, but boy you are like clockwork with the waking up at 6:30 in the morning. Thank God your father is also early-rising and can get up with you for an hour before getting ready for work. I'm not really sure how an early-to-wake child came from my body, but I'm hoping to knock that trait out of you eventually. No, actually, I think your daddy really likes getting up with you in the morning. It's your special bonding time. Tonight he was explaining something to me and he said, "That's the first thing (feed the dogs) Sabine and I do in the morning. Then we let the dogs out, and then we feed the rabbits..." He said this in all seriousness not even realizing he was engaging in a sort of baby talk. I think you are going to have him wrapped around your finger.

Some days I can't go back to sleep after you get up because you're just so damn happy and I just want to keep looking at you. We smile at each other, I say goofy things, then you crack up and it looks like your face is going to turn inside out, you're smiling so hard. You smile in your swing talking to the animals. I'm pretty sure you prefer the lion. You chatter away with them, having secret conversations. You smile in the bassinet watching me cook or wash dishes. Anytime you're cranky simply walking outside so you can get some fresh air on your skin will calm you down. When you're not being held you usually press a fist to your cheek. You love to rest high on our shoulders with you head hanging off to the side so you can examine the passing world.

And Jacob. I swear he must be your most favorite thing. You hear his voice and the world stops. He loves you so much. One morning I caught him leaning over you, whispering in your ear. I didn't want to interrupt the moment so I just silently observed. He said to you, "I love you so much." I think the feeling is mutual.