August 11 Update: It’s been a busy week, and I’m now typing with Andrew sleeping on my lap and the laptop perched on my knees. It works! We had a great time at our annual pilgrimage to Jack’s house on the Wisconsin River. The prairie was just beautiful, and the stars were unbelievably clear and plentiful. Southeast Wisconsin is a fantastic corner of the earth. Photos are available in the gallery.
Andrew did a major amount of eating during week five, and the past week, I imagine he was doing a lot of growing because he has been unusually fussy. It’s been challenging to have our happy baby become a grouchy baby, but I think it’s temporary. The past few days he’s been having awake-and-content times, so that’s been a welcome change. I have just a few photos up this week. They’re in the gallery.
We’re off to Wichita on an airplane on Friday morning. Should be a really fun trip!
Lots of little fun things going on this week. Andrew slept in his own crib several times this week. He even has been letting us put him down while he’s still awake and he sometimes will sooth himself to sleep. He’s still eating every 2-3 hours in the night. Sometimes we’ll get a four hour stretch, but in general that’s working alright.
On Monday we went shopping with my mom most of the day. Andrew did a great job. We found a big-boy car seat for him, and the cover is just perfect. I thought we should wait until Christmas, but Mom went ahead and got it for him now. There’s a photo of him in it in the gallery. It’s fun to imagine how big he’ll be when he outgrows that seat!
On Tuesday we went to our Happy Bambino mom’s group again. Had a great time and then went out to lunch with several girls afterwards. Mom and her friend Mary came by our place in the afternoon. Mary brought a basket of fun gifts for Andrew including some great bibs that she sewed. She was really impressed by the quilt that LuAnn made for Andrew.
On Wednesday, I went into work and had lunch with some of my co-workers. It was wonderful to see them all again. Then Andrew and I walked down State Street to the Union to pick up Maretta from work. We ran some errands together (which included stopping at Coldstone Creamery for ice cream) and she came over for dinner and a movie.
Now it’s Thursday. I spent some time packing for our trip this weekend, but Andrew hasn’t given me much time to work on anything else. He wants to sleep on my lap, NOT in his cradle, crib, or our bed. I got some new books to read. Last weekend I read Eragon by Christopher Paolini and really enjoyed it. The sequel comes out in a couple weeks, so to tide me over until then, I got Trickster’s Choice by Tamora Pierce.
I’m sure that’s more info than almost anyone wanted to know about my week. We’re off to Wichita tomorrow morning, and it should be a lot of fun! Andrew’s first plane ride:)
Love,
Althea
Here’s the last weekly update from BabyCenter.com. From now on, they have monthly updates:
Does your baby coo at you when you pick him up in the morning?
[ANDREW IS HAPPIEST IN THE MORNINGS. HE’S STARTING TO COO AND GOO AT US SOMETIMES. IT’S THE SWEETEST SOUND!] Researchers say 50 percent of babies this age recognize their own parents, and a few even reward them with a big gummy grin. Recognizing Mom and Dad is just one sign that your baby is becoming more attuned to what’s going on around him.
Your baby’s head is fairly steady now and she’s able to exercise more motor control over her feet and hands instead of just swinging them wildly. To see this new skill in action, hold a toy or rattle up in front of your baby and watch her grab for it. Don’t forget to cheer her when she gets it. She’ll thrive on your encouragement for the rest of her life! [ANDREW’S NOT QUITE READY TO GRAB FOR THINGS YET. HE LOOKS TOWARD VOICES AND FOUND HIS THUMB ONCE THE OTHER DAY. I’VE EVEN SEEN HIM REACHING TOWARD HIS STUFFED ANIMALS WE KEEP BY THE CHANGING TABLE, BUT HE HAS YET TO GRAB A TOY:)
How your baby’s growing: Your baby has lost his pinched newborn look and appears steady and alert when held upright. [THIS LITTLE GUY LOVES TO PRACTICE STANDING. SOMETIMES IT’S THE ONLY THING THAT WILL KEEP HIM FROM CRYING.] When on his tummy, he’s able to lift his head and chest for short periods, almost as if he’s doing mini-pushups. [ANDREW ENJOYS HIS TUMMY TIME] He might even be able to roll from back to front or front t back. [NOT YET! AND I HOPE HE HOLDS OFF A WHILE LONGER. I’LL HAVE TO WATCH HIM MORE CLOSELY WHEN HE STARTS MOVING!]
He’s tuning in to you more each day. When you speak, he may stop sucking his thumb or interrupt a feeding to listen to you. [HE’S STARTING TO DO THIS ONCE IN A WHILE. IT’S REALLY SPECIAL!]
Use your voice to connect with him. Repeat his coos and noises. Narrate your actions — speaking to your baby stimulates language development and is comforting. Make him the center of conversation. When you’re with friends, include him and let him hear the richness of human interaction. He’ll soon start to make all sorts of different noises himself.