One Month Old!

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!