Nolan: One Month

I can't believe it's already been one month since our little man was born. It's been so nice having him part of our family. And while the adjustment hasn't been easy the whole time, it has been so much more manageable than our first month with Mallory. I am definitely more calm and confident and patient as a second time mother than I was as a first time mom. I feel like I've been able to really soak up this newborn phase with more appreciation this time around. Though I will say that Nolan makes it easy to love and adore him; he's not an angel 100 percent of the time but really, who wants a kid that's literally a bump on a log - I'd be scared something was wrong with my child if he didn't challenge me a little bit.

I think we may have another serious baby on our hands; he wears a frown quite often and looks at you with such a contemplative expression - almost as if though he's wise beyond his years and will offer you a piece of advice at any moment. And his eyes, they're so big and dark brown. I tell him he's "pretty" because "handsome" just doesn't seem to be enough. He's starting to smile, coo, and babble and it's so cute; I definitely prefer his baby talk over his cries. He's been habitually more fussy in the evenings which I know is very common. Taking him outside so he can stare up into the sky has proven to help calm him down. He enjoys being outside and going places: walks, shopping, to the park. Doesn't appreciate the car yet but he's still young, give him time. I think it's more the car seat he doesn't like anyway.

He's consistent with his feeding times and has no problem reminding you when it's time to eat. Two hours in between day time meals, three and a half (sometimes four!) hours for night time snacks. It's still not enough sleep for my liking but I know it'll only get better as we go. But boy do I miss uninterrupted sleep, so much. Thankfully I have gotten used to his old man grunts and snores at night while he sleeps so I can pretty much sleep through them. He still hasn't quite grasped the concept of the binky and how to keep it in his mouth. When you give it to him, he'll sometimes fight it away even though you can tell that once it's in his mouth he loves it. There have been moments where he's sucked on his thumbs or fingers when he loses the binky or doesn't have it, but I still don't think he'll be a thumb sucker.

Baby brother is getting treated very well by his big sis. She is proud to tell others about him and loves to cuddle with him. When she reads or tells stories to him, he'll just watch her with awe. It's really cute and I know he recognizes her voice. She loves to help push him in the stroller and asks to hold him a lot, even though when I do so she wants him off her lap pretty quickly. He does already annoy his sister though, with his loud crying and when she has to wait to for things until after he's been fed. Overall they're both adjusting to each other nicely and I'm proud of my big monster for embracing the change with optimism.