Wesley 1 Month

1st Pedi Appt (Day 5 of life): weight was 7 lb 10 oz. Although Wesley's bilirubin levels were good when we left the hospital, they usually peak at day 5-7 of life so we did repeat blood work followed by one more set of blood work the next day to ensure his numbers were still dropping (which they were, thankfully!) I was a nervous wreck thinking of having to do those light treatments or supplement so early in the game. Thankfully they continued to drop and no treatment was needed.

2nd Pedi Appt (Day 8 of life): 7 lb 12 oz. 

1 month wellness checkup: Dr. Pocsik was extremely happy with Wesley's weight gain (especially considering when we left the hospital he weighed 7 lb 9 oz! This big boy gained over 3 lbs in one month and this mama couldn't be more proud! She was concerned that he will still a little jaundice so she did one more bilirubin test which came back at 7, so although his face still has a little yellowish tint to it she is not concerned since his numbers continue to creep down. She assured me some breastfed babies can be jaundice up to 3 months old so no worries unless he is over 3 months and still having issues. 

Growth Stats: 
10 lbs 15 oz and 22 1/4 inches long 
This puts him in the 90% for both weight and length.

Hair/Eyes: Wesley was born with thin black hair just like his big brother! He also has the "little old man" hairline in the back where his hair is much more full than in the front. He definitely does not have my forehead and has a nice hairline in the front :). His eyes are that dark blue/grey color still.

Nicknames: Brother, Brother Bear, Wes, Wesley Burger, Bug, Junebug 

What He's Wearing: 0-3 month and size 1 diapers. He's wearing 3 month pj's as the 0-3 are too short and his feet are also getting too big to fit into those as well.

Sleep Habits: So far he is a great sleeper just like his big bro (I am knocking on wood as I type this). He cat naps on and off during the day but always takes one big long nap around the middle of the day. This sometimes is the same time Trey is napping and that is GLORIOUS! At night, he goes one long stretch (5 hours) then one shorter stretch (usually 2-4 hours depending on the night) nonetheless...the kiddo wakes up only once at night to nurse which is AMAZING! He has had a couple nights where he has woken up to eat and not gone back to sleep for an hour plus (that was rough) and has also had two nights where he has slept straight through. He is still sleeping next to our bed in his rock n play which he loves. I love that it's so small and takes up MUCH less space than the pack n play that Trey slept in until we moved him into his crib.



He is also SUPER snuggly and loves to sleep on women's chests (it's his favorite way to be held).

 

He has one nap in his crib so far and did great. He liked to be swaddled for sleeping the first couple weeks of life, but is sort of over it now.

What He Eats: Breast milk :) He's a nursing champ. He nurses on both sides at each feed and normally drains both. This is going to be a big dude! I forgot that it can take up to an hour to nurse a newborn- the last time I nursed anyone he was 8 months old and very efficient!! I am having to remind myself Wesley is still learning and will get faster as we go. He is unsure whether or not he likes a paci- we are still experimenting with them. 

Daily Routine: He eats every 2-3 hours during the day and every 3-5 hours at night.We have started to work on bottles which so far he is NOT a fan of. He took two of them with no problem, but we are trying to work out his preference- does he like it warm, cold, what type of bottle, etc. He sleeps as stated above. On a normal day, we will have to leave the house at least once. Depending on the errand, he hangs out in his carrier or I will wear him. He LOVES to be worn and will happily sleep the entire time we are out and about. We try to bathe him 2-3 times a week so we don't dry out his skin too much. He got baby acne right at his 1 month mark, so we are trying to keep it very clean but not dry it out too much. The photos below are from his first sponge bath (he still had his umbilical cord attached) you can see his reaction :)

Since Trey has been off school for much of the summer, our mornings have been pretty slow going and laid back. We usually get in a lot of snuggle time in our bed before making it out to the living room in the mornings. Some mornings both boys get in bed and fall back asleep then I stare at them like a creeper and take pictures :)

Personality: Too soon to tell, but he is definitely laid back and chill. He usually only gets upset when he is dirty or hungry. He went through a short phase where he didnt like riding in the car but I figured out he was uncomfortable from a strap or had sun in his eyes or something so hopefully were beyond this!

Motor Milestones: Less than 1 month old, he rolled from stomach to back. I couldn't believe it and thought it was a fluke but he has since done it twice again so I don't think it was a fluke! It was during tummy time (which he hates) so he just flipped himself right over! His new quilt from Aunt Lucy is the perfect place for tummy time though- so soft and comfy!



He is also tracking with his eyes and starting to make little expressions with his eyes and mouth.

He is smiling but they are just little angel smiles not social yet. I cannot wait for them to be real!

Anything New: He is starting to stay awake after eating for longer periods of time. In those sleepy newborn first few weeks, all he did was eat and sleep and poop but now he is awake more and tracking us with his eyes.



 He loves his brother and turns his head in Trey's direction when he talks to him.



He is really starting to get chunky and getting more of a double chin and rolls!

                         

Things we did this month: Wesley went to Adelle's birthday dinner when he was 1 week old. He also went to the Dino exhibit at Moody Gardens with his big brother at 2 weeks old. He has also been to the pediatrician and countless trips to the grocery store and other random outings. I am so much more laid back this time around- I don't think Trey went anywhere except to the Dr. until his shots at 8 weeks old- seriously!



We've been getting in some quality outdoor play time although our stents are short since it's so darn hot!





He has also had a ton of visitors- we have been showered with so much love (visits, calls, phone calls, gifts and dinners brought over!)









He also celebrated his first holiday, July 4th at the Derouens with a pool party (too bad he couldn't participate though!) :)



Brother Time: Trey adores Wesley.











He can often be heard saying cute things like "Hey Wesley Michael", "It's ok, Mama will give you some milk", "awe sha!", "no mama, he not Wes, he not Michael, he Wesley Michael!", "mama I got him!", "I go check on him", in regards to holding his paci: "you got it Wesley Michael, you got it!" and most recently "I wanna eat milk from daddy" then he proceeded to pretend nurse on Jim's chest, lol!

Mommy Update: Upon being discharged from the hospital I was down 15 lbs! I'm feeling great am fully healed and had a great experience with my delivery. I did not get any new stretch marks but the ones I had got longer- so weird. I gained a total of a little over 40 lbs. At my 2 week postpartum checkup I was down 24 lbs total so I have a little under 20 lbs to go to get to pre-pregnancy weight.

Overall, our transition has been pretty seamless. We all adore Wesley and it feels like he has always been a member of our family. Trey has not shown any jealousy at all towards him yet and we are so thankful for that. We are seriously just loving life!