Caleb: month 1

Caleb,

A month (and two days) already! The time is flying by. Something I have to get used too as I get older it only goes faster. But I have spent this month soaking you in. The first week of your life I’m pretty sure you were held by mama or daddy at least 22 hours a day. We didn’t put you down and let you sleep on us. That sweet newborn-ness. Your big brother is fascinated by you – and asks “where is Caleb?” as soon as he gets home.

He likes to hold you…for about 10 seconds, then is off to his “things.” Soon enough baby man you will be into those things as well. At two weeks I took some newborn photos. It’s too cold to go outside, so I’m waiting to pay someone for family pics, I think I did a pretty good job.

It’s hard to think about you without the comparisons to what we remember of your brother. But you are your own person. You squeal and grunt where he squeaked. You are content to be held for large chunks of time, where he wanted constant stimulation. But just this week as you wake up more I see that need to move in you too.

You are the snuggly newborn I’ve dreamed about. I love that I spend half my days on the couch with you on my chest. I’ve been working some, but I can do most of that holding or wearing you. I’m slowly letting you nap somewhere other than on me. It’s good for us both, but oh how I love to hold you.

Nursing has been a little different. I forgot how hard it is for us to learn something new together. You had a tongue and lip tie that was clipped when you were three weeks old. That has made a huge difference in how often you latch on well. I still have to watch you, but it’s getting better. Just like your brother you are a snacker, nursing for 4-5 minutes then sometimes sleeping for a couple of hours. In the morning and evening you tend to do a cycle of several 4-5 minute stretches over a couple of hours. I have to relax into this rhythm. If I keep you on for longer than you want you just throw it all up. Once I can nurse in the carrier we will really be on the go.

You are awake some on our walks before crashing in the Moby wrap or Kinderpack. Now that it’s getting warmer some days I’m not worrying about the extra sweaters and just wrapping you up with a hat. I’m not sure how you feel about the hats. You don’t hate them, but they seem to work their way off your head. There have been quite a few afternoons and evenings spent at the playground. Sometimes in the stroller and sometimes carried while I run around. We were out just as much with Simon, but he went to “our things” you go to his.

Other than doctors appointments and the play ground we’ve taken you to dinner out. You have yet to brunch though and that needs to be taken care of soon! You had your first play date even if you did sleep through it. I love that one of Simon’s besties has a brother just 5 weeks older than you. I see a fabulous? frightening ? foursome in our future. I love these boys of mine.

Your newborn check at 2 days showed you were at your birth weight (6 lbs. 11 oz.) and at your 2 week check-up you had gained 1.5 pounds (8 lbs. 3 oz.). Because you were doing so well and we aren’t starting your vaccines until 2 months – that is how long I have to wait to get that next data point. The researcher in me has a hard time with this. But it’s great that you are doing so well. On our highly inaccurate to the ounce scale at home you are about 10 pounds now. Some of the newborn clothes are too small and I’m starting to rotate in the 0-3 month clothes. This seems significant somehow. (and I need to figure out a system to deal with clothing rotation – what comes next, what stays, what goes…) I got some newborn size cloth diaper covers when you were 3 weeks. These are fantastic, but you are already outgrowing them and starting to fit into the small size covers I have. Such a short time and I am getting ready to pass them on after only a couple of weeks. I also bought a pack of size 1 diapers after the third pack of newborns ran out. We are slowly working our way through it for overnights and when out all day.