12 Weeks

Matt is 12 weeks old today. He has changed so much over the past 12 weeks, even over the past few. Perhaps one of the most obvious changes is that he seems to be growing into his cheeks!

Week 12

We had a quiet week at home, recovering from our cold and avoiding the cold and snowy weather, so I don't have much to report except that we're all better. (Luckily Matt didn't have more than some sniffles and Jon didn't catch our illness.) But I do want to share some photos.

This is one of my favorite recent photos of Matt. I especially love his silly expression and his raised big toes.

I submit this photo as proof that Matt is very well fed. He is a hearty eater and not shy about letting us know when he is hungry, although his appetite is finally starting to slow down. I'm so used to him being hungry all the time that he recently figured out he could use that to his advantage. He realized that if he feigns hunger he doesn't even need to cry to get me to pick him up quickly. He'll get a mischievous expression on his face similar to the one above, look me in the eye, and then shove his fist in his mouth as if it's the last thing on earth keeping him from starving. Unfortunately for him I quickly figured out what he was really doing, so his silly trick isn't working very well any more. This one is going to keep us on our toes, for sure!

Matt continues to do very well with holding up his head. He doesn't yet love tummy time, but we keep trying. His development is progressing well; he is at or even past many of the major physical milestones for not only this month but also the next. He hasn't yet shown interest in rolling over, however, and he is still working toward intentionally grabbing things and holding onto them. But all in due course...

This is another one of my favorite recent photos. Matt does have beautiful eyelashes. (I wish I could claim credit for them, but I don't think I can.)

Week 11

Our very busy week deserves an update.

Monday we went for another walk at the state park, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather.

Tuesday was a rainy day, a perfect day to meet up with some other local moms for an indoor activity: checking out the local children's museum. Matt was too young to appreciate the outing, although he stayed awake and looked around a lot. But I have a feeling in about a year and a half we'll be spending many rainy days there.

Wednesday we met up with our local moms' group for a members' social. Again, Matt was too young to play with the other kids, but he stayed awake long enough to see most of the other moms and kids, unlike last time. I pushed my luck by then taking him to the pet supply store, where he finally checked out his first live dog (although he still ignores the live cat we have at home), and then the grocery store, which was one stop too many, especially since a little growth spurt seemed to strike that afternoon. 

Thursday was a quiet day at home, which we needed, especially since we knew the next day was going to be so busy.

Friday, after stopping by our moms' club's playgroup, we finally made it to our first movie showing for parents with babies. Guess who decided to be the first to pipe up when the lights went down for the show to start? Yep. And I can now say with confidence that our baby cries more loudly than average. (We're not sure where he gets that volume...) He had maybe one other fussy moment, but he was actually pretty good, not screaming excessively or interrupting major moments in the movie. (In general he cries an average amount or maybe even a little less.) Overall, though, I think we did fairly well considering it was such a new and different experience. I then walked around the corner of the theater to grab a bite, the first time I had gone out to eat with baby in tow. After that we went over to Jon's office to meet his coworkers and thank in person those who have given us baby supplies and gifts. The Friday afternoon cute baby interruption seemed welcome to all; Matt ate up all the attention and put on a good show, maybe even intentionally waving good-bye to a few of his new fans. To top it all off, that evening I went out for a bit with some former coworkers for my first night out. (I have run out for some errands here and there by myself while Jon watches Matt, but other than our dinner date that was the first time I had been out without a list and baby in hand.)

Needless to say Saturday we were all tired and just stayed home. A surprise snowfall gave Matt the first opportunity to taste a fluffy snowflake.

Saturday's surprise snow

Unfortunately by the time I got up on Sunday I had come down with a cold. We were planning to watch the big game with friends but sadly had to cancel. Matt has been a little stuffier and a little fussier than normal, but overall he seems not to be anywhere near as sick as I am, thankfully. In fact, I have struggled to keep up with him, since he has been as energetic as usual. Luckily Jon could take Monday's holiday off to stay at home with us. This coming week we don't have much planned, and with the return of the very cold weather we'll be very content to stay indoors and at home, making sure we're all better before we go on more adventures.

Enough text - onto some photos!

It's hard to tell from this angle, but Matt has Jon's feet. They really are miniature versions of his father's. (Apparently Matt ended up with his dad's genes for his feet and his mom's for his hands.)

Matt is standing up straighter and straighter, albeit with a lot of assistance. Sometimes he enjoys going for a "walk," as in the video above.

