True confession: I have realized I am just too selfish. I really like predictability. I really like feeling in control of the situation. And I realllllly like my sleep. These are all things that make this newborn stage a bit of a challenge at times. But in all honesty, I am so thankful that God is using our children to teach me to let these things go. Babies are not predictable, are not controllable and are sleep-deprivers (thanks Captain Obvious)!
And while this newborn stage is challenging at times, there are so many greater things for which I am incredibly grateful. Pictures explain why best of all, but I'll update you on what JD's been up to this past month too:
Jonathan is an awesome eater! I never thought I would be so happy about this, but after Caleb's feeding issues (namely reflux and aspirating which made for a very long 6 months of pumping, thickening his milk and doing everything we could to make him drink it), I couldn't be happier every time I sit down to nourish baby J. While I would never choose to go through what we did with Caleb, now that we are through that, I am thankful for the appreciation it has given me for nursing.
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| That face! |
Speaking of eating... Jonathan has gained over two and a half pounds since birth. At his one month check up, he weighed 11 pounds 13 ounces (compared to 9 lb 4 oz at birth).
We survived our first cold. Sadly, Caleb came down with it just one week after JD was born and inevitably passed it along to his baby brother shortly after. This made for a couple very long nights of snot sucking (if you're a parent and have not heard of the Nose Frida snot sucker, you need to check it out ASAP... you literally suck the snot out of the baby's nose with your mouth and a long tube! There's a filter to ensure you don't actually come into contact with the boogies though, so don't worry).
Sleeping is coming along. Jonathan will usually do one 3-4 hour stretch each night, which feels great after waking every 30 minutes those nights when his cold was at its worst. Thankfully he is a great sleeper during the day... he basically is awake for an hour at a time and then takes a long nap (between one and three hours). This lasts until about 7:00pm... at which point he is often awake until going to bed at 11:00ish. This was especially true weeks two-four. This fussy time is already subsiding though, so I can't complain.
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| My mom came back right before Thanksgiving and was once again "all-star Grammy & mom" |
Have a said that Tim is an amazing dad and husband yet?! Children definitely put a strain on a marriage (that's an entirely separate blog post), but they also create a bond like nothing else can. I have fallen even more in love with him these past five weeks as I've watched him pick up my slack around the house, immediately start playing with Caleb upon walking in the door after work, give JD a bottle at midnight so that I can go to bed at 9:00 and bounce a crying baby for two hours while I take a bath and enjoy a minute to myself.
Caleb is handling the transition as well as can be expected. He is so sweet with Jonathan... bringing his passy when he fusses, rocking his car seat when he cries, and bringing him toys throughout the day. He immediately looks for "baby" (that's what he calls JD) whenever he enters the room.
It's not all roses though... he has become significantly more fragile since his brother's birth. We have seem tantrums like never before (changing his diaper feels like world war three). AND, he has started pushing and hitting other kids! I was mortified at first! Our sweet and innocent little man is not so innocent anymore. I'm still bummed to see this new side come out, but I do know that it is very normal and that we need to continue showering him with love and affection as I am sure he's feeling a little unsettled with someone stealing so much attention. Plus Caleb is almost two, so that explains a lot.
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| I need to frame this one and look at it every time I'm frustrated during one of Caleb's fits |
He smiled a few days ago! I forgot how wonderful that feeling is when this little blob that we've kept alive for a month finally looks up and acknowledges our presence... what a gift!
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| He melts me! |
Jonathan is growing stronger each day. He actually rolled over three times at the docs office last week. He would lift his big head and as it fell to the side, his whole body would just roll with it. He seemed way more surprised than we were.
And lastly, the thing for which I am most grateful... the birth of the One that gives our little ones hope and a future, and for whom we celebrate:
