Holy Moly!!

Weeks number 3 and 4 have just come and gone for us over here. It really seems as though our days are really flying by. Which of course makes me sad to think that my maternity leave is going by very fast!!! I am really trying to soak up every single second with my little man before it is over. Thank God, I have 12 weeks off to soak everything up with him, because 6 or 8 weeks just doesn't seem like long enough!!!

The past couple of weeks we have been learning alot about our little guy! He doesn't have a very persistant sleep or eating schedule...yet. He is eating every 2.5-3 hours still, sometimes he stretches it out to 4 hours (mostly at night, or whenever he needs a longer nap during the day). I am eager to get to the doctor next week to see how much he has gained. He has really made the past couple of weeks of breast feeding such a breeze!! Of course I get a little frustrated sometimes whenever he decides he wants to be crazy and consistently bob his little head back and forth instead of latching on, but what can you do. I will take those moments over engorgement any day! He sleeps in about 3-4 hour increments at night (sometimes longer), which is great! I am getting lots of sleep!! Thanks little man!! He is still sleeping in his swaddle and sleeping in his big boy bed!!! He looks so small in that huge crib, but I think he loves it. We play his little soothing sound machine that has a projection on the ceiling and he is out like a light! When he does get up in the middle of the night, we venture out to the living room and watch some TV, so we don't wake daddy up (you know he has to go to work everyday) while he feeds, which lasts anywhere from 8-15 minutes (not too shabby at all), then we are back to bed!!! So, needless to say we are happy and are feeling very refreshed by morning!!

I have noticed that when he doesn't want to sleep he lays in his bed making little cooing noises that make me think he is talking to himself. He also does it after his early morning feeding when we put him in his boppy and sit him in bed with us. Sometimes he will do it for a few minutes and put himself to sleep or sometimes he will do it for an hour. It is so cute!!! I cannot wait till he actually starts talking! Since I am the only one home with him during the day Carter and I talk alot. I love watching his little face as I ask him questions and talk to him. I know he can't understand me, but it is so cute to watch his little expressions; which, by the way, are so cute! He has started smiling when he is awake, when you talk to him.I was only getting those little smirks while he was sleeping (which I was informed were not smirks to me, they were him passing gas).  I think he thinks we are pretty crazy parents because we are constantly making funny noises and talking in those "parent" voices to him.

The past couple of mornings we have been getting in the routine of playing on his play mat for a little bit, and then doing some belly time. When he is on his play mat, he hits his toys and just watches them move back and forth. It makes it seem like he is purposely hitting them, but I think its just from him getting excited and swinging those little arms of his!! During belly time one day he managed to roll over from his belly to his side to his back! Amazed the crap out of me. He has really done a great job with his neck movements during belly time, he has really progressed over the past two weeks with that, and it really shows when your holding him. He keeps his head up and just moves it back and forth looking at whatever it is he can see (which isn't too far, but he makes you think he is looking at everything so intensely). Then after belly time we usually swing for a bit, while mommy tries to get some stuff done around the house, then before you know it, it is lunchtime for both of us!! Our afternoons we try to take a nap, which doesn't always happen in the early afternoon, but we do try to get one in before daddy gets home!!

He is a very alert little guy when he is awake. He just stares at everything once he has made eye contact with it and he just watches everything. I love when he is awake and he just stares at me when
I hold him or feed him, it just melts my heart. He truly is the little miracle that Michael and I anticipated having!!! I couldn't imagine loving anything more than I love him (and his daddy).

Carter has had lots of outings over the past month. We made a trip to the pumpkin patch at two weeks old, have had lots of lunches out with mommy and daddy, a bonfire outing at Charlie Cutelli's, walks at the park with his girlfriend Molly and has done quite a bit of shopping with mommy!! He loves his car seat... well once he is in it and knows we are going somewhere, he likes it. That first initial put in the seat isn't so hot, but smooth sailing after that. He has also met a lot of the people who mean so much to mommy and daddy which has been fun! Lots of visitors and lots of showing Carter off, which of course is fun!

His little butt rash has subsided, and we are now thinking that he might not be liking his wipes. We are alternating between wipes and warm wash cloths to see what that does before his visit to the pediatrician next week! We are hoping that it is just a faze that he is going through. I did read that babies are really sensitive to wet wipes the first month or so, and that diaper rash is common, I am just hoping that is what it is, if not then I am not sure what we will do if we can't use wipes on his little tush!

Basically he is the most amazing, beautiful, wonderful little miracle to ever come into my life! I am loving being a mommy, and really loving watching him grow. I only wish that I could freeze time to keep him at this stage. He is so lovable and so sweet that I don't want him to get any bigger. I know that can't happen, and so I will settle for soaking up every little moment, and spoiling him with lots of love, holding and kisses!!

Until next time... Which I hope is sooner, rather than later. I am still trying to get accustomed to having a little one who relies on my for everything in the house!!! We have a busy weekend with Halloween coming up, so we are going to be running around all weekend. I will make sure to take lots of Halloween pictures of him to share with you all!!!

Till then-

J and M