Joe's had yet another awesome week! In fact, just today I said to him "Joe, you're a rockstar baby" as he very quietly sat in his infant seat, wide awake might I add, as we went in and out of a few stores running errands. He's still super calm and content about 95% of the time. His belly is still the biggest source of discontent for him, something I'm sure we'll be dealing with for a while.
I took him to the pediatrician today for his 1-month appointment. He's perfectly healthy! He was really good throughout the 45 minute appt. He was not a huge fan of stripping down to be weighed in, but I did my best to keep him warm. Ready for the biggest shock of your life? The boy is on the growth charts! Yes, I said ON. Well, he's on 2 of the 3. He's in the 97th percentile for height (23.5 inches) and head circumference (16 inches). He's just above the chart for weight, at a robust 11 lbs 15 oz. However, and this is a big however, he's growing at an average rate, which is the most shocking part of all of it for me. And the doctor. She couldn't believe he was such a little peanut (well, relative to Brooke.) His big sister gained over 3 lbs in her first month alone, ending up an entire pound heavier than her little brother is now - and she started half a pound smaller! She then continued to grow at the same 2-3 lb/month rate, so I'm very curious to see if he'll follow that same pattern. The pediatrician thinks there is a chance he's just had a slow-growing month and might pick up the pace next month. I guess we'll just have to wait and see!
She was very happy with our little man's progress this month as far as eating and sleeping habits go. He's gaining plenty, so we're sure my milk is sufficient for him. He's still sleeping really well, with nice long stretches at night and good naps during the day. The pediatrician was very pleased to see how alert he was and how well he could focus on something. She was ridiculously impressed by his neck strength. As he lay on the exam table on his belly, he lifted himself more than I've ever seen (good timing!) and she was shocked. I believe her exact words were "That's incredible." When I said "Do you hear that? You're doing a good job, buddy!", she followed it up with "You're doing a good job, Mom." While I don't take credit for his awesomeness, it's so nice to hear that from a non-family member.
(Have I mentioned I love my pediatrician? And not just because she hands out compliments either. I just think she's awesome. She shares my love of sarcasm and doesn't buy into silly parenting trends & rules that pop up. For example, she thinks pacifiers are great and vitamins are excessive. Love how laid back she is!)
Anyway, back to my little buddy... Joe got one shot today (HepB) and handled it pretty darn well. Only cried about a minute before calming down with his pacifier. He'll go back again at 2 months!
Here are some of my favorite pics from week #4. Enjoy!
Joe Cool in his shades again, taking his first walk around the neighborhood.
Big Sister Brooke had to push her baby in a stroller, too. Needless to say, we didn't walk very far...
Staring contest anyone? I call this his pensive stare.
Somebody had his first bottle earlier this week. Took it down like a champ for his grandma. I'm going to do my best to avoid being the bottle-giver, that way he doesn't associate all eating with me (even though it's still my milk.) He had another one tonight. This was Daddy's first go at it - special father/son bonding time :)
This picture slays me. I don't count this as a real smile (we've yet to receive one of those) but it's still crazy-cute.
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