Cole | Month One

Cole Joseph | Month One

• You like to sit and cuddle, but you also really enjoy to wiggle.  You will wiggle down to find "good milk" on anyone who is holding you. You really enjoy sleeping on 'My BreastFriend' after I have fed you because you are close to me.  You are most certainly a Mama's Boy! 

• When you begin to get hungry, you start to squirm and make some noises but after a few minutes if we haven't picked you up you will start crying.  You give us time to get ready before you get really upset.  

•  You sleep 3-5 hours at night.  You typically go to bed between 10-11 PM and will sleep until 3-4 AM then wake again between 6-9 AM.  You are an excellent sleeper at night.  We make sure you are awake at 8 PM each night; you stay awake for a bit then you go to "bed" for the night which has worked well in setting a sleep schedule at night for you.  

• From day one, you have been a very good eater and got the hang of it rather quickly.  At four weeks old as recommended by the pediatrician, we introduced the bottle.  It took a little while for you to realize the bottle had milk in it.  You take a bottle better from everyone else but me because you would choose for me to nurse you rather than bottle feed.  

• You get the hiccups and sneeze SO often. The hiccups annoy you and often times upset you when they come after each feeding.  

• You were 7 lbs., 4 oz. at birth. Discharge: 6 lbs., 13 oz. First doctor appointment you had lost more weight and were down to 6 lbs., 10 oz.  We went back on September 5th for a follow up and you had gained four ounces in four days and were back up to 6 lbs., 14 oz.  

• You are eating every 3-4 hours during the day.  

• You are a chill baby. Most of the time, when not hungry or tired, you love to just sit back, relax and look around. You don't have much of a temper and we can tell you are so sweet.

• The only time you get ticked is when you get your diaper changed. You just aren't a fan.

•  You have tinkled and pooped on us and we just forgot to be prepared. When you go you spray yourself in the face which really upsets you...rightfully so.  After those messes, I give you a bath to clean you up. 

• Sometimes you choke on your own saliva which is scary.  We rush over, raise you up and pat you on the back.  You have a very scared look on your face and start to cry when this happens and it breaks my heart. 

• You are sleeping in your bouncy seat during the day or on My BreastFriend which is attached to Mama.  You can be sound asleep for an hour and the minute you are moved to the bouncy seat you often wake up. At night you love to sleep on your back with your arms spread out like goal posts.  

• You love bath time.  It's warm and cozy to you. I give you a bath every other day.  

• You are so strong and hold your head up really well when held over our shoulder.  That is considered "tummy time" for you at this age as recommended by your doctor. 

• You were raising your head strongly very early on and you have very strong legs.

• Your hair is still holding on.  You have steep receding hair line and a red birthmark on your scalp that appeared about 5 weeks old.  

• You are starting to grin in your sleep. 

• It is easy to determine your cry. 

• You most often make a shewy while I am nursing you and will go about three times before you are finished.  I typically change you in between nursing each side to wake you up but you usually go again before you are finished eating.  You haven't had an issue with diaper rashes.  

• You have quite a bit of baby acne on your face and scalp.  I use BabyGanics shampoo and Aveno body wash.  

• You are starting to coo some.

• You like to look out the window while sitting in your boppy lounger.

• You've been pretty wide-eyed since you were born. You have pretty eyes and you like to look around.  When you are awake, you are extremely alert.  A lot of people comment on how alert you are.  

• You have not been sick at all.  Not even a runny nose which is shocking considering the germs Tyler most likely brings home from school.  He adores you and always touches your face, wants to hold you and talks to you in baby talk.  He loves when you lay next to him on his bed.  

•  You get really red when you are mad and your skin flares up with red blotches all over it.  If you start to cry in the car, you will not stop until we are home and being held.  You get so worked up you are sweaty when you are taken out of your carrier.  It is heartbreaking because you get so upset and so hot.  
•  You are just the best thing that ever happened to our family.  We can't get enough of you, little man.  

• You enjoy riding in your car-seat in the car.  Most often you fall asleep, but once the car stops moving and you are waking up with a hungry belly, you will most often not soothe yourself and fall back to sleep.  You go into a full fledged cry and get so worked up.  

• I am enjoying every second of maternity leave.  Once I feed you in the morning, we both go back to sleep until 9:30-10 AM which means I am very well rested for the day.  

• I take a shower but midway through, you typically start crying and won't stop until I pick you up.  

• You seem to enjoy the Rock N Play and will take morning naps in it while I get ready

• You do not self soothe; you need to be nursed to sleep

• After your middle of the night feeding, I lay you down in my bed and have to nurse you to sleep

• The first few weeks at home, you would want to nurse (use me as a pacifier) or hours in the night/evening.  If I tried to give you a pacifier, you would start to gag yourself but once I nursed you, you were in your comfort zone and were so content.    

• When you open your eyes we say "there are those handsome blue eyes!"  And now Tyler says it to you when he wants to see your eyes. 

• When we hold you upright on our shoulder, you will raise your head and turn it side to side.  This is the way to do "tummy time" at this age and you have mastered it.  

• On your month birthday, you started to push away from my stomach with your legs.  So strong!
• 9/28 -- I thought I was out of breast milk so you had your first formula bottle.  You took two ounces without any issues.  The very next night, I felt like I was out of milk because you had used me as a pacifier for two hours so I tried to formula feed, but you wanted nothing to do with the bottle.  

I never knew I could love someone so much.  I wouldn't change you being part of our lives for the world. I didn't know how the transition to two kiddos would be and how I could love another child but the amount of love I share between you and Tyler is amazing.  I love you both the same and seeing Tyler's love for you is heart warming.  You two are best buddies.  You will turn your head and open your eyes when he gets home from school.  It's precious!