Max - 1 Month Old

Phew. Already?
Where does one begin... summarizing a first month of life is, well, BIG 'cause so much has happened.
You entered this world with 3 major surgeries under your belt all within the next 24hrs (this was, in a word, insane): You were born via C-Section and had your umbilical cord cut, then a circumcision the very next morning and a lingual frenectomy mere hours after the circumcision was performed. Poor boy, its amazing how much you took all this in stride... then again, maybe its good you didn't know any better quite yet. But I can't help but think you must have hated the idea of the "outside world" after having endured all this right away after birth.
You don't have your 1 month check-up until 3 days from now (surprise! you'll have a series of shots awaiting you, I am terribly sorry for this) so I do not know what you weight as I post this but I can assure you - its a lot. You really are my chunky-monkey. You put on 10 ounces in just 7 days at your 2-week check-up so I can only imagine what you weigh now. You already have chubby folds in your thighs, a big bullfrog belly, a double chin and your face has filled-out. Trust me, this is all good. You are absolutely adorable even though I keep forgetting you are still just a little guy. I often times push you to stay awake... or to sleep... or to eat more... or to go for longer periods of time without being held... all because I keep forgetting you are still so very brand new.
You are strong. The day you were born they put you on my chest to go into the Recovery Room with me. I nursed you (briefly) and laid you on my chest. Everyone witnessed you pick up your head and move it from one side to the other. I don't mean you slide your face along my chest either... you picked up your head with full clearance! It was amazing. That never happens with newborns! In the last week dad and I have marveled at you lifting your head up, when we hold you in a burp position over our shoulder, for 5 minutes of more. Your head doesn't bobble either! You look like a prairie dog just looking at the world over our shoulders!
You're noisy! You grunt, squawk, chirp and make these "aroo! aroo!" sounds (although those ones are much more recent). You mostly make the grunts at night when you settle back down after nursing. At first it was quiet and brief but in more recent days you drive daddy and me crazy! You can't *ahem!*, *grunt, grunt*, *yawn*, *ahem! ahem!* for upwards of 15 minutes after being put down before you finally quiet. And even then, you'll make these sounds continually in your sleep. You must be a light sleeper at night because during the day - silent sleeper. This may actually be very true considering the night nurse at the hospital told me you tended to wake up at 3:30AM. You actually did have dad and me getting up with you around 2AM on more then one occasion when you first came home. Dad and I ended that within the first 3 weeks and we have not heard you babbling in your crib, awake, since then.
Along with your vocal sounds - you "fart like a trucker!" as your pediatrician said at your one week check-up. I've actually read somewhere that new babies do NOT like to expel gas... but oh, not you. You are my little 'Windy Winston'. You don't even both to rear up or crunch up your legs. You'll lay there in the dead of night and let out long... slow... brrrraaaappps That will end with en exclamation point, "toot! toot!" at the end. Sometimes I'll be nursing you while sitting up in our bed, your bottom closest to daddy's sleeping face and you'll just blast away. Its really quite awesome. I don't know if daddy finds it nearly as entertaining as I do.
While on gross topics, you still go poo quite frequently - mostly at night and ALWAYS in the midst of eating. I call you my baby bird in these instances since that's when baby birds end to go, too - while eating. We've only had one true "blow-out" with you since being home (which is good) but boy do you make a mess! Its a good thing diapers come up so high on you on both the back and front. Two words: Pumpkin soup. That is all... moving on...

You are still nursing. I did this for 3 months with Evie and had hoped to do it longer with you... but there have been some insatiable times with you that have left more more than just a wee bit frustrated. We have given you formula in small doses here and there (dad says 5 occasions) either during a feeding frenzy or because you dozed off in the middle of nursing. Which, brings me to another recent topic, you were all about sleeping 3-4hr stretches during the day recently but up almost every 2 hours at night. You had become the dreaded "snacker" and I couldn't wake you up to eat and achieve a full belly no matter what I tried. And believe you me, I tried! After pouring ice cold water on your neck one night during a 2AM feeding, I realized we had a big problem on our hands. You simply will not wake or eat... or comply with anything if you don't want to (stubborn little thing!). We seem to be on a better track in just the last 3 days... so here's hoping month 2 is even better! Your patterns are becoming a wee bit more predictable (thank goodness! Mommy likes a schedule or at least a hint of what to anticipate!). You now eat around 8:30/9PM and fall asleep around 10PM (which is hard on us after being up and going all day since 7AM), and then you eat at/around 1AM and again at/around 4AM before getting up for the day around 6:30/7AM. You are currently eating 8 times a day total... you dropped your 9th feeding somewhere just a few days ago. I don't miss it at all, wink.
You started smiling in just the last 2-3 days. No really, I swear. You smile at me when in a good mood (generally on a full tummy) and I see both dimples. You also love it when I move my face very slowly toward yours and then quickly kiss one cheek all over. The anticipation of which cheek I'll kiss makes you open your mouth in a half smile and I can tell you love it. I'm still not as popular as the ceiling fan... but I am quickly becoming a close second. I am finally moving up from just "food source" and I see you look across the room in my direction when I talk. I love it. Daddy saw you smile for the first time today... I keep telling him to run over and catch you in the act but you still aren't quite sure what a smile is... so it drops almost instantly into a furrowed brow after you offer a big grin. Dad always catches the after-smile look of bewilderment on your face but today you smiled for him... I could tell he was excited because he turned up the baby talk at that point (and he hasn't done that with you at all till just today, *wink*).
We've been going on power/stroller walks in the mornings for the 2 weeks or less. This spring is record heat (98˚ in late May!) so sometimes I skip it if we get up too late. I personally love the power walks (so good to get outside!) and you enjoy them if you remain awake. If you fall asleep (which happens every time so far) you get cranky with the pacifier falling out every minute. Our trips tend to end abruptly at that point.
What else? What else?
You love to be held - I mean love. You will fall asleep in a tight little ball... chest to chest just under my chin... slumped over... panting softly.
You furrow your brow in deep concentration... or just trying to understand what it is you are looking at. You aren't much of a body language expressive (maybe it just hasn't happened quite yet).
Your hair, initially light brown when born, is looking more and more red. Surprise! You are going to look just like your big sister and mommy... apologies in advance for being called a "ginger" by your father.
You make quick little chirping sounds while having quick bursts inhaling... just after pushing back with a fully belly. It always ends with one upturned corner of your mouth. The cutest open-mouth smile of all (so far)...

I'm anxious to see what month 2 brings. Hopefully we'll see more of you awake, experience more of your personality and start to understand you even more...