One Month Reflection

One Week Old

It's hard to fathom that Lincoln is already one month old! He continues to make our transition to a family of four much easier than I anticipated. And trust me, I'm continually giving thanks! Over and over during my pregnancy, mothers of two or more children told me that they couldn't even describe the intensity of going from one child to two; I basically lived in fear during my pregnancy of what life would look like when Lincoln arrived. 

Only knowing the temperament of our daughter (MISS INDEPENDENT), I braced myself for a world turned upside down. However, God had a different plan for our Lincoln, praise the Lord! Don't get me wrong, I'm totally in love with Adeline and embrace her tenacity to the fullest. To be cliche, she truly does light up a room with her charm and wit, but having two of her would be an immeasurable challenge! As a new mom again, I'm beyond thankful that God created Lincoln with a calm demeanor. 

When Lincoln came home from the hospital, he was the picture of health. A hearty, almost nine pound, baby who slept well, ate well, and only cried at diaper changes... sometimes. Could we really be this lucky?! Heck, I might consider enduring a couple more pregnancies after this kid!

The most joyful part is that Adeline is completely taken with her brother. She spends her days cuddling up to him, confessing her love, and trying to be my "big helper." There is nothing sweeter than watching her love on him. As expected, she sometimes has a fit once or twice a day when I feed him, exclaiming, "Huggin, Mommy!" or "Daddy hold Lincoln!" But again, I know we're overwhelmingly blessed and she's getting better with understanding Lincoln's needs. Most times when he cries she simply says, "Get milk." 

Over the last month our little guy has picked up a couple health issues. When he was one week old we noticed yellow-greenish discharge coming from his eyes. After a hospital visit, the doctor confirmed he had two blocked tear ducts. He was prescribed eye drops for an infection and although he still has some goop now and then, he's much better. And like his sister, our poor son has reflux. Luckily, his is much less severe and he doesn't scream in pain during and after feedings like she did. He only vomits once or twice a day, although he chokes and gags frequently. The doctor put him on Zantac last week to try and soothe his cringing that may be a result of the reflux, but that's not showing much success yet. Lincoln's also experiencing some lovely neonatal acne, which Adeline had too. Despite some discomforts, he continues to eat and sleep well. On a typical day he wakes up around 8 A.M., eats every two to four hours, and sleeps most of the day. He has about four awake periods, generally lasting about one to two hours. And praise God, he sleeps though the night, only waking to eat. I was completely sleep deprived with Adeline, due to her reflux, so I fully appreciate the 5-7 hours of sleep I'm getting with Lincoln. 

At one month of age, Lincoln has mastered smiling and is working on his cooing skills. He enjoys falling asleep to lullaby music, being bounced while I walk him around the house, hanging out over my shoulder, and taking warm baths. We're so in love with this little miracle!