Happy One Month My Love!

I can't believe we're already celebrating one month of life for sweet Gavin! Technically we were celebrating over a week ago on the 28th, but finding time to write this hasn't been easy. This first month having two kiddos has been something else. In some ways it has really been a natural transition, and in others it has definitely been a challenge. I would say the hardest part has been umm...time management? I'm having a hard time getting much of anything done these days. But the best and easiest part has been soaking up all the newborn goodness combined with having two adorable tiny humans to love on. Even though I am super exhausted almost all the time, it really is the most amazing experience I've ever had.

I've discovered it's not going to be quite as easy to accomplish anything this time around. Crazy toddler plus newborn adds up to not much down time. But I do want to attempt to continue on with my monthly letters like I did for Grayson. Plus it will be super fun (for me at least) to have the two to compare every month. It's already kind of hilarious to read my one month post for Grayson and look at the photos and see how very different the two of them are.

Sweet Gavin,

Oh my, you are such a blessing and a true delight of a snuggly little newborn. Since the day you made your arrival (a week and a half late, mind you), you have been nothing but sweetness. You entered this world with the tiniest little cries, and immediately settled into my chest as happy as could be. Even though this transition from one to two hasn't been completely easy, you are what I would consider the definition of an "easy" baby. And for that, I say thank you. 

Things with you are so very different than they were with your brother. Not only because you are our second and we kind of have an idea of what we're doing this time, and not only because now we compare everything with how things were with Grayson, but also because you could not be more different from your brother if you tried. Where he was loud and passionate, you are calm and laid back. You have to build up to a good fuss, where he let us know thesecond he was upset. I'm really wondering if this is insight into your future personality, because Grayson is still to this day very much a passionate child, but in the very best ways. It will be so interesting to see if you are just a chill, relaxed little boy when who you really are starts to emerge. 

You've started giving me a few smiles here and there - well, if we're being honest, I'm writing this almost two weeks late and at this point you pretty much smile anytime I make eye contact and smile at you. But at one month, I'd only gotten a few smiles out of you. Every single time you do it I'm quite sure my heart is going to literally burst with love. You have the best little smile - you smile with your whole face, all the way up to your sweet little eyes. You're also starting to recognize all "your people". You always react when you hear mommy, and now your head turns for Daddy's voice, and the past few days you've really started watching Grayson closely. Today he was watching you lay in your pack and play and talking to you and you smiled at him really good a few times and I honestly didn't think I could take the sweetness of it. It's the first glimpse of a real relationship I've seen between the two of you and oh my goodness it made my mama heart feel allllllll the feels. 

I can totally see what people say when they say second children just kind of have to go with the flow. You are out and about waaaay more than Grayson was at this point, doing preschool drop offs and pick ups, going to toddler birthday parties, going shopping with Mommy, and so on. But you are a real trooper, and we have yet to have any actual issues with you. I wear you sometimes in my little wrap, and you just snuggle right in and go to sleep. If we keep you in your car seat, you will kind of doze on and off and only get upset if you're hungry. 

Pretty much the rule for you is you are happy as can be unless you are hungry, have a wet diaper, have a tummy ache, or have the dreaded hiccups. I don't think anything makes you more mad than hiccups. Which is unfortunate, because you have them several times a day.  But even your cry is adorable. You pout out your bottom lip and it actually sounds like you are saying "ooh-waaaah! oooh-waaaah!". It sounds like you are fake crying, it's so darn cute. You barely cried at all the first maybe three weeks of your life, but you're getting more vocal about what you don't like the older you get. You actually like to be laid down occasionally, and will lay on your little play mat happily for several minutes. Tummy time doesn't bother you at all, so we do that pretty often. Although I have to supervise closely - your brother is so insanely excited about you that he can be a little bit aggressive. 

You were sleeping in your pack and play every night because the little bed part kept you somewhat elevated, and since you were so congested for so long we felt better about having you in there. Now I've got you in your little Halo basinet right beside me, and you are doing so good! You sleep in there until usually around 5 or 6 in the morning when you get restless and won't go back to sleep unless I put you in bed beside me. You're sleeping really well at night once you finally go to sleep (thank you!) and will give me a good three or four hour stretch, wake up to eat, sleep another one and a half to two hours, eat again, and then usually sleep another hour or so until Grayson decides that it's time for everyone to be up :) So while I'm not getting much sleep, I'm getting more than I expected with a newborn! 

Overall, you are just absolutely, positively delightful. I mean it. You are just the sweetest little baby and I can't get enough. I will be honest, I was slightly worried that I would feel differently about my second child, even though I knew I would love you - I think this is something every parent out there worries about. But the second they placed you on my chest I knew I was head over heels for you, and it has only gotten stronger every single day that I've known you. You are the complete opposite of your brother, but I think that's what makes you both so very special to me. I adore you more than you will ever know. I give you one million kisses every day and just can't get enough of your snuggles. You are the absolute sweetest baby in the world, and I'm so incredibly glad that you're mine. I love you baby boy!