Dear Beckham – 2 Months!

Well it’s been a while since I have updated, but last time I blogged (Beckham was 11 days old), I was not in a good place.  I was barely recovering and having a hard time adjusting.  I can now say, I LOVE this.  Beckham and I are having a blast hanging out every day!  It took me about 3 weeks to feel “better.”  I’m still slightly sore when I do certain things (mainly sit up fast), but other than that I’m back to myself.  I will start working out as soon as I get the treadmill up or can get to the gym.  Since I’m at the house all day, I want to clean and cook all the time.  I watch the cooking channel ALL day long.  I’ve made one thing from watching (from time’s sake) and it was delicious!!! It was a blackberry cobbler from scratch – a pioneer woman recipe.  Super easy.  Click here to get the recipe! http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/08/the_great_cobbl/.  I’m going to make crab cakes, crab and corn chowder, and Italian grilled cheese this week from watching the channel.  Can’t wait to try them all.  It sure is hard to cook though with Beckham. 

So I’ve decided to make Beckham’s monthly update a letter written to him.  I got the idea from a friend who has a blog about her kids and I thought it was really cute.  It will also allow me to look back and see major milestones.  I blogged about my pregnancy and I’m glad I did, because I forgot most of it, but it’s really cool to read back on what it was like.  This way, Beckham can read these later (and his future wife) to see what kind of baby he was.  

Dear Beckham,
You are my favorite thing ever!!!  You are a pretty laid back baby!  I’m finally figuring out how to “take care of you” in regards to keeping you happy and on a good schedule.  Your dad and I are so blessed to have you as our son!  I know every parent says this about their own child, but you are quite the handsome baby!  You look very similar to your daddy as a baby.  Definitely not your mom…I had really dark hair and squinty eyes.  You are very chunky though and both me and your dad were chubby.

Measurements:  At 2 weeks, you were 7 pounds 8.5 ounces (25-50%); 19 1/2 inches long (25%); your head circumference was 14 3/4 inches (50-75%).  You have had a large head since you were in the womb.  As a matter of fact, based on your head measurements in the womb, it pushed your due date up to Nov. 9 (you were due Nov. 30).  Of course, they don’t change due dates after the initial exam, but needless to say, you had a big head from the start!
At 2 months, you are 12 pounds 7 ounces (75%); 22 3/4 inches long (50%); your head circumference is 16 1/4 inches (97%)…holy cow!  We account your head size to your enormously large brain!  You are so smart!  And you definitely do not miss a meal!

My favorite thing:  Your smile!!!  You started smiling this month (around 6 weeks).  You are a very happy baby too.  You will smile at about everyone.  My favorite time of the day is the morning when we have face time and just smile back and forth.  You so want to laugh and I know it’s right around the corner.  The other day you got your vaccines and you were fussy, just wanting to snuggle with me.  I couldn’t get your happy.  Well, when your dad got home and started holding you, you gave him this huge smile.  It was really sweet.  You love your daddy.  He walks you around the house when he gets home from work…you LOVE looking at everything.  You’re so observant.

Daily Activities:  You’re too young to play on your own, so right now it mostly consists of face time with me.  We also have tummy time for about 5 minutes between your feedings.  You like it more on your boppy rather than your mat on the floor.  We go eat with your daddy once a week somewhere near his work.  It is one of my favorite days.  I don’t like being cooped up in the house all day, so it’s nice to get out.  It’s winter, so we can’t really take many walks without bundling you up so much that there would be no point.  I hate the cold too.  You used to like your swing, but you rather be held now, so if I need to get something done, I can only get about 10 minutes with you in your swing.
Eating: A lot has changed with your eating habits over the last month.  You eat every 3 hours.  You are now sleeping through most of the night, but after that initial feeding in the morning, you are like clockwork.  Your last feeding is around 10/10:30 and then you usually wake up around 4:30/5 am.  Once I feed you at that 4:30 feeding, you eat about every 3 hours after that.  I breastfed a lot in the beginning, but now I pump mostly and feed you with a bottle.  It’s just easier and you take a bottle much faster and calmer.  I go back to work in 7 weeks and I’m pumping like crazy to store milk so I don’t “run out” and have to go to formula.  I know I’m going to be really stressed going back to work so I’m hoping my milk doesn’t go away…oh man I’ll be mad.  I already have over 200 ounces stored up!  We are running out of room in our freezer!  But you’re worth it. 

Sleeping:  Your sleeping is getting better and better.  You are very easy to put down.  I can put you down awake, but sleepy, turn on your lamb that makes noise, and you fall asleep within 10 minutes.  I figured out a couple weeks ago that I wasn’t putting you down for enough naps.  Once I started making you nap after 1.5 to 2 hours of you being awake, you were much less fussy in the evening.  You sleep on average about 5-6 hours at night.  Last night, marked your first night of 8 hours straight.  Then I fed you and you went right back to sleep for 2.5 more hours.  You rock!  You LOVE being awake, but will sleep if I put you down (most of the time) 🙂

Special Events:  The last 2 months have been crazy with holidays and such.  You had your first Thanksgiving, your first Christmas, and many milestones in between. 
-Umbilical cord fell off at 2 weeks 1 day
-Circumcision ring fell off at 2 weeks 4 days
-First time I got out of the house was 3 weeks (you stayed with daddy)
-Slept through the night for the first time at 5.5 weeks
-Left him with a “babysitter” to go on a date at 5.5 weeks – Your Gramma (daddy’s mom) watched you…it was so great to go on a date, but I was really missing you by the time I got home
-Smiled at me for the first time at around 6 weeks
-Slept in your room for the first time at 6 weeks (felt like I was abandoning you, but you like your room)
-Your neck muscles are getting stronger and your starting to hold your head up on your own (not quite there yet)…poor thing though you have A LOT of head to hold up so props to you that you’re getting there.
-You are starting to bear weight on your legs when we hold you under your arms

Here are some pictures of you in the last 2 months!