Ward: One Month Old

So, technically my (not-so) little peanut is almost 1 month + 3 weeks old at this point (how has it already been a month + 3 weeks?!).  I've been working on this post for almost a month now and can't eve seem to get very far before one of my three angels needs something from me.  Never fails.  :-)  Anyway, here we go, before it's time to write a 2-month post...

Official One-Month Stats:  

Height:  22 + 1/8 inches (77%)

Weight:  11 lbs 5 oz (85%)

Head:  15 + 1/8 inches (83%)

Weight to Length:  75th percentile

Sleep:  Sleeping  patterns have really varied (as they do with any newborn), but for the past week or so Ward has been giving us some pretty good stretches between feedings and getting up once overnight.  For the past week anyway, he'll usually go down sometime between 10-12, wake up some time between 2-4 to eat, and then go back down until sometime between 7-9.  He did give me one 7-hour stretch earlier in the week, which I have been hesitant to speak of for fear of jinxing but it was much needed and I'm thankful.  He sleeps a good amount during the day as well and is really only ever up for an hour or an hour and a half at a time.  At night, Ward sleeps in his crib, swaddled.  During the day he usually sleeps wherever he is at the moment, whether it be car seat, play mat, pillow, my chest, etc. but I try to get him in his bed at least once during the day.  He seems to really enjoy sleeping on his stomach as well, so I'll be interested to see if he becomes a stomach sleeper like my older two were for a while!

He has the Eaker chicken legs, for sure!  Big sister had those too for about 30 seconds.

Feeding:  Champion status (clearly, based on the above stats).  Ward was induced pretty early so I worried a little that nursing may take some work (like it did with big sister), but fortunately from day one his latch has been great and he hasn't looked back.  I am very lucky, for sure.  He is eating every 2-3 hours during the day, cluster feeding during the evenings from around 5 to whenever he goes to sleep, and then waking up usually once per night (at least for the past week).  We have given him a bottle one time and he took it without any issue (granted, we used the boob-shaped bottles that we bought for Craft, because they were so expensive we figured we may as well get our money's worth), so let's hope it continues!

As an aside, I was thinking today that it's hard to believe that there were only 7 months between nursing Craft and Ward!  It seems like forever ago that I was nursing Craft, when in reality he stopped around his first birthday in February because my supply suddnely dropped significantly (Also hilarious that I thought the supply decrease was due to C eating more solids and stress at work, but it turns out I was pregnant, which literally never once crossed my mind.  Whoops!).  Craft seems like such a big boy in so many ways these days that it's hard to remember that it wasn't too long ago that he was a baby. Time slow down, for all of my babies!

Firsts This Month:  I can't really think of anything to put here, other than things like first visit to the hospital (for the bilirubin incident), first "well visit" to the doctor, first outings with mama (to and from school with the big kids, to the mall and grocery store, etc.), and first time meeting family and friends, etc.  Oh!  Ward also voted for the first time this month and went to a Bluegrass Festival (see below)!

Developments:  Ward has excellent head control. He was holding his little head up on the day he was born, and he's spent the past month improving that skill.  He's getting pretty good at it!  Still some wobbles of course, but it makes me laugh when he's laying on my chest and picks that head up and turns it all around.  Ward has also discovered that he has hands just a couple of times, mainly when he's laying on my chest and wanting to nurse and will latch onto anything in his line of sight.  

Likes:  Eating (he likes this a LOT!). Sleeping.  Cuddles (y'all know I LOVE this.).  Ceiling fans.  Being outside.  Baths.  Walks.  Shopping/errand running/hanging out with his mama.  Swinging.  The bouncer (only when it's vibrating!).

Dislikes:  Being cold.  Being hungry.  Gas pains.  Diaper changes.  Hiccups.

What I'm Thankful For:  Our village.  Whoever came up with the concept of "it takes a village" was maybe the smartest person ever.  We have had to rely on ours a lot with three littles ages 3 and under, and I have never been more thankful to have such wonderful friends and family!  My in-laws and my parents both have dropped what they were doing several times in the past month to come help out and I cannot appropriately put my gratitude into words.  So many friends have brought meals and come over for baby snuggles, and we are so appreciative!  I am also so thankful for my sweet husband.  It certainly is not rainbows and daisies all the time, but he has once again stepped up and taken on lots of extra responsibilities, especially around the house and with the older two, so that I can tend to the baby when needed.  I know for a fact that I don't tell him nearly often enough how much I appreciate him!

What I'm Looking Forward To:  The Holidays!  The October - December time frame is, I think, my favorite time of year.  I know that Ward obviously won't "get it" this year, but I'm excited for him to experience it anyway and looking forward to enjoying Lilly's and Crafts' excitement, too.

Next Pediatrician Appointment:  Wednesday, November 11th for Ward's 2-month well check.

I'll end the post with a few of my favorite photos from month one:

LOVE this gown by Candy Kirby Designs

Dan:  Look!  A baby unicorn!  (Fool.)

Getting some snuggles from big sister

Why does L look like she's 7 here?!

Family outing to the IBMA Bluegrass Festival downtown

Sweet snuggles from Bubby!

Happy one month birthday, sweet boy.  You have completed our family in a way I never thought was possible, and I'm so glad I get to be your mama.  I love you to the moon and back!