Watch James Grow: One Week

It's been a week already?!  This may be a recurring theme in the monthly updates.

One week and we're doing well.  I dare say that this has been our smoothest newborn experience yet.  Maybe James senses that we have our hands full and is taking it easy on us.  I appreciate it, Lil Buddy.

Attempted picture before eating.  Not a great idea.

Attempted picture after eating.  Cashed out.

Sleep is going well.  We're up frequently for feedings in the middle of the night {like every two hours}, BUT he goes back to sleep easily.  The last two nights he has gifted us four straight hours of sleep.  That sleep from 11:00pm-3:00am feels miraculous.  The times that he's had trouble falling asleep, it's mild.  Not like the screaming fits we've had before.

James is a champion nurser.  This is the first time that nursing has gone well for me right off the bat.  Maybe because I know a bit more about what I'm doing.  Perhaps because James just got the hang of it right away.  Probably a combination of both.

The official weigh-in at the doctor today: Back to birth weight!  Exactly 7 lbs 14 oz.  Yay!

Learning to deal with boy parts has been a new experience.  I've seen the fountain in action once and  covered that sucker up ASAP.  We've had several mid-night pj soakings.  I'm not sure how it is physically possible to shoot from beneath the diaper and soak the pjs up and over the shoulder.  I'll just leave it at that.

The girls love him and show their love by being up and in his business as much as possible.  James takes it all in stride.  We're trying to find the balance between letting the girls help and giving James some of his own space.  We'll get there.

A tidbit from the hospital.  I really enjoyed one of my daytime mom/baby nurses.  She also had three kiddos and was fun to chat with.  She gave me the best baby advice I've ever received: Make your world small.  As you can handle more, make your world bigger.  If it's too much, make your world small again.

And last, but certainly not least, Darrin has been spending a lot of time with the big sisters -- which probably is the more exhausting of the two jobs.  They've been to parks, the pet store, Adventureland, school and more while I've been feeding, snuggling and napping with James.  He's packed school lunches, gotten Madeline up and going and done extra bedtime snuggles.  He had all last week off and is taking another "creative" week off -- a few days each week for the next three weeks.  I know he's tired, too.  I couldn't do it without him.