Growin' like a weed...

They say that "it all goes too fast" with kids and I guess that's right - though some of "it" I wouldn't mind going REALLY fast (the 15-poopy-diapers-per-day; the screaming for no apparent reason...but I digress). Oh, and if you haven't visited the photo site lately, we've uploaded some more. Click here to see them.

Deven has grown up a lot in his first 6 weeks, here are some changes I've noticed:

• His eyes! He keeps those little light-brown eyes open for SO much longer than he used to, and stares at things for ages. He doesn't really interact yet except when nursing (then he's all-eyes on you, whether me with the breast or Yogesh/Grandma with the bottle). He definitely looks at things, and can follow objects if moved slowly in front of him.


• Baby talk. He coos and gurgles - to himself, not with us yet - but he can stay amused for about 5 minutes on his changing table just oohing to himself (this is a very good thing- lets me use the toilet or heat a quick cup of tea without him screeching).


• Neck muscles: He can hold his head up. Not fully, and not for longer than a few seconds, and he still looks like a bobble-head doll when he does it, but he's definitely getting stronger


• Smiles... so far, I haven't been able to confirm a 'social smile' but he definitely amuses himself sometimes and it's funny to watch him look at something unknown, coo & gurgle


• Those muscles! And fat! 9 days ago, my mom put him on his tummy after a bath. He wiggled a bit, but didn't do much else. This time, his legs were kicking wildly (ok, maybe that's just because he'd peed and he didn't like where he was sitting); but he was moving his head and arms and sort of scooted to one side. Very cute, and much stronger than before.


• His clothing size: He's already outgrown the "If Mommy says no, ask Grandma" onesie as well as all the plain Gerber onesies, and a few other outfits and some socks. He was in the top 90th percentile for height at his 1 month checkup; so it's possible his feet are just really big - but he has already outgrown 3 pairs of 'regular' socks and is close to outgrowing 1 pair of super-cute socks with little car-and-airplane rattles that Grandma bought him.


• Sleeping longer at night: While he still wakes at least twice to feed and once for a diaper change, it's a lot better now than when we were in the every-one-to-two hours phase. We're doing a sort of modified "Attachment Parenting" thing and he's sleeping with us (which still terrifies me every time I pull the covers up, but I digress) - but it makes those 3am nursings a lot easier, because I simply adjust baby-to-breast, and drift back off. Only bad part is when he needs a change: Since Yogesh is working and I'm not, I get all the night-doody-duty. Ick.


• He eats! The night of April 5, the nurse swaddled him tightly, and he didn't stir (thus eat) from 9pm - 7am on April 6. Needless to say, that's not healthy for a 1-day old, and he lost 8 oz. overnight. He also was tongue-tied until Dr. Schwanke clipped his little frenulum (no blood! He didn't even wake up!) and kept falling asleep while nursing after only a few minutes. Since nursing wasn't exactly obvious to me either, in the beginning I'd watch the clock like a hawk; and have to start stimulating him after only a few minutes (tickling his chin, putting water or even ice on his feet, etc.) But now? ...Now he gets near a breast and takes it in like a vacuum - so much and so fast, in fact, that he sometime chokes on the milk! This is all good, though. I've been able to pump some bottles, and he's taken those from other people, too.

For proof that I'm starting to figure him out a bit, I can:

• Understand his cries & hear when he needs feeding (ok, sort of). Anyway, I think I'm learning.
  
• Determine when he's got a wet or dirty diaper. He makes these funny arm movements, left-then-right arm, sort of jerky-punching downwards when his diaper's messy. I stand by my earlier comments that disposable diapers stink (literally and figuratively). While I started using cloth for the environmental aspects, I now use them for purely practical reasons: With over 120 changings a week, cloth simply seem to keep the output inside the diaper much better than disposables.


• Calm him...a little bit. Yogesh still wins the title of "Baby whisperer" 'round these parts; but I've at least learned a few tricks to keep my sanity. We use a pacifier when necessary (and when he'll keep it in), we sit and bounce on the exercise ball (fabulous trick suggested by fellow Homestylers Ute and Kevin) The latest toy that works wonders is the portable swing - this little $15 Craigslist beauty calms him for at least a few moments if necessary!

Of course, now that I've written this, I'm sure something will change or happen...but I wanted to document the changes for now, anyway.