Duck, Duck, Goose!: Catching Up: Jesse's First Month

July 21, 2011

Dear Jesse,

Welcome to our family! It is ridiculous how much we love you already.

You spent your first five days at home sleeping in a suitcase. It was so hard for your dad and I! We could only take you out when you were being fed and changed. I *might* have taken longer to feed you than was necessary, just so I could hold you a little longer. You hated it too - the first night Dad and I spent sleeping on the floor next to you so we could hold your hand and reassure you. Your mask was particularly annoying - it gave you terrible baby acne! We were so relieved when the doctor said your bilirubin levels were high enough!

You are so strong already! When Dad holds you on his shoulder you arch your back so you can look around. Wobble, wobble, wobble, FACEPLANT! It's hard with a 90th percentile head! Sorry, kiddo, you get that from BOTH sides. It makes tummy time a little difficult, too. When you raise your head up, you overbalance yourself and your bum and legs lift up as your head crashes down. It's pretty amusing.

You are such a GOOD BABY. I don't have any idea how that happened, but we aren't complaining! You don't cry much, and when you do, you don't cry for long. It's as if you know that your objections have been noted, and now you can calmly wait for your problem to be fixed. We even took you to the fireworks on the Fourth of July, and they didn't faze you at all! I also took you to the midnight show of the very last Harry Potter movie. I sat on the aisle and was ready to run out if you so much as squeaked. You ate, then fell asleep! My good boy.

You sure love that Dad guy. You did right away! When you went to the nursery to be poked and prodded, you were fine as long as you could hold your dad's finger. We were so lucky that he was able to get three whole weeks off of work to take care of us! He was better than me at getting your burps out. Now that he's back at work, you get so excited when he gets home! Your vision still isn't good enough to see him, but you can hear his voice, and you'll twist your head to find him. And much to my chagrin, at about three and a half week-old, you smiled at him first.

You love baths - the warmth and water calms you, just like your mama! You HATE being taken out, though. It's too cold! It's ok, I don't like getting out either. What you love best, though, is being rocked and listening to someone sing or hum. I've had to brush up on my primary songs!

My favorite trick is to kiss your cheek when you are hungry and watch you try to eat my face. You get so mad, and I think it's so funny! I'm a mean mama. Dad loves to tickle you and zerbet your tummy. It makes you so confused! You know you should react, but you just don't know how.

We call you Tiny and Stinky McStinkerton. Dad say that you are his Tiny Sweetie, and I am his Sweetie. He calls you Mr. Spaceman when he holds you above his head to dislodge the burps, and says "Atta boy, Luther!" when he is successful. I call you Little One and Fussbudget and Jesse Boy.