Two Months!

Ben turned two months old today!  I can't believe that two months has already passed since I first held my little man in the hospital.  We've had a crazy two months filled with cherished visits from family and friends and to trips to New York to find a house. A brief synopsis of our life with Ben thus far:

Enjoying a book on his 1 month birthday

Month One:  No one tells you how truly tiring it is to have a newborn baby.  I was accustomed to at least 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night before Ben was born.  Suddenly this little guy showed up and getting two hours of uninterrupted sleep seemed like a luxury.  Andrew and I had some very sleepy days.  We were overwhelmed at times by the fact that it was our responsibility to keep Ben alive!  The first few weeks were tough.  We were blessed by having various friends and family stop by with food and help out with house work.  By the end of the first month we were starting to feel a little better but Ben still wasn't sleeping more than two hours at a time.  Both Andrew and I got a little tired of hearing "Sleep when the baby sleeps" and "you really should space out his feedings"  or "have you tried a pacifier?"   All good ideas in theory but in reality neither really worked out too well for us.   I slept as much as I could when Ben was sleeping but his sleep time also meant I could go for a "run," take a shower or brush my teeth.  A pacifier?  You should see how far Ben can spit a pacifier.

Month Two:  Ben reached 11 lbs 2 oz. by his one month check-up and our tubby child began showing his personality.  We saw his first real smile on March1st while he was hanging out on his changing table looking at his animal stickers on the wall.  His smiles have turned into laughter when he sees Andrew and I or reads a book or eats or gets a bath or...pretty much he smiles all the time.

I love my animals!

 This month he has also turned into the poster child for having children.  Around our friends he is happy, relaxed and charming.   He is not good birth control.    He has started to fall into a schedule and while he loves to eat, his belly is staying full for longer periods of time.  He sleeps for five hour stretches at night which is making both Andrew and I feel more human.  His solid body is filling out 3-6  month clothes. He weighed in at 13 lbs 4 oz. for his 2 month check up and measured 23.5 inches. He's started sucking on his fingers and the moments that he straightens out his fingers and gets his thumb into his mouth look incredibly satisfying.  He loves to be moving and enjoys his stroller, snuggling in a sling and being carried by his dad in the baby carrier. He is increasingly aware of his surroundings, has noticed his fur friends and enjoys looking at pictures on the refrigerator.  He has enjoyed a few runs in his cushy stroller on the rail trail.

  

Learning the names of family and friends

After our second month of parenthood, we've decided that we can do this.  Ben is growing.  We are sleeping.  The dogs are getting plenty of exercise.  In general we are all happy and enjoying our new lives with the cutest baby ever.