This past week

This past week has been a busy one as Matthew reminded me once again that his mommy should not eat any broccoli or I will suffer extreme consequences. He went on two walks this week (one with Uncle Stevie and his mom and the other with his parents) where he was able to get in his stroller without the car seat. He really enjoyed the fresh air and was able to "chill out." Matthew has also been grabbing more and more things (my hair, bag handles, fingers, shirts, his daddy's glasses, etc) and he has managed to hold them for longer periods of time. I also discovered this past week a great way to occupy Matthew during the afternoons so that I have enough time to make and eat lunch - propped up in his bobby pillow.

Matthew also gave both of us his first conscious smiles. On Monday, Matthew smiled at me three times in a row while I was changing his diaper. Then his smiles "disappeared" until his broccoli induced gas pains went away and so Cass had to wait until Thursday morning to get his. Cass loves Matthew's smiles and thinks that "they are beautiful" and I totally agree. Matthew's smiles make our day and are so rewarding. Let's see if they win you over as well:

One Month Old

It is hard to believe that one month ago today we gave birth to our first child and most precious son, Matthew. This past month has definitely been an adjustment for Cass and I as we are slowly learning what it means to be parents. Things are starting to resemble more of a routine in our house although we are by no means on a set schedule. Matthew has also gotten to the point where he sleeps for one four hour stretch each night, which allows mommy some much needed sleep time. We are also becoming more familiar with Matthew's cues as well as his various cries. We have learned that he LOVES to sleep on his mom's chest and that his swaddleme in conjunction with his car seat and vibrator are a good substitute. Matthew equally enjoys spending time with his daddy especially when that time involves staring at and studying his dad's face. Finally, we know that although at times caring for Matthew has been stressful and has provided us with our ups and downs, we wouldn't trade it for the world as we love our little boy and can't imagine our lives without him.

1 Month Checkup

Matthew went to the doctor's on Monday for his one month checkup. He now is 22 1/2 inches long (which is an inch taller than when he was born) and 8 pounds 15 1/2 ounces. We are really pleased with his weight gain as he dropped down to 6 pounds 12 ounces shortly following his birth. We also went to the audiologist to get his hearing tested and she said that his hearing is great. We are grateful for such wonderful checkups and for his clean bill of health. We thank God for our healthy, beautiful boy!

Matthew's First Toy

On Tuesday we used some of our gift card money to purchase a Baby Einstein Baby Neptune Ocean Adventure Gym and seeing how Matthew thoroughly enjoyed himself made it worth every penny. While he is too young to currently appreciate all of the gadgets he LOVED the light up music box. In fact, he scooted himself across the play mat twice so that he could get a closer look at it. (He also grabbed the octopus but I am not quite convinced that it was an intentional grab).

Here is a short video where you can see Matthew thoroughly enjoying himself. (This was after he had scooted across the mat. Later on he actually had his head pressed against the music box).

Newborn Pictures

On Monday night we went to Sears and had some newborn pictures taken. We are going to go back hopefully on Thursday night as there are three pictures that Matthew was too hungry to cooperate for. (In fact, he climbed out of the "container" three times thus prohibiting us from getting any naked bottom pictures).

Here are some of our favorites from the photo shoot:



Here are two of our favorite "silly" pictures: