[In the NICU]
During his first month here he has discovered his hands. The poor little guy wants to put them in his mouth and they just won't fit. But that doesn't stop him from trying.
He has such an intent stare. We call him Bright Eyes. It was something we started doing in the hospital and it stuck. When he is awake his eyes are wide open and looking all around. And those bright eyes have just gotten bigger and brighter. Sometimes we just sit and stare at each other.
He knows exactly who I am, and that has to be the best feeling in the world. We can be in a room full of experienced moms who know a lot more about babies than I do, but it doesn't matter, he still wants me. He is a mamas boy. When he get really upset he can't be soothed by anyone else. He gets really upset because of his reflux. He projectile vomits all over us daily. Parker and I are constantly soaked. Our washer is on all day steady just to keep up on baby clothes and burp rags.
[I caught most of this spit up with a burp rag the mess on his shirt is what soaked through]
Sometimes he spits and doesn't skip a beat. But other times, especially at night, he arches his back, gets red in the face, screams and screams, and is in so much pain. That is the worst. But we work through it. He is already a tough little guy. We hope he outgrows it soon. In the meantime we have found that keeping him upright after eating for at least thirty minutes really helps. We also shoved some books under one end of his crib mattress because he can't sleep flat on his back. Plus a little bit of gripe water goes a long way. He is growing so fast. He started out at six pounds and fifteen ounces and was twenty and a half inches long. At one month he is over ten pounds and almost two inches longer. And although it made me a little sad that he wasn't little for long I mostly feel relieved.
[one week old]
[one month old]
He seems so much less fragile now. And I know he is healthy and getting plenty to eat. He is pretty good about holding his head up. He doesn't love tummy time but it is impressive to watch him lift and turn that giant head of his. He loves bath time. Which is good because of how often we are washing spit up out of his hair.
His hair is growing almost as fast as his head. He has quite the little mullet. Parker wants to cut it but I won't let him. I have just about given up trying to keep it combed. His bed head puts a smile on my face every morning.
He sleeps better swaddled. If we don't swaddle him he waves his long arms all around and hits himself in the face with those big hands and wakes up. I don't know why he starts swinging his arms above his head in his sleep. But he does.
Parker is much better at the swaddling than I am. Jack can always get out when I do it. Jack loves his dad. They already hang out and watch football together.
In fact that's what they have been doing while I have been typing this up. A lengthy post about all of the things I don't want to forget. I want to capture as much as I can. Because it has been amazing to watch him everyday. He is spectacular. Really truly spectacular.
