James - 1 Month

James, you are 1 month old! I can't believe it's been a month since I first laid eyes on you, and yet it also seems like you've been around much longer!

You weigh about 13.5 lbs. I'm not sure of your height, but we'll find out when we see the doctor in a month. You are in size 1 diapers and 0-3 month clothes...newborn clothes were barely ever an option for you, but they're too small now. You are our baby beefcake!!

You're a very smiley baby! You smile a lot! A lot of people say babies this young don't socially smile, but you do...you smile on command a lot of the time. I've never seen a baby this young smile so much. You have a gorgeous grin and it makes us so happy to see it.

Just like your sister, you like to eat often (see: beefcake) and are nursing well. We've had some hiccups along the way, especially at first, but a visit to a lactation consultant helped a lot. You took your first bottle of pumped milk on Thanksgiving and did great!

Like most newborns, you sleep a lot these days! You're even giving us some longer stretches at night (5ish hours), which is soooo sweet of you! You usually take a long nap in the morning and in the afternoon, with lots of catnaps inbetween.

You are a very calm baby with a sweet disposition. You are a happy little thing for the most part. The only consistent exception is a fussy period every evening from roughly 9pm-midnight. We are almost positive this is related to gas. You grunt, squirm, and sometimes cry out in pain...poor baby! We've talked to your doctor about it and she thinks it's something that will approve with age and "gut maturity". Occasionally you'll have an episode in the early morning hours too. Your little toots are not so little...you can practically clear a room! Maybe it's a boy thing...oy!

Baths are very calming for you and you seem to enjoy them a lot! You just stare at whoever's bathing you with the sweetest eyes. 

You look a lot like your Daddy! We think your eyes are going to be brown like his. You seem to have my mouth though. You look so much like Claire! Both of you have the same distinct eye shape...wide almond shaped, just like Daddy. It's really fun thinking about what you will look like as you grow!

Speaking of big sister, Claire is quite taken with you! She has very been sweet and accepting of you since the day you were born. Many mornings when she comes out of her room, she wants to know where you are if you're not in the living room. She also sees to it that you're never without your paci! It's so neat seeing you together and I can't wait to watch you play together soon. 

James, we love you more than words can express! You fit so well into our little family and we are so proud you are ours! Having a baby during the holiday season is a special thing and we will forever treasure this sweet time with you.

Love,
Mama