Well, I blinked and suddenly I have a one month old.
So, the obligatory post about my beautiful son's first month begins now.
In no way did Liam's first month go by slowly. I have loved every minute of being his mama, but by no means has it all been easy. The past month has been a roller-coaster of emotions for me, but I have learned from it.
Here are a few things I have learned in my first month as a mama:
1.
You don’t know fear
until you are sleeping next to your newborn for the first time. Even after a
month, I still wake up in the middle of the night to check and make sure he is still
breathing.
2.
If you are going
to eat, do it immediately after baby
falls asleep. I swear Liam has a sixth
sense and the second I am about to sit down and eat, he thinks he needs to eat.
3.
You can’t take too many pictures. There were many
times during Liam’s first month when I would find myself starring at him and
crying because I want him to stay little.
Taking hundreds of pictures a day is how I cope with that. Since we are on the subject, here's a picture:
1.
People told me that my relationship with my
husband will become non-existent once the baby is here. If anything, I
feel like my relationship with Chris is stronger than it has ever been.
Watching him be a father has made me fall even more in love with him - I didn't
think that was even possible. So many nights are filled with just Chris
and I sitting on the couch or laying in bed just looking at Liam. Having
a baby is way more fun than people tell you. We have often asked ourselves
"what did we even do before Liam got here?"
2.
I do laundry constantly. I learned quickly
that even though the loads are small, there will be dirty laundry every day, so
I am going to need to do laundry every day. Because I learned this
quickly, I have been able to keep up with laundry. We will see how that
goes once I am back to work.
3.
I am obsessed with skin to skin. A
majority of my day is spent either on the couch or sitting in the recliner with
Liam either nursing, napping, or just talking to each other (Liam has started
to follow and make noises).
4.
I surprisingly look forward to going to the pediatrician.
It is so fun and rewarding to get an update on his progress. Liam was
born weighing 8lb 1oz and he left the hospital weighing 7lb 9oz. At his
one week appointment he was up to 8lb 7oz and by his second week appointment he
was 9lb 4oz. There is nothing more rewarding than watching your baby gain
weight and know that it is all because of you.
Chris and I have said over and over that Liam has made this whole parenting thing very easy on us (even though we technically have nothing to compare him to). Since we brought him home, Liam has slept through the night (other than waking every 2-3 hours to eat). I thank God everyday for the rest I have been able to get. I also thank God for my wonderful husband who has been more supportive and helpful than I ever could have imagined. I am constantly asking him to bring me water, hand me my phone, turn the TV up, or cut me up an apple, and he does it without hesitation (it sucks when you forget your phone half way across the room when you are nursing). Liam and I are so blessed to have Chris as the head of our household.
Liam has continued to amaze us with his personality, size, and ability to make us happier than we ever could have imagined.
SleepLiam does pretty well at night. He is still sleeping in our bedroom in his rock-n-play, but takes naps in his crib during the day (or on mama). From day one, we starting teaching him the difference between night and day by making sure the house was quiet, the lights were off when the sun went down and using only night lights at night. Oh, and Liam HATES being swaddled. He prefers to sleep like so:
Eating
Liam has been an excellent eater from the beginning. He first latched when I was in the recovery room after my C-Section and has only gotten better. He eats about every 1-2 hours during the day and every 2-3 hours at night. At one month old, Liam is eating about 3-5oz at each feeding. His mammoth-sized appetite probably has something to do with his size…
Birth Weight: 8 lbs 1oz
1 Month Weight: 12lbs 4oz
Birth Length: 22 inches
1 Month Length: 23 inches
Birth Diaper Size: Newborn
1 Month Diaper Size: 1
Birth Clothes Size: Newborn
Birth Clothes Size: 0-3 Month
Favorites
Being held by mama and daddy | Falling asleep on daddy’s chest | Looking at ceiling fans & bright lights | Chillin in the swing or newborn lounger | Going on walks and car rides | Baths (NOT sponge baths though) | Stretching while sleeping | Morning time
Least Favorites
Diaper changes at night | Tummy time after 1 minute & 12 seconds | Cold bottles | Having to wait for mama to unhook her bra to nurse | Being passed from person to person too quickly
Firsts/Milestones
03.30.15 Received first mail (this was a tough one for mama)
03.31.15 First walk outside
04.07.15 Lost belly button stump
04.09.15 First Real Bath
04.19.15 Dedication to the Lord
04.20.15 Slept for 5 hours straight (10:30pm-3:30am)
We are all aware of the stigma or have heard someone say, "once you have a baby, your life ends." In no way do I feel like my life has ended, but it has definitely changed - and for the better. God always knows <3
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
