One of your favorite sleeping positions. We couldn’t swaddle you in the first month because you hated to have your arms down!
Well Starfish, I know that Mommy just wrote to you yesterday, but I have some catching up to do! You are already seven weeks old, so I am going to write your one-month letter today. Mommy can’t believe that in less than two weeks, you will be two months old. Your first month was a wild, but fun ride! Daddy may even have to contribute some of the memories for this letter, because it flew by so fast that Mommy isn’t sure we can remember everything!
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Your auntie Carolyn stole you as soon as you came home, and you promptly both fell asleep. Oh well, time for Mommy and Daddy to sleep too!
Your first week home from the hospital was just a big blur. We brought you home when you were four days old, and as soon as we walked in the door your auntie Carolyn ran over and stole you. She took you to the couch and put you on top of her, and both of you fell asleep. This month, you are so quiet and laid-back that you can sleep anywhere! You are probably trying to catch up on lost sleep… Mommy is pretty sure you spent the entire last three months inside her awake, trying to kick and beat your way out. Now it’s time for Mommy to catch up on some sleep, too!
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The house wasn’t very ready to receive you. When we went to the hospital to have you, the house was already a mess because Mommy had been so uncomfortable the last month. And after we brought you home, we really didn’t have time to clean because we were getting used to being parents for the first time! Even though you slept a LOT, you still took a lot of our time because we were constantly hanging over you. We would jump up when you made the slightest noise, and if you didn’t make any noise we would go over and check to make sure you were breathing. We’re okay with that though… a lot of people told us that most new parents are paranoid like that. And if you woke up, we were always right there putting you back to sleep. You probably could have gone back to sleep on your own, but we didn’t know you could do that yet.
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You did have a few bad nights this month, where you wouldn’t stay asleep for more than a couple of minutes. You would wake up and cry as soon as we set you down… Mommy thinks you were still trying to reverse your schedule to sleep at night instead of during the day. One night we let you cry in your cradle until you went to sleep… it only took about 15 minutes, but it was one of the hardest things we had ever done! A few minutes in, Mommy was crying right along with you and trying not to let you hear because we knew if you got too stressed out you wouldn’t be able to go to sleep on your own. You did go to sleep though, and since then we have been able to put you in your cradle still awake and you have only ever fussed for a few minutes before going to sleep all by yourself.
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Here’s one of the few pictures we have of you and your doggie. And yes… in the first few weeks, every time we showered, we took your cradle into the bathroom… we didn’t want to leave you alone!
You met your dog for the first time this month. Charlie was Mommy’s dog for the last three years, but Daddy says he is your dog now because every little boy should have a dog. Mommy does agree with that… but I think every KID should have a dog, boy or girl! Charlie did react pretty well to you joining our family… he was a little jealous at first and would not eat some days, but Daddy and Mommy tried to make sure that he still got lots of attention, and he got over it. Unfortunately Charlie isn’t the most kid-compatible dog. He is VERY good and very accepting of you and would never hurt a child, of course. But he is a snob… he will smell you whenever you come into the house, but other than that he ignores you. Daddy and Mommy think that Charlie just has no use for a baby because you can’t play with him or give him food yet.
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You in your cradle on your very first day home. Mommy keeps telling people you aren’t much bigger than you were at birth… but compared to you at 7 weeks, you really do look tiny here!
Your bed for now is a little cradle that Daddy slept in when he was a baby. Mommy made you some yellow and green bedding to fit the cradle and you look so cute in it. You spend a lot of time in it this month since you’re always sleeping… and when you aren’t in the cradle you’re usually in someone’s arms. We had a LOT of visitors this month! Your Oma and Grandpa came over the first day you were home and made us all supper (well Mommy made your supper) so that Daddy and Mommy could rest. And everyone else in your family has been visiting and bringing food over too. Mommy is really thankful, because we may not have had much to eat in those first few weeks if people hadn’t been so good to us.
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There have been a lot of firsts this first month. Mommy changed your diaper for the first time… Daddy did all the changes in the hospital because it was tough for Mommy to get up that often. We went on our first car trip without Daddy, because Mommy had to go and choose paper for wedding invitations. You were amazing… you slept the whole time we were driving and most of the time we were at the store. We had our first photo shoot when you were three weeks old, although you weren’t as amazing for that… you didn’t appreciate being moved around so much and you wouldn’t stay asleep! You also had your first taste of grown-up food… Daddy was eating pineapple and put a little juice on his finger and into your mouth. You didn’t like it at all… but Mommy thinks that will change eventually. Right now you’re just happy with milk and cuddling for your meals which is just fine with Mommy!
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Easter 2011 was your very first big holiday. We’re not sure you were ready for it though… you sure gave the Easter Bunny an angry glare! We’re pretty sure you’re thinking “WTF?”
You went to your first Big Family Gathering this month too. We had Easter dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Calliou’s place on Good Friday, and another Easter dinner at Oma and Grandpa’s. You got to see your new cousins, Jaiden on Daddy’s side of the family and Morgan on Mommy’s side. All of the grown-ups loved playing with the babies and comparing parenting notes. We think you’re cuter than either of them, but we might not be the most reliable judges since we’re so in love with you! We also celebrated Easter in our own little family by taking you to the mall and getting your first photo with the Easter Bunny. It was your first trip out to the mall, too – and you were so good. You were awake for a lot of it but aside from the angry glare you gave the Easter Bunny, you were in a pretty good mood! We can’t believe how short time seems… you barely made it here in time for Easter this year, and next year at this time you’ll be big enough to look for candy with your cousins!
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You are still learning about everything around you – I guess that will never stop. You started uncrossing your eyes in your second week, but you still can’t always keep them uncrossed. You can focus on things though, which I love because I’ve caught you staring at Mommy’s face a few times while you’re eating. You stare at things that are further away from you too, even though we know you can’t bring everything into focus yet. You love to lie on our laps when we use our computers and stare at the screen… we joke around that you are already learning to play WoW (World of Warcraft). You really just like to look at anything that lights up, but you do enjoy it most when we’re gaming because of the movement and bright colors that you see. You also stare at lamps, the ceiling fan, and windows whenever you have the chance. Everyone who meets you comments on how bright and alert you are, and we just know you’re going to be one smart boy!
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You asleep on Mommy… you loved to sleep here in your first few weeks, but now when Mommy tries to put you here you are too big and too talkative!
This first month was a hard one, mini-man, between Mommy’s scattered breakdowns and both of us recovering from your birth, and you having those few bad nights. But we got through it. You and Mommy, we had each other… and we both had Daddy helping us through. He was more helpful than you could imagine – he really helped Mommy, but he was helping you at the same time because you wouldn’t have come through your first month nearly so well if your mommy had gone insane! Zane, as you grow up, I want you to watch Daddy very carefully, because he is every bit the kind of husband and daddy that I hope you turn out to be. And I just hope that I am half the mommy that I want to be for you. ♥ We love you and we can’t wait to see what adventures the rest of your life brings!
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Your measurements at the end of this month:
- Height 23 inches
- Weight 11 lb 12 oz
