One Month Old

The past month has been a bewildering blur – yesterday was our second son's one month birthday!

First, who I've now decided to call Walleye here, has cut one of his last two molars, fought off at least one illness and has had to adjust to schedules with visiting grandparents and his new brother. NBD.

Second, who I'm calling Bird from here out, has recovered well from the viral meningitis. He hasn't gone longer than 4 hours without eating, though usually two or fewer. We finally held his bris this past Sunday.

My husband spent last week fighting off a virus. My mother-in-law has been a tremendous help –– and is now fighting off that virus.

Me? I'm exhausted. But I'm fueled by this incredible fullness I feel at having this family. I know this time will soon pass. Though it's probably more tolerable with the extra hour of sleep and household help I'm getting right now. Certainly I'll reach new levels of exhaustion when my MIL returns to the states.

Since time is flying and I've already learned that I'm terrible at logging the little facts and milestones pertaining to these early days, I'm going to force myself to share some of that information here with a monthly photo. (Do you like Paddington for scale?)

Eating: Breastfeeding is going better than I thought. If I don't have time to pump in a day, he takes about 2 ounces of formula. Other than that... he eats every 1.5 - 2.5 hours during the day (usually) and every 3 - 4 hours (or fewer) at night. Right on track.

Sleeping: There's not much time for napping when he takes 40 minutes to eat every hour and a half. I've been astounded that he doesn't care for being swaddled and sleeps perfectly well on his back in a sleep sack at night. Now we just need to get him to stay asleep longer.

Waking: He has been wide-eyed and alert since birth. Every now and then I hear a little (non-crying) squeak that tells me he'll be cooing before I know it. Baby sneezes are the cutest. I love the little gas-smile he sometimes makes with milk dribbling out of his mouth.

Growing: A week ago he was back to his birth weight – 7 pounds 3 ounces. Then we hit the 3 week growth spurt. We have a weight check next week just to be sure everything is on track. He's starting to stretch newborn pajamas!

Diapers: Good-NESS. I forgot how many diaper changes come with a new baby who eats 10 times a day. I'm looking forward to a time when they don't seem traumatic to him.

Soothing: He digs the "Calming Vibrations" in his bouncy seat, his Soothie pacifier and snuggles (especially at 5am). He particularly likes when his dad holds both of his tiny hands in one of his. Very sweet.

Fussing: Diaper changes, boogers that interfere with sleep and farts are the worst things in the world.

Big brother: Walleye is incredibly sweet. He likes to show Bird his toys, help me out when he can and check in on his brother when he's crying. He has played music for him, held his foot and offered the pacifier. It makes me a proud mama.

Parents: We're so very grateful for the help we've gotten from family and friends. It really does take a village! Now we're determined to get the ball rolling on Bird's passport and visa so we can take a family trip to a warm, sunny Spanish beach one day.