Where Did My Baby Go?

I know I'm over analyzing, over thinking and over reacting.. (typical girl...)... but my baby is no longer a baby! He's a big baby, he doesn't even fit (comfortably) into his newborn clothes anymore! The baby baby days (yes, I just used the noun as an adjective) are gone and now my cute bundle of joy can coo, smile while awake and in response to our silly faces, try to talk during storytime (he adores There's a Wocket in My Pocket and doesn't care too much for other books though he appreciates the stories we improvise), focus his eyes on inanimate objects or people (he has a thing for older beautiful women) and hold his neck up while on his tummy for long spouts of time!

My baby is already so different from just eight short weeks ago. He was nine weeks on Saturday, and already there are so many notable differences in him. Here are just a few that come to mind.

• Baby used to cry every time we changed his diaper, probably because he had no idea what we were doing - we mitigated his fears by buzzing constantly or talking to him and towards the end, he would just stare at us - now, he is relaxed, observes us, sometimes even smiles and just waits to get is diaper changed.
  
• Baby used to cry every time we changed his clothes, the climax would be when we put the shirt over his head, but even once the shirt was on, his cries would continue and drone out our attempts to calm him down, even getting his hands into the arm holes was a difficult challenge given his already crying and unhappy mood - now he knows it's coming and even during those few instances when I couldn't quite smoothly get the shirt over his head, he just stuck through it, as if he knows it will be over shortly and I am just trying to dress him.
  
• Baby used to grunt and moan in his sleep as he tried to relieve some gas, something his butt was not yet acquainted with. We often helped him fart by raising his legs for him and gently pushing down as he lay on his back and the farts would escape on their own but now he grunts on his own and it's always followed by some tooting (in his sleep!)
  
• Baby used to cry when we started to swaddle him and calm down only once he had been wrapped partly, once swaddled he would be content and patiently await transportation to his pack n play for sleep time - now, he never cries when the swaddle begins, just excitedly waits to be swaddled so he can go to bed.
  
• Baby is sleeping less which means more interaction during the day and more sleep at night! Hooray baby!!!
  

Speaking of sleep, the joy that comes with more (except for the weekends when we still stay up until 12 like we're without a child! and then yours truly pays for it Sunday morning and all afternoon) is absolutely terrific! I'm also able to cook meals again (frozen goods are so much easier right?), do dishes, clean, put loads of laundry in (so thankful for our laundry IN the home), fold the laundry, and we even bought a new iron that I may take a crack at (versus the ol' throw the shirt in the dryer routine).

I've also learned a few tricks from when May was here helping - one of which has made our grocery tab decline and my "what the heck do we eat this week?" conundrums disappear. Food Nanny taught me to plan my grocery list ahead of time, and to always be armed with the knowledge of what we were going to eat for the week. Food Nanny had a great concept but May advised me to check out the sales at the grocery store first - and then think of what I could make for the week (I used to go into the store wanting fish and no matter how much it was, I would get it...). This newfound concept has really made a difference in our weekly grocery tab and though I wouldn't recommend it to any working moms, a stay at home mom has more flexibility to make multiple grocery trips during the week and therefore, can actually accomplish this! In addition, I am still using leftovers to make a new meal (Sloppy Joe leftovers become spaghetti, Cafe Rio salad becomes pulled pork sandwiches) and loving it. Cooking is so much more enjoyable when you have a plan and it's a cheap one and grocery shopping in multiple short trips makes Jordan a lot happier too! Guess my baby is still here just changing everyday, but then again, so am I to adapt to him and our new family - it's oodles of fun!

Already wearing a tie at 9 weeks old!
Sunday afternoon nap with Daddy!