For Samuel- Your 1st Month

Dear Samuel,

Today you are 1 month old.  What?!  I'm not sure where the last month of our lives went, but I know it involved hospitals, doctor's visits, family in from out of town, and lots of naps, cuddling and eating.

You started your 1st few days in the NICU, and when we were finally released to go home, we were all so excited!  Your Peepaw and Momo came to visit from Georgia while we were in the hospital.  Nana came to take care of Kristen, and all of us when we got home.  I don't know what we would have done without her here.  Uncle Matt, Aunt Jill, Caleb and Carson all came to visit too when you were 9 days old.  You slept through their whole visit.  :)  Granny and Papa came to visit during the week of Thanksgiving.  Our church family provided meals for us for a couple of weeks after you were born.  I am so thankful that they did, because we probably wouldn't have eaten otherwise.

Your sister is absolutely enraptured with you.  She reads with you and plays with you and asks to hold you all the time. All the noises you make (and you make a lot of them!) make her laugh.  You love her too, and will quiet down for her, or listen to her read and talk to you.

You are nursing every 2 1/2 hours, and it usually takes you about 30 minutes, but it has taken you as long as 1 hour.  Right now, you are sleeping from about 10:30-2:30, and then again until 6:30-7:00.  Mommy will take that sleep schedule at 4 weeks!  You are wearing newborn clothes, and some 0-3 month clothes.  You are about to make the shift to all 0-3 month clothes.  We also recently bought the last pack of newborn diapers that you'll wear.

 We go to the doctor in a couple days, so we'll find out how much you've grown then.  You're looking big to me. :)

You love to cuddle... you literally crawl all over mommy to get into a comfortable position.  You love your play mat, and have recently started intentionally hitting the little figures on it.  You are also fascinated with the Christmas tree.  I think you like the lights.  Your daddy and I think that we've seen a couple of real smiles in the past few days as well.  Your daddy gave you your 1st bottle yesterday, and you took it without hesitation.  You can track things with your eyes, and you recently discovered your tongue.  It's funny to watch you stick it out, and move it around in your mouth.  You are awesome at holding your head up- especially if someone is holding you and you're getting better at it during tummy time.  Although you like to cuddle, when you lay down to sleep, you like to sprawl out with your hands up beside your head.   No more swaddling for you.

You HATE for me to clean out your nose, but otherwise, you are a very happy and content baby.  You wake up to eat every 2 1/2 hours like clockwork, and after you eat, you play for about 30 minutes, and then you're ready to nap again.

I am amazed at how fast you're growing and changing.  I've cried almost every time you've done something new because I'm sad at how quickly this time is going, but I'm also excited about the new stages.