Letters to Joseph-October

Dear Joseph…

I’m writing this letter to tell you about your second month…October.

Your Dad stayed home with us until you were three weeks old, then he had to go back to work and it was just you and me during the days. We started forming a routine as much as we could.

You usually would wake up around 7am and your Dad would take you out of bed and spend an hour with you so that he wouldn’t miss you so badly while he was at work and so I could have a little time to myself to stretch out in bed or sleep on my stomach which I haven’t been able to do for so long. Then you would come back to bed and we would sleep for another hour or so. Then we would wake up and you would nurse for a while.

One thing about me that you know by now is that I need to have a shower every day in order to feel human. At first, I thought that I would take a shower before your Dad left for work, but since you are getting me up every two to three hours at night, I decided that I needed the sleep instead. Luckily for me and happily for you…you like water! So, every morning, I run a bath for you in your baby tub which sits at the bottom of the regular tub, then I point the shower head way down and take a shower while you are happily splashing in your tub. You don’t even mind the flecks of water that get on you. You just move your arms and legs in the water like it’s no big deal. I shower, (I’ve learned to keep my eyes open while I’m shampooing my hair so I can watch you carefully every second), and then I wash you with your baby wash since your little neck can get a little stinky.

After we are finished washing, I put you in your bouncy seat while I blow dry my hair…you like the sound of it and I blow dry you a little too. This usually keeps you content until it’s time for me to dress you…you usually cry when this time comes. I like to dress you in clothes that are a little more grown up…I don’t like you to leave the house in PJ’s like a lot of other babies.

I try to get us out of the house every day. The first day after your Dad went back to work, we went to Mom and Baby Yoga and for a long walk in Lincoln Park. You loved the sound of the waves on the beach and the wind in your face. We also started going to ‘First Weeks’ which is a discussion group for people with little babies. Even though you were only three weeks old, you were so big and grown up compared to the other babies. I know I’m biased, but it seems like you are way ahead of the typical ages for certain things…for example, you were already holding your head up by yourself at three weeks, standing on my lap, and you are just so alert and bright eyed. You do sleep a lot still, but when you’re sleeping, you just look like a little boy, the other babies look like sleepy babies. Finally, you are starting to make moves to roll over! Slow down on that one!

In the past few weeks, you have been smiling at us. That has been absolutely wonderful. You also mimic our facial expressions…especially when we stick our tongue out at you. At five weeks you started to bubble and drool a little…this makes me think that maybe you might get your teeth a little early…no rush on that! Your hair fell out around three weeks old, but it’s starting to grow back in now that you are seven weeks old. Most babies have grey blue eyes when they are born, but everyone keeps telling up that if your eyes were going to be brown or dark, they would be showing signs by now. So, amazingly, even though your Dad has green eyes and I have brown, you look like you’re going to have blue eyes. Your Great Grandpa Bob had blue eyes, but he’s the only one on my side of the family that I can think of who did. On your Dad’s side, we can’t think of anyone who has blue eyes…so you are very special.

We’ve had some fun outings this month on the weekends with Dad too. On the first weekend, we went to Barritt Reynolds 7th birthday party…the theme was Flower Fairy Tea Party, so I dressed you up like a ‘Leaf Elf’. I sewed cut-out leaves on your hat and onesie and you wore lime green pants and felt shoes. The girls fawned over you in their fairy outfits while I painted flowers on all the little girl’s cheeks. The next weekend went sailing with Chris and Emily Russell on their beautiful boat. I held you in the sling and, ever the water baby, you were perfectly content. Your Uncle Craig and Cousin Corey came to visit us one weekend and we went out to eat, to an exhibit on human anatomy, and walking in the park. We had so much fun and your Cousin loved to hold you.

For Halloween, you dressed up as a Bouncer at your Uncle Chris’ Bar, The Mean Eyed Cat. You wore your black Mean Eyed Cat onesie, a red bandana around your head, and upon your Auntie Allison’s recommendation, we painted an ‘I heart Mom’ tattoo on your arm. Your Dad and I dressed up like Cowboys who had been in a fight with each other and you broke it up. Halloween night was the first time that you took a bottle from your Dad. You did it on the first try!

Time is going by so quickly…I can’t believe that you are already seven weeks old. You are bringing us so much joy as each day passes.