Liam at One Month
How is my son a month old already?? Of course the time flies. Of course he is changing almost daily. I think that, as a second time mother, I am enjoying this newborn time so much more, because I know it will pass quickly. So the challenging times seem not so significant, and the amazing moments are all the more cherished.
Liam is a happy baby. There. I said it. I put it in writing, knowing full well that I have jinxed myself and everything may change tomorrow. Anyone who has known us for a while knows that Lily gave us some challenges in her first year. As a newborn, she was borderline colicky, and she was the type of baby that only wanted to be held, which she expressed by screaming anytime she left our arms. She has grown to be a precocious, loving, amazing toddler, though her demands on her parents are still pretty high. When I was pregnant with Liam, Bill and I quietly prayed that we would have an easier go the second time around. When Liam was 10 days old, his screams were so reminiscent of those still echoing in our ears from two and a half years ago, that I turned to Bill and said, “I think we may have gotten the same model this time,” and he sighed and nodded. What we know now is that the baby was hungry. He was not nursing efficiently, and it took us a few more days to learn, with the help of a lactation consultant (whom I should have on retainer by now), that he was getting next to nothing from nursing. We immediately began supplementing with pumped breast milk, and Liam’s temperament began to improve. Now we have a baby who — knock on wood — is content…a LOT of the time! He will spend upwards of an hour just looking around with his angelic little expressions, eyes wide as he takes in all the world has to offer…within his 12-inch viewing distance.
At one month old, Liam weighs 9 lbs. I know this, because we have rented a baby scale so that I can weigh him before and after feedings to ensure he is getting enough. And he is. He takes around 4 oz at a feeding, whether it’s nursing or via bottle. Despite the lactation consultant’s repeated recommendations that he eat 8-12 times per day, Liam has set his own schedule of eating every 3-5 hours, or 6-7 times per 24-hour period. We are not complaining. I’ve done the math, and he is getting as much total volume as he is supposed to in a day; he’s just giving mommy a bit more time in between. He usually wakes twice in the night to eat, and most of the time he goes right back to sleep. Bill and I have been playing musical beds since Liam was born, trying to find a balance between being close enough to the baby that we can monitor his every breath, but far enough away that we can actually get some restful sleep. One or both of us will often change beds (between our room, where the cradle is, and the guest bed next door) throughout the night. We are both up for feedings, since it has been working so well to give Liam a bottle of pumped milk in the night. He finishes it in about 15 minutes, as opposed to nursing for 45, and — since I try to stay ahead of the demand — Bill can give him a bottle that I’ve previously pumped while I pump for the next feeding. That way, we’re both back to bed in about 20 minutes, if all goes smoothly.
Liam’s hair is still dark, but it seems to me to be a bit lighter than at birth. Lily played that joke on me, too — her light brown hair lightened over the months until it was undeniably blond. I whispered to Liam today that it would certainly garner favor with Mommy if he would keep his lovely brown hair. At this point, it is what people seem to associate with which parent the child favors. Since everyone seems to think Lily looks just like Bill, I am hoping maybe this one will appear to be related to me. Liam’s eyes are that dark bluish color of newborns, but I know they will eventually turn brown — like Mommy’s, and Daddy’s, and Lily’s, and Nana’s and Papa’s, and Aunt Jill’s, and cousins Ethan’s and Finn’s, and Pop’s (on Bill’s side). Right now, he reminds us a lot of Lily at this age — his petite features and little expressions. So I wonder if he’ll grow to look a lot like his sister over the years.
Liam likes his bouncer for short periods, and he has been reaching for the toys that hang from it since he was two weeks old. Already advanced. He also doesn’t mind the swing for a bit. He does, of course, like to be held, and I am loving our Moby wrap so that I can strap him to my chest and be hands-free and mobile.
We haven’t caught a big smile yet, but Bill and I both think he is on the verge. We see little “almost” smiles quite frequently. I think I’ll be able to report that milestone at the next month’s update.
So I’m finding new challenges in raising two children, of course, but I am also discovering a more relaxed joy at this stage the second time around. I think it could due in part to thinking that this might be the last time we do this. And I’m sure it’s due in part to the fact that Liam is a fairly contented baby so far. But I also think I am just a more experienced parent, and I know that, good or bad, all of these moments will pass unbelievably quickly.