Dear Ryan,

I never thought I would fall in love instantly. I thought I would be one of those mothers who needed time with her baby to learn him, and then would fall in love. But I was so wrong. I loved you from the second I saw you. I knew you were mine, and I was yours and I was done.

You are such an easy baby. You rarely cry, and if you do, we can usually figure out what is bothering you. You love being held, being rocked and being read to, and you hate diaper changes, being wet or dirty and bath time. We spend a lot of time with you on our chest, sleeping and snuggling. You are a great snuggler. So far, you tolerate the bouncy seat and the swing for a few minutes in each unless you are sleeping. You like your activity mat a lot when you are awake. You will turn towards the light and music to watch, which is fun to see you do. You love looking around during diaper changes, even if you hate the process of it. You fall asleep on walks, but rarely in the car. I have no idea if you have a schedule yet.

You eat every 3 hours, around the clock, for the most part. Sometimes 2, sometimes 4, but on average 3. I don’t mind it at all – it’s my definite time to cuddle you and stroke your cheeks and head. When the house is full of your admiring visitors, I can snatch you away for some eating time and get in my “mama love” time with you. You were born weighing 8 pounds, 2 ounces. When we left the hospital you were down to 7 pounds, 10 ounces. At one week you were back to 8 pounds, 6 ounces, at two weeks you were 9 pounds, 4 ounces and at three weeks you were 10 pounds even. Today you weighed 10 pounds, 10 ounces. You like your food!

You were not planned. You were a surprise to all of us, but I have never wanted a surprise as much as I wanted you. I love being your mom. You have already made me a better person – more calm, more patient and more loving. This last month has been a whirlwind of activity and has gone by faster than any month in my life. I hope we slow down soon.

Love,
Mama