Month One

Dear RR,

While I can’t promise to write you a letter every new month of your life, I can at least start with month one, especially while I have help in the house to watch you while I write.  See?  I’m already wasting time.  Chop chop!

Let’s start by chronicling some of your preferences and opinions, shall we?

Things you like: being sung to (although you’re very particular about which mama sings which songs), wearing pastel-colored clothing, listening to me play the guitar, listening to the international lullabies CD, pretending to ride the dog like a horse, bouncing, rocking, staring at us with big eyes while you refuse to go to sleep, napping in your crib, clutching the burp cloth with your hands while you eat, warm bottles, eating your hands when you’re hungry, pressing the pacifier against your mouth to keep it in place, stretching, riding in the supreme, taking a bath, sunbathing on the deck after said bath, being naked (seriously – if we have to dress you, it’s just in a t-shirt or onesie.  I’m not sure what we’ll do come the cooler months – you look ridiculous in pants), being swaddled, and most importantly, being in your nursery – you simply love being on your changing table, in your crib, looking out the window, rocking after a 3am snack – it’s hard to not let you spend all your days and nights in there.

Things you don’t like: sitting in your car seat (therefore also riding in the car), being in the swing (no matter how fast, slow, vibrating – no dice), wearing hot pink or other bright colors, cold bottles, being woken up (you can be such a crank), my mother, being swaddled in one of those swaddles that has velcro (you know, the easy-to-swaddle swaddles), and pants.

It’s hard for you to fall asleep if there’s a lot of background noise and chatter, but as soon as you do, you can stay asleep through the dog’s random barking fits.  You can also fall asleep sitting upright while someone holds you up under your armpits.  You also have amazing head control already, and except for a handful of times you’ve thrown up, you are the champion of eating/burping without spitting up.  Of course, this is all so far, so things could change at any moment, but we’re appreciative of your cooperative efforts.

Much like pregnancy math, I have no idea when we move from counting your age in weeks (four weeks past Friday) to counting your age in months (month one today).

Your mother and I love you very much, and love you even more on the nights when you sleep from 10pm-3am, then go back to sleep until 8am.  You are a very good baby, which might make us love you more.  Keep up the good work, kiddo.

Love,
Mom