Dear Max: Two Months Old

Dear Max,

You are officially a full on baby now! It is pretty clear that your newborn days are over and each day your Dad and I remark how you are starting to look and act more like a baby. Your days and nights are becoming more consistent, you are really filling out (hello chubby legs!), and your sweet personality is beginning to emerge. This little taste has made us excited and curious to see who you will become as you grow-up!

Last month I wrote a little about it taking some time for your Dad and I to fall deeply in love with you. Well, little buddy, we are 1,000,000% head over heels for you now! You really are the little piece of our life that we never knew was missing and you make our hearts soar. I have a feeling that being less sleep deprived (and therefore being a bit more stable, emotionally speaking) and having you make eye contact and smile at us went a long, long way. Thanks for being patient with us and for loving us back! We're just crazy about you.

One of the most fun developments in the past month have been your smiles and coos. Your face lights up when you see us and when we play with you. We also enjoy having "conversations" with you when we take turns cooing back and forth to each other. Sometimes you'll really get going like you are trying to tell us something very important! You have the sweetest little voice and we get so excited when you pipe up.

This month you were a busy little guy getting out and about. You celebrated your first Halloween, went to two festivals, and even went to the polls to vote in the Presidential election! Well, I did the voting but you came with me and got a sticker. :-)  The first festival was the Greek Festival put on by a local Greek Orthodox Church. Unfortunately it wasn't very baby or stroller friendly, though, so we didn't stay very long. We'll have to go back when you're old enough to walk around! The other was the Fall Festival right here in the neighborhood. Your Dad and I have fun trying lots of different chili's at the Annual Chili Cook-off, chatting with our neighbors, and seeing all the little kids playing games, getting their faces painted, and more. We are excited for you to get a little bigger so you can participate in those activities, too!



Now that you are more awake and alert during playtime we have started to introduce more activities in to your day. In addition to tummy time you also enjoy your activity mat, flash cards, and reading books together. Your activity mat has toys that hang down and you have learned that you can bat them around. It is so amazing to see you make this little cause and effect connection. You seem to favor your right hand so we have been working to get you to bat the toys with your left hand, too. Every once and a while you'll bat the toy with your left hand, but it does not seem to be all that intentional quite yet.

Your Dad is always on the look out for ways we can help you grow and develop. When he was doing some research online he found a set of printable flashcards. Each one has a different black and white image (items like an apple, telephone, butterfly, etc.). We show you the picture and tell you all about it. You like going through the cards and your arms and legs start to pump really fast and your eyes get wide. It really seems like your little brain is making some connections!

We've read to you since you were in my belly, but it has mostly been just for you to hear our voices so you have mostly heard non-fiction books and magazines like Consumer Reports. This month we introduced storybooks with pictures. You love laying on the floor with your Dad, especially, and reading the books together and looking at all the pictures. During story time you lay quietly and really take in all the pictures. It's really sweet and makes my heart happy to see you guys bonding during story time (and when you do it in matching hoodie sweatshirts the cute factor goes waaaay up!).

Now that you've grown out of your sleepy newborn stage you have really taken us on a roller coaster with your sleep. When you were about six weeks old I decided I wanted to try and put you on a schedule because I'd heard somewhere along the way that six weeks was a good age to start. It was nothing short of a disaster (i.e., lots of crying on your part and lots of frustration on my part). I called the nurse line at the pediatrician's office for some advice and they told me to relax about it for the time being and just let you sleep when you want to sleep. When I shared this with others they resounded with a chorus of "Yes!" and admitted that they couldn't believe I was trying to schedule such a young baby.

Things improved for a day or two and then it went straight downhill. All of a sudden you would only nap for 15 - 30 minutes at a time and by the end of the day you would be so exhausted that you'd cry hysterically and no amount of swaddling, shushing, rocking, or anything else we could think of would help until you simply wore yourself out. I called the nurse line again and they consulted with one of the nurse practitioners. She said we should try scheduling you again and as it would be the only way to help you get better sleep during the day. They suggested we should give it two weeks and let me know you might cry a little more than usual as we worked out our schedule.

As of your two month birthday (almost on the nose!) we are one week in to sleep training and the difference is nothing short of remarkable. You seem to like the predictability of it and you are beginning to nap like a champion, and are getting closer and closer to truly sleeping through the night. I guess you take after me and your Dad in that you like order and routine in your life!

Your two month pediatrician appointment went well and Dr. Augustine said you are very strong, healthy, and your development is right on track! The only change we need to make is to give you a dropper full of Vitamin D once a day because the levels in breastmilk are not high enough to meet your needs. You got two vaccination shots and one oral vaccination. Boy, those were some long needles (well over an inch!) and you were not happy about it. Like last time, though, you only cried for a few minutes and were okay after some snuggles and a little milk. They must have really worn you out, though, because you took some really long naps later that day. Your next pediatrician appointment will be in January when you are four months old! I admit I'm a little bummed we won't get an update on your height and weight until then, but I'm sure it will be exciting to see a big jump.

Here are a few fun facts about you as a two month old boy:

New Nicknames (we still use some from last month): Tiny Baby (says Mom), Big Boy (says Dad), Cheesers (we refer to spitting up as "cheesing" because it often looks and smells cheesy, so sometimes when you "cheese" we call you "Cheesers"... you can stop rolling your eyes now. haha)

Loves: Taking a bath, eating, activity mat time, flash cards, reading stories, practicing standing and tummy time, and the tri-fecta: feeling well rested, fed, and wearing a clean diaper (BIG smiles for that! haha)

Dislikes: Being cold, getting buckled in your car seat (though you're fine once you're in), not getting what you want or need quickly enough

Height: 22 3/4 inches (44th percentile)

Weight: 12 lbs. 6 oz. (70th percentile)

Head Circumference: 15 3/4 inches (51st percentile)

Clothing Size: Mostly 3 month and some 0 -3 month clothes. We've already had to pack away quite a few things that you have outgrown including about five items you never even got a chance to wear!

You are so amazing, Max, and we adore being your parents. Thanks for all the fun times this month!

Love,
Mom