One month old already!

Everyone tells us to enjoy every moment because it goes so quickly. It sure does! I keep reminding myself of that.

Our little guy was one month old on Monday. We took him to his one-month check-up. One thing I wanted to ask about was if it was normal and OK that his umbilical cord stump had not yet fallen off. When I bathed and dressed him that morning it was still attached. When we got to the doctor's office and I undressed him I noticed it was just hanging. The doctor took a look at it and said it was fine and it would fall off soon. When we got home I changed his diaper and it was still there and when my husband did the next diaper change it fell off.

They did not tell us what percentile he is in for height or weight but he is now 12 pounds, 3 ounces, and 23.5 inches! He has gained over 3 pounds and 2.5 inches since birth! Everyone always says how big he is or how he doesn't even look like a newborn. They did not tell us his head circumference and I forgot to ask. From what I can tell online his height is 90th percentile and his weight is between 75 and 90.

I can't remember if I wrote this before but he started smiling around 2.5 weeks, those big smiles, not those little ones that people are say are just "gas." He gave his dad a huge grin somewhere around 2.5 weeks. And at 3.5 weeks he started sleeping through the night almost every night, approximately 5-6 hours, usually close to 6. It makes me very happy!

Getting ready for Christmas this year has been more challenging. I mailed his birth announcements on the 12th and just got the Christmas card pictures out this week. People probably think we're nuts sending all these pictures. He is gorgeous though and I want to show him off!

Things are going well.

We are settling into some sort of routine, my little man and I. One night he slept approximately 5 hours which was great, and another for approximately 4 hours, but mostly he sleeps 2-3 hours at a time and wakes up to eat in between. I deal with it better some days than others. If he eats, gets his diaper changed, and goes right back to sleep, it's fairly easy. But when he fusses and fusses and won't settle afterwards, it's hard to function. I am not one who does well on little sleep. I wind up just sleeping when he sleeps til about noon and then I stay up except for maybe a nap or two til sometime after midnight.

Yesterday I did not even get a shower until my husband got home from work. Last Tuesday and yesterday were definitely his fussiest days thus far. He is doing better today than yesterday. I feel so bad when he's fussy because I think it means something is wrong but what I do not know.

He is doing better with sleeping in his cosleeper bassinet. And on days he wants to be held my Moby wrap comes in handy. He stayed in it for quite awhile yesterday but then today he wanted no part of it. I haven't quite figured him out yet.

He is such a doll though and my husband continues to dote on him as well. He is really great. When I get exhausted and teary he is always there for me. I truly don't know how single moms do it. I totally need my husband's support and for him to take the baby some days when he gets home so I can have a little break.

Our portrait session went well last week. We have some adorable shots of him and a few family shots as well. I'm working on designing our Christmas picture card now at the same time as trying to get address labels ready for the mailing of the birth announcements.