Well it’s been over 6 weeks now and all is going well with us and the little one. Or maybe I should say not-so-little one anymore! After dropping almost 10% of his body weight in the first few days after birth, Hadrian has been putting weight on very quickly. He’s been averaging about 1 lb a week and has now reached 12 lbs! Not bad for a 6-week old!! And it’s all muscle on top of that, just like his dad!!! Just kidding, but he is still relatively lean, not a very chubby baby. It’s amazing how much they change in such a short amount of time. He’s much more attentive now and will smile and laugh when we play with him. Only a few weeks ago his smiles were simply the result of gas (or perhaps happy dreams)! He’s also starting to require more attention now too. He doesn’t like to be left alone and really enjoys being in a noisy environment around lots of people. He’s been very good going out and usually sleeps most of the time when we take him places. And he also seams to get along with just about everyone he’s seen, no enemies so far!!!
My parents and brother we’re in town last week and a half to visit the baby for the first time. That was a really nice experience. Now my parents have a grandson to go along with they’re granddaughter, little Eva, who just turned one year old! They were also here for Hadrian’s one-month celebration, a Chinese custom when the parents show the baby to the outside world for the first time. We had a lovely dinner with our families and Hadrian enjoyed the experience tremendously, sleeping through just about the entire event!!!
So now it’s back to just the three of us and we’re starting to develop a bit of a routine. Debby is doing very well and has been enjoying her time off with the baby. The whole experience so far has given me a new appreciation for the amount of work a baby requires though. You could virtually spend your entire day just tending to the baby; making sure he’s being fed, and changed, and entertained, and put to sleep, and fed, and changed, and entertained, and put to sleep, and… well you get the picture! They require a lot of attention, and Hadrian has actually been a pretty good baby, he fusses some times but generally doesn’t cry too much (let’s keep our fingers crossed that doesn’t change!) So to all the moms out there, I now have a new found respect for what you did for us! Actually, now a days we have it easy in comparison. According to Debby’s grandmother, she had to take a bus to the hospital while in labor, deliver her baby by herself, take a bus back home with the new baby, and stop to pick up a bag of rice on the way! So I think it’s great in our time today that the men are so involved in the care taking and raising of their children.
So, life with the baby is good and we’re all very happy (if not a little sleepy!) And now, here are some recent photos of little Hadrian for your pleasure! We hope you’ve enjoyed being a part of this new experience with us and we’ll try to keep you updated on our new adventures as they unfold!
Papa Danny, mama Debby, and baby Hadrian!
