Two Months

Dear Joseph,

Yesterday, you turned two months old. I honestly can't believe you are two months old already. It seems like it has gone by so quickly, but it also seems like you've been here - part of our lives - for much longer than that. We took you to the doctor for your two-month checkup, and Dr. M said you are perfect (he's said it before, and since I am your mom, I like to repeat it over and over). You are 23.5" long and 13lbs, 1oz. Quite a big boy! We asked the doctor about your gas problems, since it seems that there's nothing I can eat that doesn't give you painful gas. (Your toots aren't always as funny as they used to be because they are usually accompanied by a high-pitched scream and loud grunts.) He pretty much said we should get over it. There's not much we can do about it, and trying to change everything we do would take all the fun out of this whole experience. Well, he put it much better than that, but that was the basic gist of it. He made me feel a lot better about continuing to breast feed you even if it can be difficult at times.


You also received your first round of vaccinations yesterday, and you did amazingly well. You didn't even feel the first needle, and even after the fifth shot (yes, you got 5 shots in one day!) you cried for just a few seconds and quieted right down. You slept for most of the day afterward, and even slept for just over 5 hours in one stretch last night.


You have developed quite a personality over this last month. You still like to ride in the car (you still fall asleep most of the time) but you have decided that you do not like being strapped into your car seat - or strapped to anything for that matter, even your beloved bouncy seat. You smile so much now, and you gurgle and coo when you see your dad or I. Your grandpa gets a kick out of making you smile big when you come to work with me. Even when you wake me up a few times during the night, or refuse to go back to sleep at 2:30 in the morning, seeing your smile when I come to get you out of your crib - when it actually is time to get up - kind of makes me forget about the sleep I've been loosing. Kind of.


You still enjoy watching the ceiling fan, and you get upset sometimes if it is not on. You have also discovered the TV - this is both good and bad. Right now, you are watching Dave Matthews Live from Piedmont Park, and although I should turn the TV off, I will let it slide this time. (Mom loves Dave Matthews, by the way, so if you ever need a gift idea... What? I'm just sayin'!) You have begun to take more notice of your own hands, and you bat at things. I can tell you are just a little bit away from reaching out and grabbing the things you see around you. You have a bunch of soft, sweet little blankets, but your favorite comfort items are a burp cloth - any burp cloth - and your froggy and puppy WubbaNub pacifiers. Meghan introduced us to these, and they are awesome because you can hold onto your pacifier and sometimes even put it back in your own mouth if it falls out.


Your new favorite place to hang out is your Boppy pillow that Judy from across the street bought for you. She and her husband, Larry, just love you! They come running across the street whenever we walk out the door or arrive home with you. Speaking of hanging out, one of your biggest changes is that you like to hang out "alone" and you entertain yourself. This is a big help to mom when she is trying to get ready to go to work or to the store, cook dinner, or even just brush her teeth!


A couple of weeks ago, dad and I went on our first date alone since you arrived. Your grandma Karla came over and sat with you. You were a little fussy after we left, but grandma said you did great. She did great, too. She loves to read to you and tell you stories. Hopefully she won't tell you too many stories that cause you to say someday, "But why?? Grandma said when you were a kid..." I knew you would be fine with grandma, afterall, I turned out OK, but I was still anxious to get home to you. I don't want to miss anything!

You are turning into an amazing little person, and everyone keeps telling me I should enjoy the next month or so, because after that you won't be a baby anymore. I beg to differ though, you will always be my baby no matter how old you get.

Love,
Mom

Mom and Dad's Big Night Out

This past Thursday, Mike and I went on a date. Sans baby. It was the first time in almost 7 weeks that we had been in a restaurant together - or alone together at all for that matter - and when we left the house, I realized it was the first time I had ridden in his car in as many weeks. My mom came over to watch Joey, and I must admit, it was a little weird to walk my mom through the house, showing her where diapers, blankets, PJs and bottles were, showing her how to use the stroller if she wanted to take him for a walk (this almost always calms him down if he's inconsolable) and explaining how to heat up the breast milk that was stored in the fridge.

When we left the house, Joey was asleep on the couch next to his grandma, and she looked like a deer in headlights (sorry mom, you did!), but I knew everything would be fine. I kissed Joey on the head and told him I loved him, and to be good to grandma while we were out. Of course, he woke up screaming when we couldn't have been more than a block away. But, grandma handled it like the pro that she is, and calmed him down.

It wasn't too hard to leave Joey, after all, I trust my mom and I knew he would be safe, and we were only going to be gone for a couple of hours. But, when we were heading up Hwy 1 to Cambria (we were going to have dinner at the Black Cat) I caught myself looking in the back seat to check on a baby in a car seat that wasn't there, and I laughed. We got to the restaurant, and were greeted by Deborah and Alexis. It was fun to be back. We were shown to our table, and Luis brought us bread and butter. I ordered a Kir Royal in honor of Dale (oh what can I say about Dale - to say he was a restaurant regular would be an understatement - he was there every night, and was one of the sweetest old men you could ever meet in your life, part of the Black Cat family), and Mike ordered his usual Palma Louca beer. We each ordered three courses and shared dessert. I tried hard not to rush through dinner, but there was a big part of me wanting to finish up and get home - something I didn't really expect. I wasn't worried about Joey, but I was anxious to see how it went, to see how my mom and Joey did on their own, and to see if she'd ever do it again!

Dinner was amazing. Mike and I had a great time being alone with each other again, and I don't think I could adequately describe how much that time meant to me. I must admit, I wondered before we left if we would spend the whole time talking about Joey, if we'd have anything else in common any more. Of course we talked about Joey, but I was happy to find that we are still "us," too.

We headed home after we finished dessert, and we had only been gone for about two and a half hours when we got home. My mom was shocked to see us home so soon! Mike's mom and grandma (Joey's other grandma and his great-grandma) were visiting, and Joey was laying on the couch again, in his PJs, fed and ready for bed. He looked a little confused - who are all these women, and where is my mom? - but he was just fine. I was so proud. It was a good night.

Thank you, mom!!