Sometimes you want to eat them up...

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On our way out to lunch... and post-bath.

Daddy's Home

Diego returned home from Mumbai on Saturday. It was a successful trip - but Diego was MOST excited to be home with the family. He'll be here with us until mid-February, before he heads back.

I'm excited to have Diego back - both for his companionship and his help with Luis. We'll all make the most of the next two weeks and not think about Diego having to leave again.

Couch Potato

Luis (of course) can't sit up by himself yet, but was very amenable to be propped up in the corner of the couch. I generally always think he looks cute - but here I particularly enjoyed seeing him in a new "pose".

(I also took a short video of Luis on the couch, but haven't yet figured how to download it. Check back in a day or two.)

A Bad Case of Hat Hair

After Luis's first bath, it didn't occur to me to brush his hair ... until I saw what it looked like 30 minutes later. Now, I faithfully brush it down after every washing. But yesterday, after brushing it down, Diego put a hat on Luis - concerned that he was cold. The result was a very funny hair style for Luis.

One Month Check Up

On Wednesday, Luis had his One Month check up. As suspected, he is a healthy, growing baby. He weighed in at 9lbs 14oz, and 22 1/2". I was surprised (and a bit astounded) to learn that he's put on 2lbs 9oz since birth (he lost 10 oz in the first couple of days). Clearly he is a child with a hearty appetite - wonder who he gets that from?? I was told that "in the beginning" Luis should put on about an ounce a day (which he's done). I'm really wondering how long "the beginning" lasts, i.e., how long will he maintain that kind of weight gain??

Next month: vaccinations. I'm definitely making sure Diego can join us for that appointment!

Luis's First Road Trip

With Diego in Mumbai for the week, Luis, Ashley and I decided (well, mostly I decided) to spend a couple of days in Annapolis with Mom & Sandy. It was Luis's first overnight trip anywhere. Not surprisingly, he made little to no fuss about the event. Mom generously assisted with feedings during normal-person-sleeping-hours, allowing me to get 5 1/2 hours of (almost) continuous sleep each night. It was GLORIOUS!!

It was really great spending those days with Mom. I enjoyed getting her ideas and opinions on Luis, babies, motherhood, etc. It was also fun hearing stories about Dodie, Randolph and me from when we were babies.

Muffles

Mom came over on Wednesday to visit Luis and me - and Muffles wanted in on the love. Here, she shows that she is clearly an equal-opportunity lap sitter. Apparently, Muffles tried to climb on top of Luis (for top billing??), but settled for this position instead.

Peaceful Baby

Here's the Luis we've come to know and love. These pictures was taken about 30 minutes before the cranky-baby pictures.

Cranky Baby

Diego and I always talk about how sweet, calm, and easy going Luis is. And he is. On occassion, though, he will show his grumpier, more demanding side. See Exhibits A & B.

In his defense, he is just up from a long nap, feeling hungry and wearing a poopy diaper - and I'm making him pose for photos.

(And yes, I realized that I said I would post every day this week, and that yesterday I didn't. )

First Snow (No) Cookout

Going on a decade now (maybe longer??) Diego has maintained the First Snow Cookout tradition. Basically, the first day that we accumulate an inch or more of snow, Diego hosts a cookout. Generally, no invites are sent - people just know to show up. He serves an assortment of latin sausages (chorizo, morcilla, etc.) and latin-cut meats (fajia steak is the most popular). Attendees bring beer that is thrust into the snow (who needs a cooler). And we stand around, outside, and have a cookout. Diego serves the meat right off the grill (we give out tooth picks or forks). Sounds dreadfully cold, but it's usually the most fun party we throw each year.

Well this year, we missed it. Last night, we got about 2" of snow here - the first of the season. But with Diego in Mumbai, we had to postpone the cookout. Fear not, Washingtonians, assuming that we get another snow, and that Diego is in town, we will DEFINITELY have a cookout.

One Month!!

I'm finding it a little hard to believe that it's been ONE MONTH since Luis was born. On one hand, I can't figure out what I've done for a whole month (besides lots of diapers and lots of feedings); where has the time gone? On the other hand, it really is hard to remember life before Luis! He seems such a natural part of our lives now - like he's always been around. It's a strange dichotomy that I'd heard from other new parents before. Now, I can appreciate it.

Luis's Costa Rican aunts personalized several onesies for him. Here, you can see that his initials were embroidered on the chest. The whole set of them are adorable. I love the designs, but I also love the kimono-style onsie: they don't go over the head - which I find to be a challenge to put on a baby with minimal head control.

Luis goes back to the pediatrician on Wednesday for his one-month check up. I'm interested to see where he falls for height and weight. The most common comment I get on the blog is how much Luis has grown and changed already. It's harder for me to notice since I'm looking at him so much every day. But looking at the first picture here, it does seem that Luis takes up a lot more space in the bassinet than when we first brought him home. I can also see that he fills out his clothes better now. I'll be sure to post the results.

Speaking of posts - I plan to post at least one picture every day this week. Diego is Mumbai for the week, and is missing Luis like crazy (I think he misses me too, but not such that he needs to see photos!). Just remember, Luis can only strike so many poses, so I can't promise how interesting the posts will be by Friday...

