Dane is 1 month!

What a crazy month! I can honestly say that it has been the fastest and the slowest month I've ever had. Fastest because I feel like so much has changed and slowest because the days seem to be long, sleepy, and emotional.

His 1 month stats:

(Thanks for the great stickers, Jodee!)

10lbs 14oz 75%
23.5 inches long 95%
38 cm for his head 50%

Looks like we have a tall little guy!

Our baby Dane is such a great baby. He has been a champion eater since day one and has continued to be a great eater. He latched the first time we tried! I feel so lucky for that. However, he spits up A LOT. I thought for a while that it was because he was reacting to my eating dairy, but it didn't help when I cut it out of my diet. He also seemed to be in so much pain after spitting up. There were several nights of him spitting up then screaming till 2am. Turns out it was a combination of pretty bad reflux, a little colic, and a forceful letdown on my part. Poor little guy couldn't handle how fast my milk would come down and would cough or choke and have to pull off and re-latch often, so he was swallowing a lot of air. We have changed a few things and the doctor has reassured us that it will work itself out in time. Since he has gained so much weight the doctor said not to worry and that I'm a "good cow." I wasn't exactly thrilled about the last comment.

(Dane and Luke at the park)

As far as sleeping goes, I'm sure it will get better:-) I haven't been getting much sleep, but it really is getting better with time. He will wake up at night every 2-3hrs, I'll feed him/change his diaper/burp him, and he will fall right back to sleep. Last night he slept from 11pm-3:30am! So I think the older he gets the longer he will sleep. I have also started making his last feeding before bedtime a big one and that seems to help.

(Dane and Daddy at the doctor's office right before he got his shot. Did I mention that I cried when he got his shot? Dane was screaming, I was crying, good thing Aaron was there)

Speaking of feeding...I decided to give him pumped breast milk out of a bottle once a day (the night time feeding) so I know exactly how much he has eaten. We tried it for the first time last night. He HATED the bottle! I had to put his face on my skin and trick him to have him keep eating from the bottle. It worked:) Little guy wanted the real thing.

(First true smile caught on camera. He loves his daddy. He has his Mimi's dimples aka my mom)

He has really started to focus on our faces and other things in the room. He seems to love his daddy & lamps the most. All Aaron has to do is say, "Good morning, baby Dane," in the morning and Dane will give him a huge smile (pictured above). He has only given me a half smile just a couple of times. I just get the hungry face. He will smack his lips and tongue when he sees me (pictured below).

("I'm hungry, Mommy!")

He is doing a great job at holding his head up and doesn't seem to mind tummy time. He will lift his head up and look around, and when he is bored with tummy time, he will just lay his head down and try to suck on his hand or arm.

(Dane and his best friend Roan at 1 month.)

He likes:

-His daddy & mommy.
-Playing with his friend Roan.
-Taking walks in the park.
-Music time.
-The swing.
-The vibrating chair.
-His nana.
-Eating.
-Getting kisses.
-Bath time (no matter how fussy he is, he will be peaceful during bath time).
-Soft blankets (he rubs his face back and forth on them and tries to eat them).
-His stroller.
-His pacifier (only when he isn't hungry).
-Being swaddled.

(Mommy and Dane at the park snuggling)

He dislikes:

-Gas.
-Getting in and out of his car seat.
-Being hungry.
-The sound of Velcro (this includes the sound of opening his diaper--it scares him and makes him cry).
-His hands and feet being painted (I did hand and feet prints in his baby book and you would have thought I was sticking him with needles. He screamed bloody murder! I think he just didn't like how tickly it was).

(His eyes are getting bluer and bluer by the day)

Some funny things he is doing:

-When he has to go #2 he will pucker his lips like he is trying to kiss and just sit there. So cute.
-He will give me a face like, "Ewww, gross! What are you putting in my mouth?" when I put his pacifier in his mouth and then start sucking on it like he loves it. Silly.
-He has such a scowl! He gives it to me a lot and sometimes I wonder if he even likes me:) It's a look that says, "I don't know about this." Very serious.
-When Aaron rubs his back he purrs like a cat.
-He is loud! He eats loud, he passes gas loud, he goes #2 loud, he cries loud. And when I say loud, I really mean it. He sounds like an adult! His dad is very proud.
-He only likes to smile at daddy (not mommy...not fair).

(Nap time with Daddy)

Comments from other people:

-Everyone says he looks like his daddy...and that is because he does. Except for maybe his lips.
-He is so big.
-He is so small.
-He is very serious.
-He has a nicely-shaped head.
-His eyes are so bright blue.
-He is very handsome.
-He is very loud.

(Dane loves his weekly visits with Nana)

As far as my recovery:

(1 month post delivery)

-The weight is coming off but has slowed down (which I expected). I've lost 24lbs of the 35 that I gained. I finally just went and bought a pair of jeans that fit so I don't have to have an emotional breakdown every time I get dressed. Worth every penny.
-It has taken much longer than I expected for the pain to go away down there. I still hurt when I walk a lot. It has gotten much better though.
-I stopped bleeding at about 4 weeks post delivery.
-I'm tired.
-I have definitely developed some hips that I'm sure are here to stay. I don't really mind.
-I freaked out when my milk came in!
-I love being a mommy. The hormones are crazy, but I'm lucky to have a friend next door who keeps me sane.
-I was able to put my wedding ring back on at about 3 weeks post delivery.
-I'm always hungry.