Eight Weeks
Posted By Jill on April 9, 2008
Already?! Here are some changes this week:
He’s already better about being put down during the day to nap, as long as he’s swaddled. I think it’s less of a change between being held and being in his crib. He does still like to nap in his swing too, which I’m starting to depend on as my productive time for the day to connect with work and get some housework done, as long as I’ve had enough sleep overnight. His “afternoon nap” is not quite as consistent in time or duration.
He has really started to be more responsive and smiley every day, which has been so much fun! He is settling in even more to our schedule of feeding, then play time, then nap. I think he’s in a growth spurt though, because he’s less consistent about sleeping longer at night, even with formula before bed. He tends to wake up closer to four hours after eating. I’m assured by my child development specialists (aka Jo & Jane) that this will continue to fluctuate, and yes, he probably is in a growth spurt and demands more food until my production catches up and he gets more at a feeding. He’s pretty good about going back to sleep though, so I don’t mind those middle-of-the-night feedings so much.
He is even more content to be on the floor by himself but prefers to be on his back. We still make sure he has plenty of tummy time to work on holding his big head up, but he’ll lie on his back and look around for quite a while if he’s fed and happy. He actually likes to watch the TV! We’ll have to start watching more educational shows, I guess… 
This morning when I put him in his crib for a little bit after eating, he started to notice his mobile and was awake and content in there too.
He has also started to outgrow some of his clothes! A couple of outfits he’s worn this week will be on him for the last time. His feet are filling up the little space in the footsies, and he is so long now that it pulls when he’s stretched all the way out.
He still has cranky times, but those seem to be less and less, and they are more often in the evening. I think by evening he might be getting hungry in shorter intervals, especially if he’s growing. Again, I’m told this “bewitching hour” is normal for newborns. He likes to be walked around and is usually quiet then. It makes for a disjointed dinnertime, but that’s to be expected!
As far as outings, we’ve done fairly well. Because we’re on a bit of a schedule, it’s easier to try to predict (emphasis: TRY) when he’ll be sleeping and eating. Yesterday I could get in to the chiropractor during what I thought would be Mac’s nap time, and like a good boy, he fell asleep in the car on the way there, then slept through my appointment and at Jane’s until it was time to eat. Church last weekend was a rougher outing. I had taken him on errands during his nap, from about 2:30-4:00, then we stopped at home before going to church. I knew he would wake up hungry, but I got to church a little early and got his bottle out and started feeding him. He got a little cranky after he was finished, which is normal, but then didn’t want to sit still. He was okay as long as we were walking, for the most part, but I should have started out in the cry room – another lesson learned!
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