Oct 7 - 2 Months

Baby AJ, you are actually a few days over two months old as I write this.  It has been a busy month and somehow, this snuck up on me!

Likes: You still love to be held a lot.  I don't think this is changing any time in the near future, and I am okay with that.  I enjoy being able to snuggle you, and I know your Papa enjoys the same.  You especially like being held facing us.  Sometimes if I'm holding you facing out, you will turn your head as far to the side as possible, like the twisting of your head will give you enough leverage to turn you around to face us.  You also would prefer to sleep on your tummy or side if we'd let you... but that still makes me nervous if I'm not right there.

Dislikes: Beginning to not like tummy time quite as much as before.  Now you are only happy on your tummy for a few minutes at a time.  But you are getting better a holding your head up! 

Biggest Achievement this month: First smile!  It's hard to say if your first smile was towards me a day before you turned 7 weeks, but for sure, the next week you were giving several to your Papa.  We recorded your first smile at 8 weeks and 3 days old.  Your smiles are still hard to get, but I love seeing them!

Biggest Challenge of the month: There hasn't really been something that terribly stuck out as a huge challenge.  However, your sleep drastically changed a few weeks ago.  For a while you were spoiling us with 8+ hours straight of sleep each night.  Then suddenly you went back to only 5-6.  While that is still amazing for a baby of your age, it was rough getting back into the routine of getting up in the night [especially since we tend to stay up too late as it is].  And your evening have gotten a little fussier where you are awake, but not sure you want to be, but don't want to sleep either.  Even still, it has not been terrible.  Thankfully!

Little Personality:  You still have quite the squeal when you aren't getting what you want.  For example, if it's time to burp you but you don't think so, you will squeal and put on quite the fuss until you get the bottle back in your mouth.  But you are also learning to be happy when awake, and beginning to interact with us just a little bit.  It is fun to see you respond when we talk to you.  Sometimes your talking almost sounds like a word.  For example, this afternoon when you were done with a diaper change, Papa came in to pick you up and said hi.  It sounded so much like you said "hi" back to him!

Talking/Communication: You've begun cooing now.  I love hearing you making happy noises as we are driving along.  You also enjoy talking while watching the lights on your keyboard toy flash. 

Eating: You are regularly taking 5-6 ounces at a time now.  You usually take a bottle every 4 hours or so, depending on how your naps end up.

Major Milestones: Chewing on your fingers, finding your hand, push down with your legs when "standing" [although you've been doing this for quite some time now!], cooing.  I've tried to have you hold a toy instead of always pulling on your pacifier, but it hasn't worked too well yet. 

Firsts: Smile!

Favorite Baby Gear: Graco Glider Elite, Moby or Beco Butterfly 2, light up keyboard thing that my sis gave us a while ago.  It turns upside down so she can lay under it and watch a light show with music :)

How big you are:  This will be filled in more specifically after your appointment in a few days.  But last I weighed you at both Aunt Annie's and Oma's house, you were up to 13 pounds already!  At your appointment today, you weighed in at 12.08 pounds, so a little less, but this weigh-in was without anything on, so understandable.  And you measured 22 inches long.  So around 60% for weight and 10% for height.  Looks like you'll fit into our family just fine :)

Typical Schedule/Day: You will usually wake up between 6:30 and 8 for the first time in the morning.  If we are home, you take a bottle immediately, then after 45 minutes to an hour, you will want to go back to sleep.  If left alone sometimes you will sleep another 3-4 hours.  However, that is occasionally interrupted after an hour or so, waking you up so you want to be held.  But if it was short enough the first time, I can usually get you back to sleep for a little longer.  Then you will wake up wanting another bottle, be awake for about the same amount of time again, but only sleep for 1-2 hours this time.  Then you usually wake up, are happy for a short while before wanting another bottle, then half an hour later or so want to sleep again... apparently being awake is exhausting!  In the evening, you usually take a bottle around 7ish, then again around 9-10ish and that is usually your last bottle for the night.  The sleep in the evenings varies, often little cat naps here and there.  Then you usually are out for the night between 11 and 12. 

Memories in the last month: This month we went apple picking!  I know you won't remember any of it, but it was still fun to be able to take you to an orchard.  We will be sure to do it again when you can remember :) 

You also had your first sleep-over this month. You and I [Mama], went to Aunt Annie's house along with Aunt Becky to have a girl's night.  You were a bit difficult in the evening, but settled down and did great the rest of the time.