Has it really been a month already?

Hello everyone!

I can't believe it's already been a month since our little guy was born. It's amazing how much he's grown and changed. He has such a personality and is jus the sweetest little thing. Here's some things that have happened/changed in the month since he was born:

1 - Sleep patterns - Currently he's gone 7 nights in a row and slept the whole night through. He's gone to bed between 11 and 12am and slept until between 6 and 7am. It's been very helpful for this tired mommy. HOWEVER...the boy is a total cat napper. He barely ever naps for more than an hour during the day and he is more likely to sleep on our walks or in the car than he is anywhere at home. He doesn't really nap in his bassinet or crib...anytime you lay him down in our room, his eyes pop open as if he's just seen Santa Claus. He'll sleep sometimes in his swing or in his papasan chair and a lot on my chest, but not very much anywhere else! I'm just lucky he's sleeping at night!

2 - Feeding - He's feeding about 8 times a day...sometimes we can make it every 2 1/2 hours, but sometimes we can't even make it 1 1/2 hours. This is the only time he really cries is when he's really really hungry. He's currently taking 3 bottles a day with 1/2 breastmilk and 1/2 formula. The rest is all bewbies! It's been hard on me, but getting easier by the day. For as much as I've complained about feeding him by breast, I don't really like feeding him by bottle. He'll take it either way...anyway he can get it!

3 - Things Jackson likes: baths (yesterday, he didn't cry until we took him out of his very first real bath), cuddling (he's a total cuddle buddy), looking around (he is the most alert baby I've ever met), fresh air (this helps him fall asleep when we sit outside in the garage at night), walks (he loves the motion of the ride), car rides (he LOVES his carseat), throwing up on mommy (he only does it on himself or on me), pooping (he makes the biggest explosive sounds I have ever heard come out of a baby....I'm hoping to catch it on video one of these days), sticking my tongue out, and of course eating and sleeping.

4 - Things Jackson doesn't really like: being laid in his crib for a nap, burping (this kid maybe gassy, but he doesn't burp much), being hungry, daddy being away during the week (this has been hard on all of us!), napping for longer than an hour (he doesn't want to miss anything), wearing hats, having his eyes covered (he gets very fussy when he can't see!), broccoli (when I eat it, he gets very fussy soon after), and when mommy finds a new tickle spot.

5 - Body growth - He's already gained 2 lbs since his first week and we have another doctor's appointment on Monday. He's also grown about a full inch! He's a very long and muscular baby. His face has really filled out and he almost doesn't look like the same baby. Jackson also doesn't fit in his newborn clothes anymore...just too big! He's also pretty good at holding up his head when he's on our chests or laying on the floor...around 20 seconds. He can also scoot and turn himself around when we have him on his back on the floor or in his crib. We're afraid he'll be crawling soon! He also can stand flat footed when we hold him very gently. Our little man is very strong and growing by the minute. We're just so proud of him! He hasn't really smiled yet when we do something silly, but he smiles a lot when he sleeps and eats, so we're hoping he starts to smile at us very soon!

As for Justin and I....we're doing great! It's been wonderful having help almost the entire time since Jackson's arrival. I'm starting to feel more capable of taking care of him by myself and managing all of the responsibilities. I think I may be ready to take on motherhood without help...at least I THINK SO! Eventhough, he's sleeping through the night...I'm still pretty sleep deprived b/c he just won't nap. Everyone says to sleep when he sleeps...well, when he sleeps, we're usually in the car or on a walk! I'm hoping he'll get better at napping soon, but I won't want to take away anything from my sleep at night. As for my health, I'm healing up very well. I take a mile walk daily unless it's too hot here and it's raining/humid. I'm hoping to up my walks to twice a day and for a longer distance soon! I've already lost about 30 lbs of baby weight and so now I'm trying to work on that last 10 pounds around my middle. I really don't want to look like a pear forever :0) Well, gotta run...the little man is up and hungry...AGAIN! I hope the next month doesn't go by any faster....he's getting too big already! I will post pictures as soon as I get some on my new computer (thanks mom and dad for the early birthday gift :0)