The Nicolini Family: Leo is 1 Month Old!

We can not even believe how quickly 4 weeks goes by- and now Leo is 4 weeks old! He is so darn cute and his full head of hair makes him look like a little man. We have gone out a couple of times and strangers can not help but comment on how beautiful he is and how much hair he has.

What Leo is Doing
A couple of milestones he has reached so far include holding his head up when he is on his tummy and looking side to side, holding his head up/looking side to side and pushing with his arms and legs (like crazy) when he is lying on mommy and daddy's chest, and tracking toys with his eyes and moving his head to follow side to side when lying on his back. His arm movements are still sporadic, but I like to think that when he is lying on his back on his playmat that he is intentionally reaching for the toys hanging above him. He shows no preference for his left or right hand now, as he will find one, and suck on the back of his hand if he is hungry- he still has not discovered the thumb (thank goodness). He is doing well with sleeping- as well as one can expect for an infant. He is currently sleeping anywhere from 2.5 to 4 hours at a time and we are slowly experiencing more of the longer time spans at night in the last week (yay for mommy!). He truly is a good baby, only crying if he is gassy, hungry, wet/dirty, or just wanting some cuddle time.

Pediatrician Appointments
When Leo was 4 days old, we went to the pediatrician for a weight check. As a reminder when he was born he weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces. When we left the hospital he weighed about 6% less (the nurses were telling us percentages versus actual weight). FYI- It is normal for the baby to lose weight after birth and they don't want them to lose any more than 10% of their birth weight. Babies should then gain this weight completely back by 2 weeks. So, at his 4 day old appointment, he weighed 8 pounds- indicating that he was eating well!

Leo then went back to the pediatrician at 2 weeks. At this appointment he weighed 8 pounds 13 ounces!!! What an eater! His weight is in the 50th percentile. His length was 21 and 1/4 inches (90th percentile) and his head circumference was 35.5 cm (25th percentile). OK- you may be saying to yourself- in a previous blog the ultrasounds were indicating that baby Leo had a HUGE head and now he is ranking in the 30th percentile??? Yes, Kevin and I agree- the nurse measured his head incorrectly- it honestly took her 4 tries to get it because he was squirmy. SO, we don't think the head measurement is correct. And all in all, Leo did wonderfully at his appointment- no crying from this little man!

Here are some of our favorite pictures of Leo from the last 4 weeks!

A little smile while sitting his carseat