one month

One month. It has been one month since our baby Jameson entered our world. It's crazy how much things can change when you have a baby. Sometimes it feels as if he's been here forever (this feeling usually arises when I'm cuddling with him) and sometimes it feels as if we just came home from the hospital (usually at 2 am when he's angry that his momma is changing his diaper instead of feeding him). The hubs and I were talking a few days ago and I don't remember who made the comment (life is a little blurry these days) but one of us made the comment that we couldn't remember life before Jameson. No, it wasn't in the "Aww...how sweet" kind of way but more in the we literally cannot remember life before this creature or meatloaf as I affectionately refer to him as entered our world. And there's a a pinch, okay more than a pinch of the "Aww...how sweet" thrown in there.

One month. It's amazing how much things can change. Here I sit at 10:49 am still in my pj's, hair a hot mess having just finished breakfast while my kid has had 4 feedings, a bath and is dressed for the day. If I was at work my kids would just be wrapping up guided reading groups, after having already done our math warm up, morning meeting to include calendar, math, morning recess and an hour and a half of guided reading/centers.

One month. Do you remember all the one month countdowns you had when you were younger? One month till summer, one month till school starts back up, one month till I get my license, one month till I graduate, one month till Prom. It seems as if life is divided into these one month countdowns. Well, I prefer to look at our one month as a count up.

We have survived one month, and yes let's be honest here, it's survival. We have survived our first baby meltdown at 20 days old. We survived jaundice. We have survived sleepless nights, countless feedings and a hundred diaper changes that often resulted in clothing changes as we were not quick enough getting the new diaper on. I have survived the first fingernail clipping (seriously does it freak anyone else out...their fingernails are so tiny). We have survived taking the baby out into public (along with all the luggage that going out into public entails) both alone and together. I am surviving staying at home, yes I get the occasional visitor and make the occasional (read 2-3 times a week) outing to Target seeking some type of adult interaction. We (or should I say I) have survived a few 3 am googling sessions where the irrational seems completely rational. Seriously, there should be a disclaimer on the google website. "If you're a first time mommy leave this site now. Do not type in baby symptoms. Do not type in normal vs. abnormal anything...just leave the site and do not return until you've gotten at least 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep and there is a sane person in your house." But I digress.

By the way it's amazing what you can do on 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep. It's like when you were in college and could sleep until noon on a Saturday. You wake up a completely new person with a newfound attitude. It's fantastic.

But yes we have survived the first month. Our confidence grows every day as do our parenting instincts. I must say we're doing quite well. It's amazing to see how much Jameson has changed in a month. He's still a bobble-head but he's getting better at lifting and turning his head. He smiles (and no, it's not gas). He's so alert when he's awake. He just takes it all in...you can literally see the wheels in his head spinning as he looks around just drinking in everything around him. We call him the Professor because he always looks like he's thinking about something. He makes the funniest faces and has the best expressions. People have commented that he'll probably be very animated when he talks...just like his momma. He's getting better at tummy time although he'd still rather not. He's growing longer and longer every day and FINALLY starting to fill out his clothes. He looks for me when he hears my voice and is in someone else's arms. I love when he meets my eyes with his and we share this gaze for a minute or two. I love the way he curls himself up into a ball when I'm burping him on my shoulder. And I love watching the hubs with him. He really is the best dad. I also believe that baby swing and baby bjorn are the best inventions of all time. Seriously, how did people in the Dark Ages survive?

One month. One month has gone by and we have survived. We're a little rough around the edges, we're a little more tired but we're a million times happier and full of a love we've never known.

We've survived one month...we can totally do this.

He totally gets that look from his momma.