Month One

I had planned for this next post to be about life as a new mom but time is flying and I feel like I need to record Jaxon's first month before his second month is over! Just like my pregnancy updates, I don't expect everyone to be interested in every little detail of his life and development but it's definitely something I want to have recorded for me to look back on. Try to bear with me through these updates :-)

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Jaxon,

At your one month doctor visit you weighed 11 pounds, 5.5 ounces and were still 22 inches long. Your weight is in the 75th-90th percentile for your age, which was kind of expected since you were a big baby at birth. Your length is in the 50th percentile so you're right on target with that but I think you'll end up being a tall man like your Daddy and Pop. Dr. Wood, your pediatrician, said you look great and chuckled when he saw your fat little tummy. Daddy and I were glad to know that you were gaining weight since you lost more than you should have right after you were born. We definitely don't have to worry about that anymore!

You're supposed to eat 2-4 ounces of milk at each feeding (when I pump) but sometimes you politely request demand 5 or even 6 ounces. Dr. Wood said to try to keep the amount closer to 4 but he's not here when you scream at the top of your lungs like you haven't been fed in days! You typically want to eat every 2-4 hours but sometimes it's closer to 1 1/2 hours after you nurse. When you have pumped milk you usually last 3-4 hours between feedings, which makes me wonder if you're getting enough when you nurse. We'll have to work on figuring that out.

You don't sleep for long periods during the night. Daddy and I will be glad when you get on a better schedule and hope this happens before I have to go back to work (which is something I'd really rather not think about right now!).

You sometimes enjoy hanging out in your bouncer but we think you might need a swing too. You really like when we hold you and either walk or swing you in our arms. Sometimes you like this a little too much and won't let us put you down for long stretches at a time so we're hoping the swing will do the trick and give us a little break. Not that we don't love holding you, but there are other things around the house that need to be done sometimes! When you decide you're okay sitting in your bouncer, you stare at the bright toys we have hanging from the top and if we move one of them from side to side, you'll track it with your eyes. Dr. Wood said not all babies do that at your age so we're proud that you can do this!

Sometimes when you're really upset and are screaming at the top of your lungs, the only thing that will calm you down is if Daddy holds you and goes stomping around the house singing made up songs to you at the top of his lungs. It's pretty funny to see you stop and stare at him when he acts so silly. You must be pretty special to him because he wouldn't act that way for just anyone!

We tried letting you have tummy time on a blanket like a nurse at the hospital told us to but you screeched until we picked you up. You do like lying on your stomach on our chests and you pick up your head and sometimes hold it up and look around for half a minute or more! You were actually holding up your head when you were a day old and you rolled over onto your side when you were about a week old. Again, we're proud of the progress you're already making and we really enjoy watching you learn.

Sometimes you enjoy pacifiers and sometimes you have no use for them (usually when you're hungry and are mad that you're not getting any milk out of them). Your favorite kind is the brand they gave you in the hospital (Avent Soothies). It's the same kind that's on the Wubbanubs. Daddy can never remember that name so he calls them your "wookynoobas," which got shortened to wooky. So now we call your pacifiers wookies instead of pacis or noonies :-)

We still call you the bug (shortened from lovebug), but now we also call you buggie, boogie, or bugaboo. We'll try to stop with these names by the time you're old enough to be embarrassed by them!

Here are a couple of the monthly pictures we'll be taking of you. I love the smart little tie stickers!

Daddy and I love you more every day and we can't wait to see what the next months and years hold for you. And now I'm crying thinking about how fast you're already growing! We want to cherish every single day and every stage of your life. We're so thankful that you're ours. SO so thankful.

I love you to the moon and back,

Mama