Jack's hands

Over the past couple days I've noticed that Jack is much more in control when he's sitting on my knee. I still have to hold him up, but I can feel the strength of his back and his head doesn't flop around much at all anymore.

Also, he's really able to grab things with his hands now. It started with this beautiful wooden rattle that Sean's friend Joel gave him (made by the Haessigs in Spooner, WI!). It has a great shape and it was the first thing that he could really solidly hold in his hand. Yesterday and today I held it out and shook it and Jack looked up, looked at the rattle and after a couple of tries, got ahold of it. It's much less of a hit or miss than it used to be. 

I try to give him lots of free form time on his back and stomach so he can understand his body and how it moves. Today he was clearly using his arms, although he didn't quite understand how he was supposed to use them. He kept his head lifted the entire time he was on his stomach. I cheered him on.

I think it must be a drag to be a single parent and not have a partner who is as interested in every mundane detail of a child's development as you are.

Jack's feet and the possible end of the blog

Hi Everybody

So this blogger website has started requiring that I have a Google account to maintain this blog. I found a way around it tonight, but I might find a new venue in the future. I'll try my best to let you know, might have to use smoke signals or something.

Anyway-on to Jack.

Jack discovered his feet two days ago. He just kept leaning farther and farther forward until he spotted them and now he looks for them every chance he gets. He mostly just touches them and stares at them, but it's pretty funny to watch. 

I can't find the camera today to upload the pictures, and I apologize. Jack is getting really big, at least by the standards of a newborn. He's getting closer to sitting up on his own all the time. You can feel the strength in his back when you hold onto him, even though his neck still wobbles around.

He likes to stare at lights when they're sharply contrasted with darkness, or anything that glows. I had him at an art show a couple weeks ago and he couldn't take his eyes off a particular gilded piece. We try to let him fully digest what he's looking at before we take him away from it. This is supposed to help his development and self-confidence. We also try to give him as much "free form" time as we can during the day, where he's on a blanket and can just his arms and legs around freely without being moved by anyone else. This helps him to discover his body and understand his own movements and his own will.

After much deliberation, we discontinued the cloth diapers. While we felt they were more comfortable for him than the disposable when you first put them on, but they were really bulky and constricted Jack's movement. Also, once they got wet, the entire diaper got soaked instead of staying contained in one area of the diaper. 

all for now, time for bed...

12 weeks, one day

Jack celebrated his 12 week birthday on Sunday, without much fanfare. Mostly chewed on his fist and kicked his legs. His lower eyelashes are about double the length that they were a couple days ago. Jack has recently taken a fancy to his knees. When he sits in his stroller or his chair, he kicks off any blankets and yanks up his pants to show his knees. Then he just stares at them and plays with them, I think it's dawning on him that those knees down there have something to do with him. He talks up a storm too. Usually when he's just woken up, he'll lock eyes with you and make these long, elaborate noises. Lots of ahhhhh's like a creaky barn door and what Sean calls "dolphin noises". He also makes this cooing noise that sounds just like a morning dove. 

Since the fourth trimester is over, we're beginning to think about sleeping schedules and rituals around going to bed. I'm not ready to let him cry in bed yet, which I will probably regret later, but forgive me, I'm a new mama, I just can't do it yet. So we started a standard at night of washing his face and hands, then changing into pajamas (or clean pajamas if he's been in pajamas all day), then we turn on one of his lullaby CD's and read him a story (if he's not screaming for dinner), then we feed him and try to get him to knock off.

Jack does really well going to sleep if he hasn't had too crazy of a day. I think he really gets overwhelmed when we're out all day and there's too much stimuli. I think it takes him a while to process afterwards, and I notice it's harder to get him to bed when there's been lots of riding on the bus or new faces or somesuch.

He's watching our every move

Just in case you ever think that your kids aren't learning from you, mimicking and learning how to behave: this morning Sean was eating a banana and as he took a bite, Jack would intently watch his face. Then when Sean would start chewing, Jack would start moving his mouth as if he was chewing. Sean came into the bedroom and said, "watch this". Jack mimicked the chewing motion on every bite. 

Oh yea, and yesterday in the park I noticed Jack's lower eyelashes have come in!! (whew!) They're tiny, but there is definitely a full row. 

Not April Fooling

Today Jack out and out laughed for the first time. 

Later he screamed his head off for two hours.