First month

Yes, my baby is more than one month old and I can hardly believe it! These last weeks have been challenging, to say the least. It has been a busy time for us and almost all of our extended family. I am so grateful to my brother, a few key friends, and my church family for helping me out in various ways (taking care of Jonah, meals & laundry) - they have literally helped me SURVIVE during the times when Glenn has been away! And a special thanks to my Mom who was here this weekend - let's just say she was VERY productive and it feels great!

Since Bram arrived home from the hospital he has been thriving - gaining nearly a pound a week for the last four weeks now! (A big relief - we were always worried about Jonah's weight gain.) Of course his sleeping is typical of a newborn. I definitely need to nap daily in order to feel functional. He actually once slept 5.5 hours... Perhaps he'll pull that off again tonight? There's always hope.

Our midwife called Bram an "over-achiever" at our four-week appointment last week because of his weight gain, and also because he has such a strong neck and he is already smiling. Today, once Glenn arrived home, Bram's smiling and interaction seemed to increase exponentially. A coincidence I'm sure, but very nice for Daddy!

Jonah seems to enjoy being a big brother, despite the adjustment he has had to make, and says he wants more siblings. Jonah laughs at some of the things Bram does, and he likes to help by rocking Bram, giving Bram his soother and helping out with his bath (pouring water on him). He is always interested in hearing the comparisons between Bram and him as a baby. He doesn't like the crying though, and gets very stressed out if Bram cries in the car. He has also learned that babies "make us late" and I heard him telling his cousin tonight that Mommies have to feed their babies at night, even when they don't want to.

Anyway, I better get myself ready for bed! Here are a few more pictures of significant moments over the past 4 weeks...

Jonah insisted - the pinwheel HAD to be in the picture!

Jason is the first "bandy" to meet Bram. Come on
now, Bram, he wasn't THAT scary!

Brothers' first ride together in the Chariot
(the mode of transportation getting Jonah home
from school... we make him walk TO school)

A quick cuddle together in Bram's crib

Bram made his first trip to Niagara Falls! He was less than thrilled about the Falls (slept through that). I was less then thrilled about the "foreigner's fashion show." One of the things I love about going to Niagara Falls is checking out the cool jeans & other hip clothing worn by European and Asian tourists. I'm not sure where they all were this time. Maybe it was a function of the time of year/week/day we went?

And, after many attempts, I finally managed
to capture one of Bram's smiles on camera...