Two Months

Two months.  Such a short time, long time, amazing time.  Two months is short, in the big scheme of things.  I've been a mom for two months of my 355.  (Sure, go do the math if you want to.)  Two months is long, for Will, it's been his whole life.  It feels long, to me.  Remembering not being a mom is fuzzy.  Two months is amazing.  This little boy has grown so much, changed so much, can do so much more, is so much more his own little person.  Wow.  Two months.

Ginny checking out her "brother baby" (we call her his "sister dog") while he was at her level.

Development: Will weighed in at 10.9 lbs. yesterday, diaper included, so we can guess he weighs about 10 3/4 lbs in actuality.  He is now 22 inches long, edging in on two feet tall!  (I just read a story about a woman who never grew past 2 1/2 feet, but was fully developed.  Odd to think of.)  At lunch last week, Will's Nonna (my mom), Grandad (my dad), Daddy, and I all took guesses as to what he'd weigh and measure.  We were weigh (haha, get it?) off, as two of us thought he'd be over 11 lbs and two thought over 12.  Still, the pediatrician said he's gaining weight consistently and is doing very well!

He's also, as you can see, rocking the tummy time.  This little mister holds his head up like a pro, and has been doing so for a while.  The other day he scootched himself around 180 degrees to face the other direction.  When he's upright, he holds his head up and looks around, and he's already practicing "standing," too.  He's amazingly strong.

He continues to be very "verbal" - and often, those sounds are fun and happy.  We still get lots of complaining about things that are not okay with him, but we take delight in his cheerful talk more often now, too.  He has a BIG smile, and a sweet little laugh, and he's starting to smile at us when we come in after being gone.  Melts a mama's heart!

Personality: I think we are going to have our hands full with the little man as he grows up.  My dad would say it's payback, as I was quite the pistol, myself.  Will makes it clear when he's unhappy (although we can't always figure out why) and, when he's hungry, is basically inconsolable until he gets his little tummy full.  He's a little feisty, in some ways, but he's also really sweet and easy going in others.  In the right mood, he can contentedly sit in his swing and take in the world (well, the small part of the hosue he can see from there) with his big blue eyes.  If I had to guess, I'd say he's got some of his mom's stubborness and independence, and some of his dad's easy-going, laid back nature.  We'll see as he continues to grow!

Sleep:  Most nights we're up to about 3 and a half hours of sleep before he needs to get up.  If he wakes up earlier than that, we try to get him to fall asleep again... it works sometimes.  He's still sleeping in the pack-n-play at the foot of our bed.  I was contemplating trying his own room soon (he does take his naps in there), but the pediatrician yesterday told me she didn't think I needed to start that just yet, since we still do get up semi-often at night.  The thing we had the most trouble with before was with him going back to sleep, but he's doing much better with that these days.

Nap times are still frequent, and fairly short.  He usually doesn't sleep longer than an hour, max, and more often, only about 45 minutes.  Still, with wise planning, I can get a lot done during those little breaks.  But I still like to let him have at least one nap just cuddled on me.  It's a nice little rest for both of us, I think.  I like having him be my snuggle bunny, anyway.

Eating:  May I introduce you to Little Piggy?  That's why we thought he'd weigh more.  During the day he eats about every two hours still.  The only way he goes longer is if he's sleeping.  I've been pumping more and giving him a bottle; he seems to like it better, actually.  He has zero trouble switching between bottle and breast, though - as long as there is milk, he's ready to go.  When we give him the bottle, he puts his little hands around it as if he's going to hold it, and if you take it away, he tries to grab it and push your hand back to his mouth.  Okay, little piggy.  :) 

Likes/Dislikes:  He is much more into the swing now that he's a little bigger and a little more calm most of the time.  Like I said, he can spend a good chunk of time sitting there, taking in the bookshelf next to him, being content.  He almost always eventually falls asleep there, and takes a nap a day while swinging away.  He obviously likes eating, and dislikes it when you take the bottle away or move him to switch sides even for a second if he's not done yet.  He really lets you know, Mr. Talkative that he is.  If I may brag, he likes his mama a lot, but still is also good about letting other people hold him, too.  He's a StuCo baby, so he has to be used to it.  He does not like it when he has tummy troubles, or even if he has to poop.  He'll let you know about that, too.  One of the big dogs at my parents, Darcy, loves Will and wants to be wherever he is.  Ginny and Georgie (the other husky) are starting to pay more attention to him, too, and Will seems to be okay with it. 

Milestones:  It's all the little things, you know? From how much he holds his head up to how alert he his and how he talks and smiles and laughs.  He's gone to many more places - other restaurants, coffee shops, people's houses, StuCo functions.  On Mother's Day, we participated in a baby dedication at church, promising to do our best to teach him to love his Father.  Last night he attended his first wedding, although he was tired and so we stood outside the sanctuary and watched and listened through the glass while he went to sleep (because, of course, Mr. Talkative has to talk himself to sleep, too).  We go on walks, and have even jogged some.  I suspect that's more of a milestone for me, right?    His summer is going to be full of visitors - his grandma comes today for the weekend, his "Aunt" Brooke comes from Korea in June, and his Virginia family (includng his soon to be BFF Henry, age 5 months), is coming in July.  Then we'll be off for a week in the mountains.  I'm ahead of myself - these are future milestones! 

Several people have asked me recently if I love being a mom.  Well, of course I do.  It's the most amazing thing I've ever done.  But you know me, the non-Ms.-mush, honest to a fault - so I also tell them it's the hardest thing, too.  I'm tired.  The last time I slept for more than 4 hours was March 22nd.  Changing poopy diapers (which are now getting amazingly stinky) is not my favorite pasttime.  Trying to get a seemingly inconsolable baby to stop crying is exhausting, especially when you've tried everything. 

But I love watching his little face as we sit together in the dark of the night, with the light from the streetlight outside and the little monkey nightlight in the bathroom giving the room a gentle glow.  It's just his and my time, as his daddy sleeps on right beside us, unaware of everything. 

And I love that, once his diaper is changed, he almost always offers the sweetest smile as he rests contentedly on the changing table.  He does some of his best babbling there, too.

And once that inconsolable baby is consoled, well, he looks up at me with these big blue eyes, full of left over tears, and my heart melts.  Or he falls alseep in my arms, peaceful bliss upon his face. 

So I'll take tired, I guess.  The trade-off is worth it.

Four Generations- Great-Grandpa Bob, Nonna, Mom (that's me!), and Will.