Month 2

Each day becomes most exciting than the previous as we watch Callen grow and experience the world for the first time. Highlights from Month 2!

April 3, 2011

Weight: 12 pounds

Length: 23.75 inches

Hair Color: Light brown with a tint of red in the sun

Eye Color:  Blue

Dominant Hand:  Undetermined (it varies day to day)

Diaper size: Size 1 (Costco 1-2)

Clothes size: 3 month, 3-6 month and some 6 month

New Favorite Things:  smiling, making noises, singing, music, observing faces, looking at books

Learning to Love: car rides, tummy time, getting the hair wet, car seat and stroller rides

Happiest time of the day: morning before and after first feeding

Grumpiest time of day: dinner time until bedtime (~8pm)

Looking at Mom

Milestones: strengthening neck muscles, sleeping a continuous 6 hours at night, recognizing faces/voices, consistently going back to sleep in the night without being picked up, napping in unusual places, putting out bottom lip

Parental Milestones: remaining calm, keeping the refrigerator stocked with food

Month of Firsts:

First parental outing without Callen (3.5 hours!)

First babysitter (Grammie and Grandpa)

First round of vaccines

First stroller adventure with Mom

Daily Routine (so far): 

In general we follow an Eat, Wake, Sleep cycle to help prevent Callen from falling asleep while eating.  Throughout this past week (week 8), we all slept for 6 hours uninterrupted.  About 6-7 feedings on a “normal” day with his morning feeding setting the schedule for the day.

Wake-up between 6:30am and 7:30am (with one middle of the night feeding)

Eat and Play

Short morning nap (lasts about an hour)

Eat

Awake for an hour (errands, bath, sing songs, Callen time)

Sleep (lasts about an hour)

Eat with minimal awake time

Long afternoon nap (around 2-1/2 hours)

Eat

Male bonding with Dad

Mom and Dad dinner, short nap or time in the swing

Eat

Awake time until ~8pm (later on nights we are out)

Bedtime

Maybe one more feeding just before bed…

Nighttime Feeding Routine:

Callen wakes us up by crying, grunting or cooing.  Drew un-swaddles him, changes his diaper, and brings him back to me for feeding.  After eating and burping, I swaddle him, give him kisses, and lay him down in his Pack N’Play outside our door.  Depending on his alertness, I will turn on the white noise maker or give him a pacifier (rare).  Most feedings he falls asleep within 5 minutes of being put down.

Bedtime and Naptime Routine:

Cuddle facing inward with legs up.  Rock, bounce, “shhh”, swaddle, white noise…depends on the time of day.  I try to put him down before he is asleep, but sometimes he falls asleep too quickly.  Sometimes he naps in my arms, his crib, the swing, pack n’play or on the ground…depends on the time of day.  He usually resists being swaddled, but quickly stops fighting when he realizes how tired he is.  I vary his napping spot so he gets use to napping in different places, lighting, or noise environments.  The only thing that is consistent is the time of day he naps and our routine preparing for naptime.

Awake Time Activities

Story Telling

Wiggle Worm Gym

Singing (with hand motions)

Bath Time

Snuggling

Tummy Time