Hey Mr. Man--
You are one month old! You're still so teeny tiny but also so big--you are growing and changing right in front of our eyes. We know we are very lucky because, overall, you are a very happy baby. If you fuss, we can almost always figure out what is wrong and fix it. So far, we haven't had any of that no-reason crying (knock on wood). Sometimes you are a little fussy in the evenings, but I think it's because of growth spurts and you usually just want to eat more. Even if we think there is no possible way you are still hungry.
You are a good eater. About 92% of the time, you take your lunch with a dog hair in it. Sorry about that--but you take it like a champ and having doggies around will make you healthier in the long run. Right now you are eating about every 3 hours at night, which is manageable. It's about the same during the day, but sometimes more or less often. At the beginning, we had to wake you to eat when it was time, but now that we know you're gaining weight appropriately, you just eat on demand. You've had a couple of bottles just to get used to the concept, but you have trouble regulating the flow and are still learning about that.
You also sleep pretty well (especially when being held). You had some nighttime gassiness at the beginning, along with not wanting to be laid down in the bassinet, but that seems to be better now. The pediatrician suggested putting a rolled-up towel under the mattress so you could sleep on an incline, and to warm up the bassinet with a heating pad before putting you down. Both of these seem to work well, except that you gradually slide down the incline and end up with your feet against the bottom of the bassinet. On good nights, you wake up and eat and go back to sleep really quickly at the 1am and 4am buffet times. Other times, you take longer to go back to sleep and we have to rock or walk for a while--but there's still little to no crying. However, you are a
very noisy sleeper: grunts, grizzles, coos, partial laughter, and even a horse whinny or two. Generally I am glad for this because it reassures me you're still breathing without me having to stick my finger under your nose every 5 minutes. You're usually up for good at about 7am, and have a super happy wakeful time after that. We'll play on the play mat and you will chill in your Snugabunny swing while I make myself some breakfast and maybe get some laundry going.
Likes:
- motion--the car or stroller
- playmats. Of course the one that is ugly as sin is your favorite, but I guess babies really do like that high-contrast stuff
- in a stunning reversal: diaper changes
- bathtime
- snuggling
- looking at faces
- the Newborn Napper on the Pack n Play (aka How I Can Shower and Pee)
- the Moby wrap
Dislikes:
- stoplights
- sitting in poop (can't say that I blame you)
- being put in the carseat--part of this is that we're still not really fluent with it...twisty straps and stubborn buckles and your flailing limbs do not an easy situation make--but you're good once it starts moving
- not being fed QUICKLY ENOUGH DAMMIT LADY
Milestones:
All the firsts listed in the previous weekly posts (which is a first everything...because you just got born).
- focusing your eyes and focusing on faces
- you lift your head very well, but we still do tummy time either on someone's chest or on the play mat
- the very beginning of social smiles and I even heard an accidental laugh one time (in your sleep)
Stats:
Unsure about precise weight, as you don't go back to the pediatrician until 2 months. I got on the scale with and without you yesterday, and there was a 10-lb difference. Without clothes and blankets and diapers, I'd guess you're well into the 9-lb range.
Size 1 diapers
You have outgrown the newborn clothes and gowns (for reference, they lasted about 2-3 weeks). This made me irrationally sad. I had to make a "too-small" bin and am already putting things away to store. You're now in 0-3 month clothing, but this is still jammies almost all the time. Between spit up and diaper changes, it isn't quite worth it to put on cute outfits or real clothes. Easy and comfy is the name of the game.
Nicknames: Monster, Monster Man, CW
