Our growing boy!

Mitchell is growing and changing every day. I just love this time with him and try to cherish every minute. I'm torn because I love this baby stage so much and get sad that he's getting bigger and older but at the same time I'm excited as he develops and changes. I suppose that's what every mother feels.
Here are some of Mitchell's develpments and traits at 7 weeks old: (Beware that this post is more for me as a journal than anything. It's a long one!!)
- Probably the most exciting is that his face brightens up when Chris and I talk to him. I guess I'm holding back by not labeling it as smiling because we haven't seen that full out cheek to cheek, mouth in the shape of a watermelon rine smile. He smiles with his eyes and his mouth is wide open with excitement and its so sweet. We'll have to catch a picture of it and let you be the judge.
- He can track us with his eyes. I walked away and he watched me go.
- He "carries on conversations" with us. We talk to him and he takes his turns by cooing and making little noises. It's one of my favorite things (especially since he's more intent when it's Chris and I talking to him. He knows who his parents are!! That's the BEST feeling.)
- We are so bad at having him do tummy time because he hates it and he starts crying after less than a minute but he is able to lift his head and turn it from one side to the other.
- He's more predictable and has more of a routine now. (Which I LOVE). He goes to bed at around 10- 10:30, usually wakes up around 4 or 5 (once in a while 2 or 3) and then around 6 and then it gets a little dicey from there. Sometimes he wakes up at 6, 7 and 9. Or he'll wake up at 5 and 7 and 9 but he's usually up and ready for his day at 9. He eats, is awake and bright eyed for about 2-3 hrs. Then he might eat again or he gets fussy because he's tired and falls asleep. Nap times are a little unpredictable. Sometimes he takes 2 3-4 hr naps or he's up every hour to hour and a half. Usually though he sleeps 2-4 hrs, feeds, bright eyed, then nap again and so on. It's nice because now I usually know what's wrong with him when he's fussy.
- He doesn't like having a wet or dirty diaper. This will also make him a little bit fussy until you change him.
- At 7 weeks, he's already wearing 3 month or 3-6 month clothing. He's almost ready for size 2 diapers...almost. I put him in some size 2 diapers so that we wouldn't have to buy more size 1's but that was a BIG mistake. I laid him on the boppy pillow on my lap so he could nurse and I suddenly felt this warm gush of wetness on my stomach. Diapers that are too big = MAJOR leakage.
- Feeding. I was crushed when they told me that my baby was starving at the hospital due to my lack of colostrum and that we should give him some formula. We had to continue formula for a few days as my milk didn't come in until the end of day 4 or 5. I nursed and nursed and nursed when it did come in but it just wasn't enough for my little man. He was so big and needed so much! I would nurse for 45 minutes to an hour and he would still be ravenous or he would be so sleepy that he barely got anything. We've struggled and through trial and error, we've established that for every feeding, we nurse for 20 minutes and he takes 2-3 oz of formula after that. After 20 minutes, I found that he was either dead asleep unable to be roused or would get frustrated and cry. I've come to accept that this is what works for us and I'm grateful that he is at least getting some breast milk. Hopefully a little will go a long way!!
- If he's tired and fussing, he'll almost immediately calm down with the "head wobble" as I like to call it. I got it from (insert baby book name here). I can't remember what book it is but anyways...I shake him so that his head wobbles back and forth as opposed to just rocking him. It might look a little crazy and shakey to other people but the book says that it activates a calming reflex located in the inner ear and boy they must be right because it calms him right down and puts him right to sleep!
- It's really helped Mitchell to be swaddled at night. We got two swaddle me blankets and they have done wonderfully! We started him in his crib at 4 weeks old and after 2 or so weeks of rocking/wobbling him to sleep and waiting and waiting for him to stay asleep, I decided that was for the birds and tried to help him put himself to sleep. He slept soundly when in someone's arms or lap but as soon as he was laid onto a flat surface, his arms would bat at his face and he would wake himself up. The swaddle me blanket did wonders for that. He's not perfect with going to sleep on his own, and I might have to go back and pat him, rub his head, or put his pacifier back in his mouth, but at least I don't have to rock him until he's asleep and pray that he stays asleep when I put him down. He's getting better and better every day.
We love him so much and he brings so much joy into our lives! I'm so grateful to be a mother. I have some hard times, but mostly I'm just so happy to have my sweet baby.