Seth Hayden: 1 Month

Last Friday, Seth turned a whole month old. He had his 1-month checkup today. He is 13 pounds even, and 22 inches long. He is in the 100th percentile for weight, 90th percentile for head circumference, 75th percentile for height, and 100th percentile for being gorgeous. He is still our precious chubbin, gaining 1 pound, 5 ounces since birth (and still the same length). How does this compare to my other boys? I wondered. At his 2-month checkup, Owen was 13 pounds, 4 ounces and 23.25 inches. At his 2-month checkup, Ari was 13 pounds, 1 ounce and 23.25 inches. Dear Seth, you are huge. That is all.

Seth keeps a very regular schedule for most of the day. He eats every three hours, sometimes stretching it to 4 or 5 hours at night, and his cranky period is between 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM (very conveniently timed while I'm trying to make dinner). His alert and happy time is between 10 PM and midnight (very conveniently timed while I am trying to SLEEP). This is when he gives us all his smiles, which are still few, and I am always greedy for more!

He's eating between 3 and 4 ounces per feeding, and I am pumping around the clock, so he's getting breastmilk even though he refuses to nurse.

His eyes are still blue, not a dark blue, but a medium blue, and his hair is by far the lightest of any of my babies. It also has a reddish tint. I think he quite favors Owen as a newborn, which makes me wonder if his eyes will stay blue. He's also very fair, where Ari was already darker complected as a newborn.

I've been reading my archives a lot lately, especially the posts right after I had Ari. I almost forgot how bad I felt after he was born. I went through so much guilt, and postpartum depression, and just plain old loneliness. My life felt so foreign and out of control, going from one kid to two. Things are so different this time around. I don't know why, if it's just that I'm older now, and more relaxed, or because we're home around loving friends and family, who knows - but this time around with Seth, everything feels different. He just brings me joy. I'm happy to see him, even in the middle of the night. I can't get enough of him. I enjoy his company. He is so incredibly loved and cherished by all of us - he's like the baby rock star of this family, especially as far as his siblings are concerned. They just love him like mad. As do I - the honeymoon is definitely not over, which I am so grateful for.

After his rough trip getting here, the hospital stay, the subsequent worry, and just the joy and relief of getting him home, I am amazed at his perserverance. I love him, and that's all there is.