Thursday, May 1, 2008

Harry Joseph, One Month Old




August 13, 2007 @ 10:34

I know there are a million “Mommy Blogs” that write monthly letters to their kids, but I think it is a sweet idea. Plus, writing is good for me. So, if you will indulge me, here is the first in a series. I’m sure this will be written with MANY interruptions, but that is life with newborn.

Dear Harry,

Today, you are 4 weeks old. As I type this you are snoring away on my chest in the Moby wrap. Things have changed quickly in the last 4 weeks. It is hard to imagine life without you now. You just started smiling your first real smiles in the last few days and you sometimes give us as much as 4 hours of consecutive sleep at night. Let’s keep that up, shall we? As far as babies go, you are fairly easy. The only things that upset you are being changed, being hungry and being put down. If we keep ahead of those things, you are easy to calm: just give you the boob and you are fine.

In fact, your penchant for nursing has given you the nickname of the “Booby Monster.” You get this Dr. Evil kind of look once you get going. We’ve had some setbacks: latch problems that left us both crying in frustration (and pain for me). You’ve had a couple of growth spurts that have meant that you have spent upwards of 12 hours a day feeding, which also drove me to distraction. I know we are due for another one, so I’m hoping my coping skills are better now, since I’m feeling a bit more confident in my parenting skills. Your feeding “patterns” (not that they are consistent) have been the only things that have really gotten to me. It’s kind of a “one step forward, two steps back” thing and I need to be more patient.

I just have to jump in here and say that I just put you in your bassinet and you immediately took an explosive poop in your sleep. You don’t like your bassinet or your crib or really anything except your parents’ bed, chest or your Moses basket to sleep in. I never thought I’d be co-sleeping with you, but it is the only way we all get some rest. When I put you down, it’s like a reflex. You automatically wake up. I’m hoping you take to your crib by the time I go back to work. Your Dad and I just invested in a Queen size bed so we can have some more room, because you certainly aren’t getting any smaller.

Your Daddy is about to leave us for a two week music camp gig and my mom (Mimi to you) is coming to help me cope with you. Daddy is sad to miss two weeks of your development. As you have gotten bigger, he has gotten more comfortable with you. He’s never spent much time around a newborn and doesn’t know what to do with a floppy, squirmy baby. He’s learning and I know he can’t wait to really be able to play with you, once you are more interactive. I know he is struggling with your screamy, wiggly diaper changes.

Speaking of diapers, why is it that you have to poop on every outfit that I like? Is this your method of expressing opinions? There are two outfits in particular that are really cute that ALWAYS induce a blow out. It’s too often to be a coincidence.

We have made a point to get out with you at least once a day. There have been a few days where I haven’t made it out and those were long days. I need to feel like a human being and not a milk machine. You are very portable, though. You’ve had a couple of meltdowns at the store, but I just picked you up out of the car seat and you were fine. We’ve gotten to the point that we just go, regardless of the time. If we need to change you, we change you. If we need to feed you, we feed you. In fact, we even ate out at Kelly’s Roast Beef and felt like real parents. You cried as soon as the food came, so we ate in shifts and then fed you in the car. You then proceeded to completely blow out your diaper, necessitating a diaper and outfit change in the car. I think we did pretty well with that. You have started to train us already.

Mostly, we are just amazed by you. You look like both of us and many members of the family. You are very sweet and snugly and also very strong, already trying to hold up your head so you don’t miss anything. You have long periods of being awake and calm, which (when we aren’t exhausted) are great to see. Nobody tells you what to do with a baby who is awake and not crying. What a cool problem to have! We can’t wait to see what the next four weeks bring. You’ll have your first trip to the Performance Library and meet lots of cool people, but let’s not let rush things. I want to savor these wonderful, scary, exhausting, frustrating, exciting days. Don’t grow up too fast, ok?

Love,

Mommy

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