Jace Alexander - 1 month

Ok, here I go again... It has been 1 month ALREADY! I say this everytime, but TIME FLIES! I seriously cannot believe that Jace is already a month old. He weighed in at 7lbs 12oz earlier this week, so he is growing like a weed. He doesn't have any of the reflux issues that Rylen had so he is sleeping throughout the day in the bassinet or pack-n-play without my obsessive hovering. That has definitely knocked the stress level of having a newborn down big time. He has also started to sleep 5 hours at night, though that has not been consistent. So, we are still a long way off from sleeping through the night, but I think we are on the right track. I have caught only a couple of smiles, but am hoping to see more soon. Jace has long been out of the preemie clothes for a while. His length made it hard to really use them like we did with his brother. The typical newborn clothes simply swallowed him in the beginning, so we stuffed his little body in th preemies for a little hwile and then we have been using the newborn clothing that runs small to accomodate this inbetween stage. On another note, Jace lost his hair on top of his head and now looks like a balding old man. I was so disappointed when the blondish hair disappeared, but hopefully it will grow back in soon. He may need a haircut faster than Rylen did with this sort of growth pattern. We felt that Jace looked so much like Rylen in the beginning, and some of his expressions are still similar to Rylen's, but we are definitely seeing his own features come out. I am so excited to see how similar and different they are going to look and be as Jace grows.

As for the sibling rivalry, Rylen seems to enjoy Jace and gives him kisses and hugs. Last night while riding in the car, Jace began to cry and Rylen did his best to give him his blanket and pacifier. It was so cute to watch him be the big brother. He will also throw away diapers and wants to pull his chair over to the changing table to help. We really didn't get any jealousy issues until Rylen got a cold and Jace and I had to keep our distance. Now we have a wonderful stage of whining and crying, but it is still not directed at Jace, more at me and my diminished attention in his direction.

As for my health, my arthritis has stayed pretty dormant these past 4 weeks. I will sometimes feel a little bit of something if we eat food that is not on our diet, but 6 weeks will be the tell tale sign of any issues. So, a couple more weeks to go to truly see where I lie in that area. I have been trying to make sure I get sleep as much as possible and stick to our diet to prevent any flares. That seems to help in all areas. Anything worth getting done has to be done while the kiddos are awake, because when THEY sleep, MOMMY sleeps.

Overall, life with two little ones is honestly wonderful. I love Rylen and his funny ways and Jace is simply a beautiful newborn. I love being a mommy and I am taking my time each day to watch them grow and enjoy each stage. I remember so little of Rylen's first few months because of the newness and anxiety of having a child and then the arthritis, that I am not going to let that happen this time around. Each day is precious to watch our children grow and discover. Everything is new to them and I want to see each new discovery in their eyes.

Jace & Rylen
The "Robbins" yawn