To Calvin, who is one month old today

It is hard for us to believe that you have already been here for a whole month. We still stare in awe at your perfect little fingers and perfect little toes and wonder about the miracle of you. We still cannot believe that you are real, that you are here, that you are ours. There are so many things that we want to teach you, show you, and share with you, but you have already been here a whole month and the time is flying by. It may be a cliche, but it truly feels as though we held you in our arms for the very first time just yesterday. You may not remember that day, but we always will.

And sometimes it's hard to believe that you have been here for only a month. Hasn't it been more like a year? You have proven yourself to be a precocious baby, already in control of your own head and able to roll over and support your whole weight on your legs (you love to "stand"!). We were astounded to find out that you had gained nearly two pounds and over two and a half inches in your first two weeks of life! We have enjoyed watching you discover faces, sounds, and colors. We felt rewarded the day it was clear that you recognized us specifically. We were overjoyed the day you gave us your first real smile! Every day we go outside for a walk and we look for birds and bunnies. Every day we read at least three books together, sing many songs, and practice naming all the parts of your body. Every other evening we bathe you while you rediscover the comfort and fun of the warm water. Every night we lay in bed listening to you breathing and stretching in your bassinet, even when we know we should be sleeping. You will not remember these days, but we always will. We love you, Calvin.

The "tale" end of a smile...

Parenting can be a tough job.  This week alone Calvin has peed on Jon at least 3 times, usually during a middle of the night change, spit partially digested breast milk down the front of Cortney's newly donned shirts at least twice, and shot poop across the room once while just moments away from being covered with a new diaper.  It's a good thing that parenting also has its irreplaceable rewards.  In this, Calvin's fourth week of life, he rewarded us in many ways.  Early in the week he started cooing, a welcome addition to his previous language which consisted mainly of pipping, grunting, and snorting.  And the amount of time that he spends being happily alert in each day has increased incredibly.  But perhaps the most rewarding of all is his new smile.  Last Sunday he smiled an actual smile for the first time and has repeated the feat several more times throughout the week, sometimes even accompanying it with a good hearty chortle.  His favorite person to smile at is his dad, which may have something to do with Jon's use of funny faces and funny voices, or with the fact that he currently sees his mother as purely a milk machine and it's hard to smile while you're mouth is gaping open like a baby bird's.  Of course one never has their camera at the ready when such a wonderful thing happens, but we were able to catch the tail end of one smile during a particularly lively Richard Scarry tale.  In any case, we mark smiling as one of our favorite milestones ever. 

The doctor confirmed it

Calvin is definitely growing - and at a rapid pace it would seem.  In his appointment today he was charted at 8lbs, 4oz., and 21 5/8 inches.  Evidently that was more than they expected from him even at 4 weeks, so he really impressed his doctor!  So for all you skeptics out there - we told you he was bigger - specifically longer, since that's where most of the weight went.  If he continues at this rate he'll  really take after his uncle Curtis, but that's a fairly tall order (ha ha.  Sorry - it just had to be said).

Growing for sure!

Calvin's next doctor appointment may be tomorrow, but we can already tell that he has grown.  The outfit that nearly fit him today did not fit him two weeks ago before his first appointment.  He's not necessarily rounder, but he sure is longer - look where his knees are (or aren't) in these pictures - the first is from two weeks ago today (6/13 - 4 days old), the other from this morning (6/27 - 18 days old).  The pants came below his knees two weeks ago, but fall above them today.  Oh, so he does have knees!

 
In other news - Calvin made his first trip to campus this afternoon, but, unfortunately, was not able to partake in Stucci's ice cream along with his mom and dad.  Oh!  And before we forget...Calvin's bellybutton tag finally fell off!  We suppose this means that he is no longer returnable.  Either that or his uplink to the main system has been disconnected and he is going to malfunction.  We'll have to wait and see.

To Calvin, who was not due until today...

Well, Calvin, you weren't supposed to be here until today. Of course they say that the early bird gets the worm, and just think of all the things you have already accomplished in those extra two weeks on the outside: You've already been held for hours on end, already listened to your mother sing to you, to your father read your first book; You've already had your first photo shoot, your first trip to your grandparents, your first walk through the neighborhood; you've already lifted your head, rolled over, slept through four hours straight; And you've already met so many loving people and seen the love and beauty the world has to offer—you wouldn't want to give that up now!

We cannot believe that you have been here for two weeks already. As each day passes we wish we could hold onto it for just one precious moment longer, or have one more chance to do each of those firsts again. Did we get enough pictures?  Did we take the right video? Will we remember this moment, so much more important than the last, like it was yesterday, even when we are twenty years older? But even though it is hard to watch the firsts pass us by before we are barely able to grasp that they have happened, we are so glad to have already had those two precious weeks, glad that there are so many more to come, and we hope that you understand, someday, that in those 14 days our love for you has already multiplied at least tenfold.  Aren't you glad that you came when you did?