August 18, 2005
Dear Mason II,
Today is your four-week birthday. I know I have said this before but time flies! I can’t believe you are four weeks old already.
We went to see Dr. Fergusson today for your one month check up and got the following report: Weight: 10 lbs. 14 oz. Length 21.75 inches. Still in the 75th percentile for weight and between 50 and 75th percentile for height. She was pleased with your growth. We talked about the pacifier we started to give you this week and she said it is fine. Some babies just need to suck more than others. She also said that as long as we get rid of it around 6 months, you should never even remember it. No shots today, but she told me to be prepared for next months visit when you will get three! Yikes!
Today I took a few pictures of you with a little envelope that said “4 Weeks” on it. Hopefully, I will remember to do this at major milestones. I had a flash of a funny thought: You at 16 years old posing in front of the front door holding a little envelope that says “16 years” on it. Hee hee. Who knows, I just may make you do that.
Even though you weight almost 11 pounds, you are still wearing newborn diapers. When your dad got home from work today he tried on a size one diaper and we were very sad to see that it fit quite well. While we are so happy that you are growing, it is also somewhat sad. Our little boy will only be little for such a short period of time. Tonight after dinner we took a lovely walk on the bike trail. The weather was humid but not horribly hot, so we had a nice time.
How do you spend your time at 4 weeks old you may wonder? Well, you eat a lot, approximately 10 times per day. We started introducing one bottle per day this week so your dad gets a chance to feed you. After eating, particularly in the morning, you have these wonderful active alert periods. You love to just stare into space and take in the world around you. I know you can’t see very far, but you get so wide eyed. I like to imagine all the things about your world that you are taking in. During these active alert times you really enjoy being in either your bouncy seat or swing. Thank goodness, because this is my only time to shower. When the afternoon comes around and the fussy times begin, we are both glad that I was able to fit in some mom time and get clean. I have heard horror stories from other moms who say they were never able to take a shower when their babies were small. We also like to go on walks with the dog, although I prefer morning to evening. Too many bugs in the evening if you ask me. You also seem to be drawn to light. You will gaze toward the ceiling fan in the family room for what seems like forever. Even though I know you can’t see that far, I wonder how/why it holds your attention.
Right now you are lying in your co-sleeper fussing at me. You have on cute little yellow-footed pajamas with ducks on them. They are newborn size and are already starting to get tight. When you were nursing this evening I paid particular attention to your hands. I wish they had done handprints at the hospital so I would have something to compare them to. I swear they have doubled in size. It is hard for me to imagine you becoming a grown man and thinking about how much those hands will grow.
It seems that you may have just drifted off to sleep which means I too must get to sleep. That old adage of sleep when the baby sleeps is very true. I hope that you are having sweet dreams of milk and dogs and trips to the park. I look forward to watching you grow and discover more of the world around you.
Love,
Mama
