One month old and settling in...

I can't believe our sweet little boy is already one month old! It makes me sad to think that I can't keep him small forever, but at the same time I am looking forward to each new phase as he grows and learns.

Since my last post 2 weeks ago, we have been falling into somewhat of a routine and adjusting to our new life with Cole. I use the term "routine" loosely, because Cole's sleeping and feeding schedule seems to change every 3-4 days! For example, this past weekend, he started sleeping about 6 hours at night! Hallelujah! I decided this was a good time for him to start sleeping in his own crib instead of in the pack-and-play in our room, so we gave it a go last night. He was only able to sleep about 4 hours in the crib. I don't know if it had anything to do with him being in a separate room or a different bed, or if the past 3 nights were just a lucky break! We'll try again tonight and see what happens.

I guess the "routine" part is more that Jeff and I are getting used to going about our lives while caring for Cole. The feeding, while sporadic, is becoming a natural part of our day. Cole is changing before our eyes. As of today he weighs 8 lbs 6 ounces and he is awake a lot during the day. He started batting at his toys on his play mat and showing interest in staring at different objects--especially mommy and daddy's faces!

This past weekend, Cole got to meet Gigi and Grandpa for the first time! Unfortunately, my camera was acting up, so I wasn't able to get any pictures of my own! We had a great time and really enjoyed the visit. We went on our first family outings other than doctor's visits. We went out to lunch on Saturday to my favorite deli, Small Planet, where we could sit out on the patio and enjoy the gorgeous Spring weather. Then on Sunday, we mingled with the Spring Breakers out at Snoopy's, where we had lunch on the dock overlooking the water.

Jeff's parents left on Monday and Jeff went back to work, leaving Cole and I on our own again! Our weekend outings gave me the confidence to take Cole out for the first time by myself! We went to Lowe's and had coffee at Starbuck's with my friend Christine. I had the diaper bag packed and ready for any situation that could possibly arise, but of course he slept through the whole trip and was a perfect angel! It felt great to get out and do "normal" things!

Another milestone on the way back to normalcy is that I was able to get back to the gym for the first time yesterday! I had my post-natal checkup on Friday, and the doctor (begrudingly) gave me her blessing to exercise. ("Why in the world would you want to work out?" she said. "You should be napping!") It felt great to turn on the iPod and sweat it out!

Here are a few recent pictures I was able to snap before my camera started acting up...

2 Wonderful Weeks!

It's so hard to believe Cole is already 2 weeks old, yet I can barely remember what life was like without him! He is a very easy-going baby so far and we appreciate that! The jaundice is all cleared up and he is packing on one to two ounces every day. He weighed in at 6 lbs, 5 ounces at his 2 week checkup on Friday. He is really getting the hang of nursing, despite the fact that he is tongue-tied (he gets that from Mommy). He still nurses every 2 hours during the day (doctor's orders) but he will sleep anywhere from 3.5 to 5 hours at night. I really think he already knows the difference between night and day. At night he goes right back to sleep, and he has a lot of alert time from about 9 a.m. til noon each day. Last night I only had to get up with him once!!

This was our first week on our own since my mom and dad left on Feb 28. I was so sad to see them go knowing that they are so far away and Cole can't see them more often. Mom was a wonderful help to us and I can't imagine what I would have done without her here through bed rest, 4 days in the hospital, and our first week at home with Cole. Jeff and I have each been getting out of the house at least once a day to keep our sanity! Jeff goes to the gym and I have met with a few clients (very briefly) and run some quick errands. We are happy that Cole will take a bottle as well as nurse, so that we can be flexible with our lives. However, I can't stand to be away from him for more than an hour or two!

We've enjoyed taking brief walks in the stroller when the Corpus winds die down enough for us to go outside. Last night he had his first dinner party with the Dunstons and got to meet his future girlfriend, Karine, and her big sister Ella. Ella was so sweet with him and she is going to be a wonderful help to Gabe and Staci when they welcome their newest little bundle this summer--finally a boy!! Cole is going to be surrounded by friends!


Here are some highlights from the first 2 weeks...



First Doctor's Appointment and Meeting Dixie and Duke


First Stroll with Mom and Dad


First Bath and bonding with Daddy


Getting to know my Mimi and Poppy

Bath Time

Cole getting a bath...and he's all clean!