Holding his head up higher and higher

A sometimes goofy baby

Matt's attention span is getting longer. He not only plays in his chair and with his "jungle gym" more, but he'll also look at pictures, listen to stories, and interact with people in person and in the mirror for increasing lengths of time. 

(I know it looks like he's in the seat and on the mat a lot, but those are the times I have my hands free to photograph him!)

10 Weeks

Today Matt is 10 weeks old. It has been an eventful 10 weeks!

Jon fixed the motor on the rocker seat, so it vibrates like it's supposed to. I'm guessing Matt doesn't quite know what to think of the new sensation.

Week 10

We had such a busy week last week I figured I should post an update.

Our week started off with Matt's doctor's appointment, which I wrote about last Monday, and a visit to some friends. For the next few days we stayed inside when it was bitterly cold outside. But by the end of the week our activities picked back up. Friday we went to a play group for a local moms' club where we met two other babies born in late October / early November plus a couple of six-month-old babies. There were also several cute toddlers, one of whom talked with me about how Matt was wearing pajamas with monkeys and sleeping. Yes, Matt fell asleep about 10 minutes after we arrived despite all of the excitement. Sunday we went for our first family hike, although it was actually more of a walk (about 2 miles long) on a relatively level trail at the local state park - not a bad place to start. Again, it was so exciting Matt was asleep within about 10 minutes.

A silly monkey, indeed!

Matt has been working on moving his legs and especially his arms a lot this past week, resulting in his ability to wiggle himself forward ever so slightly, as you can see in the video I posted on Saturday. He continues to enjoy kicking the keyboard on his play mat and the Sassy Go-Go Bugs on his rocker seat. While it's still too early to tell for sure, it looks like he may be a right-footed soccer player.

Most notably, Matt is beginning to gain more control over his hands and arms. He's giving "high fives" to people and toys, as you can see in the video below, and he has figured out the harder he hits the dangling toys of his "jungle gym" the more they move.

He continues to enjoy looking at, smiling at, and talking to the babies who appear in mirrors.

I've been working on getting us into more of a routine. I've been able to get Matt to sleep in his bassinet for most, if not all, of his naps, which has helped - and allowed me to start to do more around the house during his nap times. He has also been sleeping for longer stretches at night, including one night when he slept for seven hours straight. Perhaps more importantly he has been waking up less frequently - although after a good run last night he woke up more often, probably our payback for getting him to go to sleep so early. (Now I have to relearn how to sleep long stretches at night; between pregnancy and caring for a newborn I've become used to sleeping lightly and waking often.)

When everyone sleeps more and better, everyone is happier!

Matt's First Attempt at Crawling?!

Matt started wiggling with a purpose tonight. He's not exactly crawling. But with a good deal of effort he was able to move himself forward, an inch at a time. We're in trouble...

Matt's 2-month check-up

Matt had his two-month check-up at the pediatrician's today. It was no surprise to us that he is a big, strong, healthy boy. He weighed just over 15 pounds; he kept squirming on the scale, so our best guess is 15 pounds and 3 ounces. And he measured 24 inches long, although I'd swear he's longer. He has consistently been around the 95th percentile for weight and 90th for height (which makes it hard for me to call him a "little" guy...). He demonstrated his improving eyesight and his stronger neck control for the pediatrician, who was pleased with his development. Overall he was very well behaved, too, although as one might expect he did NOT like getting his vaccinations. I was already planning to stay in and stay warm tonight into tomorrow, with the rapidly dropping temperatures, but he will definitely want to snuggle and sleep and fuss but most importantly not go for any more adventures.

Looking too cool with a Salem Red Sox hat (thanks, Bill and Elizabeth!)

Our Little 2-Month-Old Chatterbox

I thought I would offer some proof that Matt can be one talkative, happy, smiley baby:

He's talking to and smiling at himself (there's a mirror over his head). The video shows only part of that session. This little guy is not shy or quiet!

Happy 2-month birthday, Matt!

By the calendar Matt is two months old today. He is one big two-month-old baby! And he is becoming quite the chatterbox; we have increasingly lengthy "conversations" with him. He apparently has a lot to say, even if he's still a ways from speaking real words.

Earlier this week, checking out his new playmat

Still enjoying his seat (with the Sassy Go-go Bugs) and pirate outfits

Smiling, talking to, and admiring that cute two-month-old baby in the mirror

Beginning this coming month (Matt's third) I'm no longer planning to post weekly updates, but I'll try to post regularly with updates and highlights.

Happy New Year!

We wish you and your family a happy New Year. May 2014 be your best year yet!

Kicking off the new year with a smile!