Punk Baby

This should really be Diego's post - as he's the one who bought these custom bibs for Luis (I admit that I was the first to notice Luis's hair in the mohawk fashon)...

Baby Gym: A bit early for Luis

Luis received this great baby gym from our friend Sunny Saelinger. As he starts to be awake longer between feedings, Diego and I have tried out the baby gym for entertainment and stimulation. Despite ALL of the brightly colored things and the toys that make noise, Luis mostly just stares into space. All things in good time...

The baby gym is not lost on all. Will Rimicci (Sunny's grandson) was over the day this photo was taken. He looked on with envious eyes and said, "Wow! That's a great toy." I'm afraid the envy may get worse before it gets better: Will's baby brother is due in early March, and will, no doubt, have his own baby gym to play with. And Ashley is fascinated with the baby gym. She particularly likes the toys that squeak.

Getting Some Rest

Luis often dozes off at the end of feeding, but only takes a cat nap. We used to put him down as soon as he was asleep - only to find him wide awake 10 minutes later. Now, Diego and I both will just hold him close for a cuddle during his mini nap.
Tuesday night, Luis was up for a couple of hours in the late evening, and finally went down about 11:30 in the basket in the living room. I was convinced that he'd be up in an hour or two for his next feeding, and decided to just nap on the couch. As it turns out, Luis slept through until almost 6 - his first sleep through the night. Unfotunately, despite how cozy I look in this picture, I actually had a pretty bad night's sleep. On the positive side, Ashley and Muffles seemed to sleep just fine. To add insult to injury, Luis hasn't slept through the night since.

A Common Site

Diego feeds Luis one or two times a day (allowing me to catch up on some much needed sleep. While I often express my gratitude to Diego, and while it is important to Diego to be a hands-on dad, I think it is the post-feeding cuddle that is the true reward...

Luis is post-bath, which gives his hair the out-of-control look he's sporting here. Luis seems to be a little more accepting of the bath with each one he gets.

Luis at 3 Weeks

I'm trying to get a full-body shot of Luis each weekend, to document his growth. Seeing him every day, I feel that I don't necessarily appreciate all of the ways in which he is growing and changing. Diego and I HAVE both noticed that he has a much more focused gaze. Where as he used to just sort of stare off into space, now he will really look at things - our faces, mostly.

Luis continues to sleep well, generally sleeping 3-5 hours at a stretch. And Diego and I continue to be grateful. We discovered that he's fond of the pacifier, mostly at bedtime.

Ashley is really warming up to Luis. She likes to sneak up on him, while he's nursing, and lick his head. Here, she got him while he was snoozing on the boppy pillow.

Bath Time

We have given Luis several sponge baths, but Thursday was his first dunk-in-the-tub bath. Momma Croom was here and helped me by spotting Luis (and offering some good pointers). Diego manned the camera to catch the event. And I was left to hold on to, lather up and rinse off the slippery baby. Luis did not particularly enjoy the event, but neither did he scream bloody murder.

(Editorial Note: Big thanks to Randolph for helping me get the picture with the proper orientation.)

Quality Time

Diego and Luis catch some zzz's on the couch. Both had been up for several hours the night before...

Sleeping like a Baby

Luis's best trick is still his ability to sleep...

Momma Croom

Mom came to spend a couple of days with us last week. In a short, 36-hour visit, she was tremendously hepful keeping Luis &I company while Diego was back at work, cooking us several yummy meals, and watching Luis so that I could get some extra sleep (after Luis was up from 2a - 6a). We're all thrilled that she's coming back next week!!

Two Weeks

Luis was 2 weeks old yesterday, and is doing great. At our pediatrician appointment on Thursday, Luis was 8lb, 3oz - four ounces over birth weight (his first real milestone). It is great that he's gaining weight for several reasons - but our favorite is that we don't have to wake him in the night for feedings anymore. And he can sleep for 3-4 hours at a stretch at night; meaning that Diego and I can sleep for 3-4 hour stretches!

Both Ashley and Muffles are adjusting to life with Luis. Muffles decided early on that even with Luis on your lap, there is still plenty of room for her. And, in this picture, it looks like Luis agrees.
Diego and I vie for who gets to burp Luis after a feeding - as it often melds into a great cuddle with Luis. At lunch today, Diego won.

I couldn't resist this last picture - as it shows the big "milk lip" that Luis gets after a bottle feeding (Diego feeds Luis with a bottle once each day - a great time for me to rest and for the boys to bond).

(And lest anyone be concerned that we are irresponsible parents, dressing Luis in short sleeves and pants on the 6th of January, it's about 75 degrees here today.)

More Pictures

Luis still only knows a few tricks - sleeping, eating, pooping, and grabbing at our fingers - but we still think he's the greatest! As the days roll on, he continues to be easy going and a good sleeper. He's rounding the corner on 3 hours of sleep at this moment!!

Here are a few pictures from the last couple of days. As you can see, Diego is REALLY enjoying Luis. And to be fair, Diego is just as enthusiastic about feedings and diaper changes.