1 month

dear blaise,

how is it that you are one month old already? you've changed so much already and i can't believe it.
you've always had a really strong neck from day 1 - holding your head up and looking around and everyone and everything.
you are clearly chunking up quite nicely - at 3 weeks and 3 days old you were already 11lbs 12oz - that's a weight gain of almost 3 lbs in 3 weeks! i've had to put away all the newborn clothes and the 0-3 month clothing just fits and the 3 month clothing is waiting for you...

you have started smiling.

correction; you have started smiling at me. you smiled within a day or two of being born, but now you are looking at me and smiling these HUGE open mouth smiles that just melt me - even after being up from 4am and wanting to eat every hour. goodness.
you love your brothers and are so tolerant of their hand touching and in-your-face talking and i just know that you are going to look up to them in every way. it's only a matter of time before they are making you smile and giggle in ways that mommy and daddy probably won't be able to.

you have settled into a pattern of having a fairly fussy period at some point in the day and then having longer stretches of naps/sleeping. and when you're fussy, you.are.fussy. kid, you've got a set of lungs that just won't quit and you know what you want. which is usually da milks. but it's okay. it's only for a short time and apparently it's helping me shed some of this baby weight.

i adore your head of spiky hair. it tickles my neck as i hold you close and breathe you in. so soft and sweet.

you are a little grunter. i'm not always sure what it means, but you grunt.

sometimes when i look at you i see your oldest brother, noah. sometimes i see jude. but most times i see you. you are your own person, kiddo and i'm so glad you've come into our family.

we took you on vacation this week to jinja and it wasn't the most relaxing for us all to be in the same room, but we survived and you were pretty good at just chilling in someone's arms while we at our meals.

right now you're still in your little sleeping "box" {it's kinda like a moses basket} in between mommy and daddy but i have a feeling we'll be moving you to the pack 'n play bassinet very soon. we want our bed back! but also you're getting too long and big for the box and will soon outgrow it.

i had to re-introduce the swaddle and it did help you to sleep better as you had become a bit more spazzy with your arms. last night i even broke out the miracle blanket as you were cracking out of the receiving blanket i had swaddled you in.

blaise, you are adorable and i am so in love with you. you are surrounded by a family that loves you and is so happy you're here.
keep growing, little man!

love, mama

*see how blaise grows!