Brooks is 1 Month Old!

Brooks is 1 month!

WOW! Where did that month go?!? I can't believe I'm saying that because some days felt like they lasted forever, especially that first week when Brooks was eating around the clock with no regard for his mother's need for sleep! :) But really, the month has flown by...and we are falling more and more in love with our little man every day.

Brooks is a very sweet baby who LOVES to cuddle. When he is in a mad or feisty mood, he can easily be lulled into sleep by lounging in a loving adult's arms. We love that about him, though we hope we are not establishing bad habits! He, like his sister, has decided not to nurse. He was terrible at sucking, which we didn't realize until he had lost quite a bit of weight. So we quickly switched to bottles to ensure that he would be getting enough milk. Now he is eating like a champ, growing like a weed, and I'm pumping like a cow...AGAIN! But I'm happy to do whatever it takes to get lots of good breast milk into him! My supply isn't quite what it was with Kylie, so he is also getting about 5 ounces of formula each day. I'm hoping that he can soon be exclusively on breast milk, but if that doesn't happen, I'm okay with that. As long as he is healthy and growing! He is a mostly happy baby, but will definitely let us know when he isn't completely comfortable or happy...Usually when he cries, he is saying, "Feed me, NOW!" After he is full, he is happy again for an hour or two! We are attempting to get him on a schedule, but it is clear that his need to eat overrides all other needs including sleep! :) He is eating every 2.5-3 hours during the day, and every 2.5-4 hours during the night. The biggest problem during the night, is that he sometimes wants to stay up after he has eaten, which means I'm up for an hour or more in the middle of the night. I'm trying to teach him that night time is for sleeping...He gets it sometimes...But it's a slow process. He is still sleeping in our room, but we are hoping to move him into his room within the next few days. He's a SUPER loud sleeper, with lots of grunts, squeals and squeaks! It's cute until 4:00am! :) Ok, obviously, sleep is on my sleep-deprived mind! Don't worry...I know it's just a phase!

Brooks and I hanging out in the middle of the night.

As far as Brooks' milestones this month...He is wearing newborn clothes and diapers, though I think he will move up within the next week or two. I have no idea what he weighs, but I think he is in the 8 pound range. He eats about 20-24 ounces of milk/formula eat day. He's really good at the pacifier. He clearly likes to suck, but I wonder if he will stick to the pacifier or graduate to his thumb? We shall see! He is learning to lift his head by doing tummy time on a daily basis. Right now he can lift it for short periods of time, and turn it side to side. Lastly, I think he is starting to be able to really see things. It seems like he is trying to focus on faces and movement when we are holding him.

We love our little guy so much, and we are looking forward to watching him continue to grow and develop in the coming days, months, and years!