One month old! (I know, a few days late in posting)

Our little guy was one month old on November 3. . . . Although time is still flying by (he'll be 5 weeks old tomorrow), October 3 seems like a long time ago!  My, my has life changed . . .

Last weekend we met some dear friends for lunch in Williamsburg to introduce them to Braden, and had to swing by the outlet mall before coming home.  We picked up this onesie, as it is definitely true!  When Braden is hungry, he wants to eat - now!  However, last night Braden slept from (insert drumroll here, please) 11-7 -- whoo hoo!  We are hoping this trend will continue! (PS - he is such a "serious" little sleeper - check out that furrowed brow . . . and arms above his head, as always - like daddy, and lower lip tucked in).

This week I noticed that some of Braden's newborn clothes are almost getting too small (but the 0-3 month clothes are still a little big . . . ).  His little legs/feet are definitely filling out the toes of these PJs - won't be able to wear them much longer!

Our smilin' guy . . . I really think he is starting to recognize our faces/voices and smiles in reaction.  In the first picture he's waving his arms/hands - as usual!

Here's the 12 month outfit picture.  The first one is from 1 week old, the 2nd was taken at 1 month . . . it's hard to tell growth so far, but we'll keep taking a picture at each month to document Braden's growth.

When Braden was born he had a LOT of hair, especially in the back  . . .  it was actually sort of long and "mullet-like."  We even talked about trimming it in the hospital.  For the past month I've been debating over whether to cut it or not (it looked sort of goofy long, but I was having a hard time making myself cut it), and finally decided to do it when mom and Allie were here to help.  (This picture is me with the scissors just after the cut - you can't really see his hair though - he has a brown onesie on under his PJs).  

Here are some of the notes I wrote about Braden's first month in his baby book:

• found his fingers/hands and likes to stick them in his mouth (3 weeks)

• first haircut (that long hair in the back - I finally trimmed it!) (4 weeks)

• likes baths, feeding time, and snuggling/being held

• does not like wet diapers, waiting to be fed, changing clothes

• seems to recognize our faces and is reacting to facial expressions and smiling (4 weeks)

• enjoys watching/looking at lights and ceiling fans

• is well behaved when we are out and about (church, shopping, etc.) 

Perhaps  I should have edited the last one . . .  yesterday I took Braden to the chiropractor. (Has anyone else done this with their infant?? - I'd like to hear about it!)  We found out that his range of motion in his neck is limited when turning to the left, and that the area of the spine that relates to the intestines is not aligned correctly (hence some constipation issues) . . . apparently c-section babies can be more in need of "adjustment" due to the stresses of being pulled out, often by their heads - ouch! . . . anyway, almost the whole time we were there he cried (scratch that screamed!).  I tell ya, the child cried more in that hour than he has in his whole little life! :( I think that the combination of being woken up from his nap, being stripped down to a diaper (he HATES to be cold), and then feeding time nearing just did not work well - add to that being poked and pushed on and one unhappy camper we did have. Yikes!  However, as soon as I dressed him and settled him into his carseat to leave, he was fine . . . I even stopped to grab  a few groceries before heading home to feed him, and he was perfect in the grocery store. Oh well! Hopefully on our next visit Braden will show the doctor his true demeanor. :)

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Finally, this has nothing to do with Braden (but the blog is Hartsock Happenings, so I guess I can blog about myself too!)  I'd like to take a moment to grieve the loss of my beloved flip flops. (I can see my mom rolling her eyes now!) . . . But can I just say that I have LOVED these shoes for 3 years . . . in fact the first time I wore them was on one of my first dates with Billy (I know this because I actually got some nasty blisters after that first wearing - flip flops are not meant for long walks! But since that first wearing, they have been the most comfortable shoes ever).  I love that they have a bit of a thick sole for comfort/support and also a little height (this is important to short people!), but not so thick that they look silly (I know, I had some that were too thick, right Suzanne??).  And they are not just regular rubber flip flops, they are actually leather, so were just a little "classier," (at least in my opinion).  These shoes went with me to Mexico on our honeymoon, walked the streets of NYC, and were pretty much the only shoes I wore throughout my pregnancy - they were so comfy and my swollen feet fit in them! On Tuesday I was wearing them to rake the lawn (yes, flip flops in Iowa on November 4!), and stepped funny, causing my foot to slide forward and rip out the little piece that goes between your toes.  So sad.  Sigh.  I have been on the lookout for these same shoes all year to purchase a replacement pair, as these are no longer looking their best . . . and on Tuesday I searched online for them, but no luck.  So, with great sadness, I bid my favorite shoes farewell.

At least now I have a good excuse to buy some new black flip flops next year!