One Month Anniversary

It is difficult to believe that over one month has transpired since Auggie was delivered. And while the hours seem to have passed quickly, 2009 December 9 also seems ages ago. The hospital room, the nurses, the bad food are all quickly fading from our memory (which is not a bad thing for the most part). And the Momma is gone too having returned to Edmonton earlier this month leaving a freezer full of lumpya to remind us of her visit. Our other special guests--G'Pa (Linc), Oma (Sue) and Granda (Ron)--have also come and gone. For the most part we are now a three person family (+ 2 cats and dog) and are getting accustomed to our new size, sounds and activities. The animals are adapting to Schmoo. Day-Jah has become less demanding of our attention (i.e., whining less frequently) while the cats have learned to settle with less lap space.



At one month, Auggie isn't the same infant we brought home from the hospital. He is bigger, stronger and is also more aware of and happier with his surroundings. Our one-month visit to the pediatrician showed that he had gained an average of 4/5 oz a day since our last visit. Auggie now weighs in at well over 9 pounds and spans nearly 22 inches; he sometimes looks more like a little boy than an infant. He is also sleeping for longer stretches which is a relief. There are nights when he rests for several consecutive hours (his record is seven). He typically wakes up only once during the early morning hours for a snack before returning to bed. Of course some nights are better than others. We are amazed by Auggie's energy level. Each day he seems to challenge himself to hold up his head, fix his gaze or 'dance' a little bit longer. We document his development via pictures, tables and text which hopefully will wind up in a baby journal.



Auggie's first introduction to the outside world was cold. In fact, it was one of the coldest Decembers on record in northeast Illinois. As a result, the frigid weather has prohibited many outdoors activities--or, at least, we were unwilling to take him out on a walk in the ice and snow with temperatures in the single digits (F) or lower. We thought of our friends in California and how different it would be if we were still living in a temperate climate. By this time, Schmoodles would have felt the sand, sun and ocean breeze. But, up here, there is not much for an infant to do out of doors. As a result Auggie's experiences have been rather limited to the inside world. Nonetheless, we are accumulating a charming 'Auggie in knitted cap' photo series.



While fun and eventful, this month hasn't been easy. Leslie overcame a bout with painful mastitis and, as new parents, we've struggled with how to implement seemingly contradictory advice published in the baby care literature (the Baby Whisperer vs. everybody else). We are gradually establishing our own hybrid methods that work (sometimes). We've been heartened by all of our friends who have done so well with their little ones (e.g., Isaac, Elliott, Star, Wyatt, Patty, etc.) and look forward to hearing about the wonderful futures pioneered by this new cohort.