You've Come a Long Way, Baby!

Dylan, a few days old and in the NICU

Dylan, three months old and (almost) all smiles

Our boy is three months old now, and it seems to me he's recently matured from a "new born" to a "baby."

Some things we've noticed and want to remember from this time in his life:

• He is smiling reactively now. (See above.) He is especially full of grins in the morning, which I suspect must be a Darwinian survival trait, since I am definitely NOT a morning person.

• He is more interactive in general. He looks around and watches things closely, and it just looks like he's trying to make sense of it all. (Good luck, Dylan!)


• He must have an imaginary friend from India. He talks about "Hagu" all the time.


• We'd been a little concerned about how much - rather how little - he'd been eating. But this week, he's started consuming a lot more. And he's not usually "writhing" - which we attributed to acid reflux - as he typically did after each feeding, which makes them a lot easier...and quicker!


• My hair is now dangerous territory. Though he is not grasping deliberately yet, his fat little hands flex and close all the time. And he is delighted and surprised whenever they clutch something he's interested in.


• He outgrew his Moses basket several weeks ago and is now sleeping in a "co-sleeper" at the foot of our bed. We are delighted to report that he's starting to sleep for longer stretches - closer to four hours than three at a time.


• One of the things that makes it seem as though his new born days are already over is how well he's holding up his big noggin. He keeps his head up really well, unless he's really tired or hungry, when it starts to tip off balance and then dip. Also, his little legs are getting really strong. His birth mom, based on her in utero experience with him, warned us that he'd be a kicker, and that seems to be proving true.


• Like many little ones, motion lulls our baby. If you walk him in the stroller, or even the Ergo, he will reliably fall asleep. This is especially true in the car. Yesterday, we had a short outing that concluded on the outer limits of his mealtime, so he was cranky. But he quieted down whenever we were in motion...and then complained loudly whenever we had to stop.


• We are working to set up a routine that includes fairly regular nap times and a bedtime ritual.


• I'm in my second week back to work now, and it seems to be going pretty well. Of course, it's meant new "patterns of parental attention," which requires some adjusting for us all.


• Often, when I'm snuggling him close, perhaps after a feeding, he nuzzles his soft head in even closer, tucking in under my chin. Inevitably, this sweet, primal gesture causes a lump to swell in my throat.