4 Reasons Why My Child is the Best Baby Ever

1.  Last night, Kaden ate at 8:00 p.m.  He fell asleep by 9:00 p.m.  He didn't wake up to eat again until 2:30a.m.  He then went back to sleep (or at least stayed content in his bassinet) until 6:30.  He followed this same sleep pattern the night before.  I love it.  Now granted, this means he eats a lot more frequently during the day, but I can totally put up with that when it means more sleep in a row at night.

2.  The other day, Kaden was napping in his crib.  I was doing dishes in the kitchen, and I heard him start to cry on the baby monitor.  I finished up the last few dishes, and then went to the nursery, assuming I was going to need to pick him up.  Instead, I found him just chilling there, staring at the crib bumper, practicing his smile.  It was the cutest thing I have ever seen.  He would get this HUGE grin on his face, then stop, then get another HUGE grin.  Since he was happy, and he hadn't seen me peek in on him, I decided to leave him for another few minutes.  When I went back to check on him, he looked like this:

Apparently, smiling had tuckered him out, and he was completely zonked again.  Such a funny boy.  Notice that he has completely kicked out of his swaddling and the bendy we tuck around his feet?

3.  Kaden is getting a lot more smiley, which we love.  Here's a couple shots taken last Sunday, while Chad was getting him to smile:

 
And here's one of him conversing with his Aunt Lauren:

That same Sunday, Kaden enjoyed watching the ECU football game with his Daddy:

(As you can tell, Kaden was really into the game.)

4.  Kaden really is just a genuinely GOOD baby.  I don't know how we lucked out, but he really is a dream.  He hardly ever cries, and when he does it is usually because he is hungry or wants his diaper changed.  When he gets sleepy or wants to be held, he might fuss a little bit, but nothing compared to what I had prepared myself for mentally before he got here.  With the exception of a few sleepless nights, he usually does a great job falling back asleep after he eats during the night.  For the most part he is just a content, happy little guy.

I can't believe Kaden will be a month old on Saturday.  He is growing so much and changing every day.  In addition to what I wrote above, at one month old, Kaden:

--Is a pro at tummy time (but then, he's really enjoyed that since week one) and moves his head from side to side with coaxing from Mom and Dad.

--Is extremely observant.  He loves to stare at lights, ceiling fans, and has even started to try to swat at the toys on his bouncy seat.  He will only let you hold him over your shoulder if he is very tired.  Otherwise, he moves his head all over the place trying to escape.  He is scared to death he'll miss something while he's being held that way. 

--Is very expressive.  He has the funniest little facial expressions, a lot of them very serious.  Sometimes he gives you this look that seems to say, "What ARE you doing?" or "That's REALLY weird.  Maybe you should stop now." 

--Has finally grown into his swing enough that he thinks it might be an OK place to sit for a few minutes.

--Prefers a clean diaper.  In fact, if he has a wet diaper, he wants a clean one to poop in.

--Is a chubby little fella.  I took him out to the high school yesterday during his afternoon nap, so I could enter some grades for my classes.  One of the English teachers saw him and thought he was almost 2 months.  When I told her he was only 4 weeks, she asked, "What are you feeding him?!"  My response, "I'm pretty sure straight cream."  Seriously.  And the child is a guzzler.      I cannot wait to see what he weighs at his 2 month checkup. 

--Is called by a variety of names around our house, including, but not limited to:  Bubby (for some reason this is his chief nickname), Kade, Kadester, Kadelet (as in Piglet), Mr. Kaden, Master (as our lives clearly revolve around his demands now), Snuggle Bug, and Swaddle Bug.

--Is sure to fall asleep if you take him anywhere in the stroller or car.  I have used these methods to lull him into nap time land on MANY occasions. 

--Is the highlight of our lives.  Even though I can't believe he's almost one month old, I also can't believe we ever had a life before he got here.  We love our Kaden boy!