One Month: Lots of Firsts

Our little Ben is one month old and changing every day right before our eyes. It has been lots of fun getting to know his personality and figuring out how to do this parenting thing. I'm pleased to say it has been better than I had expected in many ways. We've still got lots to learn but overall I think we've got a good grasp on what to do... at least for now.

Ben's happy spending his day alternating between eating, sleeping, digesting and taking in this new world. He's awake more often than he was in the first few days and makes lots of loud groaning and grunting sounds even when sound asleep. Speaking of which, sleep has been okay with Danny and I alternating shifts at night. I wasn't expecting it to be a breeze but it hasn't been horrible either. We even had a couple nights, recently, where we've gone four hour stretches between feedings. Ben has already grown out of his newborn sleepers and is filling out the 3-month variety. According to our lactation consultant, he is now over 9 lbs and has a good latch. Way to go! I was finding it really painful to nurse but we're slowly making progress. Apart from a few fussy periods each day, Ben's a pretty content little guy and is happy to come along on whatever adventure we have planned for the day. 

Being that he is only one month old, there were a lot of firsts. Our first visitors were Grandma, Grandpa and Auntie Kelly but we also enjoyed a visit from our good friend, Gina, for a few days. We rang in a new year not once but twice. We saw our first snowfall, rainfall, and a few sunny days in between. First gummy smiles appeared in the early days and are continuing to pop up here and there. We've gone out to a few restaurants (the first being a noisy one in Chinatown where Ben slept through it all like a champ) and had our first 'playdate' with a 2-year old friend from Australia.

I love our little man so much. His noisy grunts, his drawn out groans, his gummy smiles, and all the little expressions in-between have provided endless entertainment for these new parents. Can't wait to see what month two will bring!