One Month Old: Where Did My Newborn Go?

I can't believe my baby is one month old already! It has been so much fun watching this little guy grow and change everyday.

In just this past week, Jesse and I have been amazed at his transformation. I found myself asking "where did my newborn go?" Technically, Emerson is still a newborn, but he has grown from a sleepy baby to a more alert baby who is starting to show a little personality. Everyday he is fun to watch as he grows.

This month has been all about learning each other and learning our new roles. I now can differentiate his cries and I know he recognizes our voices. On my part, I am still learning how to mange my new lifestyle change. I want to go, go, go all the time, but I am learning that naps are necessary and I need to slow down. Jesse and I both agree that Emerson has made us super efficient with our time. We both work ten times harder and faster to accomplish things at home when he sleeps...and then we rest : )

 I was able to capture at least one sweet semi-smile.

Here is a breakdown of his activity this month:

Sleeping: The first few weeks Emerson slept a lot during the day and in very short, erratic spurts at
night. Now he seems to have flopped a bit. He consistently takes a nap, which range from 30 min-2 hours. We have started a bedtime routine to help him establish day sleep from night sleep. It may be a little early for him to understand "oh it is night, time to go to sleep" , but it seems to help and I know it will be helpful to him even more once he is a little older. He now sleeps in 2-4 hour stretches at night for the most part. He sleeps best in his car seat after a drive around town. Thankfully, I have not had to get up in the middle of the night and go for a drive to put him to sleep, but it is nice to know he will go to sleep that way if we get desperate for sleep.

The one consistent piece of advice I received was "sleep when the baby sleeps." Well that is all good in theory, but it is the hardest piece of advice to follow. When the sun is up, I am up and I want to get things done. No matter how tired I am, I don't realize it until it gets dark and then all I want to do is sleep. Needless to say, I am working on taking more naps.

Eating: This kid can eat! His cute chubby thighs confirm that : )

Although you couldn't tell it now, in the beginning feeding was hard and frustrating. I wanted to breast feed or at least give it a fair shot. Everyone told me to give it two weeks, which doesn't sound like a long time, but when your baby won't eat and his life depends on you feeding him, it can be stressful. Thankfully after a week of working hard at it, we figured it out and now he is an excellent eater.

Activity: This is still pretty limited, but we have "play" time everyday between feedings and naps. Play time includes tummy time, playing on the floor mat, sitting in his swing, singing, reading a book and bath time. Each of these activities only last about 15 min. I have noticed in the past week, he is more alert in between feedings and naps, which has been fun to watch him interact more. First thing in the morning after he eats, our "play" time is just talking to each other. This is when he likes to mimic my faces the most and I can get the most smiles out of him.

Doctor visit stats:

• Weight: 10 lbs 14 oz
• Height: 22.5 inches long
• Other: He had to get a shot at this visit, which I was not expecting. He did great though. He cried at first, but then went right to sleep.

 Likes, dislikes and other milestones:

• He does not like getting his diaper changed. It is only manageable of he is fed first. Although, I think once he has better control over his hands and legs, is won't be as bad. Half the time I think he just scares himself moving around.
• He is starting to like bath time. We have to heat up the room, keep a warm wash cloth on his belly and sometimes a pacifier in his mouth, but hey it works! 
• He really likes getting his legs and feet massaged with lotion after bath time.
• No longer in newborn clothes. Now wearing 0-3 mo. 
• We are also transitioning out of newborn diapers.
• He definitely laughed for the first time and gave me an ear-to-ear real smile.
• He has now started mimicking some of our facial expressions. He can smile if you start smiling at him and he tries to stick his tongue out. It's very funny to watch him move his mouth around trying.
• The first two weeks he never spit up, now he spits up more frequent...I guess he is learning to eat quicker and his stomach can't keep up.
• Tummy time is hit or miss, but for the most part he doesn't mind and his neck is becoming so strong, he can turn his head side-to-side.
• He loves looking at lights. I have to shield the little night light from his face during night time feedings or else we will wake up completely and just want to stare at the light instead of eating. 

 Towards to end of the photo taking session.  

What a blessing this little guy has been in our lives! I am excited to see what new changes next month will bring.