Our little pumpkin head is one month old today. Sniff, sniff. Okay, to be honest I'm not so super sad that the first month is over. There are so many things I love about a cuddly newborn, but I'm not going to lie and say it was an easy month. Breastfeeding and being a new mom is hard, yo. It's the absolute best thing I've ever done and the hardest. I don't think there's any coincidence in that.
But enough of my own reflections, let's talk about my favorite subject - Jack!
This was the best we could do. We also need a name for his owl and are taking suggestions.
Weight - We're estimating about 8.5 pounds (I hope). I'll know for sure if I can get him to the breastfeeding support group this week to have him weighed.
Length - He was 20.5 inches at birth, and based on his clothes I'd say he's longer. We'll get an official measurement at his two month appointment.
Clothing size - 0-3 months. His newborn clothes became too short last week.
Hair - lots of it! His hair is brown with a reddish tint that's especially easy to see around his sweet face. The back is thicker, seems to have some curl (especially when he's sweaty), and is dark brown. I never imagined I'd have a baby with so much hair!
Sleeping - His sleep patterns at night are great. Starting at about a week old, Jack started sleeping for five hour+ stretches at night. On Thursday night, he slept from 10:30 - 5:30, which we call sleeping through the night at our house since Brent wakes up at 5:30 for work. Whenever he does wake, I feed him and he'll sleep another couple hours. Then when he wakes the next time, he eats and then he and I get in bed and snooze our morning away. No complaints from me - other than this is a huge contributing factor to me not getting a single thing done during the day. He also doesn't nap much during the day, which is also why I get nothing done.
Eating - He eats about 8-9 times a day. We're supposed to hit 10x per our lactation consultant, but I never can seem to get it in. I think it's because he sleeps so long during the night (and I am NOT about to wake a sleeping baby), and he spends about 45 minutes eating each session. During the day he eats every two hours. Based on what I can pump, I am guessing he eats about 2 ounces each session.
Movement - Jack loves to move those arms. We try to use them for good by having them hold his pacifier in his mouth, but more often than not they just get in the way while he eats. He loves to make big arm movements and squirm his legs around after getting his diaper changed, and he flails his arms and legs in surprise when I pour water on him in the bath tub. Over the last week or so he's really been locking his eyes on us while he eats or Brent's holding him. He seems to be getting better at noticing movement around him and following it with his eyes.
Milestones - His cord came off at two weeks, he met my coworkers last week, and he's already dined at the Olive Garden, Hacienda, Champps, and Chad's in Lakewood. He's a pro at it - he pretty much stays asleep the entire time, and at Champps was awake but quiet because he was listening to all the noise. He's met both sets of grandparents, a friend of Brent's, and my friend from work.
Favorite toys/activities - We read books every day, and he seems to like it if I start while he's calm. If he's already crying when I start to read, forget about it. He loves Grandma's singing and Mom's too. He's heard a lot of Coldplay, Elton John, and American folk music (that would be Grandma). He loves to take a bath.
Dislikes - Well I'm afraid to say we might have a colicky baby on our hands - so dislikes would be anything that isn't included in the list above, eating, and sleeping. He's pretty much crying the rest of the time. I've given up dairy and caffeine now to see if it helps, but so far I don't see much of a difference. I'm beginning to wonder if he really is just hungry and not getting enough from me, so I'm considering doing a little experiment this week by feeding him every two hours and giving him some thawed breast milk every time he roots or cries (other than diaper cry). I'm hesitant to do this because he does seem to spit up quite a bit if he has a bottle, but it's worth a shot.
What we love - His peaceful sleeping face, how funny it is when he gets mad at us and shakes his head back and forth to fling out his binkie, and the way he arches his back and curls up his legs when I pick him up while he's sleeping.
What we don't love - The crying. Ohhh the crying. Also, hearing him grunting at us from the Pack 'n Play at 2 or 3 a.m. instead of 5.
What we're looking forward to next month - Mom being totally healthy again, Jack smiling at us, visits from friends, and going home for Thanksgiving!
Photos from our shoot that don't make the cut:
Just let me cross my arms over my onesie sticker and we'll all be okay.
Meltdown.
