1 Month Old!

Wow, I can't believe my sweet baby boy is 1 month old already! It seems like we were at the hospital yesterday. I guess that shows how fast life goes. This month has been stressful and emotional for me, and I have had to accept a lot of help especially from my mom. Each day I continue to try and learn what Jacob needs and wants and how to keep him happy instead of sad and fussy. I am also learning to adjust to my new life as a mommy which includes getting a little (actually, make that a LOT) less sleep, doing lots of things one-handed, and fitting in sleep and cleaning when Jacob is napping. As hard as it is, I try to cherish every moment and enjoy his cute habits, faces, and sounds. I know that he'll never need me this much or be this little ever again. But enough about me. Let me update you on our little man!
Jacob has been going back and forth with taking naps and sleeping at night. On good days he usually "wakes up" around 7:00 AM and then settles into a cycle of getting his diaper changed, eating, and going back down for a nap (although sometimes part of that nap is on Mommy's chest). Jacob's naps usually last around 1.5-2 hours on average, and he has one long stretch of sleep at night. Each day he also has one long stretch where he will fight sleep and cry non-stop. This is very frustrating for me, and I usually end up feeding him again to calm him or get him to sleep. He was sleeping about 5 hours at night (from 10:00-3:00AM), but lately he has only been sleeping from midnight 'til 3:30 and then 4:30-7:00. I am hoping that he will go back to his 5 hours stretch (or longer) soon, though. The good news is that Josh usually gives him a bottle while I go to sleep at 10:00, so I usually get a good 5 hours whether or not Jacob does. I did notice that on the 2 nights that Josh gave him formula he slept for a long time, so we may start doing a bottle of formula at bedtime to see if that helps him sleep longer.
Jacob also feeds on a pretty predictable pattern, unless he misses a nap and stays awake too long. Then he will eat every 2 hours, as it seems this is the only way to comfort him. Otherwise we are able to go about 3-4 hours between feedings when he takes a nap, plus that one long stretch between feedings at night. He has started spitting up more, though, so I am working on burping him and holding him upright as he falls asleep to try and minimize this.
Jacob has also started being more active and curious and will lift his head up when he's on my shoulder to look around at things. Even though I know he still can't focus that well (I love when he goes cross-eyed!) or see things very far away, it seems like he is so into the things around the apartment. Josh says he loves looking at the lights on the Christmas tree at night too! This week he was also able to roll himself over when I put him down for tummy time. Looks like we have a little over-achiever on our hands! Jacob also makes some really cute faces both when he's awake and when he's asleep. Oftentimes when he's sleeping he will smile or make a laughing noise, and these are so cute. He also likes to stick his tongue out as he is falling asleep. Jacob also makes cute little noises, especially when he is yawning. All of these developments are what get me through when he is having a rough day and being very fussy. I am really eager for him to be more active and alert during the day so I can do more with him. I have also started giving him more baths at night (not every day, though), but he is not a fan of these either. He starts out okay but then ends up hysterical crying and freezing cold. I think he has my poor circulation, because sometimes his fingers will be almost purple by the time we're done and I'm getting him dressed. The good part is that the bath usually wears him out and gets him ready for bedtime. Now I know why a lot of people include that in their bedtime "routine."
Overall he seems to be developing well, and I am eager to see how he changes and grows over this next month. I continue to cherish all the good days we have together and try to stay calm and relaxed when things get tough. I can definitely say that being a mom is way harder than you ever imagine it would be, but it is worth it and will be even better when he can sit up, crawl, and start to say his first words.