One Month

May 29, 2010

Dear Riggins,

I have always thought it funny that time could simultaneously seem to pass quickly and slowly. Never has that realization rung more true than over the past month. It has past us by in a blink, a blur. And yet I feel as though you have been with us for so much longer than a month. Life with you seems so natural, so complete, that it is hard to belive that you have only been with us for four weeks.

And what amazing weeks they have been! You were born on Thursday, April 29th, and after some delays thanks to a string of severe thunderstorms and tornado warnings that kept the hospital on lock down, we were able to bring you home on Saturday afternoon, May 1. We were lucky that your dad had that whole next week off from school, so we got a lot of quality time as a family to figure out how the three of us were going to work! You definitely had your spurts of crying and fussiness as you adjusted to life outside of me, but you spent a lot of time sleeping! You also enjoyed some of your first outings: walks around the neighborhood, Sonic happy hour, Home Depot, Kroger, the University of Memphis, the Memphis Farmers Market, the Greek Festival, and a hike through Shelby Forest.

I was fortunate to cap of your first week with my first Mothers Day. You and your daddy picked out a beautiful bouquet of peonies for me at the farmers market and decided that it would become our Mothers Day tradition since they bloom right around your birthday. On the morning of Mothers Day, Daddy made pancakes and wrote me a beautiful letter, and also told me about my Mothers Day gift: a gold "R" to add to my necklace, in your honor.

During your second week, my mom came to visit. She was a tremendous help as Daddy returned to school and began seeing patients in the clinic. The next week, your dad's parents came to visit. They are all still trying to figure out what they want to be called as grandparents, but by the time you are old enough to read this I'm sure you will have figured out some names for them on your own! The two weeks of their visits were such a sweet time; it has been so fun for your dad and I to watch our parents get to know you, and let me tell you: as the first grandchild on both sides you are banking on this grandkid business! They are all just head over heels for you.

Your two-week doctor's appointment was a success, as you have gained back your birth weight plus a few ounces, totaling 7 pounds 7 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long. You didn't love being naked on the exam table and were certainly glad to be reunited with your clothing, blanket, and pacifier! The doctor gave us the go-ahead to try a bottle, and that afternoon you chugged down a full bottle in no time flat, a shock to me considering that you like to take your sweet time when nursing! You love to eat and have earned the nickname "Riglet the Piglet" for the hilarious noises you make when satisfying that appetite.

At four weeks, you are still long and lean! You are right on the verge of outgrowing most of your newborn clothes and diapers, but it is a bit of a dilemma...everything still fits you around, but you are so long that things are starting to get a little short! Everyone who meets you comments on your long arms and legs. We think you might end up with my dad's build.

A few other details for my memory:

• You screamed to high heaven every time we changed your diaper, decreased the decibels to fussing during your third week, and during your fourth week you finally started to enjoy your time on the changing table. I was seriously concerned that we would have a one year old who still screamed during diaper changes!
• You eat every 2 1/2 to 3 hours during the day and have thankfully decreased the time it takes for you to nurse. Your dad gives you a bottle about once a day to give me some flexibility.
• You wake up once during the night to eat, giving us two good chunks of sleep each night (THANK YOU!!!).
• You love bath time! Your cord fell off at 6 days, and your first bath was in the tub; you hated it! The next time around we switched to the kitchen sink, and now you just chill out like you're in a hot tub! Now the only problems is that you love it so much that you scream when bath time is over!
• You love to be held with your arms flung over one of our shoulders and to have your little bum patted.
• You love the outdoors. Any time you are fussy or unconsolable, we just head out to the back patio or the front porch swing and you are instantly soothed. You stare up at the sky and trees as though they are the most fascinating things! These are some of my favorite times with you.
• You love being carried in the Moby Wrap or Baby Bjorn, so much that I call you "Roo" because you look like a little kangaroo baby!
• Your big sister Weber is absolutely in love with you. She has to check on you every time she enters the room or if you are in your crib or cradle. If you start crying from your cradle or crib, she often cries too! She gets up with me when I feed you in the night, and she has a killer ability to detect your dirty diapers.
  

Last week was the first week of just the two of us at home. I love that I am able to spend so much time with you, especially now that I know how fast time is going to fly! We are establishing a pretty good little routine, though I am taking advantage of flexibility and portability of this sleepy newborn stage. One of the biggest lessons of the past week was that I can have an agenda for my day, but you don't know that agenda! I am learning that my to-do list will be a bit shorter than what I am used to from the professional world, and that I need to be content with what each day allows. The chores will always be there, but you will not, my sweet boy! I am determined to enjoy and soak up every moment with you, even if that means that our house is host to a family of dust bunnies.



In the words of one of my favorite lullabies, "I dreamed of you, but I never knew how sweet, how lovely..." Riggs, I had many, many dreams of what life with you would be like. I had dreams of how you would be and what you would look like. And you are just so much more than anything I could have ever imagined. As much as I am looking forward to watching you grow, I am just savoring these early moments of your life: staring at you, breathing in your sweet baby scent, kissing you a bazillion times a day, snuggling with you, laughing at your funny faces. Even when you cry and scream, I know that some day I will long for the days when you just needed me to hold you, so I take a deep breath and remind myself that this too shall pass, and all too quickly.

I could go on and on and on, but I believe I've reached the point at which the grown up Riggins who reads this someday will be thinking, "Aww, Mom...seriously!?! You posted all of this sappy stuff on the Internet!?!" So I will stop. But I want you to know that you are loved immensely, prayed for daily, and that you bring more joy to your Daddy and me than we could have ever thought possible.

All my love,
Mama