It's been a month!!

Our sweet baby James has been with us for a month now. We love him to pieces and have been learning alot!

WARNING THIS IS LIKE MY JOURNAL, SORRY NO PICTURES AT THE MOMENT JUST BORING WORDS.... WILL UPDATE PIX LATER..

New skills Karl and I are developing..
Me: functioning with my sleep being interupted every three hours throughout the night.. Some times four hours when we're lucky. and being able to go immediatetly back to sleep!!
Karl: sleeping with a light on and sleeping through loud crying.
Both of us: occasionally sleeping with a baby in our bed, alittle nerve racking and not restful but keeps you from having to get up every few minutes to calm him...
Me: Laundry skills: Wow a little boy goes through alot of clothes!! Thanks to my sister in law, Lucinda I have improved my skills of stain removing, his clothes are looking alot cleaner!!

The first month James has endured baby acne, loss of hair on the front of his head, and a flaky scalp. Poor boy we are learning together how to overcome these little baby challenges, I am grateful for the book the first few years of your child's life, it has answered alot of my questions. His fingernails are starting to grow and he is starting to scratch his face, Karl wanted James' nails clipped and I was scared to do it, with good reason...

I was really nervous to give James his first bath. I had only ever seen bathtime in the kitchen sink where the mom holds onto the slippery baby and tries to clean him. I was really scared!! My mom left before she got to show me the tricks. So Karl and I attempted bathtime together. One of my friends gave us a little bathtub with a hammock that holds the baby (the greatest invention ever!!) Karl began to fill up the bath tub as I got James ready for his first bath. I felt the water and told him it was too hot, so he added some cold, then it was too cold, I had him dump it out and start over. It took us a good 5 minutes to get the water an agreeable temperature. I nervously lowered him in and we let him climatize and began to wash him when he released a bowel movement all over the tub and water. Needless to say we laughed about all that time we took to get it perfect, I quick took him out wrapped him in a towel and Karl cleaned the tub and filled it for a more successful bath. :)

When we first brought James home my mom was here to help with the cleaning and meals. What a blessing she was! When she left Karl was home for a few days and we enjoyed out little boy together. Karl is wonderful about changing diapers and bathtime and helping with the car seat, shopping, laundry and cleaning. After my mom left I was just a little overwhelmed and wonder how I would ever function as a normal person. My maternity clothes were too big and my prepregnancy clothes were too small :( I was sleeping everychance that James was, and struggling to remember to eat and drink enough so that I could nurse him. I felt like I needed a mom to take care of me as I learned to become James mom. I also felt it was important to keep James at home away from anyway that could get him sick. so my social life was nonexistant. My mom was not able to come back, but she sent my wonderful sister Amy, who helped with the cleaning, holding James and making sure I was eating. She was awesome. I also had a wonderful friend and neighbor who brought us meals for a few days. Karl's mom brought us some easy to cook food and my mom sent and brought meals for us. The past month we have eaten thanks to the wonderful people in our life!!!! I am now to the point where I don't have to sleep when James does, my prepregnancy clothes are fitting, I can cook again and feel a lot more balanced!!! Who would have thought it would take a month to begin to adjust to life and heal from labor!! I was completely clueless. I am proud to say I can only remember having one emotional breakdown and it didn't last long at all, I was just lonely.

James milestones:
When James first came home he only fit in newborn clothes, which mom and friends were wonderful to get us some because we only had 0-3 months and they drowned him!! They are now starting to fit him.

He is begining to smile and make more cooing and grunting noises..

He is starting to make eye contact, is a lot noiser sleeper, loves bathtime and is staying awake for longer periods of time during the day. He spits up a lot more and sometimes just cries when he is really tired and wants to be asleep. He is becoming more vocal.

We took James to his first movie... Mega brain. we all loved it and he pretty much slept through the entire thing. I was really nervous to take him out to such a public place. On sundays we sneak in after sacrament has begun sit in the foyer and sneak out before the closing prayer. My baby was in the hospital a week too long and I do not want him to have to go back for RSV!!