Thursday, June 6, 2013

The One with the One Month Update

Liam Michael you are

One month old!


Hard to believe you have been in our lives for a whole month, although most days it is impossible to imagine a day when you weren't a part of this family. 

My hope is to do monthly updates to document your growth, milestones and exciting events, kind of like what Mommy did during her pregnancy. 

What are your stats and what does the doctor say?
At your doctor's appointment on May 29th (when you were 24 days old) you weighed 10 pounds, 4 ounces and were 20.5 inches long.  Dr. G said you are perfect in every way!  Your heart and lungs sound great and he was impressed with your eye contact and neck strength.  We talked about your eating and sleeping habits (more on that in a bit) and he thought you were a pretty chill and relaxed baby.  You still have blue eyes and blonde hair and look exactly like Daddy.

What are you eating?
You are eating 6 to 7 four-ounce bottles of Similac Advance formula a day and you usually have 1 two-ounce bottle after your bath before you go to sleep. 

When do you sleep?
You are a champion sleeper!  You are sleeping 6 to 7 hours a night which makes Mommy and Daddy very happy parents!  You usually wake up around 5ish, have a bottle and go back to sleep until 8 or 8:30.  You eat again and then are typically awake (with maybe a quick nap or two) until you eat again at 11ish.  After that, you usually take your long nap of the day from 11:30-2:30.  Then it's another bottle and some more awake time until another bottle around 5ish.  You are usually hungry again by 7:30 so we eat and hang out for a bit.  Obviously, this isn't an exact routine and some days you eat every 2 to 2 1/2 hours depending on how hungry you are.

What do your routines look like?
Starting right around your three-week birthday, we started giving you a bath every night.  Mommy is convinced this and our new bedtime routine (along with the keep-you-fuller-for-longer formula) is what helped you start sleeping for such a long stretch at night.  Around 8:30, we start our routine with a bath in your whale tub.  You weren't a big fan at first, but now you love it!  Then you get a massage with baby lotion and put on your pjs and swaddle blanket.  You drink a two-ounce bottle and we read a story in your room.  Then we move into Mommy and Daddy's room and you go to sleep in the Rock 'n Play.  Sometimes it takes you a little while to put yourself to sleep and Mommy often has to go back in to put your pacifier back in your mouth (on the nights you use it), but you are typically asleep by 10ish.


What size clothes are you wearing?
You are wearing 0-3 month and 3 month clothes and quickly outgrew any newborn clothes we owned.  You have a ton of clothes so Mommy is having fun playing dress up with you!

What are some things you love?
You love to eat and sleep (what baby doesn't?!).  You also love your playmat and walks in your stroller.  You like taking rides in the car (unless you get hungry) and you like to be held.  You enjoy when Mommy wears you in the Moby.  You love your baths and love listening to songs and music.  You like to be swaddled, but only at night.  You are also a gripe water addict and really appreciate a dose when you get the hiccups.

What are some things you don't love?
You are not a fan of being too hot (and you are super hot-blooded!) and you don't like it when someone takes your bottle away, even if it's just to burp you.  You get pretty cranky when you don't get to eat right away and sometimes you put up a stink if the diaper changing process takes too long.

What can you do?
You are responding to Mommy and Daddy's voices by turning your head.  You have given us a few social smiles, although sometimes I am not sure if they are really in reaction to us or just random.  You lift and turn your head when we put you on your tummy.  You grasp onto things when we place them in your hands.  You use your legs to help you crawl up the chest of anyone who is holding you.  You are such a boy and make tons of grunting and groaning noises all the time.  You love to stretch, especially when you are waking up.

Where have you gone?
Oh Liam, you are going to be such a traveler by the time two months arrives!  We have a trip to Chicago planned in two weeks for Auntie Nic's wedding.  But until that big long trip, we have done lots of little short trips in the car to get you ready.  You have been to Target, Lowe's, Stop and Shop, Buy Buy Baby, Babies R Us, the doctor's office, and Mommy's school (you were a big hit with the kids and the grown-ups!).

Who has visited and watched you?
You have met tons of people since you arrived in the world.  Nana, Gramma, and Poppa all came to see you in the hospital, along with Auntie Julie and Mommy's friend, Suzanne.  You met Mommy's aunt and cousins shortly after you arrived.  You also met your great grandfather, along with Mommy's aunts and uncles.  Your Uncle Ric and cousin Larissa came to see you with Auntie Julie again (they live right down the road so we see them a lot!).  Nana has traveled from Connecticut to see you no less than 8 or 9 times since you were born!  She loves visiting with you and Mommy and Daddy even got to go see a movie last weekend while she babysat.  She has been a huge help.  Gramma also watched you for a while so Mommy could get her nails done.  The kids that Mommy used to nanny for came to visit you last weekend and you met another Liam (who kept calling you his brother!).  You saw everyone at Mommy's school this week and got to meet her students and co-workers.

What are some of your nicknames?
Liam Love, Doodlebug, Bubba, Mr. Man, Doodles, Bug...Mommy calls you something different every day and Daddy calls you his Pal or Buddy.

And here are some pictures from our photo shoot yesterday...


You are already getting so big and it is so amazing to watch you grow and change every day.

Mommy and Daddy (along with a whole lotta other people) love you so very much little boy.  We are having so much fun being your parents and are so happy you are our son.

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