One Month

Health: R is somewhere in the range of 8.5-9lbs. He is a pretty good eater & can usually down a 4 ounce bottle at his feedings. Sometimes he likes to snack & will only eat 2 ounces which just makes him hungry again sooner. So... I'm not a huge fan of his snacking, but I'm certainly not going to force him to eat more than he wants/needs.

The sensitive formula really seems to be working! He is much less fussy & gassy. His new formula has definitely changed his poop habits though. He's averaging 1-2 super smelly dirty diapers each day. He also really enjoys peeing on me, himself, the changing table, the floor, the wall, & whatever else happens to be in range. 

He does have a pretty bad case of baby acne. J & I tell him that it's just a preview of what his teen years will be like. (J & I both had pretty bad acne as teens.) and, I think mayyyybe he's starting to get cradle cap? But I hope not. 

Sleep: R still sleeps great at night & only wakes up once or twice each night. His day naps are still sporadic, but he averages about 15-16 hours of sleep each day. I'm debating on starting to implement a schedule now that he's a month old. This is the last month I'll be home with him, so I either need to start doing sleep training or just let him dictate his sleep schedule to anyone who takes care of him. (Time to sh!t or get off the pot...) If I do start sleep training, I'll probably use some aspects of Babywise, but I don't love the cry it out aspect of that method. We've spent the first month trying to follow the sleep/eat/wake cycle as best we can, but haven't adhered to any sort of daily schedule (except trying to put him to bed at 7-8). So, I guess we'll see if sleep training actually happens....

Activities: We're doing pretty much the same things we've been doing in the last few posts... He likes to be held & talked to. In the last few days, though, the boy has really developed a love for his playmat! He'll lie there and swat at all of his hanging toys. He's really developing some serious hand/eye coordination! Baby R doesn't love tummy time, but he's going to have to suffer through it just like all the other babies. I try to give him a variety of tummy time by putting him on my chest or carrying him super-hero style to help him strengthen his neck muscles without being miserable.

We've started venturing out a bit more too. We went to J's parents church for a missions conference last weekend & Baby R was my date to a wedding yesterday. And, of course, Baby R loves visiting his Mimsy & Pops. Other than that, we tend to be homebodies. Between his eating/napping  schedule (which varies every single day), my pumping schedule, and the 2+ hours it takes for is to get out the door it's just easier to stay home.

Gear: Baby Mat, Dr. Brown's Bottles, Aden + Anais Swaddle Blankets, Baby Gowns, Rock n Play Sleeper

Mom & Dad: J continues to blow me away being such a great daddy. I can really tell how much Baby R is starting to bond with him. In fact, today J walked past us & Baby R actually followed him with his eyes. I've never seen him do that before! J is definitely pulling more than his fair share of work around here (which honestly I sometimes feel a little guilty about that). He's now our only source of income (not including the little bit of money we've been able to put aside for this) plus he has been taking at least one night time feeding, & helps me around the house too! Baby R & I are so lucky to have such a great husband & daddy. 

I'm doing a million times better than the first few weeks. Baby Blues are only a memory. In fact, I'm so much less stressed now than I was before Baby R got here. Sometimes it takes effort to actively not worry about money, but honestly it's truly been (& will continue to be) a season of trusting The Lord. Now, when I start to feel anxious about money or the baby I just have to remind myself that The Lord has always provided & protected before & He is more than deserving of my trust. It's difficult for this control freak to surrender control, but that's something I really need to learn to do. So I'm trying. It's not easy, but I'm trying. Not having to fight the post partum hormones definitely helps though. :)

I'm still pumping & made it to my first goal of one month of being able to feed Baby R. Granted, he's eating way more formula than breast milk... But I'm able to produce at least 1 big bottle (or 2-3 snack size bottles) for him each day. And some breast milk is better than none, amiright? I have noticed that my supply has taken a nose dive now that I'm pumping less often, but that's to be expected. Honestly, I don't know that I'll be able to pump too much once I return to work. (They will provide me with a space & they have no problem letting me slip away for 15-20 minutes every so often to pump, but I don't know how often I'll actually be able to do that because my job can be kind of time consuming.) 

Thoughts: I am so in love! And so, so thankful that I get to be Baby R's mom. Seriously, each day is the best day ever! I'm so sad that my leave is halfway over now. Baby R has grown so much in the part month, I almost don't recognize the baby in the pictures from the hospital. He's seriously a dream come true & the answer to a million prayers! I love him so much that sometimes my heart feels like it's going to burst!