Temper, Temper!

Amanda changes every time we blink, it seems. Already her cheeks are starting to fill out and she's developing an adorable double chin, courtesy of momma's breast milk. Her delicate newborn skin is peeling in a few places. She's got a touch of 3-week baby acne with bumps on her face and scalp, though it's not nearly as bad as Eva's was (hers looked downright painful!). Amanda has also developed a definitive way of letting you know when she's not happy: she screams her head off! There's a small window of patience if her needs are not quickly addressed, making her likely to have a meltdown. We've noticed this several times when driving home with her. If she's sick of being in the car seat, she'll cry all the way home. I try to minimize it by making sure she's well fed and changed before strapping her in, so she'll hopefully sleep instead. We've also noticed that she's pretty impatient when she's hungry, and she'll protest loudly at anything that comes between her and food (like a diaper change) when she wants to nurse. During a growth spurt, when she wants to nurse almost every hour, I can barely set her down. Even though she's not as laid back as Eva was, I'd still consider her a pretty easy baby. She isn't colicky, and her needs are simple: feed me, change me, burp me, hold me. Pretty typical for a new baby trying to adjust to life outside the womb. The burping part can get difficult, though. For some reason, it can be really difficult at times to coax a burp out of her, leading to tummy troubles and fussiness, especially at night. Eva, being the compassionate soul that she is, will try to comfort her sister whenever she hears her crying. She'll say, "OK, Amanda", and make shooshing sounds to soothe her.