Sleepy time.....

I must be crazy, or maybe just sleep deprived, but I did the stupidest thing. Michael hasn't been sleeping well at night. He is only 7 weeks old, but I figured I must be doing something wrong because he doesn't seem to have a sleep pattern at all. So my brilliant idea was to keep Michael up ALL day so that by the time bedtime comes around he'll be ready to sleep a full 8 hours!

So the day was Saturday. Anthony had practice so I was on my own to make this 'sleep' plan happen. We started the day out watching TV. I put him in his bouncer, but it made him sleepy, so I took him out and put him in his swing. Same effect. We moved on to the floor where we played with his toys, again sleep, but this time followed by crying. Lots of crying! This continued well after Anthony returned home from practice. I was exhausted and dumbfounded as to what happened.

Later, after reading countless sleep articles online once Michael drifted off to sleep, did I realize that babies NEED to sleep during the day. According to these articles they need about 18 hours a day! My poor baby was deprived! Apparently the less a baby naps during the day, the harder it is for them so fall asleep because they become overtired! Who would have thought? Not this first-time-mom! I guess this is just part of the learning process. Poor Michael has to be the guinea pig in the experiment of motherhood!

One month old!

I can't believe it! Michael is one month old! I know he's still super tiny, but I can tell he has changed so much since we brought him home last month. He is so much more aware of his surroundings. He can focus on faces longer and from a further distance. He can hold his head up on his own! We have even seen him hold his head up and turn it from side to side! He is eating a TON! (And going through more diapers than you can imagine) He smiles and sometimes lets out giggle noises. When he lays on your lap he tries to push himself off with his feet. The best part is, his personality is starting to develop. He still sleeps a lot, but when he is awake he is more alert. He's pretty easy going, and definitely a sweetie!

We went to his one moth check up with the pediatrician today and she was surprised with how much he has grown! She very seriously asked me what we were feeding him. He just has a huge appetite! Michael weighed in at 10 pounds 11 ounces. We forgot to ask her to measure him, so when we got home Anthony got the tape measure from the garage :) He is now 23 inches tall.

Michael had one of his daily photo shoots, but this time it was special. Not only did we take pictures in the lawn, he was sporting a onsie customized by his talented mother! And yes, there will be one for each month up to his first birthday! I know, Anthony thinks I'm crazy. I can't help it!

Cuddle Time

I spend most of my time hogging Michael. I want to hold him whenever I can, I just can't get enough! He'll probably turn into one of those babies that need to be held all of the time, but I'm OK with that :) Anthony makes fun of me because I never let him cry. If he starts to fuss or make noise he's immediately in my arms! At night when we're all sleeping my feet hit the ground before he even lets out a cry. It's like I can sense when he's going to wake up! His favorite cuddle position is on his tummy on his mommy or daddy's chest. It instantly soothes him!

Precious Moments

Our precious little boy! Only one week old!

Bath Time!!!

Bath time didn't start off well....the second night we were home we decided to give Michael a bath. So we set the bathroom up with his little tub, washcloths, special baby soap, and.....he hated it! I had never seen him cry so hard or turn so red! It must have been the bright lights in the bathroom, or maybe he didn't like having his clothes taken off. Whatever it was, he ended bath time immediately! Michale's mommy has come up with a new bath time plan. I have to say, it works quite well! I just don't know if he's ever going to want to take a 'real' bath anytime soon. But I'm OK with that, it's kind of nice having this little bed-time ritual! So here's how it works.....Michael gets undressed to his diaper and wrapped up in his towel. Then is loving mother ;) gently washes his arms, then legs, then hair and face, then other parts, making sure that once she is finished washing the parts, they are quickly dried then covered so he doesn't catch a chill. (time consuming, yes, worth it to have a clean and happy baby, yes again!) Here are some adorable pics of Michael documenting the entire bath time experience.

Family and Friends

Michael has had many visitors since he has been home! My mom stayed for a few days and helped with cooking, cleaning and of course spent time holding and loving Michael. My dad stayed for a couple weeks and helped take Michael and I to our doctor appointments. He also bought Michael a swing and put it together for us. Leslie came after my mom left and helped out with cooking and cleaning as well. She also had morning baby duty! She took over for a few hours in the morning so Anthony and I could get a few extra hours of sleep, which was MUCH needed! :)

Our awesome friends also stopped by to visit our little man! Rob and Brie, Amy, Christina, Moses, Chloe, Crystal, Joey, Maria, Johnna, and many more came over to visit!

Belly Photos!

Here are some of my favorite photos from when Anna came over to take pictures of my pregnant belly. Now that Michael has been here for 9 days, it's a strange feeling to not have a belly. In a strange way I miss having him in my belly! It's really cool to be able to look at these pictures and remember this special time in my life. I hope Michael will like them when he is older. I honestly enjoyed being pregnant even though it had its drawbacks. It was totally worth it!