Liam’s First Month

Liam, Post-bath

So today, Liam is one month old. I can’t believe how fast this time has flown by – it seems like just yesterday that Leah and I were being driven to the hospital. At the same time, I can now hardly imagine life without Liam, like he’s always been here.

For the most part, this month has been amazing. I’ve learned so much about him, and about me. I’m in so many ways a completely different person than I was a month ago, and, I think, in mostly positive ways.

Some things that’ve happened this month:

  • Leah and I learned that every nurse, doctor and book has a different, a conflicting way, of how to best breastfeed. The best advice seems to be to incorporate parts of all of them, and mash those tunes up into your own sweet breastfeeding melody.
  • I’ve been peed on, pooped on and puked on. More than once. And apart from the poop, which really is gross, I didn’t really mind. Of course, mostly, its’ my own fault for doing things like tickling Liam right after he’s been fed, or holding him naked in cold air while bathing him.
  • Liam seems to be a pretty content little kid over all. Compared to some of the stories I’ve read online, I think we’ve been really lucky with how easy he’s been to deal with. There’s only been occasional periods of time where we just don’t know what to do.
  • Despite loving what I do, my job satisfaction has dropped to nearly zero, simply because I want to spend all my time with, or near, Liam. He’s actually pretty boring, really, as he sleeps most of the time, and even when he’s awake, just kinda lies there looking about. But I could watch him do either all day long.
  • Liam, oddly, seems to like my singing to him. We’ve sung all the Neil Young songs I know, and now I’m going through the Bob Dylan songs that I know. Occasionally, I’ll break out something a little more contemporary, but really, those are the 2 artists whose songs I know the best. Oddly, or perhaps not, Liam is very sensitive to changes in rhythm. He likes songs that are predictable in how they go, not that change time signatures, or whatnot. So some of Dylan’s more free-verse stuff doesn’t work so well. “Sugar Mountain” has proven to be the most effective at lulling him so far.
  • Liam can now track object for a few seconds. I can’t express how amazing it is to see him staring intently at a brightly coloured picture, or small toy, then watch his whole head move as you move it. This definitely tires him out, but for such a simple thing, it brings me an inordinate sense of pride. Just wait until he can smile! Or recognize his own hands!
  • Mostly, this has been the most amazing month of my life.

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