Jack: One Month

Whew - has it been a month already?!  It's been such a whirlwind with Jack's birth followed so quickly by Lyla starting school and all the other fall activities the kids got into shortly after.  Jack has so far been a pretty "go with the flow" kind of kid.  I've heard that sometimes with the third kid this blessing can happen, but I was skeptical.  Sure, he's had to adjust to more noise than my other two, and he does have to wait more than the other two at times to get some attention, but he's made my transition this time around to adding another one into the mix pretty tame.  I'm hoping this is just how he is and not some set up for a cruel trick!

The one area where Jack is not very easy is the car.  That kid HATES his car seat.  My other kids weren't the biggest fans, but they always seemed happy as long as they were moving, whether in the car or the stroller.  Not Jack.  From the second that boy is strapped in, panic and hysteria ensue.  Luckily, I invested in a nicer quality baby carrier and he does seem to love being toted around in that.  It ends up being a better workout for me, less gear to lug around, and I have both arms free for my other two kids.  It's a win all the way around!

This month Jack enjoyed Dad staying home from work for a week to help me get adjusted, followed by a week-long visit from Grammy (which ended up being much more needed than I ever imagined after I dealt with a very aggressive case of mastitis for a huge chunk of the week she was here).  At his 2 week checkup, he weighed 8 lbs. even (30th percentile) and was 21 inches long (69th percentile).  Jack looks and acts a lot like Lyla, though he has a few Hank qualities mixed in there as well.  It has been so great to watch Hank and Lyla interact with Jack.  They love talking to him and cheering him on when he lifts his head up or does "tummy time".

I didn't factor in the awesomeness that comes along with older siblings that help out.  Jack always has someone to entertain him, get him a pacifier, feed him a bottle, or be a sympathizer to his crying when he has a bad bout of gas.  Lyla in particular has been such a help with Jack, and she takes her responsibilities really seriously.  Being a mother of three can be a bit of a circus, but it's also helping me see some pretty great traits in all my children in how they interact with and help one another.  Here's to many more months of counting my blessings with these kiddos.