Liam update (week 5)…

Well, Liam is just shy of six weeks old now and things are going well. We’ve really noticed a change in the last few days too- he seems much more interested in his surroundings and likes to be held up a lot more so he can have a look around. He’s also more chatty and he’s been grunting and cooing at us more which is great. Now I’m just really looking forward to him smiling. He’s been warming up those smiling muscles lots in his sleep, so hopefully soon we’ll get a real intentional smile! I can’t wait!

At the moment he doesn’t like to be in his swing for very long, or on his belly. I’m trying to give him some time in his swing every day so he gets used to it, and if he’s drowsy already, he might stay in it for a while and sleep. But it seems that if he’s more awake, he’ll only be content for a few minutes and then he cries. Pretty much the same when I put him on his belly. He’s okay for a few minutes, and he’ll turn his head from side to side a few times and then he’s over it. I also need to give him more diaper-free time each day, to keep him from getting nappy-rash, and I also have intentions of trying to figure out some of his cues for going to the bathroom and giving elimination communication (EC) a shot. However, I must admit that I’m finding the logistics of it all a bit daunting. Trying to hold a small baby over something so he can pee or poop, then cleaning him up, etc. – not exactly sure how it’ll work, but I should just bite the bullet and give it a try. The worst that’ll happen is that he pees or poops on me, but then that can happen any time! In fact, it happened last night at about 4am during feeding time, so there you go!

Well, bodily functions aside, we’ve also been getting out for the occasional walk. Last week there was some terrible wintery weather, with lots of rain and wind and cold, so we didn’t get out at all really. But the weather has greatly improved so we got out a bit yesterday and today. I did realize though that there are definite limits to what I can do on my own with Liam. It dawned on me that if I actually went to a cafe or somewhere on my own with him, what would I do if I needed to go to the bathroom? And then lots of places wouldn’t be very accessible with a stroller. Hm, problems. I guess I’ll have to be content with walks for the most part when I’m by myself and save the other stuff for when I meet friends or Richie and I can both take him out. It feels a bit strange to be limited like that.

Well, Liam seems to be quite a calm baby overall. He has his fussy moments, but with a soother, some swaddling, a bit of rocking or bouncing on the exercise ball, etc., he’s pretty easy to settle down. I don’t want to jinx it, but he hasn’t had any crazy crying fits yet (touch wood). He’s just sweet and snuggly, and likes to be cuddled and held lots during the day. It’s a bit hard for me to get much of anything done aside from just taking care of him, but he sleeps well at night for decent lengths of time, so I’m happy with that.

Well, that’s about it for the update for now. He’s starting to stir so my time here is about to run out!