7-week Sleepies and Super Smiles

Julia,

You are almost 8 weeks old, and it seems like you've been part of our family forever.

You're developing so quickly, and your milestones just keep going by faster and faster.

We saw your first smiles in and around week 6. And now your smiles just keep coming and coming. You don't even need to be tickled or spoken to directly to find a reason to smile.

Just last night, we were tucking your brother in to bed and he wanted to read "Gossie and Gertie." So, as he and I read the book, I caught a glimpse of you sitting in your mother's lap. As I was reading, you were just sitting there, beaming with a huge smile. It was truly a beautiful sight!

So, what could I do? I kept reading the book...but was now reading it to both my Children! So, based on Aidan's recommendations and requests, we read it 3 times. But with smiles like that coming from you (and some excellent participatory reading from Aidan) how could I resist?

Of course we thought your brother was (and is) beautiful, and his first smiles were amazing, but yours have a different effect on me. They are just...well...they're magial little smiles that consume your whole being. I hope you never find reason to lose that.




Smiles on your 8-week-i-versary


And, it also helps, that you've been starting to make some sort of gooey-giggly-gurgly noise when you smile sometimes too. It's like an excited grunting, but way more cute than that label makes it sound. All in all, when you're happy, we're happy!

And part of the reason we're so happy is that you're such a good sleeper!

Even when you were born, we had to set a timer to 4 hours to make sure you ate enough in the hospital. Well, soon after leaving the hospital, you established yourself as a well-growing girl, so we didn't need to worry about you eating enough, so we didn't need to worry about waking you to feed you. And the results have been spectaculary. We've probably been among the best-rested parents of newborns in the history of the universe.

And this weekend, you've started a trend that is giving everyone even more rest:
Saturday night, you ate your third dinner  around 10 pm and fell asleep around 10:30...and didn't wake up for breakfast until 6 AM. That's 8 hours, kiddo...a NEW RECORD! We officially think that counts as sleeping through the night!

And, even better, you did it again Sunday night!

And Monday night!

So, yeah, I'd say we're very pleased with the way this 7-week old is sleeping.

Now, of course, you're very good at sleeping on people.

And you're very very good (as explained above) at sleeping in your cradle rocker.


But, after we left the hospital oh-so-many weeks ago, you really decided you didn't like to sleep laying flat. So, the co-sleeper crib by our bed has been very useful as a laundry holder, pacifier placer, desirable spot for Aidan to climb into, extra elxbow room, snot-sucker holder...but not very useful as a spot for you to sleep.

We're still in the phase where we couldn't possibly spol you if we tried, so we're okay with it. Sleep in the rocker cradle. For 8 hours! Sure, no problem!

But, we wanted to give the co-sleeper a try. After all, eventually you're going to need to sleep in your crib. So, your Mom swaddled you up like when you were a newborn and tucked you in in the co-sleeper. And there you napped for two hours!

Way to sleep, kiddo!

And between all this sleeping and smiling, there's definitely time for working out. You keep getting better and better at tummy time, and able to do this excersize for longer periods of time. Which probably also is helping the sleeping arrangements too.

So, between the tummy time, sleeping and the smiles and interactions, I'd say we're in heaven on week 7.

7 weeks and 2 days- Heart Beat, Baby

We went to the Doctor today and, though we couldn't see you too well (perhaps because you're the size of a blueberry), but we did get to HEAR you!

That's right, we heard your heartbeat. 149 beats per minute, which is, as the doctor said, 'perfect.


You can even see a graphic representation of the heartbeat in the first image.
The second image shows...you! From crown to rump, you were measuring at 7 weeks, 2 days! Which puts you at an estimated due date of October 16, 2012.


You'll be joining your Mommy and Aunt Rebekka as an October baby. How cool!


It was chilling to hear your heartbeat for the first time. I had forgotten how cool that sound is.


A little from the books about you at week 7:

• He/She's generating about one hundred new brain cells each minute!


• Not only is his/her brain becoming more complex, but his/her heart is too.


• Also important: He/She's developing a permanent set of kidneys


• His/Her arm and leg joints are now forming.

No wonder your Mommy is so tired (and nauseous): look at all you and her are building together!

Growing Up...A Slapdash Story

You are now 7 and a half weeks old and you're such a big boy already!

This is sort of a slap-dash account of what we've been up to, but it's all so exciting that I can't synthesize it into one coherent story!

You've been to the Mall twice now! The first time (on your 6 weekiversary) you had to be held in the Moby Wrap the whole time. But last Saturday we went again with your friend Brooks (and his Mommy and Daddy) and you slept in your stroller for the entire visit! We were so proud of you!

And then on Sunday morning, you and I took our first solo adventure. Your Mommy was still sleeping at around 9:30 (she needed it), so we decided to go get her breakfast. So, I put you in your car seat, threw on some clothes and you and I were off!

We drove to Einsteins Bagels, grabbed a dozen and went all the way back home. And guess what? You didn't even cry once! What a big boy!

And then guess what? We left you with a babysitter named Nanneh all by your self for a couple of hours while your Mommy and I went on a date (a 3D, IMAX date to the movies!). We were so worried that you might have destroyed Nanneh, but you were perfectly behaved! I can't believe how much you're growing up!

Plus, you're almost like a celebrity around town now! While standing in line at the bagel store, the guy in front of me turned around and asked, "Did you eat dinner at the Cosmic Cafe last night?" (We, in fact, had- you, me and Mommy went out to dinner with Aunt Sham and Scott).

Taken aback, I said "Yes! Did you?" (dumb question; clearly this guy was there or he wouldn't have known I was. But, he hardly knew I was there at all!)

"Yeah, I recognized your baby and then looked up and saw you." (oh me? that biped holding the baby? yeah, that was me.)

Sweet huh? You're recognizable! Who knew? I think I must have been 8 or 9 before I was recognizable! That's probably because I lurked in the shadows so much.

My 5th grade School Picture

And yesterday we tried out a new chillaxing position: you laying on our tummies and chest facing up and away. You really have taken a liking to looking at stuff all around, so we figured, we'd let you look at stuff. And look at stuff you did! How cool is that?

Speaking of proud, guess what? Your Mommy can fit back into her pre-pregnancy pants! We are very proud of her! YAY! But, bad news, the pre-pregnancy pants don't fit me at all.

You were a bit fussy last night at around 10:30, but you and I talked and read books (you really like "Hop on Pop"...must be the rhythm and the rhyme, sang songs, did bicycles with our legs and bounced around and eventually you fell back asleep. I was able to put you back in the cradle until you woke up at 1:30! See what I mean about you growing up so fast?

We also started experimenting with a cure for the "witching hour"-- that time around 5-6 pm where you are inconsolable. And, after some internet research, we experimented dancing with you to Zydeco music and..guess what...it works!

So, expect a lot more of this in your future, as long as the "witching" continues:



But, really, here's the best part. Your Mom sent me some pictures of the two of you guys today to brighten my day at the office. And it totally worked!

You look like such a big boy already (even though people about town keep saying "oh my, he's a fresh one!" and "what is he, one day old?"...those jerks don't know what they're talking about. I mean, just look at how big and cute you are!)

MOM!!! I thought we were doing serious faces!

I is bored of this.

Is We Dancing?