ONE month with our BABY BOY!
Brooks Dean, you are simply amazing. I don’t know what I did to deserve you.
Brooks came home and settled in wonderfully. Rowan was hesitant of the new addition but he quickly took the role of protector. We took newborn photos at the hospital and at our house to remember the home we brought our baby boy back to.
My parents came down for his birth and stayed to help. It was an amazing blessing. Marshall was nearly done with his last phase of training in Florida so he did not take his paternity leave to delay finishing his training. He was able to be there the entire time of going to the hospital, B’s delivery (a Wednesday), and the rest of the week.
Brooks is in the complete newborn phase and snoozes all day. We had 3 doctor appointments in his first month.
Birth Statistics:
Length: 20.5 inches (88th percentile)
Weight: 8 pounds 12 ounces (89th percentile)
Head: 14 (97th percentile)
Clothing: Newborn
Diapers: Newborn
At discharge, he weighed 8 pounds 0.4 ounces, it is completely normal for babies to lose weight but they will usually be back at their birth weight within a week. At his 2-day discharge appointment, he was 8 pounds 4 ounces. The doctor we used in Florida was his doctor in the hospital so there was not much new. He ensured us everything was great.
Within that next week, I felt like B cried all of the time. By his two week appointment, he had not gained anything. The doctor gave me another week to get his weight up before we would try supplementing.
Within the next week, he continued to fuss after eating and had only gained 2 ounces. That day we began supplementing and it was a night and day difference. I then had a nurse that the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society offers come to the house to weigh him and see how supplementing was working. In one week he gained 1 whole pound!
He quickly began showing us his characteristics of sneezing in sets of three, squeaky yawns, sucking on his fingers, and giving us a side-eye when we make too much noise.
Length: 24.5 inches (91st percentile)
Weight: 12 pounds 5 ounces (35th percentile)
Head: 16.1 inches ( 90th percentile)
Clothing: 0-3 Month Clothing
Diapers: Size 1
Firsts:
- Halloween
- Car Ride
- Bath
- Walk
- Meeting Mamaw, Pap, Aunt Kim, and Aunt Jenn!
- Thanksgiving
Sleeping:
Since the night we brought him home he has been in his crib in his own room. The first night I slept on the rocking chair but found comfort when he slept great. We are using the Owlet and the lollipop camera. Both have been a game-changer and gave us the comfort of letting him be in his own room. The owlet tracks his heart rate and breathing and alerts us if they drop too low. The lollipop camera allows 24/7 video feed and alerts us if he cries. He is being swaddled at night and usually will only wake twice a night. In the first few weeks, he would not fall back asleep and would fuss. Again, my parents saved the day and once I fed him they rocked him while I could go get some rest.
Eating:
Brooks is eating around the clock. Nursing every 2-3 hours while having a bit longer stretch at night with 3-4 hours. He has a hard time staying awake while eating. We will strip him down to his diaper to be chilled in order for him to stay awake long enough to eat. Once we began supplementing he gets 2 ounces after 3 nursing sessions a day.
Developmental:
Not much developmentally yet as he sleeps most of the day. It is hard work coming into this world! He cries to let us know he is hungry and he is not a fan of being in a dirty diaper and will let us know if he has one. He loves to be held and you can find him in someone’s arms all day long.
Baby B. You are a true gift from God. I am so excited to see this wonderful life of yours and am blessed I am the one chosen to be your mama to witness it all. You have thin strawberry blonde hair, with the tiniest triangular nostrils. Your ears are teeny like mommas but you resemble your daddy. You have the sweetest snuggles and squeaks. We are just so in love with you.
We promise to love you, guide you, support you, encourage you, and hold you in our hearts forever.
Brooks Overload:
