One Month

Berkley Grace,

We did it. We survived the first month of your life with only a few glitches - one being you losing a lot of weight at first and the second being all four of us getting a stomach bug (thank goodness for family living close by to help out).

You obviously did not want to be a June baby, being that you were 4 days late and born on the first of July. I have to admit, you had me a bit stressed out there those few days leading up to your birth. On the day you were born, Leslie, the midwife who delivered your brother and you, was on her last day of work until she went on vacation for the entire month of July. But thank goodness you were born just in time for her to help me through labor and to deliver you.

You take after your brother and are a laid-back baby. That's actually what got us in that first glitch of you losing too much weight- you were such a lazy eater at first and wanted to sleep instead. After a 2 week period of feeding you every 2 hours around the clock, I'm happy to say you were back at your birth weight by your 2-week appointment and we can now let you sleep and eat whenever you want. You typically want to eat every 2.5-3 hours during the day and have gone up to 5 hours at night (although it's not every night).

You don't like being swaddled - you love having your arms free and usually fall asleep with them near your face. You sleep on your side most of the time, but are beginning to sleep some more on your back now that your startle reflex has gotten more under control.  You love bath time and your bouncy seat, which is where you take most of your naps during the day.

You took your first trip to the bay when you were 4 days old and went to Smith Mountain Lake when you were just over a week old! Needless to say, you are quite the traveler already. However, you're not a big fan of your car seat like your brother was, so car trips are bit more tricky with you.

One thing that surprised us this month was that you gave us your first smile! And it makes us fall in love with you all the more. That little dimple on your left cheek is irresistibly cute and kissable.

Berkley Grace, you have been such a joy to your dad and I this first month. We were nervous about having a colicky baby since everyone told us we weren't going to have another baby like your brother. But it looks as though you're going to follow in his footsteps and be a good baby for us. Thanks for that. We look forward to seeing you grow and interact with all of us more in the months to come!

We love you!