Laughter

Karston definitely laughs now! Today he laughed for Daddy while they were playing, just like he did for me yesterday. The day before yesterday, he looked like he was laughing, but no sound came out. Swatting at his mobile (nowhere close) is hilarious. Head butting my friend Dan in the nose is uproarious. And now he can laugh about it! He puts his whole body and all of his attention into his laughter, like it's the best thing in the world. And if you're listening to him, it is!

Toys

Friday we drove to the coast for the weekend, our first multi-day trip with baby, and our first trip over 20 miles since baby. When we arrived, Karston started to focus on the plush toy attached to his car seat handle! This is the first time he has noticed any toys! Daddy gave him a rattle to grip about a week ago, and Karston thought it was a fine time to throw his arms wide and, oh, send that rattle flying. This evening he noticed that his toys move when he flails around. He knows he has legs and feet, because he'll pull back the foot that you tickle and he loves to stand (Elvis), but he doesn't seem to know he has arms and hands. When he notices his toys, he's really fascinated! I'm sure flailing for toys will be how he discovers his arms and hands. It's remarkable to watch his brain make these connections!

Fewer Naps

So I've been trying wild ideas to get Karston to sleep longer at night. Since his snacking habit was the problem, I started with A Schedule. During the day, I fed him once every two hours, even if he didn't act hungry. He took to it! But that night, ugh! Karston wanted to snack at least every hour. The only time he slept longer than an hour was when we fell asleep together in the glider! I took that to mean that the best sleep involves touching me. I think Daddy's allowed to say that, but it doesn't sound like an ideal baby routine. So the next day, I instituted a new policy: there shall be no sleeping on mommy's lap, only in bassinet. He didn't take nearly as many naps that day. He took a 3 hour nap late in the evening, and then wanted to join our evening wind-down. We all slept soundly for 4 hours! Such bliss! I enforced the same nap rule yesterday, and the same thing happened! He had a 3-hour evening nap, some time with us, and we all slept for 4 hours! So my new rule is that my lap is for nursing, cuddling, playing, but not for napping! He takes fewer naps during the day so I get fewer breaks, but the nighttime result is so much nicer!

I probably made his Mean Ol' Mom list with my new policy, though. This morning, Karston cried when I held him, but was quiet for Daddy. Since Guess Who just left for work, I'm wearing his shooting hearing protectors. It's OK for him to be Daddy's Boy sometimes, because at his age I would expect him to be all about Mommy or at least nursing. I'm happy to share the pleasure of the baby wants YOU to hold him. It just makes you feel all warm inside!

Day and Night

I finally figured out Karston's sleeping pattern! He's not sleeping through the night, but he does know that it's time to sleep when it's dark. He'll wake up every two hours to nurse (sometimes every hour, once in while every three hours), but he will go back to sleep after a quick meal. And that's the problem ... he knows about nighttime for sleeping, but he hasn't figured it out for eating. He only snacks at night, but he'll have a full meal during the day. He's got day for night reversed for his meals! Aha! Now how to convince someone to eat more when he seals his lips and moves his head away ...

Baby Elvis and the Great Outdoors

This morning, Karston added a new skill to his Elvis routine: a little balance. Rather than let his arms dangle as usual, he put them out every time he needed to stabilize! Of course I made sure he didn't topple, but he needed me less than usual.


This afternoon, Karston went for his first kayak ride in our tandem sea kayak. When I put on my life preserver, the adjustments were too big ... because the last time I was on the kayak, I was enormous months pregnant. Mommy and Daddy enjoyed the ride, while our terrier-mix Emma was beside herself with delight. (She's so lean that she sinks without her life preserver, but she loves to be on the water.) However Karston didn't like it, despite a hat to keep the sun out of his eyes. Karston, the Baby Bjorn, and I had to go back to shore early.


Yesterday's outdoor adventure was better received: Karston's first hike! We hiked to the top of Oconeechee Mountain, to the old fire tower, and to the Eno River overlook. Bouncing in the Baby Bjorn from hiking beats very gentle rocking in the kayak, I suppose. So we'll stay on land for a while, and hope he warms up to water later.

Pediatrician: Two Months

We went to the pediatrician this morning for his two month checkup (and vaccinations). Karston is now 10 pounds 11.4 ounces, 22 inches long, 15.4 inches head circumference, and perfectly normal. The pediatrician said Karston looks very healthy. He was remarkably good about getting four shots too: he stopped crying as soon as I picked him up! All around YAY for this healthy and happy baby!

I'm amazed how much he has changed every week. I look at his early pictures, like here, and his face wasn't chubby! He's had a chubby face so long now that I can't imagine a skinny baby. His head control is now consistent, so these days he rides facing out in the Baby Bjorn. He has more personality, more emerging talents (like Elvis), and more smiles all the time. He has more volume when he screams (more than the human ear can handle), but overall he's a real delight! He's done with size 1 diapers, using size 1-2 right now ... and growing like a weed!