Two Months Old: All On Our Own

What fun month two has been watching Emerson grow. If every month is as fun and fast as this one, then I am so excited to see what lies ahead.

 

This month has been all about being on our own for several firsts. For a solid month we have been just a family of three. We had to cook, clean and do normal stuff all by ourselves, which was kind of nice to get back into a normal schedule, but I sure do miss people bringing food by...I was spoiled/blessed to not have to cook for almost two whole months!

Jesse had to travel a lot for work this month, and Emerson and I survived a few nights without him. For the first time I had to go a full 24 hour stretch with just me and Emerson, yikes! I was so nervous at first not to have any help, but in the back of my mind I knew I had several friends around who were there for me if I needed them. Being on our own meant me having to do bath time/bed time routine and all of the middle of the night feedings by myself, but I did it and now I am super confident I would be able to do it again.

Week six was the most challenging this month. The poor little guy hit a growth spurt and was fussier than normal. We lived through it and now my happy baby boy is back!

After we got passed the crying spell, I noticed that he started "talking" a lot more. He has even replaced some of his normal crying sessions with what I call a whiny talk, haha. Instead of waking up crying, he "talks." It starts out quite and then he will start to "whine" talk. It is pretty funny to listen to. Its like he is saying "hey, is anyone going to come get me?". After he eats is when he will talk the most in his happy voice. I am pretty sure he has said his first word, "hi". Ok, so maybe not, but that is the sound he makes. If  you say "hi" to him over and over he will make that same sound. It is so much fun to talk to him trying to get him to talk back.

Here is a breakdown of his activity this month:

Sleeping: We started the month off with his normal waking every three hours at night routine, but right around seven weeks he really started making a change and is now consistently sleeping longer stretches. He will go to bed between 7 and 9 p.m., sleep until 2 a.m. and then wake up between 5 and 6 a.m. He sometimes struggles with going back to sleep after he eats. His natural wake up time in the morning is 6 a.m. If he wakes up before then, I typically just let him talk to himself until it is time to get up. If I am lucky he will go back to sleep, if he gets fussy I get up to comfort him but make sure to leave him in this crib until 6 a.m. His naps are getting shorter, he takes several, but they only last 45 min to 1 hr. On a really rare day, he will take a three hour nap along with all of his short naps.

Eating: He is a much faster eater now. I almost miss him taking a full hour to eat, because it was a great time for me to relax, blog, read, etc. now he is all business. Jesse on occasion will still give him a bottle, which he drinks so fast!

Activity: His "play" is still about the same as last month, things only keep his attention for about 15 minutes or so. I am starting to introduce different toys during certain times of the day. For instance on his changing table I always keep a stuffed blue elephant that squeaks and crinkles that he loves to look at and try and reach for. During tummy time, I may use a rattle or another toy for him to look at. But his favorite toy of all is my face : ) He loves it when he is just sitting in my lap watching as I talk or sing to him.

Doctor visit stats:

• Weight: 12 lbs 11 oz
• Height: 24.5 inches 
• Other: he got a round of shots and did great! He cried and then slept.

Likes, dislikes and other milestones:

• He is starting to get a better grip on things you put in his hand. He loves to grab my hair and not let go. It wouldn't surprise me if his first real word is "ouch," because I constantly find myself saying that as he yanks on my hair.
• More smiles! I love it, it can make even the worst day, the best one :)
• Went on his first mini vacation to Galveston.
• Got several shots this month, but is now cleared "safe" to go out in public by his doctor.
• Has started to find his fists and will suck on them.
• Loves to take naps in his pouch while I walk around. I love it because I can get a few things done.
• Still has a head full of hair, but its starting to get lighter, and it almost has a red tint to it.
• Loves to go outside.
• Loves to look out the window, I think it is the light/dark contrast of the blinds and of the light outside, but he can stare out a window for a long time.
• Doesn't mind diaper changes as much, I think having the toy there helps.
• Loves to have books read to him, but his attention span is short, I usually read to him right before a nap. His favorite so far is the Bible for Boys (such a cute Bible book). 
• Likes to sing and talk.
• Can now stand for a few seconds, while holding him of course. His legs are becoming so strong, he will be crawling before I know it.
• He has only done it a few times, but he can roll over from tummy to back.
• He now fusses a bit more when doing tummy time. I think it frustrates him that he can't roll over every single time, he tries and tries and then gets mad.
• Likes to listen to music and the sound of my blow dryer.
• Does not like his car seat and it is getting harder and harder for him to calm down during car rides. Car rides used to put him right to sleep, but now that he is more alert, it takes a much longer drive to soothe him. 

We have several things to look forward to as we move into month three. Emerson is going to get to meet several of his aunts, uncles and cousins for the first time. Aunt Molly and Uncle Jonathan are coming to visit us in Houston next week and then we are traveling to my parents house for the Fourth of July where he will meet lots of my family for the first time. I am a little nervous about the seven hour drive, but I am sure he will do fine.

Emerson is still in the room with us at night in his pack n' play, but I keep saying that once we get back from traveling over the Fourth that we should move him into his crib, but we will see if I am actually brave enough to do it : )