Jack turned one month old today. Sometimes it seems unbelievable to think that it has already been a whole month since he joined our family now; and other times (like in the middle of the night when I am up for yet another feeding), it doesn't seem that hard to believe. What is most striking for me is how much he has changed in that span of time -- his cheeks are filling out and he has become so much more alert and aware of his surroundings.
We have been using some of our "baby equipment" around the house to see which things Jack prefers to use. He really isn't too fond of the swing (the girls weren't either), but he will often sit in his bouncy seat for an extended period of time. Of course, he is usually belted in; we were just trying it out for the first time in the following photo:
Jack will also lay propped up in the boppy pillow. This is put to use quite a bit after a feeding if I am worried that he didn't get all of his bubbles out.
Jack will also lay on his activity mat for a little while if he is fat and full from a good feeding. While he doesn't have great focus yet ... his big sister is always right there, encouraging him to play with his toys.
Jack loves his car seat (and I am grateful for that!). Even if he is a little fussy when I put him in there, he settles down almost instantaneously once we begin to pull out of the driveway. He rarely makes a peep while we are out and about, driving around.
At his one month doctor's appointment, Jack weighed 9 lbs. 1 oz (40th percentile) and measured 20 3/4" (40th percentile). I am still questioning his length measurement because the method that the doctor's office uses is not very accurate and I am SURE that he has grown in length since he was born. Regardless, I am highly encouraged because he gained 1 3/4 lbs in three weeks! He is such a good eater!
Jack started smiling about a week ago. At first, I noticed his smiles when he was dreaming or when he had gas, but now the smiles are more frequent and he does them upon recognition of a particular face or voice. I love it!
We are still working on him sleeping at night. I begin his nightly routine around 9 pm, beginning with a bath. Then, he gets his pajamas on and eats before falling into a nice deep sleep. He is usually in bed by 10 pm. He will sleep for about 4 hours and then he will be up every 2 hours after that. (It is that stretch of time from 2 am to 6 am that I am struggling with). Hopefully, we can eliminate one of those feedings soon!
Jack is such an easy-going baby. He really only cries when he is hungry and he goes from not being hungry to voracious in about 15 seconds! We make sure that he gets a good nap in the morning and the afternoon and then try to keep him a little more awake in the evening (so that he will sleep better at night). When he is napping during the day, we hang a STOP sign on the bedroom door to remind the girls (mostly Sophia) not to enter the room. This is the same STOP sign that Sam and I made together when Sophia was a baby!
It has been a great month for us. Admittedly, the transition from a family of four to a family of five has been easier than I imagined. The girls are over-the-moon in love with their brother ...
... and are excellent helpers. They fetch anything that I ask for (another blanket, a diaper, etc) and tell me immediately if they hear Jack crying. They do not exhibit even the slightest bit of jealousy and have accepted the fact that I am able to still do the same things for them -- it just might take me a little bit longer if I am feeding Jack.
Here's to another great month of growing!
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