Leo is 17 Days old

It is now day 17 with Leo and we are really getting to know our son. He is a joy, but what a handful! Joe is going back to work tomorrow and he has been a huge help, so we will see how I do without his capable hands. We are definitely on Leo's schedule and our lives are dictated as such...but it is all worth it. We usually get up twice a night and although this is very difficult for me, I am hoping to adjust soon. I typically try to nap either in the morning or afternoon with Leo to catch up on missed sleep. Despite the sleep deprivation, we love having him as part of the family. We are very proud parents and all the crying, fussing and lack of sleep is worth one of his smiles (he does smile in his sleep at times).

Leo has gained tons of weight and at his 2 week pediatrician appointment on Thursday, he was at 6 lb. .05 oz. This is great news and he is exclusively breastfeeding, so I feel a real sense of accomplishment. Leo is a pretty good eater, but he gets frustrated if he doesn't receive immediate gratification. Every once in a while, me give him a bottle of breast milk. As the photo above indicates, we have a baby genius on our hands. On day 10, Leo took the bottle himself and grasped it with both hands. I don't know a lot about babies, but this seems rather impressive to me. Joe and I have also been christened with Leo's little sprinkler system and is has his comedic timing perfected for gas attacks. He loves to make plenty of ruckus when we have guests, but you gotta love him for it.

Leo also had his circumcision performed at his 2 week pediatrician appointment and it just about broke our hearts. Poor little guy! I was too wimpy to be in the room, but Joe was brave and comforted our little boy. He is still recovering and I just feel horrible seeing the pain he is in. How could we have opted to put him through this? I am sure that in the long run, it will be a good decision, but for now, it just feels like undue torture. I just hope and pray his pain is almost over.

On Tuesday, we had a photographer, who is the wife of my ex co-worker Brad, come to the house and take photos of Leo. She took a couple hundred and to our surprise, he was awake for most of the shots. I will get some of those photos up when we get them (I can't wait)! As for taking photos of Leo, I am quickly learning that photographing a newborn is next to impossible...especially with his eyes open. I did manage a shot in his carseat, but it doesn't do him justice. Trust me, Leo is gorgeous (I am the mother, but he really is!). Anyhow, even if I catch him in a peaceful awake moment, usually the red eye reduction feature on the camera is enough to make him cringe and this is without use of the flash. Let's just hope the our photographer Amy got some good shots. Also, I included a few shots just to show how truly small Leo is. People are always quick to comment on his size, so I figure I better catch him at this size while I can. On a happy note, Leo is now sporting some of his newborn sized clothes. Way to go Leo!