Dear Colin,

It's hard to believe that four weeks have gone by.
It seems just like yesterday you were placed into our arms at the
hospital. I am a few days late on your very first monthly letter.
Really, I started this letter a few times in my head on the days
leading up to your one month birthday. Usually late at night around
your 2am feeding when it's just you and me. It's just now that I've
gotten some time to sit and write this out. Sometimes I feel like your
Daddy and I are "winging this," if you will. We've read dozens of books
and magazines, took classes, and even then we were not fully prepared
for what life would be like for us with you in it. We are doing our
best and we thank you for your patience as we navigate this new role
for us. We are loving every minute of it!

You
are gaining weight (10.2lbs at your one month check-up) and you are almost out of your newborn clothes and
started wearing some 0-3 month outfits. Which is a welcome change for
me, since I see you in the same several outfits day in a day out. And it's
no wonder you're already moving up in wardrobe — it is as if you have
a little internal alarm clock when it comes to feeding. You are right
on key every two hours, sounding your little (adorable) cry to let us
know it's time. It has been tiring at times, but watching your sweet
little face and having this special time with you is unbeatable. I know
it will be tough when the time comes for me to go back to work at the end of next month.

By
the end of this first month, you started staring right at us while we
chat with you when you are in our arms. It hasn't been just one-way
conversation entirely; you happily grunt and make funny noises right
back at us. We've seen a few gassy smiles and we think we hear you giggle from time to time in your sleep, but we are anxiously awaiting some "real" ones. :)

We've taken you on quite a few outings now that the Spring
weather has arrived. You do great in Mama's little peanut sack, snoozing away while we walk around stores (to keep our cabin fever at bay during the weekdays). Everywhere we go people just love to stop us and
ask how old you are and tell us how beautiful you are. One thing just
about every person has told us, is how much of a blessing you are and to
enjoy every minute of it. We know how entirely true they are. We are so
very blessed. We can't wait to see what's in store for us in the next
month.

Love,
Mama

Happy St. Patrick's Day from this little Irish cutie (and his Mama) to you!

Can you tell we had a good morning? Both of us have been showered and dressed for the holiday – all before noon! Wow, today is a great day! ;)

Week 3 has come and gone with the blink of an eye.

Some nights there are hourly feedings (ugh) and some nights there are 3 hour stretches of sleep (hurray!). And even though at times I can feel incredibly exhausted, just seeing a photo like this with his little soft angel face makes it all worth it. :)

This is just a little peek from the photos I took this weekend for his birth announcement. If I can get those out in the mail this week, I'll feel I accomplished something other than my current daily goals for myself: eat, sleep, shower…lol. :)

Special thanks to blog commenter Andrea for her suggestion on the split shifts for night-time…we started that this week and I feel like a brand new mama most mornings…it's amazing what a 3-4 hour uninterrupted sleep stretch (and the kind where you're fully asleep and not half-way asleep to listen for the baby monitor) can do for you. I've been pumping bottles so Brandon can handle the feeding which I think is great in more than just giving me some rest…it's giving him the opportunity for one-on-one time with the baby himself…or as he calls it, "Daddy time."

Speaking of which, I better head off to bed so I can rest up for the start of my 2am shift. :)

Today marks two weeks since Colin first arrived. (Happy Birthday little guy!)

And, what everyone says is so true – time really flies by. I think it does even more so when you count your day not by the actual time on the clock, but by two hour feedings and naps and diaper changes. Everything has been going really great, and we are adjusting to the sleep schedule well. Brandon went back to work this week, so to help him function properly at work, I've been doing the night routine on my own (not that he could help with the feeding anyway) ;) and so far I've been okay. I'm amused by the crappy programming that is on TV in the middle of the night. TV is what keeps me awake during middle of the night feedings…the first week I tried doing them in bed and was constantly nodding off and having a sore neck the next day. LOL. So now it's Trauma: Life in the ER or E! News Daily occupying my time.

Colin has his two week Dr. visit tomorrow and we're anxious to see what he weighs now…I've been noticing my arm is getting heavier already! His little legs are filling out now and I couldn't be more pleased as a Mama. :) The first week I was so anxious and stressed about getting the breastfeeding right, and I have been anxious to see him regain his lost weight. It's been fun watching the little changes and growing he has done in such a short amount of time. His hair is already lightening up a bit and we watch his eyes daily for color changes (we're pulling for Blue!) He has such a strong head and neck already — turning it from side to side while we try to burp him. We started daily tummy time this week and he amazed me today when he up and rolled over all on his own! We are enjoying all of these little moments. :)

With the new life adjustment and parents visiting, I've been neglecting the blog and sharing pictures, so finally here are a few favorites from his first two weeks. Thanks again to all of our friends and family and blog friends that have sent such nice notes and wishes to us!

Oh, and the other part everyone says is so true too: the feeling of being a Mom and loving something as much as this is the best thing in the entire world.