The greatest reward

First smiles at 5 weeks old

10 lbs of joy!

For being so little, newborns sure are a lot of work! It is a 24 hour job where you devote all of your self, time and energy to making this tiny person adjust to being in the world. I don't have much memory of Cale's first few weeks, but Odin seems to be a bit fussier than I remember Cale ever being. For the first 4 weeks of his life Odin whined and cried if he was not sleeping, sucking (still only on someone's finger - no soothers for this guy), bouncing or walking.  He hates getting his diaper changed and screams at the top of his lungs during bath time. I wouldn't say he is colicky, but we were constantly pulling out all of our tricks in an attempt to keep him happy and calm. As my dear friend Amy said, 'He is cute, but he still seems a bit shell-shocked'. It was so true! Odin seemed very unsure of the world, and after months of being in the womb, I can completely empathize with that. 

This week, however, it feels like we've turned a bit of a corner. One week can make a big difference, and Odin is now much more alert and has longer stretches of being relaxed and content. Today we received the greatest reward for all of our hard work - he greeted us with his first real smiles. It is truly the best moment as a new parent. A small but beautiful and powerful sign of recognition for all that we've given him. I know that he is going to be just fine and I'll happily continue to give him everything I've got, as long as he keeps being so darn adorable!

Drunken sailor smile

Another treat this week - Odin wore his Tom Brady jersey and the Patriots had their best game of the season. Coincidence? I think not!