We start this week's blog with the news of the week. We put the little guy down on his belly for his first bit of Tummy Time. After 30-45 minutes of getting prepared for this event (researching what we're supposed to do and what we're trying to accomplish), the unexpected happened when we actually laid him on the mat. First of all, he started crying his eyes out. After that he started to kick his legs and lift his head a bit, which is what we were trying to accomplish. Then, it got strange. He began to lift one leg and twist in an awkward angle, almost like a dog making a visit to the hydrant. He then started to shake one leg back and forth like a chameleon walking down a tree branch (youtube it if you're lost). And then, he gave a leg shake/kick so strong, that it actually rolled him over and he wound up on his back.
Now, why is this strange? Namely because he's two weeks old. According to the Mayo Clinic website and BabyCenter.com, babies don't typically begin to roll from front to back until they are 2-3 months old. They don't roll from back to front until 3-5 months. So after we looked at each other oddly and wondered what we had just seen, we figured we'd go get the video camera and see if he'd do it again. After setting up the camera on the ground, we rolled him over again and gave it another shot. This time it took almost 2 minutes, but sure enough, he eventually got into his awkward position and rolled over again. If you want to see this on video, because its quite funny, just email me, anyone in my family, Antoinette, or Charlotte. We've all got the video. Very funny stuff.
Next up is his doctor's office visit. Billy went to the doctor with his Mother on Tuesday for a two week checkup. It seems that eating has not been a problem for him. He's already climbed over the 8 lbs mark, gaining weight at the rate of about one pound a week. Doctor says he expects that rate to slow to about a half pound a week and expects him to weigh close to 10 lbs on the next visit in four weeks. The good news is that he's climbed into the 30th percentile for body weight, up from the 23rd percentile a week ago. From a height perspective, he measured out at about 20.5 inches, give or take, which I miscalculated last week and actually puts him in the 23rd percentile this week, not the 80th percentile. All in all, he's a little guy.
Some other notes from the doctor visit include an OK on his breathing from his doctor. Billy has a bit of a wheeze sometimes after eating. The doctor heard it, listened to his lungs, and said he's good to go. He said that his sinuses haven't opened up yet, which should happen in a couple weeks. When they do, the wheezing should go away. The doctor also checked his dry skin and said this was also normal. Babies run through a bit of dry skin right out of the gates. Billy's are here and there around his body and should also pass. In the meantime, Antoinette got the OK to use unscented baby lotion for his skin. The doctor also suggested putting him on a multi-vitamin to supplement his diet, which we bought and administered for the first time. He threw it up. Not spit up either. The real stuff. So Antoinette is going to spread it out with a couple drops during each feeding and see if that helps him keep it down. He needs to stay out of the Sun still and avoid 80+ degree weather, which means that he can go for walks at sunset, but he needs to avoid insect bites as much as possible because the sensitivity of his skin means they'll really show if he gets one.
As we venture down the Baby Wise path to sleeping through the night by 8-9 weeks, we took the first step back on Tuesday and have been diligently trucking along with the plan. At this point, Billy is on a 2.5 to 3 hour cycle which consists of eating (20-30 minutes), awake time (30-45 minutes), and nap time (1.5 hours) give or take. The key is awake time before nap time during the day. Can't let him fall asleep after eating. The other key is that we have to decide when its time to put him down for his nap, not him. We're "training" him how to sleep. The hard part is when he starts crying. You have to suck it up and deal with it for 15 minutes before going in to pick him up. Many people don't like this plan, but we don't know anyone who has tried it and let its run its course that has said anything negative about it. And in every instance, from people whose opinions we trust, the baby has always been able to sleep through the night before 10 weeks. You can follow along with us and see if it works. Anyway, on the 15 minutes of crying deal, after 15 minutes, you can go in and pick him up, bounce him a bit and sing or talk to him and within a minute or two (typically), he's asleep and you can put him down again. Crying is very draining apparently.
So far, the plan is working well, but the early part is very difficult. Especially hearing him cry. Also, I find that when I'm rested, I can listen to him cry and it doesn't bother me. But the more tired I am, the more frustrating it is to hear his cry. Anyway, it seems to be working. Billy would cry for 15 minutes until he was picked up every time for the first few days. Now, he's had a few instances of falling asleep after crying for around 10 minutes without any need for someone to come in to hold him, which is an improvement. He's also woke up crying a few times and simply fallen back asleep after a few minutes of crying, even though we had to fight the urge to go in and get him right away. We read that these stirring moments are simply the baby's way of working himself into a deeper sleep and that appears to be the case, so for those of you that have babies, don't be fooled. Finally, the goal is to have him sleeping through the night and to keep him gaining weight through the process. Billy has improved from 3 consecutive hours of sleep to 4.5 hours at a time as of last night. Its not necessarily longer each night, but on the whole, its definitely getting better. He's probably averaging 4 hours in a row now when he was averaging 3 hours in a row before. All the while, his weight has continued to increase in a healthy manner.
Billy has begun really staring intently at faces. While he's looked at your face (or glanced) since his birth, he was mostly checking out eyebrows and hairlines. But now, he's clearly looking into your eyes and its a great feeling to have those little eyes stare right back at your own. His features seem to be developing and his face is beginning to take on its own personality. His eyes are continuing to deepen in color and it really looks like we've got some brown coming into those irises.
Next up is the trip home. We have taken another step toward making that happen. Two steps actually. First, remember to keep open June 14th, which is a Sunday, as the date we will be back in Chicago with the little guy. Antoinette got the invitations and is preparing them. They should be ready to go soon. You may not get one if you've indicated to me you can't make that date or if you've never replied to me at all about that date. We also talked to the doctor about taking a 6 week old baby onto an airplane. The doctor said that taking him isn't a problem except he needs his first run of vaccines before we go. The problem is that he's not due to get his shots until he's 8 weeks. The doctor suggested we move up the screening but contact our insurance company to make sure they'll cover vaccinations two weeks early. Apparently some won't. Well, Antoinette called and ours will, so that's two more steps to coming home that we've completed. This weekend we'll figure out the plan in terms of dates, times, flights, travel arrangements, work schedules, etc.
Last night, Billy's belly button fell off. It just kind of happened on one of his diaper changes. The area it left behind is still red and will need to be monitored and alcohol swabbed for up to a couple weeks so that it dries up. That will delay Billy's first real bath in the tub with water. In the meantime, Antoinette is still handing out sponge baths to the little guy.
For next week, playtime will include lots of involvement with high contrast imagery including black and white objects, books with babies faces, and reading with Dad every day. We will probably look to get him acclimated to a play mat on the floor where he can learn to swipe at objects that are dangling over his head improving depth perception and hand eye coordination. We will also practice grabbing, but at this age, the only way to do this is to put objects in his hand and let him keep grabbing on to them. He lacks the hand eye needed to actually reach out and grab what he wants with anything resembling control. This is also the age at which most babies will begin to develop a basic level of understanding that their hands, arms, legs, and feet are attached to their bodies, so many of the games will be designed to help further develop this. Games like "This Little Piggy", etc. Also, the soft spot on the back of his head should have closed up, but the front spot will remain open to some degree for up to two years.
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