Today, you are one month old! I can hardly believe you've been here that long, but on the other hand, it's so hard to imagine life before you arrived! You have made your daddy and me so incredibly happy; it's really hard to describe. I have watched your daddy turn from this big, strong, manly man turn into a sappy, mushy guy who snatches you from my arms and tells you all evening long how beautiful and perfect you are. I melt inside when I see my two guys bonding!
I get visions in my mind of you throwing a football back and forth in the yard, grabbing your fishing poles and heading to the lake, and, the one your daddy is most excited about, taking your hunter's safety course so you can go sit in a tree stand together! I cannot wait to see the little guy you're going to become!
Here are a few things from this month that I'd like to remember forever!
Arrival: You joined us a little early (you were only 36w, 4d!) at 2:52am on Thursday, April 26th. You had turned yourself around the previous weekend, so when the doctor discovered you were breech, a quick c-section was scheduled and here you were! You weighed 6 lbs, 6.9 oz... if you had gone full term, you would have been a big boy! :) According to your birth certificate, you were only 17 3/4 inches when born. However, knowing how tall your daddy and I are, we doubted that a little, and asked for you to be remeasured that evening. When the nurse told us you were really 19 inches long, that sounded more like it to us! Too bad the birth certificate papers had already been processed. Oh well... we know the truth!
Height/Weight/Clothing size: Now, one month later, you are 20.8 inches long and weigh a whopping 8 pounds!! Baby boy, you grew SO much this month... I can't even imagine what the next few months will bring us! Luckily, you still look nice and teeny tiny to me, so I'm not having too much of a hard time with your growth spurts. You still wear a newborn diaper and newborn clothes! Your sleepers are starting to pull a little when you stretch all the way out, but when we put you in a 0-3 month size, you're swimming! You just have nice long arms and legs that take up space, but in your onesies and regular clothes, a newborn fits you so perfectly.
Eating: You are an EATER (as evidenced by your weight gain this month)!! You started off nursing every 2 hours for about 15-20 minutes. That worked out so nicely for a while, but then you started chugging too fast and you'd spit up when you were finished. When I talked to the doctor about that, he said to limit you to 10 minutes at each feeding. This means that sometimes you're hungry faster, but you're able to keep most of your milk in your tummy this way. You still spit up a little bit, but you're not in pain over it, and you seem to stay satisfied for about 2 hours. Sometimes, you want to eat after just an hour and half, but other times, you'll go three hours before letting me know you're ready for more food! You'll get a regular schedule down pat here soon enough, so in the meantime, I'm soaking up every minute I can of this special time with you!
Sleeping: We are still working on a regular sleep schedule for you, baby boy. There are some days when literally all you want to do it eat, get a diaper change, and go back to sleep. Other days, you'll wake up and want to eat, but then you'll stay awake for an hour or more before needing to take a nap. On average, you sleep about 2 hours at a time, both day and night. We are working on a new nighttime routine with you, and last night, you stretched your sleeping to 2 1/2 - 3 hour chunks all night long! Woohoo! Here's to hoping that during your second month of life, you'll start to love your nighttime sleep as much as your daddy and I do! :)
You slept in a bassinet next to our bed for a few weeks, but right before the four-week mark hit, we started putting you in your crib overnight to sleep. You did great! You listen to a loud heartbeat sound all night long to help soothe you when you awake, and we're still trying to decide if swaddling really helps you or not. You love to move your arms and legs so much that you wriggle out of your swaddle almost every time!! At nap time, you'll sleep in your crib, in the bassinet, in your swing, or (everyone's favorite) on mommy's or daddy's chest. The heartbeat sound really helps you to conk out, little guy!
Playtime: You don't do too much playing right now, but when you're awake, you enjoy being on your play mat. I think the different patterns and hanging toys keep you interested. I can't wait til you start to notice all the fun colors, too! In the past few days, you've really started to notice the mirror and you'll try to focus in on the cute boy who's looking back at you - like you want to be friends and have him come play with you!
Tummy time isn't your favorite activity, but it's working because you have one strong neck! You'll lift your head up so high sometimes to make eye contact with whoever's holding you... and then you headbutt their collar bone. Good thing this doesn't seem to hurt either party, yet! When doing tummy time, sometimes you'll find it relaxing to be on your stomach, and rather than practice using your muscles, you'll pass out right away! I love to see you looking this peaceful! :)
Sweet baby Joey, you have made such an impact on your daddy and me in the short time you've been here with us. Our little family of three makes my heart so happy that sometimes I can't help but just sit back and smile and, yes, even tear up a little at how blessed we are to have you. I pray every day for you and your future - that you become a kind, respectful, God-fearing man who loves to serve others just as your daddy does. I pray that God gives us the wisdom we need to parent you in such a way to allow to you grow into the man you're meant to be. However, we'll take it one step at a time and make sure you become a sweet little boy who loves to laugh and run and play before you get too big... ;)
I love you with all of my heart, Joey. You truly are the light of my day!!
~Mommy
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