6/30/12
Dear Garrett –
I promise I won’t inundate you with all these silly letters that you probably won’t appreciate when you’re grown. But I do want to write to you a few times so you can know exactly what has been going on for all of us as a family. While this is being posted to Mommy’s blog, I will be printing it out to put in your baby book.
You were brought into our lives exactly one month ago today. You were born on 5/30/12 at 3:28am and you were 5lb. 14.4 oz. and 17″ long. Daddy picked out your first name and your middle name is Mommy’s maiden name. When I first laid eyes on you, I was amazed at how much you resembled your Daddy. You have his nose. But you have your Mommy’s eyes and her long, skinny toes. You are actually a pretty good blend of the both of us.
Mommy had a very easy labor and delivery, but you gave us a little bit of a scare when your heart rate began to drop in the last few minutes of your journey into this world. But you came out like a champ in the end. I will never forget the feeling I had when you were placed on my chest for the first time. I can honestly say that you never know what true love is until you become a parent. You had a little bit of trouble feeding early on while we were still in the hospital. You had quite a bit of trouble learning to suck, swallow and breathe all at the same time. But you eventually caught on.
We were able to bring you home on June 1st, 2012. You looked so small in your car seat. Daddy walked you through the front door and introduced you to your big “brother” Buster the Westie. He was not impressed at first at all, but he would eventually come around. That first day at home you were visited by your Grandpa Denny and great-grandma Denny; Grandma Denny couldn’t come down that day.
The first few days at home were challenging. Mommy and Daddy had never been around a baby before; we were learning everyday of your new life. I would like to think that we did a pretty good job considering how inexperienced we were. Those first few nights were extremely difficult. You had your nights and days all mixed up. And you were still having a little bit of trouble eating, we realized later that you had a pretty nasty case of reflux and really bad gas. One month later we are still trying to figure out the best ways to relieve the pain you feel from these conditions. You were bottle-fed, and I have to tell you that I have felt a little bit of regret by making this decision. Everytime I see the pain on your face while eating, I have to wonder if you would have all this trouble with eating had I made the choice to breastfeed. But it’s not something that I can dwell on now.
You had your two-week appointment at the pediatrician on June 14, 2012. Your Grandma Denny accompanied us. The fire alarm at Western Baptist went off for a good 15 minutes while we were in the waiting room. Miraculously you slept through the entire ordeal – too bad Mommy and Grandma couldn’t have been that lucky. We didn’t get to see your regular pediatrician, Dr. Mason, because she was out of the office that week, but we instead saw Dr. McGregor who was quite nice as well. At this appointment we learned that you weighed 6lbs. 4oz and were 18.25 inches long. To be honest, I question your length, because that seems like a very large growth in such a small time span, but that’s what they measured you at. Either way, you were a healthy growing boy and we were very happy.
You have seemed to have learned so many new things in this first month of your life. It amazes me every day how much you grow and learn. You are now focusing on our faces while we hold you and especially during feedings. You are just now starting to learn how to follow objects with your eyes. During tummy time you are able to hold your head up quite well. You make the cutest sounds and faces. There’s this one noise you make that is the most adorable thing ever, it’s almost like a big sigh but it’s very exaggerated. It’s hard to describe and I keep hoping that I will be able to catch it on video with my iPhone.
Everyday is a new adventure. I won’t lie, it’s been extremely difficult for all of us. Many tears have been shed. I have lost my temper with you and with your Daddy. I have been overwhelmed on a lot of occasions. But at the end of the day it has been worth every waking moment.
Mommy and Daddy celebrated their 5th wedding anniversary exactly two weeks before you graced us with your presence. We have been able to do a lot of fun and exciting things during our marriage. But I can honestly say that all of them pale in comparison to you. I try to live my life as regret-free as I possibly can, but I do have one very large regret. I regret waiting so long to have you. I regret being so selfish as to not want a child for so long. You are the best thing that I have ever done in my entire life. You are the light of my life. I love you in a way that you cannot imagine. I might be a little biased, but you are absolutely perfect in my opinion. I still look at you and am amazed that Daddy and I created you.
This first month has gone by so quickly. If I could I would keep you small forever. But at the same time I look forward to watching you grow up.
We love you so much,
Mommy & Daddy
Tales of a Book Addict 