The First Month

Our first month with Brooks went by so fast!  It seemed like we just left the hospital and BAM! He was a month old.  We had his newborn pictures made when he was 2 weeks old.  He did so well and I will cherish those pictures for the rest of my life.  His umbilical cord fell off at 3 weeks.  Milestone #1 down!  I tried to breastfeed and neither one of us could get the hang of it.  It was emotional for me to give it up.  He wasn't working with me and never learned to latch on and my milk supply was really low.  I dreamed of nursing my baby and it was a hard reality when it didn't work out.  I pumped every 3 hours what little I was producing so he could get some of the 'liquid gold' and the important nutrients from breastmilk.  After a month of pumping without any increase in my milk, I gave it up.  Making that decision was hard for me, but freeing at the same time.  We were able to pack formula and mix bottles while away from the house.  I wasn't literally tied to a breast pump every 3 hours.  I could hand him off to his Daddy during feedings in the middle of the night and get a few more hours of sleep.  It was a great decision all around.  Mealtime is not intended to be frustrating and ending with both of us in tears.  It should be a calming comforting experience and now it is for both of us. 

During the first month, we got to get out of the house a little.  June 20th, Father's Day was Brooks' first visit to church.  He looked so sweet in his baby carrier and everyone was excited to see him.  I dressed him in his going home outfit his first Sunday.  He was precious and still so tiny.  My how time does seem to fly by when you have a little one.  It makes you want to freeze time and capture all the sounds, smells, and sights of this newborn baby.  He's still small, but he's not that curled up ball of baby anymore.  Now he's wanting to stretch out more and push his head up from my shoulder to look around.  It's amazing how much they change in such a short time.