..a month, already?!..

dear sammy boy,

today you are one month old! the past month has been a whirlwind of experiences and emotions for all of us. besides the lack of sleep we have all experienced, we have survived, and are starting to figure things out as a family of six. :)

you have been a bit unpredictable when it comes to a routine, up until just very recently. i blame this all on myself, for not doing everything i could to get to know you better. i made the grave mistake of comparing you to your older brother, forgetting that you are two completely different little people, so obviously you wouldn't be alike! but a few days ago i started reading, "secrets of the baby whisperer," and a few of her tips have already completely changed things around here, for the better! let's hope they stick.

the things i have learned about you in the past month (and some in just the past few days) are........you are extremely patient with your older brother. he is pretty obsessed with you, and basically just likes to kiss, hug and hold you all day long, and although he is trying to be sweet, he is sometimes a bit rough but you totally put up with it. you are never satisfied after nursing. like ever! you always want more about 45 minutes later. so we have started supplementing with formula...between one and three oz at each feed. you like to be swaddled for naps and bedtime. you like to be held. you sleep best in your crib, with the blinds closed, and a sound machine on. you eat every 2 1/2 to 3 hours, as long as we feed you enough at each feeding. :) you have more poopy diapers than any baby i've ever heard of! your diaper always has poop or pee or both when i go to change it! you are also the gassiest baby i've ever heard of!! you fart all day long and it it smelly, too! you could go toe to toe with your dad in a farting competition, i'm sure of it! ;) you usually give us a good 4-5 hour stretch of sleep at night. you are very easy to take places because all you do is sleep! you are already a smiley little dude, and we love it! you smiled for the first time on purpose just a few days ago...for grandma cindy, while i was in the hospital. started cooing at about three weeks. you don't do it a ton, but grandma and i both noticed it at different times. you get overstimulated pretty easily. you don't love the bouncer, swing, or playmat yet. you like them only for very short periods of time. you like your carseat and crib, but do not like your pack-n-play. you have the world's cutest sad face! breaks my heart into a million pieces, every single time! i also love the face you make right after you've woken up and are stretching....you arch your back, bring your hands up by your cheeks and puff your cheeks up. it's to die for! you've been on tons of outings, pretty much since you were 5 days old. most of them were to the mall haha. you still sleep for a majority of the day.....probably catching up on all the sleep you missed for the first three weeks of your life, before the baby whisperer helped me figure you out. according to her, you are a "touchy" baby. as long as we do what you like, though, you are extremely easy and happy!

we sure love you more than you could ever know, baby sam. in just one short month you have changed all of our lives....for the better of course! i don't know what we would do without you, and i can't wait to get to know you better and watch you grow and develop in the months to come!

love,
mom