Bedtime

E reading to Junior for the first time (Chicka Chicka Boom Boom).

Six Weeks

Dear Junior,

As of yesterday, you are now six weeks old! Looking back, I can't believe we've made it this far this fast.

We finally feel like we're getting the hang of this parenting thing. Your grandparents are in town and you have been charming them all week, explosive farts and all. We've gone to three restaurants and you've done great at all of them. Mostly you sleep until we're done eating and then demand to be fed. It's not as scary as I thought it'd be. I even changed you in public at the Cheesecake Factory and you stayed quiet the whole time. It helps that you love getting changed.

You coo for us everyday and give us some smiles too (usually while passing gas). We get the most goos out of you when you're getting changed. I like to say "yerb" to you and sing whatever song comes to mind, including commercial jingles. E is fond of pushing your knees to your chest until you "produce". You are an production expert!

You now weigh over 10 pounds and your fat cheeks are irresistible. Sometimes when you sleep you open your mouth wide and tilt your head back in all of its double-chinned glory. I wish I could sleep that deeply!

You only like napping in your ergo carrier but we get a solid two or three hour naps out of you in it so we don't mind.

You are okay with bath time and E likes it when you hold a plastic ring during it like a toy (we pretend you like toys). The mobile above your crib fascinates you and you will tolerate the bouncer but not the swing.

Argon mostly ignores you and Sam constantly wants to stick his giant nose in your face. I think you will become friends.

We've been giving you a pacifier more and you seem to enjoy it but sometimes you will spit it out with a look of disgust on your face. You also like to spit it out right before you pass out and expect us to catch it for you. Of course, you prefer food (you are our child after all!).

We tried moving you up a size from newborn diapers this week and realized you're still too small for them, despite your Buddha belly. I'm okay with that! You still wear newborn clothes too. I read that babies gain weight faster than height, so you should be growing a foot any day now.

We've lost our ability to sleep when we want to, but we've gained a lot more I think. I'm excited for you to gain head control and smile when you see us, but don't grow up too fast!

Wistfully Speaking

Me, while staring lovingly down at Junior sleeping on my chest the other night.

"Isn't it amazing how they just grow up so fast?"

E - *blank look*


Junior - *stirs and lets out a big juicy fart*

Thankful

Totally unrelated picture of Junior right before bath time (check out that Buddha belly!)

Things I am thankful for today:

1. Sam's relative good health considering he was mauled by a runaway dog today (le sigh). Apparently he got chomped on the neck while I was out running an errand and E was taking the dogs on a walk. It doesn't seem serious but we are getting it checked out by the vet tomorrow. I will happily spend money on my dog's well-being, especially because their lives have been pretty crazy the past few weeks too.

2. The Ergobaby carrier - this thing is amazing and pretty much the only place Junior will nap during the day. He doesn't seem fond of naps regardless, but as long as he is fed, burped, and changed, he will pass out in this thing for hours. I hope I'm building shoulder muscles.

3. This freakishly warm and snowless winter. It was 45 degrees today and sunny! I even ventured out in public! I'm starting to feel like a real human again! Exclamation point.

4. The end of my first week at home by myself. I did it! While some of the nights were brutal (thanks for keeping me up from 3-5 last night JR), we're getting into a groove during the daytime and I'm getting 6-7 hours of much-needed albeit broken sleep throughout the night. It took me a while to learn that you're not the worst parent in the world if your kid cries for 2 minutes while you go to the bathroom/stuff your face/run and get something to clean up his spit up.

5. Cheap Gerber "cloth diapers" really do make awesome burp cloths and for this I am glad.

6. The Rachael Ray show, Ellen, and the Pandora app on my iPhone. Oh, and the Baby Connect app. How else would I obsessively be able to track his every move?

7. Short term disability checks. Hell to the yeah!

8. Being able to spend time with Jr and watching him grow a little fatter everyday. This weekend he will be one month old! Amazing. I'm not ready to venture out in public with him yet but I definitely feel like I know a little more about this whole, "how to raise a child" thing. 

9. Spending some glorious time shopping tomorrow (Target, TJ Maxx, and probably groceries). I am too excited for this.

10. The camera on my phone. I love being able to take pictures at any time of day. It already seems like so long ago when we brought him home from the hospital, set his carseat on the floor, and thought "well, what now?" :). Plus I have some great incriminating videos for when he's a teenager.

11. My husband. From making me sandwiches during our first week home to staying up with me in a show of solidarity (during the crazy period where we decided to camp out on the couch with Jr 24/7 and sleep when he slept), it's great to have someone to support you.  

Three Weeks

Dear Junior,

Today you are three weeks old. I can't believe how fast, and slow, this time is going. We are still figuring out your feedings and it has made the past few weeks incredibly hard. We're also not quite sure what to do with you after you've been fed, changed, and burped. It's pretty amazing how much bigger you seem now that you are in the real world though!

Your sleep is erratic but has been strangely plentiful today. Nighttimes are actually easier since you will eat and go right back to sleep after every few hours. We keep you in a bassinet/pack n play right next to my side of the bed so I don't have to move much to get you. My arms are puny though and it's going to take a lot more effort to pick you up once you start packing on the pounds. I can't wait for you to get head control though. It really is the little things. 

You are wide awake in the mornings and don't mind being changed. You eat, and then I pass you off to E so I can devour a huge bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter, almonds, banana, and white chocolate chips. With a glass of a milk. It is my favorite part of the day. You sit on E's lap usually and observe the world. This is his last week of paternity leave so I'm not sure what's going to happen next week, but I hope we find a good groove soon.

I think you are an easygoing baby so far and you only seem to cry when something's wrong. Yesterday we took you out on your first stroller walk with the dogs and you did not enjoy that one bit. Today we took you on a car ride to the bank and McDonald's and you also didn't seem to be a fan. You do enjoy the white noise app on my iPhone though, and the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD has been helpful in figuring out how to calm you down. 

We gave you your first real bath last night and you didn't seem to mind it, although I have a suspicion that you pooped in the tub. You barely cried though. As I write this, you are passed out next to me on the couch. You are so small and it's strange to think you won't remember any of this. You have a doctor appointment tomorrow and I hope you have put on enough weight by then since you only gained 3 ounces last week. I also hope you don't need a diaper change or pee all over the clipboard again (we were pretty impressed).

Here we are, and I can't believe that we're here. We love you more than words can say.