Documenting Declan (1 Month)

Weight: 10 pounds, 8 ounces
Length: 21.5 inches

The days keep passing and then weeks and somehow a month. Declan is growing right before my very eyes. He doesn't seem to be the most photogenic little child but that probably has a lot to do with my (extreme lack of) photography skills. We are thrilled this little boy has joined our family. The dynamic may be changing but it is already apparent that Edison and Alex adore their little brother. Declan is my happy place during the day. He is so calm and will give me unlimited snuggles. I love this child of mine.

Good little boy born right on his due date.

Get used to it! 

First bath at home. He loves bath time.

I made these as Thank You gifts so that I wouldn't have to write notes to people. Because I am lazy.

This was Alyssa's first time meeting Declan. He loved her, just like his brothers.

This boy is not naked enough.

We didn't plan for them to match. It just happened.

Tiny little babe.

Alex: Can I climb up and look at Baby Declan and how tiny he is? I'll look at him with a magnifying glass.

Emily: Is Declan sleeping?
Alex: Yeah. It was such a big day.

Thanks for the adorable blanket, Aunt Alexis. He only peed on it once!

Tummy time is hard!

 

Gangster baby.

 

Milk coma. I love a happy baby.

First time "playing" with a toy. Meaning I put it in his hand, he flailed around, then dropped it on his face.

Watching movies with the boys.

Always sideways!

"I've heard Cornell is the party school of the Ivy League. Woot!"

"Mommy snuggles me like this and then feeds me. So do it."

Kisses on the mouth. He needs more of those.

Declan very rarely cries. Maybe once a day. I think it is adorable.

He loves holding our fingers.

His nails grow incredibly fast. If I don't cut them every few days, he gets his face.

It was still chilly when he was born so he had to have lots of blankets in order to go on walks.

He doesn't like to have his arms swaddled when he sleeps because he wants them above his head.

"What is this hand and why does it keep hitting me?"

Maybe getting a little sleepy. Yep, a little. Bam! Party time! The predictability of a baby.

Snuggling and holding a finger. His perfect day.

Already suspicious of the camera. Oh, little one, you've got a lot to learn about Mommy.

He can sleep through it all. Even when they "accidentally" sit on top of him in the swing.

 

This might be my favorite baby outfit. Those shoes kill me with cuteness.

He strikes a pose.

 How to be a good parent:

Put your child in things he is clearly too small for.

Carry him around in your pocket if your hands get too full.

Allow older brothers to poke and cuddle him at any time.

Lie nearly on top of him. And bring your friends.

Varying levels of attention need to be paid depending on who is holding the child. However, the child will keep a very wary eye out for any shenanigans.

Have doggy piles. The child will join in one day.

Pin him until he taps out.

Here are a few more things Declan does for which I do not have a matching picture:

He...

...lost his umbilical cord stump entirely at 17 days old. I had accidentally torn it off a little bit while dressing him one day but some of it stayed for about a week longer until it was ready to fall off on its own.
...had such squishy skin was he was born. I love kissing his squishy forehead.

...started out with the typical gray newborn eyes but they began to turn blue around two weeks old. I am excited to see what color they end up.

...has a grumpy face but is actually very happy! Every time I finish nursing him, he gives me a look like he's extremely annoyed. What's a mom got to do to be appreciated around here?!

...was born with a birth mark above his right eye. This can be seen in the pictures, but I wanted to mention it here anyway.

...has very little baby acne.
...has no eyelashes.

...got a pacifier for the first time when he was three days old. I wasn't super happy about it but it happened. Sometimes when we put it in his mouth, he gags or makes a really disgusted face that we would even think to put it in his mouth. Other times, he likes it just fine.
...has mastered the art of looking bored out of his mind while being burped.

...has the hairiest little body. Especially his ears and his bum.

...is a heavy sleeper. If he is sleeping but wants to wake up, he raises his eyebrows like his eyelids are just too heavy so he has to raise his eyebrows to pull his eyes open.

...stretches so much and it makes me happy because baby stretches are my favorite.

...has really good-smelling breath. This is probably strange, but I like to breathe him.

...never spits up. Probably less than 20 times in his whole life and that is more like drool than spit up. It isn't ever more than a tablespoon.

...gets the hiccups quite a bit but they go away after a minute or two!
...still sleeps in our room. Alex and Edison never slept in our room for longer than a few days and that was because my mom was staying in their rooms! But Declan doesn't bother us and we don't bother him.

...is very vocal while nursing. He will grunt and moan. He gets into it.
...nurses every 2-4 hours during the day. He sleeps between those times. He is very alert in the evening, about 7-10pm. We turn off most of the lights around 10:30pm so he will know it is getting close to bedtime. We only swaddle him at night. During the night, he sleeps for 4-5 hours, eats, then sleeps for three hours, eats, then back to sleep for two more hours. We used to think he had night/day mixed up but then we realized he just thinks it is always night.
...has an chin quiver. For no reason. It isn't when he's sad or tired. It looks totally involuntary and is totally adorable.