Our little boy is now over one month old! It has been a very difficult and taxing month on us, but we love our son dearly and are trying our best to treasure these fleeting moments! In many way's it's hard to believe it's only been a few short weeks since we brought him home from the hospital and started introducing him to all of our doting friends and neighbors. In others ways, it's hard to remember what life was like without him! He has made a permanent mark on our hearts, and on our home. His name is even stamped on his bedroom wall above his crib now!
how our front door was decorated when we came home from the hospital
the vinyl wall decal above Kaden's crib
It's also hard to believe how much he has grown in such a short amount of time! At his 1 month check up, he weighed in at a whopping 11 pounds, 2 ounces! I often find myself wishing he'd grow up faster - start sleeping longer, need to nurse less frequently, start interacting with us more, etc. But I also love being able to snuggle with my little baby and need to remember to treasure this time while he's a small(ish) babe in arms. James did a little baseball themed photoshoot with him to document the size he was on his one month birthday. What a sweetheart!
always so alert!
cute even when screaming
One of the joys of parenting for us has been tracking Kaden's development from week to week. He may only be a few weeks old but we've already noticed him learning and growing in exciting ways. He's a very strong and smart little guy! At two and a half weeks he started holding his head up, which is pretty incredible. Now, at 5 weeks, we still need to spot him and guard his neck but he can hold his head up unsupported for quite some time. He also likes to stretch his limbs and kick out with his legs. James has to be careful when holding Kaden on his chest for "tummy time" because the little guy likes to try and launch himself off either side in one quick motion. I imagine he will be quick to crawl and walk when the time comes.
pic taken at 2.5 weeks
Of course, we still spend a lot of time nursing, sleeping and cuddling on the couch throughout the day. I've been taking advantage of this excuse to watch hours of TV and am working on instilling a love of sports in our son. We watch a lot of Dodgers baseball games and Broncos football games together. =^)
taken during the Broncos season opener. Clearly he couldn't handle so much excitement.
We're also slowly trying to introduce other stimulating activities throughout the day. After bathtime, James reads to him from his children's Bible. I also walk around with him, play music for him, and have even tried letting him look at himself in a mirror. (He was more interested in staring at the wall.)
smiling more!
Other developmental milestones include:
crying or yelling in a more controlled, fussy or angry way, instead of always in a full-out "I'm hungry" fit. (He's got quite a little personality!)
he's discovered his fingers and thumbs and likes sucking on his hands
He definitely recognizes James' and my voices and will look at the speaker when he or she walks in the room after a long absense
He knows the difference between a nursing hold and being held facing outward or upright. If I hold him in the crook of my arm he frantically starts trying to roll over and sticks his neck out, making sucking motions with his mouth. (Hilarious when James holds him sideways like that and Kaden tries to latch on).
He's very expressive and has started smiling a lot more. I'm still not sure it's entirely intentional but it still makes us happy.
He has started reaching for and gripping things more often
This week he's also started cooing and making happy noises a lot more often. Below is a cute video I caught on my phone!
I was so glad to have my mom visit last week! Originally we were thinking we'd have to wait till our family reunion over Thanksgiving weekend to introduce Kaden to my side of the family. But this proud, first-time grandma couldn't wait that long. ;^) She could only stay for a little under a week, but it was enough time to get well acquainted with her grandson.
I was so thankful to have her help while James was at work. It was a rough week for little Kaden. He came down with a mild bug of some sort and so he was not sleeping or behaving normally for a few days. I don't know what I would have done without her willingness to watch him so I could catch a few winks after two long and sleepless nights. Thankfully, he is feeling much better now!
I was sad that we weren't able to really get out and show my mom around Korea while she was here. Of course, she did not fly out here to explore the country, so she wasn't disappointed. But we did at least take her out and introduce her to our favorite Thai restaurant, and we did a little shopping in the entertainment district right out the gate.
She also got to go with us to church and Bible study, and meet a lot of our friends, which was very special. At least she got a good sense of what life is like on the base and how awesome our community is.
All three of us were sad to say good bye on Monday morning. Looking forward to introducing our little guy to the rest of my family in November!
Here are some of our favorites from Kaden's newborn photo shoot by Christa Elza Photography! Family members, you have a birth announcement on its way to you in the mail.
"Eww, mom and dad are kissing!" Such a boy already!
On Sunday night at Bible Study, we were finally able to get a photo of the three friends who had babies within 36 hours of each other! We plan to print the photo below and give it to the labor and delivery staff in Seoul as a thank you for hosting our squadron party. ;^)
Me and Kaden, Jordan and Jack, and Jenny and Riley.
I love these ladies and their babies. We assume they will all be best friends and enjoy getting them together for play dates (which usually involve them all hiding under nursing covers, sleeping, or screaming. haha!) Looking forward to a joint 1 year birthday party next summer!
Their facial expressions kept cracking us up. We enjoy imagining what might be going on in their minds in each photo. Kaden was really making us laugh with his tough guy poses. What a little chunk!
Here are some preview shots of Kaden's newborn photos! I'm a little sad because he's already so big that he doesn't really look like a newborn. But oh well... he's still a cutie (and so is his daddy)!
Over the past couple of weeks we had the pleasure of hosting James' parents Bob and Nancy who traveled to Korea to meet their grandson! It was a pretty low key visit. We mostly hung around the house and tended to the little guy's needs. But it was wonderful having their help and company as we are still struggling to figure out this whole parenting thing! They were present for a couple of big milestones, including Kaden's first bath, applying for his passport and social security card, and taking his newborn portraits. We were sad to see them go, but I know we'll see them again in a couple of months. Thank goodness for Skype! Here are a few photos from their visit.
Meeting the grandparents in the airport
They couldn't get enough of their grandson!
Grandpa Bob teaching Kaden the ways of the world
Grandma Nancy couldn't stay away for long. ;^)
Out to lunch in Seoul for the first time before applying for his passport
Final pics with Grandma Nancy before she had to leave
We're looking forward to introducing Kaden to another one of his grandmas in a couple of days! Grandparents are the best. =^)
